400 OR 350?

[JeffMcKC]

Re: 400 OR 350?

I have one makes good power :, dont spray it and dont go more than .030 over with it, to go 7.0s or faster you wont need to in a Malibu. Mine is a 400 two bolt, splayed caps, bushed lifters. If I was going from scratch... Get a world, or dart block the money is close from starting on a 400 block get the big bore and stroke a 434 eagle set up 3500.00 for the whole shorty, pull it apart and check it and be able to turn the number in the hot summer air.

[GO OR BLOW RACING]

Re: 400 OR 350?

Thanks guys a really appreciate all the advice!

[BillBallinger Sr]

Re: 400 OR 350?

Thats what ive been hearing. They dont like heat an dont like rpm.

Back in the '70's I used to build them for circle tracking at 406 ci. The crank main journal is bigger, so a little more oil pump helps to offset the higher bearing speed. A 6.00 rod and a custom piston is a good idea too, yielding a good 1.6 ratio. The bores are siamesed, so they don't expand at the same rate all around. What I did was put the torque plate on cold, let it sit over night, then run hot water through it, about 205° until the whole block is hot and then hone it with a fixed CK-10.

A block heater is a good idea, to keep the water hot at start up. These engines could run a whole season, where other 400 guys were killing them right and left. Don't know if I am right, but that's what I did and we took home a lot of bacon.

[Freiburger]

Re: 400 OR 350?

Or you can get spacer bearings so you can run the standard crank in the 400 block. They look scary, but it seems that they work. (That was why I suggested that you cold reuse your 383 crank in a 400 block).

IMO, 0.040 over is also an option. Pistons at 4.165 are easy to get.

[Eric68]

Re: 400 OR 350?

Interesting Bill -- I have often wondered about honing blocks when cold vs honing at running temps.

[Freiburger]

Re: 400 OR 350?

Hot honing is back. Lots of NASCAR teams use it. Expensive.