The Professor
Member
I was thinking today about buying a mid/late 70’s Mopar to add to my collection and that got me to looking at the 400. I’ve read a few articles on it and think it’s got the makings of a really good engine.
I think it’s deeply misunderstood by a lot of Mopar folks and completely unknown to GM and Ford troglodytes. Most Mopar loyalists think of it as a “smog” engine and as such they discount it.
Looking at the 400’s specs like the bore/ stroke, rod ratio etc, it’s obvious to me it really can be quite the monster. It was burdened with a horrible cam from the get go hence its smogger reputation. It replaced the much loved 383 in a period where many thought that it did so because it was a weaker motor created to meet smog standards.
The 400 needs a real cam and some tweaked heads but the bore and stroke make for a quick revving engine. It has a 4.34 bore which is bigger than the 440 but its stroke is shorter at 3.38 vs 3.75. So it has the makings of a revy lil beasty.
The 400 was saddled with a small cam, a misunderstood carb (thermoquad) and a restricted exhaust, all things that are easily fixable. The heads are meh/ok but they can be woken up or better Mopar/aftermarket heads can be used.
Want a stroker? Put a 440 crank in it and you have a 451! Bore it 30 over and you are pushing 460 cubes of sweet Mopar justice! Add some 440 source stealth heads and a cam and your at 500 horsepower easy.
I use Hughes cams only, they are a Mopar only outfit and they understand that Mopar uses a 906 lifter that allows for a more aggressive ramp rate. Most cams are designed off of a Chevy grind so you are cheating your Mopar of free HP/TQ by not using a Hughes cam.
Anyway my opinion and 50 cents might get you a cup of coffee but there ya have it.
As always, Get Real….Get Mopar
I think it’s deeply misunderstood by a lot of Mopar folks and completely unknown to GM and Ford troglodytes. Most Mopar loyalists think of it as a “smog” engine and as such they discount it.
Looking at the 400’s specs like the bore/ stroke, rod ratio etc, it’s obvious to me it really can be quite the monster. It was burdened with a horrible cam from the get go hence its smogger reputation. It replaced the much loved 383 in a period where many thought that it did so because it was a weaker motor created to meet smog standards.
The 400 needs a real cam and some tweaked heads but the bore and stroke make for a quick revving engine. It has a 4.34 bore which is bigger than the 440 but its stroke is shorter at 3.38 vs 3.75. So it has the makings of a revy lil beasty.
The 400 was saddled with a small cam, a misunderstood carb (thermoquad) and a restricted exhaust, all things that are easily fixable. The heads are meh/ok but they can be woken up or better Mopar/aftermarket heads can be used.
Want a stroker? Put a 440 crank in it and you have a 451! Bore it 30 over and you are pushing 460 cubes of sweet Mopar justice! Add some 440 source stealth heads and a cam and your at 500 horsepower easy.
I use Hughes cams only, they are a Mopar only outfit and they understand that Mopar uses a 906 lifter that allows for a more aggressive ramp rate. Most cams are designed off of a Chevy grind so you are cheating your Mopar of free HP/TQ by not using a Hughes cam.
Anyway my opinion and 50 cents might get you a cup of coffee but there ya have it.
As always, Get Real….Get Mopar
