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how about a chevy 396


Guest 2002sentraSER

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Guest Nic-Rebel450CA

What would be the advantage to this over a SBC 400? It would cost more, have slightly less displacement, and the only difference I can really see are those two. The stroke is still the same because it is the same crank. Is a good 400 block really that hard to come by?

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I am pretty sure a 396 is a 396. It is a big block that chevy produced in the late 60's and that was about it I THINK. It is definatly not the same casting as the 350-400's and it isn't a smaller version of the 454 either. Someone correct me if I am wrong but a neibor had one in his 72 chevelle and it was looked like no other v8 I had seen (placment of everything is different, dist, intake width, stuff like that)

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You can make a 396 cid small block by using a slightly stroked 400 crank in a 350 block bored 0.060" over.

 

The stroke of the 400 can be increased from 3.76" to 3.83" by offset grinding the rod journals and then using small journal rods (327 rods). The stroke is increased by 0.007".

 

So a V8 with 4.060" bore and a 3.83" stroke is 396.7 cid.

 

A 0.030" over version is a 391 cid which normaly is a 383 cid if the stroke wasn't altered.

 

I had this done to a 0.030" over 350 and now I have 362 cid instead of 355 cid (3.55" stroke instead of 3.48" stroke). On my next rebuild (+0.060) I will have a 368 cid.

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Guest michaelk

Like billz260 was saying you are probably thinking of the old chevelle ss motor. It was a big block and if you were gonna put in a big block you should go ahead and build a monster 502. I don't even think it is possible to get a BB in a datsun but then again almost anything is possible. Be the first and do it it would be one amazing little datsun. Build a bullit proof bottom end then add some afr heads and do everything right. 800 HP+ 2600 lb car =FUN. :shock:

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Guest BigWhyteDude

kinda hard to guestimate from those stats alone. Need more info on the engine. compression ratio, cam specs, type of heads, all the good stuff.

 

 

Andrew

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Guest Nic-Rebel450CA

I still dont see the purpose in doing this, but it could work if you wanted to.

You would basically be just building the 400 that you took the 400 crank from to start with...

 

I suppose you could take a 327 crank and get bearing spacers and put it in a 350 block with 350 pistons to make a 327 too.

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Nic,

Maybe I can give a few reasons why people would build big cube engines without a 400 block.

 

Good 400 engines are getting hard to find. However, aftermarket 400 cranks are cheap and easy to get (summit or jeps) and good 350 blocks are littering the planet.

 

Heads don't require any modifications when used on 350 block. A machine shop would need to drill steam-holes in each cylinder head if a 400 block is used. Except when the stock 400 heads are used.

 

There are mostly likely a few more reasons but these are the most common.

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