400-THE OTHER SBC (WITH DOUBLE BOOST)

[@gmcnelly2468]

Bought a bunch of these in the early 80's (about $50 each) and saved them as my retirement projects. All I can say is that on a dollar to horsepower calculus, it is very hard to beat for a good street engine!

[@Rampant_Colt]

sounds like a great idea! Best wishes

[@bri-manhunter2654]

Torque!!!

[@mgbchuck6527]

I heard that stuff about the 400 rod length forever, thanks for a definitive answer. SBCs Forever!

[@tenorhowlermonkey3454]

I built a few different 350s for my 80 Malibu in those days and they all ran very well, but the 1st time I used a 406 with 12.5-1 compression it broke the 7.5" 10 bolt immediately.

[@MississippiDan1]

Same here! Lol

[@jaydubb71]

LMAO! Gobs of torque!

[@bri-manhunter2654]

Torque!!

[@andrewerickson6690]

You broke a ten bolt? no way lol

[@darinr9424]

ran 9.5s years ago in an isuzu pickup. 406 world heads 150 shot. welded factory diff in the truck with 10" slicks.. Yep the read axle has chevy stamped all over it. the 4.10 gears inside... FACTORY GM. now we never broke that pos axle..... back halved the truck 9" ford with a spool 4.56 gears and a 14" wide tire... broke 3 axles go figure... wth

[@anthonypesqueira7540]

I've built 13 engines for my monte carlo and the 400 was always the best bang for my buck. Holy shit those engines have so much torque they can break a neck.

[@edsmachine93]

Great content Richard. I build engines and I wish I could convince my customers of the point that you just proved. One engine, unlimited possibilities. Mild to wild. Thanks again, Ed M.

[@CarsandCats]

Here we go! THIS is the test I have been wanting to see. Gonna go ahead and give it a thumbs up and make some dinner then watch it lol.

[@fuddrucker74]

How was dinner?

[@georgebruderly6119]

@@fuddrucker74 Burnt???

[@howardbedford6075]

We learned of the 400 small blocks down south from the dirt trackers and Sportsmen drag racers in the early late 70s early 80s. Ran a 64 Nova station wagon with a mile 406 and 373 gears on the street in the early 80s, most fun I've ever had with a car! 400 small block best bang-for-the-buck.

[@mattv8919]

how mild was 406 ?

[@poncoolride]

The only small block I ever used for my drag car. They are excellent. My first hotrod got a 400. Back in the 80's smoked every small block car I ever went up against and several big blocks. Most of them that I used were built with the stock connecting rods. I got into the 11's na with one completely stock bottom end, a set of camel hump 2.02" heads that I home ported and a smallish solid flat tappet cam. This was in a 3300 pound car. There was plenty more in it but the car was stolen before I got the chance to really get it optimised. Its one of my favorite engines of all time.

[@mattv8919]

what was your stall and rear end ratio

[@Rocky-cg9nl]

So happy I built a 406 for my vette! 406ci SBC Scat 9000 10.5:1 Probe Pistons Eagle Rods Protopline 235cc Heads .545in/557ex. 244/248 @ .050" 106lsa RPM Airgap Holley 750 3000 Stall Turbo 350 basic rebuild/shift kit

[@danielmcquoid6358]

Building a 406 with the protopline 235cc heads as well . Nice heads

[@juiced71]

Nice! Mine was built back in 2000 40 over 400 block #817 eagle 5.7 rods Eagle 4340 crank Srp pistons World sportsman II heads ported Was built for spray 200 shot Sprayed it twice with a 150 shot Had children car sat . Well I just threw a 80 mil turbo on it Comp turbo cam Compression 10.5 and man she rips!! I really love the fact that turbos like 3.08 3.23 gears and wider center lobe cams! Now I have brakes and it pulls like a freight train ! Haha! Protopline heads ? I never heard of them Definitely gonna look them up ! At some point I’m gonna need a new block so maybe the next build 👍🏻

[@bri-manhunter2654]

Daniel Mcquoid nice build!! I’m building a 5.7 Hemi into a 6.4( 394 )forged stroker for my 13’ Ram 1500 right now, with a Comp cam 210/222 .600 lift 114LSA, Hellcat swap, 6.4 dual plain manifold, 5.7 heads (cleaned up with bowl work and high lift springs), 3000k stall, and 11:0:1 compression. I’m hoping for a torque monster in N/A form till I add boost.

