400 sbc

[86shorty]

I'm back! Without a block but he's holding it for me everything looked great! Cylinders not pitted. Theres a SLIGHT ridge but .020 overbore will clean them up for sure. I believe the whole code was 395-509 . I may be wrong on a number. It was grimey but I cleaned up the parts I needed to look at. The main caps still had their bearimgs and they still looked good. Slight normal wear. It is in fact 2 bolt. I wish I had the money to put down on it!! The steam holes were all clear and looked good..no cracks. The oil pan ridge was clean and looked great. Just some machine work to clean up the bores and deck (which looked good) and shell be good. Ill also hot tank it and magnaflux it just in case. As for parts..I've considered a set of aluminum vortec heads he has for it. If money allows..a set of Dart heads will be going on it. Camshaft will be a Comp cams xtreme energy of some sort. Ill be getting just a cast crank..but if I can find a good forged ill go for it. Overall I'm happy..just gotta get the money!
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[79Betty]

No idea how many times i've been in that situation... With a dually dana 60 lol
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[BigBlocksRule]

There's no such thing as an aluminum vortec head. If they have no markings, they're probably ProComp.
Run, Forrest, Run!!!

[86shorty]

Lol ill probably just stick with the Dart heads then Even though there's no aluminum vortecs..ya figured for as long as they were on vehicles that they would have made the switch. Nowadays a lot of heads are aluminum. I just need to find a good machine shop around now.
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[INSIDIOUS '86]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

There's no such thing as an aluminum vortec head. If they have no markings, they're probably ProComp.
Run, Forrest, Run!!!

For a fact there is such a thing...it would be marked edelbrock E-tec
http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_...perf_rpm.shtml

Just an FYI otherwise no marking alujerbin (lol) heads are a crapshoot
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[KQQL IT]

Ive beat the the crap out of cast cranks. Wrecked every other part of a 400.
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[INSIDIOUS '86]

Originally Posted by KQQL IT

Ive beat the the crap out of cast cranks. Wrecked every other part of a 400.
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Yah they hold pretty well bigger mains is prob why haha. Detonation is the biggest cause of cast crank failure in high performance engines. Believe it or not forged cranks flex more than cast but don't crack. Like a plastic and a ceramic plate. You can drop them but only one will still be fine.
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[86shorty]

As for a clean up boring to get rid of the edge at the top..should I just bore enough to get rid of it or should I just do a .030 over?
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[INSIDIOUS '86]

Originally Posted by 86shorty

As for a clean up boring to get rid of the edge at the top..should I just bore enough to get rid of it or should I just do a .030 over?
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Have it bored with a plate and enough to get the bore clean. If it takes .30 it's not a big deal. Torque plate honing will get the most out of the boring and will get the best service life out of the bore. If your using head studs (good idea) have them use those on the engine when boring
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[slugish]

Yea , I just did a post on rear main seal replacement on my 400 . Its bored 40 over , 274 comp cam , alum heads etc etc . strong running engine after approx 12000 miles. Only problem is those damn leaky rear main 2 pc seals .


And yea , its been dogged plenty & take it to the 1/4 mile track occasinally.

I would definitely take the pan off & replace the seal while the engine is out . Might save you a lot of aggravation down the road.

[86shorty]

Originally Posted by slugish

Yea , I just did a post on rear main seal replacement on my 400 . Its bored 40 over , 274 comp cam , alum heads etc etc . strong running engine after approx 12000 miles. Only problem is those damn leaky rear main 2 pc seals .


And yea , its been dogged plenty & take it to the 1/4 mile track occasinally.

I would definitely take the pan off & replace the seal while the engine is out . Might save you a lot of aggravation down the road.

I'm actually buying a bare block. The only thing it has is the main caps and bearings so I'm starting bare bones lol good advice though!
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[BigBlocksRule]

Edelbrock E-tec heads are Edelbrock E-tec heads, not Vortecs. They are marketed as Edelbrock E-tecs, not Vortecs. They may be similar and use the same bolt pattern, but Vortec is a GM trademark.
Aluminum Vortec-style heads, there are a few, but none that can call themselves "aluminum vortec heads".
I know it's nit-picking, but there are so many knock-offs that try to jump on the bandwagon and use the name for profit with absolutely no R&D, specifically ProComp.

[86shorty]

Should I just go ahead and pick up the set of heads he has for it? I know that stock vortecs have issues with valvespring clearance
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[BigBlocksRule]

215cc Iron Eagles or even Brodix entry level aluminum heads would make for a torque monster that would hang on to 6500 if you needed it to. Nothing's fun about a torque pig that makes big smoke shows but is all through by 5500, there's no reaon a well prepped 2-bolt block shouldn't be able to handle 6500 on occasion, same with a cast crank. The keys are spot-on machine work (including balancing) and spending the time to research and figure out a combination of parts that dance well together rather than just throwing together what's convenient or dirt cheap.

