pparaska

Thanks John. I need to save up for that book - it's been on my wish list for years. It's over $100US, isn't it? Great stuff, thanks for writing that!

That thing is SHWEET!

Hi Will, that's just the engine gearhead and Davy were suggesting. I re-read that article again last night. Tempting...

Yep - Lingenfelter and another book I have show similar dyno runs on seemingly semi-mild 400s. Without a power adder, there ARE benefits to going to the 400 - if you don't wind it up too much....

I've used the carb cleaner trick too - but it takes paint off of stuff . Heck, even a spray bottle with water will help find leaks - if you can get to them. But if it's an intake manifold to head leak at the bottom of the intake port opening, or some other weird thing like a cracked port, this won't help much.

Al, How about loosening all the rocker arms sealing off the TB and the vacuum ports in the intake and pressurizing the intake tract while you listen for air escaping?

Clean it up guys - leave the attitudes at the door and be civil - or LEAVE. There's a whole lot of slapping of one's member on the table and saying it's the biggest going on here. This place isn't about self-ego-stroking. It's about learning and sharing info. If you're smarter or have more experience in an area than the rest of us, then share but don't come off like you're better than the rest of us. Sorry for the lecture, but this is getting OLD. [ September 06, 2001: Message edited by: pparaska ]

Thanks for that info - if I decide to do the 400 crank, I may go that way. Actually, I'm waffling incredibly at this point - which is fine, since I already have another motor for the car. the reason I wanted the 400 block was for cubes. I have a feeling that a high-ish compression (10.5:1) 400 with light pistons and 5.7" or 6.0" rods may be able to make decent power up to 6000 rpm. The added stroke does a bunch of things for you. The increased lever arm adds torque, obviously, but the breathing aspects are better for hiding a bigger cam as well. The intake valve closing point for a decent IMEP can be farther up the cylinder, allowing more breathing, etc. I think if 6000 rpm is my goal for a shift rpm (~5500 rpm power peak), then the 400 opens alot of streetable possibilities. As usual, I'm all ears. Theories, experiences, etc. appreciated!

Bubafet has some great advice there - this is a great way to start learning how to work on cars. And you'll be one of the few your age (now and in years to come) that know how a carb works, etc.

Jamie, I have one of the older repro kits, never installed. I heard that the fit isn't tops on these windshield and rear glass W/S's so I bought new ones from Nissan a few months ago. Oh, they are probably 25 years old, that is. Anyway, if you decide you want the repro's, I have a set I'd let go pretty cheap. Actually, I have everything in that kit but the door W/S's. But if this is a realy nice car, I'd go Nissan. I heard too many not-so-nice things about the repros.

Hmm. 406, 377, 353, depending on what stroke to use. Decisions, Decisions. Actually, the 353 (3.25" stroke, 4.155 bore) is looking enticing. I hear that the Wayne's Engines in Riverside CA (the place the supplied the stuff for the HotRod article) sells the crank,rod,bearing kit to do this. My small journal cranks won't help build this puppy - that'd take TWO thicknesses of spacers - not a good idea. Hmm....

I'm going to see if I can shake the 2 bolt block loose from him, and forget the crank. I want to do an internally balanced 400 anyway - I can reuse balancer and flywheel that way. As for spending any more money on the 327, I think I'll leave it alone.

It may be bigger, but the 240-280Z has PLENTY of room for a V8.

Besides a preference for what body style you prefer to look at (aesthetics), the other question is total vehicle weight. The 240Z wins here. The other question is present or future emissions laws. It's almost always easier to get by with engine swaps in older car bodies. And even if your area doesn't have draconian emissions laws now, it might in the future. Or you might be pressured to move your residence to an area with those laws.

Guys, I've got too much invested in putting the 327 back together right now, but my research on how to get a reasonably-priced, reliable, streetable 400+hp out of a carbed SBC makes me think it'd be alot easier with cubes. Anyway, I was thinking of upgrading to a 383, but today at a car show at work (no kidding!) I met a guy that has a few 400 blocks and cranks. He'll sell me one of the 4 bolt blocks that is standard bore and a crank in good shape for $125. I'm thinking jump on it. I know that the 2 bolt block with splayed 4-bolt caps added is actually better for all out racing, but if I only turn it to 6000 rpm, I don't think I need it. Is a stock 4 bolt 400 block up to the task of say 450 hp, along with longevity? Or is the 2 bolt block with splayed caps needed for that level? My idea is to use some pink rods that I have, add ARP bolts to them and get some light forged pistons and some nice AL heads. This is all down the road a ways, but I'm thinking jump on this block and crank at this price, and since it's local, if there's something wrong with it according to the machine shop, I can work with the seller. Anyway, I figure a 406 with 10:1 compression and nice AL heads (Brodix, AFR, etc.) and even a mildish cam will get me tons of low end and plenty of HP, with room to grow. Should I buy this 400 block/crank, if that's my long term goal? [ September 05, 2001: Message edited by: pparaska ]

What's not to like? I'm on a T-1 at work and it loaded fine. Nice page, Scotty. Well documented, with dimensions of mounts given, all the hairy details of the swap as you have planned/done them. Thanks for documenting this!