[@andrewerickson6690]

Bet she scoots good

[@dniksich]

Used to street race a couple 406's back in the day....loved them engines!!

[@blazeshetland1884]

Thanks! Was going through withdrawals from not having my daily dose of a Richard Holdener video.

[@richardholdener1727]

More to come!

[@johncummings7045]

I have been running the 400 SBC since the late 80's, the short rods were never an issue until you started making real power and they started to become a problem, either way a fine engine that has served me well for a long time.

[@QueenCitySpeedShop]

The 400 is king of the small blocks. Great video Richard.

[@jerryhayden8720]

It works for me. A mechanic friend that kept my big truck going well built a 400 and put it in a S 10 and went to drag racing. Well, he had to have it inspected all the time and the officials would ask him what he had done to it to make it so fast and he said he said he just ordered a kit and took his time and put it together and that was it. Well he had all the safety stuff but after his first season they told him before he started the next season he would have to have a parachute. Apparently it was very fast. As they say, whoever they are, "There's no replacement for displacement." Excellent video.👍

[@finscreenname]

My off shore race motors from 1970 are 427 tall blocks stroked. Love that long stroke.

[@shedred1967]

I had AFR 225'S on my sbc 400(.060 over) but they are off in anticipation of a new set of $10000 Billet heads on order now. She's a screamer already in my sleeper 1979 k20 AWD Silverado. I have destroyed the ego on many a big and small block. When real competition steps up, I tend to go to the track. Everyone else gets beat to the speed limit, as they finally speed past me going faster than posted speed limits. No tickets in my back pocket, lol! I really don't cate if I get beat. It's all in horsepower fun. Love my sleapers.

[@morton2200]

Great video Richard! 400 is my favorite SBC. My uncle and I built two of them. One for his 69 Camaro (replaced the stock 307). And the other for our farm/street stock pulling truck, a 1967 K20 with SM420 and Eaton axle w/4.56 gears. Both motors got double hump heads and ran great!

[@oceanhome2023]

Can a 400 be made out of an old school SBC !!!

[@deanstevenson6527]

Ive gotta say...what a well researched article. Thanks for telling everyone who querried the 3.75 inch stroke. Bang on regards the rod ratio on a good breathing 400 Chev small block. Finally some justice in the SBC world!

[@goader190]

Thanks Richard thats what a was asking to see and u delivered i 400sbs my first camaro had one in it and my fast car had one in it lol by far my most favorite sbc

[@richardholdener1727]

Glad I could help

[@randallmason9687]

A friend of mine built a 400 for His 70 Nova. After He drove it one time, He said He would never build another 350.

[@michaelangelo8001]

World of difference...

[@GJ-DT]

Need atleast 3.75 stroke

[@dannystotler6605]

I love the extra torque

[@johntempest267]

Until he blows a head gasket and joins "the informed".

[@Richard-gy1fo]

@Jim Watson definatley. I have a 406 an copper 041 head gaskets. No issues at 650 hp plus a 400 big shot

[@michaeltucker9993]

I've been building 400s for over 30 years. People dogged me at first, telling me all the horror stories, and why it wouldn't work. That soon changed, and people started showing respect for the small block that was giving many big blocks more than they wanted. My experience has been the 400 likes big heads and more cam timing. Rod ratio makes no difference. I believe Joe Sherman said once that the "rods connect the piston to the crank, period". Great engine for a street machine in my opinion. Power of a big block, with the weight of a small block.

