grumpyvette

BTW heres a FEW good rules to keep you out of trouble while picking sbc cams,THIS APPLIES TO 350CID AND LARGER ENGINES, SMALLER ENGINES REQUIRE LESS DURRATION. (1) IF THE CAR IS EVER DRIVEN ON THE STREET AND IF THE DURRATION @.050 IS OVER 250 DEGS. ON THE INTAKE OR THE LIFT IS OVER .600 YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR COMBO THAT YOUR TRYING TO COMPENSATE FOR. (2)WHEN IN DOUBT GO WITH THE LOWER DURATION LOWER LIFT CAM. (3)ROLLER CAMS ALMOST ALWAYS PRODUCE MORE TORQUE/POWER BUT ARE NOT NECESSARY IN A MILD STREET CARS (4)SOLID FLAT TAPPET CAMS GIVE YOU A GOOD RETURN ON POWER PER DOLLAR (5) ALWAYS CHECK ALL CLEARANCES EVEN IF THE COMBO (SHOULD BE FINE) (6)DAILY DRIVER CAMS SELDOM WORK WELL IF THE INTAKE DURATION EXCEEDS 234 DEGS @.050 OR .550 LIFT (7) YOUR ALMOST ALWAYS BETTER OFF WITH A SINGLE PLANE VICTOR TYPE INTAKE IF THE CAM INTAKE DURRATION EXCEEDS 230 DEGS. @ .050

heres more places to look http://www.hpsalvage.com/ http://www.racepartsexchange.com/ http://www.corvettesalvage.com/ http://www.contemporarycorvette.com/ http://www.tabertouch.com/ http://www.corvette-specialist.com/yard2.html

call salvage yards, engine rebuilders, and vette clubs,and just ask around where ever you work.someone will have what your looking for. or if your in a hurry you can buy a new crate engine short block,add performance heads,cam and intake and carb.then add whatever other parts you want too and get exactly what you want. heres some places to look, http://www.corvettejunkyards.com/main.html http://www.michigancorvette.com/ http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?action=catalog_start&catid=514 http://www.amerspeed.com/ http://www.recycler.com/com/chevy_only/page2.htm http://tunedport.com/0101836l.html http://www.midfloridamotorsportsperformance.com/502.htm heres some guidelines http://www.ryanscarpage.50megs.com/combos.html http://www.hotrod.com/editorial/article.jsp?id=1004 heres hoods http://www.up22.com/falcongto.htm#DATSUN%20Z other links http://store.yahoo.com/super-store/repbod.html

Peternell is correct the 400 must use the 2 diameter oil pump drive shaft to provide clearance for the larger 400 main bearing size as the standard single diameter drive shaft will bind against the block when the distributor is installed, this causes the distributor gear and the oilpump to wear at a very high rate if you do manage to ge it to work but in most cases something breaks fairly fast.

internally ballanceing an engine has been proven to reduce stress levels and make your engine last longer but if your never spinning that engine over 6000rpm and the factory ballance seems ok, I think you will be better off just useing a synthetic oil and changeing it every 3500 miles to make your engine last longer, as a ballance job will not add greatly to your engines life under those conditions. BTW good ballance jobs that do not require heavy metal slugs for ballanceing normally cost about $175 so your getting screwed at $300, check for other shops in your area.

look heres some good rods (but not the only good rods) http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/Products/IEC/IECCR/Billet.html(good choice) http://www.kendrick-auto.com/corillo_rods.htm (what Id buy if I was really bucks down) http://www.hayabusazone.com/rods.html (one of the best rods) http://www.cdpautomachine.com/ecatalog/eaglerods.html (very good price for what you get but not as strong as the lunati rods) http://www.herbertperformance.com/Catalog/ConnectingRods/Oliver_rods/oliver_rods.html (about the best there are at any reasonable price)

its your choice but the chevy pink rods are definitely not as strong as some of the aftermarket rods, heres what the chevy catalog says about it,and I would not use them above 450-475 hp myself. BTW those (700hp nitrious engines with those rods have likely never seen a dyno or are on EXTREMELY borrowed time! ) 12495071 - Connecting Rod Kit (5.70") This kit includes 8 of P/N 10108688 high quality 5.70" length PM connecting rods which are used in the LT1 and LT4 Corvette engine in place of the old "pink rod" for higher strength and reliability. These rods can be used in competition or as street rods BELOW 500 horsepower. Use P/N 10108688 for single rod replacement. look here; if you don,t believe me https://www.spoperformanceparts.com/ (put in 12495071)

this tire info may be usefull http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/car-tire.htm http://www.victorylibrary.com/mopar/tire-calc.htm --------------

heres another look at the subject http://www.carcraft.com/editorial/article.jsp?id=868

heres some more info http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/crank-bal-c.htm

heres some info for you mopar guys http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/nitrous-tech-c.htm

just trying to help you guys out YOU may not know it but you guys are some of the last of the TRUE hotrodders, any idiot with money can buy a Z06 vette or a supercharged COBRA mustang and have a fairly fast car but to take a big V-8 and stick it in a light car and do all the mods necessary to get it correct takes persistance and true hot rodding skill something most guys don,t have so I don,t mind helping out where I can keep up the good work and be proud you built it yourself, something most of the mustang ETC. crowd will never have. (the skills and knowledge you pick up by doing it yourself.)