Scotty those halfshafts look beautiful. Now maybe have the clear powder coated ? The install of the diff rear hanger looks so incredibly simple - you have a way of doing that! I'm all for slowing down and taking your time to do it the way you want. But, oh, I forgot, you like to drive your car, not just look at it in the garage Sweet install!

255s are the largest I know of - on my car: http://members.home.net/pparaska/wheelstires.htm Then again, the fender lip still is too close to the tire, even after rolling it, so 245 is probably a better way to go. I may have to slit the wheel house and pull the fender out, then weld in a small strip to widen the rear of the fender opening to get enough clearance. I haven't driven it yet, so I don't know if it will ever rub. But without a spring, I can push the wheel/tire up into the rolled lip fender and it hits, but not until only 1.3 inches of side wall is showing below the top of the fender lip. Go with 245s - that extra 10mm is not worth the effort, IMO. But offset is incredibly important on this setup.

I was reading Lingenfelters book some more last night (it's about the SBC, but some of the stuff is general). Lingenfelter mentions that going solid roller on the street does not mean that the usual vavle lash adjustment interval will be needed, but can be extended, as the new roller cam and lifter designs don't fall out of adjustment as the flat tappet solids do. There's preformance to be gained with solids, as the solid roller lifters are generally a good bit lighter than the hydraulic rollers lifters, and they obviously don't pump up either. Still a bunch of money though. For a mild cam, I don't see the point in roller cams, unless your block already has them and all the other required parts (shorter pushrods, etc.). From research I've done on cams, if you're getting above say 280 advertised duration, then it might start making sense - otherwise save your money and buy better heads, etc. Just my humble opinion.

jeremio, I really like this idea. I guess you might still have issues with the steering shaft, but that can be worked around, I'd think. If you design the bolting arrangement to the frame from your crossmember K extensions, I'd think you'd be adding some stiffness to the crossmember/rail system, probably stiffening the car in torsion. In this way, it's probably preferable to a separate, parallel crossmember for the engine. Sweet!

I've read arguments that running near 210 can cause too many hot spots in the heads. Then I've read (Lingenfelter?) saying this nucleate boiling in the head water jackets is BS, that a pressure of 16 psi in the system prevents that. I think there's wisdom in both camps. Even with the system at 16 psi, the change in boiling temp of the coolant may be high enough to allow local (nucleate) boiling. Once you have that, the water jacket is insulated from the water and convective heat transfer goes away (locally). The effect on a cast iron head would seem to be different than an AL one. Interesting stuff, but I'm confused as to who to believe. How about some dyno runs with different thremostats? Anybody here own a dyno ?

Th OE crossmember is bolted to a reinforced area of the frame rail. Actually, I've seen designs that improved upon the attachment by adding a bolt (and spacer) that went through the frame rail top to bottom more inboard of the OE bolt holes. This was to stiffen the connection. I think as long as you consider the local stiffness of where you add frame mounting for a cradle or crossmember "K" attachments, you'll be in good shape. A simple piece of 1"x1"x8" steel angle welded to the lower inside corner of the stock frame rail just aft of the crossmember should provide a sufficient local stiffening for any attachment. Add a gusseted tab to this inboard of the rail, and mount the K member legs or cradle to it.

Ah - like a K member. I see now. I like that better. It seems if you did that and mounted to the bottom of the frame rail, behind the crossmember, you'd get away from header AND steering shaft problems. I see now - Cool. I agree the JTR brackets are a bit disconcerting - lever arms and all that.

I think it's a great idea. Just a bit more fabbing. But I'd consider mounting straight to the frame rail instead, after you reinforce the rails (scab some 1/8" steel on the top, bottom, engine side walls). Yeah, you'd have to put in a "hole" for the steering shaft. Check out the Ford forum, I think firebern did this on his install.

Could it be you just need to sharply whack it into the diff to get the C clip to open?