[@deanstevenson6527]

Michael Tucker : I flat out love the SBC 400. But its not a patch on the same 402 Big Block. Its the weight loss for a similar power level and thats a postive trade off in 1/8 or 1/4 mile time with the 400 Chev. The bigger bore spacing 396/402 makes more power with less revs if done right. There is a lovely old 1990 ish Hot Rod article that discussed this with a Mouse Vs Rat Comparison. I like the 400 more...just needs heads that flow like the best Big Block canted valves. You can ser how worried Chevrolet were that maybee a Rochester or 1976 Cadillac style Speed Density EFi in 1973 like the Cosworth Vega system...it might have killed off the Big Block!

[@dannywilsher4165]

Arguably the best small block I ever built was a 400 .030 over with a forged 350 bottom end. If I remember that produced 377 cubic inches. It was for a dirt track stock car. Rules said it had to have flat top pistons and a 2 bbl carb. Holley 500 cfm 2 bbl was legal. And a stock cast iron intake of any gender. So of course I had a 4 bbl intake. I put "double hump" heads on it with 2.02 intake valves. And some porting was utilized but mostly just gasket matching the intake with the heads. But the secret to what I did that no one ever knew about at the track was I angle milled the heads from zero on the intake side to .120 on the exhaust side. If I remember correctly this raised the compression up to around 10.5 from 9. It was back in the mid 80's so my memory is not for sure but I do remember how good that thing ran for sure!!!!!

[@the496elcamino]

I originally was looking for a 400 sb to build up with a stroker kit but couldn’t find a good core that wasn’t cracked. That was around 2002, I’d go aftermarket nowadays but went stroked BBC . Great video!

[@jonathonwhite2813]

I've run 400 sbc for the last 10 years, current setup is 400 30 over 5.7 rods h beam eagle crank and rods , heads are ebay 200cc runners 64cc chambers 11:1 pump gas flat Tappet 535 lift howards cam. Runs 11:50s in the quarter in my s10.

[@dennisroberts2857]

Would like see some high low end torque 400 vs 383 vs 350 be great to see how they come out

[@SketchysGarage]

The 400 with trw flat top pistons, good cam and decent heads is a street beast. Had one in a 68 Camaro would run 6.90's all day long on motor then drive it anywhere.

[@hardball107]

Hi Richard, I built a 400 from a bunch of stock parts I had laying around about 15 years ago. It started life in a '76 Laguna S3, I used a set of Vortec heads (906), a 268H Comp Cam, a set of TRW forged pistons with the relocated pin hole and a set of PM 5.7" Vortec rods. Topped it with a 800 QJ on a Weiand manifold and the only machine work was a port match and decking the block and heads, only major parts bought besides the usual was the pistons. We stuffed it into a '69 nova that belonged to a friend, OMG. I had a 76 Camaro at the time with a 454 and Turbo 400 and he made it a point to embarrass me every chance he got and rub my nose in the fact I had built the motor. I had to step up my act with one of the first LS's I built at the time but no one would believe it was a 400 in that Nova. Was it the longer rods that helped that motor run so well, maybe the heads, just got lucky on the combination ? Who knows but I still have another cast crank 400 short block sitting and with the cost of SBC parts lately maybe a new build with a turbo would be interesting but I can attest to how much power those engines can make.

[@pmd7771969]

I would also use cast iron heads to keep the deck surface of the block stiffer and stronger vs aluminum heads. Some cast iron heads can flow decently. Large port vortecs aren't too bad. Bv

[@rondyechannel1399]

Engine Master's Jon Kaase; "run rods 2" longer than stroke". In the 80's I took a 400 added Brodix Heads 2.08 int., cam, etc. installed into a 69 XKE Jag. raised the gear ratio to 2.88/1 with a 4 sp., used only 2 gears ever, start in 2nd, immediately shift to 4th. Never had it on a dragstrip , but with the independent rear it was pretty much unbeatable on the street at 2300 lbs. Of course never tangled with a like style street rod. Should have never sold it, wish I could find it. Red, IROC chrome, no holes in hood (bonnet).

