bb 400

[66fury]

Hello guys, new here, what a great site. Im in need for some help on a bb 400. I have a 400 out of a 76 doba and would like to put it in a 68 ny two door. I dont have the funds to build a stroker, vary limited. looking for bottom end with great thottle responce and torqe, here are the details.

VEHICLE INFORMATION
Vehicle Year: 1976
Vehicle Make: chysler
Vehicle Model: cordoba
Vehicle Weight:
Vehicle Transmission: Automatic
Transmission Stall Speed: factory
Vehicle Transmission Model: 727
Vehicle Gear Ratio: 391
Tire Height:
Vehicle Intended Use: Oval Track
Vehicle Requires Inspection: No

ENGINE INFORMATION
Engine Year: 1976
Engine Manufacturer: chrysler
Engine Factory Cubic Inches: 400
Engine Current Cubic Inches: 400
Engine Compression Ratio: factory
Piston Bore Diameter: stock
Connecting Rod Length: stock
Crankshaft Stroke: stock
Desired RPM Range From: 0
Desired RPM Range To: 5000

INDUCTION
Intake Manifold Type: rpm performer dual
Ported Cylinder Heads: No

CYLINDER HEADS
Cylinder Head Manufacturer: 452
Cylinder Head Material: Cast Iron
Head Runner Volume: stock
Intake Valve Size:
Exhaust Valve Size:
Ported Heads: No
Rocker Arm Ratio: stock
Adjustable Valvetrain: No
Maximum Valve Lift Capacity:

FUEL DELIVERY
Fuel Delivery System Type: Carbureted
Fuel Injector Or Carb Size: 4 barrel 600 vacuum sec
Fuel Type: Pump Gas Unleaded
Fuel Octane Rating: 91

POWER ADDERS
Super Charger: No
Super Charger Type: Centrifugal
Supercharger Boost Amount:
Turbo Charger: No
Turbo Charger Count: One
Turbo Charger Size:
Turbo Boost Amount:
Nitrous: No
Nitrous Amount:
Nitrous Stages:

CURRENT SETUP
Current Cam Manufacturer: stock
Current Intake Duration:
Current Exhaust Duration:
Current Advertised Intake Duration:
Current Advertised Exhaust Duration:
Current Intake Valve Lift:
Current Exhaust Valve Lift:
Current Lobe Separation:
Current Intake Centerline:
Area For Improvement: More Low RPM Power

COMMENTS
Comments: I also have a set of 906, 516 heads

They recommended a 60301 kit.

i entered a rpm intake, but not sure. i have several 2 and 4 barrel oem intakes as well. what would you suggest for intake and carb. any other recommendations would be great

 

[Garys1969RR]

Welcome to the forum. Not sure exactly what it is you want to know? I have never heard of an RPM PERFORMER DUAL. There is a performer 383 I believe, and an RPM Performer. The newer RPM Performer is a much better intake, and should work well on a circle track car. Good power band, and top end power. These intakes use a single 4 barrel carb.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I think he means dual plane, Gary.

66fury, it would help if you could let us know what your budget is. Keith Black makes some nice pistons to raise the compression in the 400. Or, you could go with te 516 heads you have, but they will need $$ome work to get what you want. Probably the most economical way would be the KB pistons and the 906 heads, but without a budget number, all we can do is guess.

 

[Garys1969RR]

Ok thanks, Rusty. Yea 66, I think the 516 heads with larger ex valves(if the budget allows), flat top pistons that come close to zero deck, say .015 to .020 below, .020 head gasket, and a little home porting should help alot. Also 906 heads with a KB step head piston would work. For good torque and throttle response stay fairly mild on the cam. Something like a 440 magnum cam. How much $ you have to work with?

 

[RustyRatRod]

Must be another fly by night, Gary.

 

[747mopar]

Don't know what your budget is but I have about 4,500 in my 451 stroker using a 400 and the rotating assembly out of a 440, KB pistons, 452 heads, etc. I ported my own staying on the mild side but the flow bench showed that they where comparable to the stealth heads so you can definetly make improvements there.

 

[66fury]

thanks for the replies, all i can do for now is a cam, intake, timing gears, and carb, and maybe ignition. Did a compression test last night and all holes ranged 125 to 132 lbs. Just looking for some snap coming out of hole. thanks guys and yes i was looking at the RPM Performer dual plane..

 

[Meep-Meep]

If you don't pull it apart and do major surgery you are very limited on what cam you can run. Pick a cam that is specifically designed for low compression. I have a Crane in my 76 Olds powered boat and it was like magic! Edelbrock Performer cam is another good possibility. The key is to have a cam that boosts cylinder pressure.