its very common for the oil pump pickup to be mounted too close to the bottom of the oil pan or for the pickup to be loose and vibrate untill it either falls out of the pump or moves down untill its too close to the pan bottom, both things will cause the engine to starve for oil at much above 2000rpm. a third thing is for the stud holding the main cap/oil pump connection to loosen and cause bad oil pressure readings (use red locktite)its very UNcommon for an oil pump itself to fail but not useing a ARP hardened oil pump drive with a steel locking coller and a narrow mid section to clear the larger 400 main bearing dia. can also cause problems. this is the type drive shaft you need, Oil Pump Drive SBC all Steel w/ Metal Sleeve ELG 1S55E 6.99 Each SEARCH BY PART # AND ENTER PART # (ELG 1S55E ) http://www.parts123.com/PartFrame.asp?ZTM=cadefjgb&GHOME=www.mi dwestmotorsportsinc.com&TITLE=Midwest_Motorsport and heres a good combo,MWMS Claimer Pan Combo Includes: Claimer Pan (left hand only) High Volume Oil Pump High Volume Oil Pump Pick Up $79.99 http://www.midwestmotorsportsinc.com/mms.nsf/pages/Specials

the computer says 379 hp and 400 ft lbs

Ive got $47,000 in 3 vettes Im rebuilding that run great but 2 of them still look terrible so far , but after reading what you guys spent it makes me feel better (hey Im good at engines not paint and interiors) and yes its cheaper and heathier for me than a mistress , especially if I got one and the wife found out so I stick to cars

http://www.vettenet.org/octane.html

http://www.vettenet.org/torquehp.html

something that may be of interest to the high hp c-4 guys and z-car guys that need an independent rear suspension http://www.dutchmanms.com/pricesheet.html#Anchor-65124 9" Ford Independent "IRS" Rearend System http://www.dutchmanms.com/ http://www.dutchmanms.com/1_indep9rears.html yes the price sucks but it is a good option

John Scott I was hopeing more people would post on this,... theres three ways to look at that, (1) if your willing to let someone with more that your present experience level make the choices for your engine thats not a bad plan(thats basically what your doing when you call cam company for advise anyway) (2)learn enough about the subject to be able to make valid choices yourself, now this will take time and effort that you may not want to be involved in but it adds greatly to your understanding of what and how your engine works and will allow you to adjust the characteristics of that engine your building.(what I do now) (3)or do what I did for years, list all your parts after doing research to make sure everything matches the displacement,gearing,rpm range,and intended use of your engine,call at least 6 cam companys and ask for the lift and opening and closeing points @.050 lift of the cam they suggest, average those figures and buy the cam from what ever company that has the cam that most closely matches the average figures or have a cam ground that closely matches those figures from your favorite manufacturer (usually not as expensive as you may think)but in most cases an off the shelf cam is available for most combos,(BTW its always better to go for slightly less lift and duration than slightly more than the average if you must compromise slightly)

here look at this stuff it may help http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=19884&prmenbr=69 70 http://www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=225567&prmenbr= 6970 http://www.etoolcart.com/product.asp?0=203&1=215&3=2807 http://www.etoolcart.com/product.asp?0=203&1=215&3=665 http://www.etoolcart.com/product.asp?0=203&1=215&3=1992 http://www.etoolcart.com/product.asp?0=203&1=215&3=2348 http://www.etoolcart.com/product.asp?0=203&1=215&3=99

bbbowtie Im really sorry you got screwed but next time BUILD YOUR OWN, its the only way to MAKE 100% SURE that everythings CORRECTLY DONE! if you need help , post questions here or at CHEVYTALK.COM but read these two books cover to cover first untill you understand EVERYTHING TOTALLY! (how to build the SMALL BLOCK CHEVROLET) BY LARRY ATHERTON&LARRY SCHREIB AND (how to build max performance CHEVY SMALL BLOCKS on a budget!by DAVID VIZARD

as the torque input goes up so does the friction so its not a set amount, its generally thought that the th350 absorbs about 20 hp less than the th400 due to its lighter parts and smaller parts but the th350 is also weaker than the th400 and is normally better for under 600hp engine while the th400 is a safer bet when your over 600hp (yes Im well aware that they advertize th350s that will handle 900hp) but in the real world the th400 lasts much longer attached to over 600hp engines than a th350 especially if proper trans coolers and hd parts are installed.

the 400 sbc normally has 5.565" factory rods, a 3.75" stroke and a 4.125 bore.a 400 block bored .030 oversize(4.155") with a 3.25 stroke 327 crank, 6.125" rods(prefered) would get you 352.5 cid but most 327 cranks are small journal and putting them in a 400 block will require custom bearing spacers, a better swap is the 350s 3.48" stroke crank that with a 4.155 bore , 6" rods, that yields a 377.48 cid engine (thick bearings for this swap are available). or if your into spending big bucks use a aftermarket raised cam location block with a small base circle cam, a 4" stroke crank, 5.7" rod and a 4.155 bore to get a 433.89cid small block. while its true the long rod smaller displacement engine makes more hp per cid the 433 will make much more total torque and power over most of the rpm range.BTW a 433 with a supercharger only needs to turn about 5500rpm and still can make 600 plus hp/650ft lbs easily

it would help to know how much MONEY your asking for it! if the price is right Im sure I or some one else will drive over and pick it up!

btw its BARELY streetable for a daily driver (its my weekend toy not my main transportation) and if your useing an auto you will need a 2500-2800 stall converter to make it work correctly, if this is your main transportation I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A CAM (1) step milder like the CROWER # 0483 (221/230 duration .525/.545 lift on a 114 LSA) it will cost you only about 25 hp but give you a much more street friendly engine! and since it will also boost your low end torque you may even have a car that will spin the tires into smoke even faster, as a matter of fact I sometimes wonder if I made the correct choice as the greater torque instead of top rpm hp is normally more usefull on the street! either way youll have a kick a$$ engine but be sure to check ALL clearances because their close to the minimum allowable.