[@jgtperformance3487]

I just recently bought a stock 400 SB. It has all factory pistons, 5.565 rods, and crank. I'm going to put twin 76mm turbos on it and an Elgin 224/224 @.050, .466/.466 lift, 114 LSA cam, and ported 882 heads.

[@mohi303]

you can use a better cam and its better to use another head or at least port those 882 as wide as possible ... ofcourse it needs some math

[@bcbloc02]

My brother has a 72 Caprice with a 400 SBC my parents bought new. Story was it was ordered for the police department as an interceptor but they backed out from lack of funds and the car was sold at a discount. It has a factory iron 4barrell manifold and I don't know what else but I know that car would flat haul. Geared to the moon it would go well over 100mph in 2nd gear. I don't know the top speed but the speedo will go past the 120mph limit mark like it does the 80mph mark. The suspension on that tank at 120+ makes it feel like you are just floating and hopeing the road is still under you. The guys that raced those things in the day 200mph were nuts! lol

[@AndyR1982]

Personally dealt with a 400 with the "junk" short rods. With some max effort ported 461s with 1.6 rockers, flat tops, and a comp 294s it was a running son of a gun. It motivated the short bed 4x4 it was in very well.

[@546cowboy6]

The only experience I had with a 400 small block was in an early 1970's pick up that came into the shop. Never saw another one in 25+ years of working GM. The thing I had to do was replace spark plug wires and it was a nightmare. Now I have to say I have always loved Pontiacs.

[@11secghia]

As a Ford guy I owned a 72 c10 with a built 509 block 400 it kicked ass!It made 425hp and 500ft lbs of torque ran ICE cold and ran HARD!!

[@dustydustydusty]

Always been a fan of the 400. Thanks.

[@pmd7771969]

I would try this build with a stock 400 block on e85 and fill the block and use splayed main caps. Bv

[@theotist65]

Just got a small block 400 from my brother who went LS. Thinking of bore and stroking it into a 434.

[@vonnsnyder2481]

Love that 400sbc! When I was younger back in the 90's, we ran 1/2 ton 4wd 81-87 Chevy trucks. The first thing we would do is build a 400 and swap out the 305/350's. We abused the hell outta them and we never had any block problems. We did however blow a bunch of transmissions and rear-ends.

[@bacobetts8179]

Thanks to a Switched on friends advice, who was still an apprentice mechanic, (who believed you should not look at the HP an engine makes but the foot pound of torque, going no higher than 5500-6000 rpm for the street). So in 1989 I was one of the first if not the first to run a 400 Small Block in Adelaide possibly even Australia. It had Forged Flat Top TRW Pistons, Stock heads an LT-350-HP cam and an Edelbrock Dual Quad manifold with 2 Carters on it. It cost me $4500 and produced 210k/w @ 4500 RPM at the rear wheels. we couldn't push any further as my 55 Chevy was losing traction. To the disbelief of the mechanics who literally said 'What the F*ck is in this". Why? The day before they did my mild little 400 they had a $7500, - 350 built by one of Adelaide leading engine builders who told me not to go for a 400 and run a 350, and his 350 produced 210k/w at 7000-RPM. (but i guarantee you i had more foot pound of torque than his engine did). Needless to say my cheap mild little 400 destroyed everything on the streets of Adelaide for over 4 years. and believe me when i tell you this, they were all $7000-15,000 engines. Big Blocks and Small Blocks. i would push my 400 to 5500 rpm, slam the powerglide into 2nd and she would slingshot my 55 into another dimension. The 400 S/B revolution didn't come till 4-5 years after i had mine on the road. As for the short rods, no they don't make any less power, from what i am told they simply limit you to a comfortable rev range of around 5500 RPM, if you are building a 400 it's best to use the 5.7" rod (which they have had for a while now, as they produce less piston friction on the bore). as for the factory used 4 bolt 400, I was told a while ago that they do have a tendency to crack around the bolt holes under pressure, and that the 2 bolt 400 was actually stronger. so if you are looking to supercharge the engine an aftermarket block is best. "anybody who chooses a gen 1 small block smaller than a 383 or 400, is living in the dark ages, HP means nothing as there is no substitute for foot pound of torque.