 

[66fury]

this is what im looking at

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LUNATI-3...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a2a3aa9fe

not sure on intake, was thinking a RPM Performer dual plane
and a 600 holley vac sec

 

[66fury]

this is what im looking at the lunati 10230702sk with comp 911 springs (not sure if i need springs)

not sure on intake, was thinking a RPM Performer dual plane
and a 600 holley vac sec

 

[rsd859]

I have a 400 with a stock cast intake, a 650 holley and I dont have any snap out of the hole not sure what cam Im running since I didnt build it. But Im planning on getting a eddy rpm performer or a torker, shorty headers, upgrade my ign box and coil.

With what I have now I have excellent midrange power and its very strong but off the line its a slug and will barely chirp the tires....could have a lot to do with the stock gearing too.

 

[66fury]

WOW, 228 views, and still at square one. come one guys, just asking for some advice..

Thanks

 

[RustyRatRod]

Well in all honesty, your original post is a bombardment. How many people do you think read all that? I did, but I'm a glutton for punishment. Unless you can get compression up on the 400 with either a head swap or a piston change, you're very limited as has already been said.

What are you asking for? Do you want a stock compression 400 recipe? I'll be glad to give you one, but I need to know what you want. So far, all I've seen are abstract ideas from you.

 

[racedodge]

I will shoot the **** with you..

KB240 pistons
452 heads (no need to go over 9.5 to 1) <- if you want a badass motor, you wouldnt be building a 400 in the first place, so lets keep it real
Performer RPM dual plane intake
850 demon or comparable carburetor (some will say that is too big, I ran one of these carbs on a 400 with kb240's and the *female dog* wanted more.. so piss on the naysayers)
K54 Engle cam
2 1/2" exhaust with long tube headers
3.55 gears
and a 2800 stall

all that will give you drive-ability and a chance to tear apart your rear hides. good luck.. and i am sure there will be someone saying "NO" to what a I just said, but I built one with exactly these items and it was quick and reliable.

 

[66fury]

Ok, I have a 400 out of a 76 doba, i am on a vary small budget, all i can afford now is cam, lifters, timing gears, intake and i have a 600 holley square flange. Im looking for good low and mid snap (good quick throttle responce) i also have 391 gears. Everything else is stock, i would love to do a full build but cant. Im asking for help on choosing a cam, intake, carb combo. so far i have been looking at the lunati 10230702sk kit, and a performer rpm intake with my 600 holley. would this combo work with the low compression i have? or is there any others that would be better..

Thanks

racedodge, i wish i could build something like you stated, but not enough $$$$

rustyratrod, lets hear your stock compression 400 recipe please..

 

[RustyRatRod]

I like the cam you picked. It'll work good. A stock, iron 4 barrel intake will work fine. I think you should spend that money on the heads. Have the bowls blended. It sounds expensive, but it's not. That will yield about 75% or maybe more of an entire port job. The bowl area is the most import part and making sure that transition is smooth will be a real bonus. If you just gotta have an intake, here is a good one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Offenhauser...Parts_Accessories&hash=item43ba166122&vxp=mtr

But I would spend the money on the heads. That's where the most power is to be had.

Run whatever springs come with the cam you're lookin at. Get a good true roller timing chain. Make SURE the rollers are solid rollers and not split rollers. Do you know anything about distributor tuning? That 400 probably has one lazy timing curve. I am sure there's room for improvement. Also, a 600 won't be enough. I would find a good used Holley 3310 750 vacuum secondary. I usually have one or two, but I don't right now. Lastly. spring for a decent set of headers. You said this is goin in a New Yorker, right? Hedman's shorty headers will fit right in that chassis. That should be good for an honest 325 maybe even 350 HP.

 

[66fury]

Thanks i will look into getting that done to the heads, i also have a set of stock 906 and 516 heads if there better. i'm also looking at the pertronix ignitor 3 kit for ignition ? The cam kit i was looking at does not come with springs but does come with a gear and chain. will stock springs work? i was also looking at the comp 911 springs.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Run the 906s. The 516s would bump compression on up, but will require work that's too costly right now. Blending the bowls is not the same as porting. Bowl blending doesn't touch the ports. Only the area immediately under the valves. That's why it's not as expensive. No, the stock springs will not work. Yes, the 911 springs will work real good. They are inexpensive too. Just a good all around spring up to about .525 lift. The ignotir 3 is good, but maybe the ignitor 2 or even 1 would suit your budget better. The ignitor 3 has a built in rev rev limiter. Do you really need that? Probably not. But that's only the ignition part of the distributor. I am talking about the weighted mechanical advance. You can get lighter springs to speed up the curve and just kinda experiment around with it.

 

[66fury]

Great, now im heading in the right direction. A friend of mine has a dominator intake he said i could have? not sure it would work for bottom end ? the intakes i have are speedbore, would a adapter to square effect it?
Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I think a stock iron intake will be a better choice with your combo right now. You don't want a single plane on a really low compression engine with a small cam. Don't run something just because you think it's cool even if it's free. It might not be a good match right now. If you want to get it for a later upgrade, great. But for right now, a stock intake will suffice unless you can luck up on a good dual plane. The stock intakes are underrated IMO anyway. They flow really well.