[slugish]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

215cc Iron Eagles or even Brodix entry level aluminum heads would make for a torque monster that would hang on to 6500 if you needed it to. Nothing's fun about a torque pig that makes big smoke shows but is all through by 5500, there's no reaon a well prepped 2-bolt block shouldn't be able to handle 6500 on occasion, same with a cast crank. The keys are spot-on machine work (including balancing) and spending the time to research and figure out a combination of parts that dance well together rather than just throwing together what's convenient or dirt cheap.

good advice here.

But when Igot alum heads last year ,i was told that a 180 cc chamber would be the most efficient for my 274 comp. cam & that is what I got . And you are right 5500 rpms is about it . In other words for me to turn 6-6500 rpms I would need a bigger cam ,right?

[BigBlocksRule]

Probably bigger (or ported) heads and yes, a cam cut for higher rpm peak.
The heads you have are better for daily driving, etc., it takes bigger/more efficient ports to carry one into the higher rpm ranges...

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

Edelbrock E-tec heads are Edelbrock E-tec heads, not Vortecs. They are marketed as Edelbrock E-tecs, not Vortecs. They may be similar and use the same bolt pattern, but Vortec is a GM trademark.
Aluminum Vortec-style heads, there are a few, but none that can call themselves "aluminum vortec heads".
I know it's nit-picking, but there are so many knock-offs that try to jump on the bandwagon and use the name for profit with absolutely no R&D, specifically ProComp.

Well that's just trade mark names haha. But they are "based" off vortec design
Procomp... Hit and miss on thier products depending on what your purpose is
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[bigsnookmaster]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

215cc Iron Eagles or even Brodix entry level aluminum heads would make for a torque monster that would hang on to 6500 if you needed it to. Nothing's fun about a torque pig that makes big smoke shows but is all through by 5500, there's no reaon a well prepped 2-bolt block shouldn't be able to handle 6500 on occasion, same with a cast crank. The keys are spot-on machine work (including balancing) and spending the time to research and figure out a combination of parts that dance well together rather than just throwing together what's convenient or dirt cheap.

I also agree with this. I'm running a splayed cap 406 in my 68. I have aluminum Victor Jr. 215cc heads, a .580 lift comp mechanical roller with a 4/7 swap,Jesel shaft rockers, and a cast crank. It ran 7.86 first time out in the 1/8th.This is a high end resto mod truck. My last 406 was a 2 bolt with ARP studs, crank scraper and windage tray,World Products Sportsman II 200cc heads, and Comp cams Xtreme energy hydraulic. I believe it was .507-.510 lift. It also had a cast crank.It ran consistent 8.0s in the 1/8th with a truck 12 bolt with a stock 3:73 posi on Dunlop 275-15 radials. It looked like a beater truck, but was really fun! Keep it simple, stud the bottom end and top end if you can, and use torque plates and line hone, and balance with a 5.7 rod.They also like some camshaft and good flowing heads and exhaust. Sorry to be so long winded. .02 I also agree that it's about the combination!!

[slugish]

Ok still learning here

What in the world is a splayed cap > keep seeing this term being used

[77ChevySharkBite]

I don't mean to send you on a link but check this link and it explains it well.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/engi...main-caps.html

[slugish]

lEARNED SOMETHING TODAY ,tHX sHARKBITE

[BigBlocksRule]

Saw a few pics of Dart's new LSwhatever block. It has conventional mains, splayed, rather than the "Y" block's deep skirt. Claim is it can handle more power than even the LSX
All current aftermarket blocks along with GM's Bowties have splayed mains, I've never seen the bottom end blown out of one from power or revs. Detonation, oil issues, etc. will take 'em out, but they can handle more than the internals.

[bnoon]

Actually some of the best street heads I've ever seen for SBC are the GMPP Vortec large port Bowtie heads. None of the shortcomings of the factory Vortec heads and flow VERY well right out of the box. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/na...4445/overview/

[BigBlocksRule]

^ have a pair of those ready to go on my 406. They require a dedicated intake since the ports are raised and taller than typical. GMPP makes one, so does Edelbrock, but both will need to be port matched, gotta take off about 1/4" off of the roof to get it to match.
Gooood lookin' heads, though!

[bnoon]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

^ have a pair of those ready to go on my 406. They require a dedicated intake since the ports are raised and taller than typical. GMPP makes one, so does Edelbrock, but both will need to be port matched, gotta take off about 1/4" off of the roof to get it to match.
Gooood lookin' heads, though!

All Vortec heads require a Vortec intake and have taller/narrower ports than gen 1 heads. The GMPP Large Port heads are drilled for both 6 bolt and 4 bolt Vortec designs. With a 400 and these heads I wouldn't even worry about low RPM torque, I'd go for the single plane air gap Super Victor Vortec intake.