[@theTIVANshow]

@richardholdener on the sb400 why did you go with 110 lobe separation and not 114 . Also you never give information on ring gap and how much.

[@danatkins6751]

Point well made !!!

[@throwingsparks]

thanks for this video Richard! I am planning on a Dart block with 350 size mains.

[@victoroneill7924]

I'm glad I watched this video (I watch all your videos). I have a new Bowtie block I found on Craigslist a few years ago. It's the one with the 3.97" bore and I was planning on using it when I rebuild my '68 L69 327. Since I would have to get the Bowtie block bored for my new .030" over 327 pistons I decided after watching this video to "go big" with the Bowtie block and have it bored .125", get a good forged 400" crank/rod assembly, a good set of heads (probably AFR) and solid roller cam. I'll rebuild the L79 with the original block so if decide to sell my EC in the future I'll put the rebuilt 327 in it and keep the 400" motor.

[@andrewadams1428]

Glad to see you do some 400 testing. I know the ls stuff is the easy way now but the 406 to 434 has always been my go to. Old school with nitrous 🤙

[@600lwp]

I also used a 400 block to build a .125 over 302. TRW made the pistons back then and the pin location was to use 302 rods and crank It had overheating issues too but it was a drag engine. It wasn't a idea build because of the extra machine work special main bearings and have it balanced

[@paulsteinheiser8674]

Love my 414. Offset ground 400 crank with 6" 350 rods. More cubic inches.

[@Rampant_Colt]

nice! Any idea of hp numbers?

[@USALT1]

In 1970 my best friend got a 1970 Monte Carlo with a 400 4bbl 330hp & turbo 400 & a 3.31 rear. Another friend had a 1969 Chevelle SS396 350hp 4-speed & a 3.55 rear. The Monte Carlo would beat it by 2 car lengths every time,

[@superduty4556]

Glad I snagged one 15 years ago. Damn dirt track dudes!

[@wymple09]

I put a 400 in a Chevy Monza for a friend of mine. It was just a stocker and it was plenty hairy. The torque was marvelous.

[@jamesgeorge6551]

Awesome comparison, Richard. You bringing up the OEM vs. Aftermarket block question addresses my question. In the rust belt, the trucks rotted away by the nineties, mostly. Circle Track racers scarfed most of the production blocks years ago. I always heard contrasting things about plugging the steam holes in the block deck, vs drilling heads to accommodate them. It seemed like guys took the 400 crank to make 383 ci engines, then circle track guys would buy the cracked blocks, spray weld the decks, then put 350 cranks in them for 377 ci.

[@dogprowilhelm7630]

Great video and that output was all nonintercooled. Intercool for lower charge temperature and fuel injection for a Big Bang SBC 400

[@angelovasilikos7980]

Was waiting for this test! Had a 400 Sb with fuelie heads and a mild cam. Tall gearing because it was a high car and that motor still pulled strong. Then spun a cam bearing and would loose oil pressure at idle. No over size cam bearings for 400 they said.

[@xozindustries7451]

The small block 400 was always my favorite small block, I had a few of them and just a cam swap would wake those motors right up, beat up on any other similar small block I raced against, it was a lot faster than my 302 HO big roller cam motor with TFS heads and a victor junior intake, Holley 650 double pumper, that was a huge disappointment

[@dennisrobinson8008]

302 HO Ford? That combo should've been around 420HP or so.

[@xozindustries7451]

@@dennisrobinson8008 so they say, I wasn’t impressed, it was tuned perfect, MSD ignition, BBK headers and exhaust, the whole summit 5.0 page, tremec transmission, 3.73 gears 8.8 limited slip rear end

[@denniss5512]

Back in the early 80's we would pull the 400 4 bolt 4 barrel motor out of a Kingswood Estate wagon. I don't know why, maybe the life of slow pulls seasoned the block, but with a good cam, intake and valve job these things were awesome in a light Nova or Vega.

[@dennisroberts2857]

I'd sure like to see more 400 builds there getting alot harder to find and when u do they usually want alot for them in good shape.

[@Supakool85]

I got a 400sbc I'm waiting to build I had to go outta town to get it

[@JK-dn4pu]

That’s what powers my ‘85 K5

[@horsefly1020]

Just get a aftermarket block easy to get.

[@drubrandon5003]

I’m gonna order me dart block they aren’t cheap but well worth it walls are a lot thicker helps with heat and more ci

[@drubrandon5003]

As long as you don’t put window in them they are gonna last past what factory can (.040) bore wise any more than that little too thin

[@CopperBased]

Love the content but my local salvage yard is as likely to have a Faberge Egg or a bus full of cheerleaders break down in front of the main gate as they are to have a 400 small block. They were rare and hard to find 20 years ago.

[@saldar65]

Buddy had a B&M Mega Blower on a 350, put the cam and heads on a 400 and shaved a full second off in the quarter. Both were stock blocks with factory pistons.

[@camaroguy2919]

Hey Richard you should do a video on the small block 305 budget build.

[@richardholdener1727]

I have some 305 vids up

[@camaroguy2919]

@@richardholdener1727 cool thanks.

[@stevesloan6775]

Boost and a good flowing head.. best of both worlds! Love your uploads 🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🍀

[@raychevynova7394]

Great video bud, we have a 400 in my son's nova and it's a beast. 👍

[@richardholdener1727]

Nice 👍

[@danielbargas3377]

I think it would be cool to see some twin charged stuff, roots or twin screw with a turbo blow through or roots with a centrifugal supercharger etc

[@richardholdener1727]

that is coming up

[@pmd7771969]

One thing most people don't mention, is by running e85 you can eliminate the need for an intercooler. Making turbo lag a lot less of an issue. However it takes almost 2 gallons of r85 to equal regular gasoline. Mpg not so good. Bloodviking

[@CarsandCats]

Excellent video. Hey Richard, can you do a roots blower test where you use Premium pump gas/Race gas/E85/Methanol to show the power differences and potential of each fuel as well as the discharge temps? Maybe use a decent blower like a stripped Littlefield.

[@ezcondition]

the rod length has more to do with efficiency is what i've always thought about. meaning, how much stress it places on the block: pressure on the block wall, piston speed, etc.

[@jaydubb71]

That's what I've always thought. The bore side loading decreased with the longer rods. And something about the piston speed..

[@jerryscott2658]

A longer rod reduces side loading on cylinder walls, less wear on the block over time, slows piston speed and increases piston dwell time at tdc and bdc of the crankshaft throw. It's noticed more at higher rpm like 9500 rpms.

[@jaydubb71]

@@jerryscott2658 I was trying to think of a way to explain that. Lol. Thanks!

[@jerryscott2658]

@James Williams it's all good bro!

[@brookvalliant7813]

Yup basically the shorter rod will require something else to make it up such as the crank or piston. So the math you should be considering is more towards velocity, inertia, expansion, and all the fun rotational and balancing details.. not simply 400-350 means stronger.

[@82lube]

I have done the newer “Dart & “Blueprint SB 400 & they are a Beast with the right Rotating Assembly, Cam & Heads

[@richardholdener1727]

those are good

[@dman1049]

@@richardholdener1727 Would you be willing to test a stock 400? Internet always talks about how they all over heat. How the block is weak. Lets see a stock 400s limitations

[@cammullis1852]

@@richardholdener1727 could you plz send me the part number for that speedmaster block I've tried looking it up on speedmaster and can't seem to find it. You do a great job and keep the dyno vids spinning!!!

[@shitbox7413]

I’d like to see how much a 400 with at least stock block and crank could handle...

[@jackdale9831]

I'd think 6-700 Hp with the right parts. a '70 396[402] got 375Hp with Solid lifters in the day. My next-door neighbor had one that was HOT

[@michaelcasey5121]

@@jackdale9831 Do you know the difference between small block and BIG BLOCK????

[@petestrickland2181]

@@michaelcasey5121 ikr😂😂

[@michaelcasey5121]

HaHa you got that.@@petestrickland2181

[@shitbox7413]

@John S, Sounds like a good engine. 👍🏻

[@BigWill3855]

Had a 400 in my 67 Chevelle drag car. Ran Doug Herbert cam, dart heads, victor intake, dome pistons running 13.5:1, and ran alcohol. Ran 5.90s in the 1/8 in a all steel body car. S

[@andrewadams1428]

Will Johnson that’s pretty much my set up in an s10. What was your vehicle weight

[@vinceyoung5912]

How did he avoid the connecting rods from hitting the cam with 700 lift?

[@bill2178]

I was waiting for a 400 sbc so id have a reference for mine

[@cammer00]

Here's the 406 SBC I built a few years back for my -67 Camaro grocery getter : - 400 SBC block from 1976, 0.030" over - Milodon splayed main caps (center three), ARP studs - Eagle forged crank, Scat Pro Sport H-beam 6" rods, SRP Pro Series pistons. 10.2:1 CR - AFR Eliminator 195cc heads, street port, ARP head studs - Comp Cams Extreme Energy 282 hydraulic roller cam, Howards lifters, Comp 1.6 Pro Magnum rockers - Edelbrock Performer RPM Air Gap intake, 750CFM Holley double pumper, 1" HVH spacer - HEI distributor, Pertronix coil and module WIth a TH700 tranny, 3.55 rear gears and 3650lbs weight, I ran a 11.34sec/120MPH quartermile.

[@milehighgimpster]

I remember my cousin's nova with a 400 sbc 40 years ago. Stock motor but it had enough power to break the rear tires loose without side stepping the clutch!

[@DBSSTEELER]

Rewatched this one because I had a SBC400 in a 72 Impala. To put it in perspective the 327-365 made about 355 hp on the dyno. That works out to 1.08 HP per CI. A combination capable of making that same 1.08 HP/CI would make 432 HP on a 400 SBC.

[@richardholdener1727]

yes-but none of the factory 400s ever came close to that

[@oceanhome2023]

Folks what would be the best choice 400 or a 383

[@richardholdener1727]

400

[@codycrabtree3684]

A stock 400 is hard to find where I live anymore. Use too be they were all over but not so much anymore. Last one I seen had the starter bolts broke off so no where to put a starter on with out fixing it

[@mcdonaldm73]

I love, Love, LOVE! A 400 small block!!

[@stuartbuckley6113]

One thing not mentioned is the bore and how it unshrouds the valves so the engine breaths better.

[@HeyLiana1]

You’re saying, the small block 400 doesn’t stop at 5200 because of the Rod length, It’s because 194 don’t flow enough for 400 in.³

[@rustysausage69]

Yea the 400s really perform best with a 200-220cc cylinder head. Stock 400 heads are garb, really no different from 350 except for the steam holes.

[@richardprice5978]

@@rustysausage69 is that why I never felt in love ( cylinder head differents is sizing to the bottom end ) with my 1980’s 350 sbc 700R4 vs my ( favourite out of the ones I’ve tried ) 60’s 327 manual 4-speed both were in trucks and most people think 💭 sbc is a 350 or 383 stroker then 327 then 305 ( junk didn’t like it in the 80’s trucks ) the 302 or 400 aren’t mentioned in my Group of car guys the bigger 400 main and rod bearings are though most people try to shrink it to a smaller size but not me I’d rather have the extra loading capacity and I’m the same way with longer rods as bearings are cheap cylinder boring isn’t

[@tonyelliott7734]

@@richardprice5978 Rod journals are the same size as the large journal 350.👍

[@tonyelliott7734]

@The Truth about Africa hurts Nope. A common misconception is that there was a small journal 350 in 1967. But there wasn't. I just worded it that way to avoid an argument with someone who thinks there was. The rod journals on the 400 are the same as any other small block Chevrolet with the exception of the early 327, 283, 265 and 1967 302s. 1968/69 302s had medium journals. I guess they call them medium journals as compared to the big blocks. As far as I know that's right.

[@rustysausage69]

@The Truth about Africa hurts 1967 Camaro SS350 had a small journal engine, very rare. Every other 350 of all other models and years are large journal

[@DernsDesigns]

Great analysis RH! Thoroughly enjoyed.

[@robvas]

Richard can you do a video on 400 SB vs 396 BB?

[@richardholdener1727]

HARD TO FIND EITHER OF THOSE

[@mattv8919]

@@richardholdener1727 are you in california?

[@tomkelly3896]

Great video....very informative...thanks rich✌

[@mikef647]

We had problems with the middle cylinders and the water openings in the middle of the motor you have to fill the block if you want to make HP

[@mikeoswald15]

I don't know why everyone is drooling over 383 strokers, when they can just build a 400, especially on a low buget build

[@anyshitt]

Im not a builder of motors. but I have been just day dreaming about 383 stroker crate motors to replace the 400 sb's I have two chevy's.

[@mikeoswald15]

@Peter google: steam hole modification small block Chevy heads, or cooling modification 400 sbc.

[@hunterpetrovich1154]

400 blocks getting hard to come by. And the ones you do find (atleast where I'm from) are cracked

[@terrykohn7022]

As I remember the limits on the stock blocks were due to cooling with the thinner cylinder wall and hot spots between the cylinders. Was a good motor but very touchy for cooling temps.

[@jeffjohnon4223]

400 shootout,chevy,ford,dodge.Of coarse my favorite would be a AMC 401 but finding one is the trick.

[@thebigpicture2032]

Don’t forget Pontiac.

[@smokenchoken1736]

Just not many piston choices in some of those families especially the 400 Ford but at least it had access to sll the Cleveland head selection

[@jackdale9831]

Easy-peasy! 401s are just bored AMC 360s. When you build yours, PLEASE go "Dry-sump, oiling", as Penske DID, after running AMCs in the old Trans-AM series, after he had 23 mains FAILURES! AMC KNEW it had main-bearing "oiling problems" with raced 390s & 401s, but instead of FIXING the "oiling-to-the-mains problem", AMC just CAST. thousands of replacement 360 blocks which could be bored/built to 390 / 401s to satisfy warranty claims. My wife & I. had to have one of our 390s rebuilt after very-little racing, and $6K for 550Hp is WHY AMC V-8s are "un-loved" compared to other engines. Even "Hot-Rod" magazine had a DNF on a coast-coast race, running a crate-401 in a '74 Hornet Hatchback! Maybe Penske & AMC were "quiet" on what problems they had with the wet-sump oiling of AMC V-8 main bearings, but after having "eaten" some 396 Chevelles & fuelie-vettes, with a big-block 'Stang or Mopar, you might start it up the next morning faced with a spun-bearing @ idle, that'd garage your AMX for 4 months while it was getting gone-over from the pan-up...BUMMER!!!

[@jeffjohnon4223]

@@jackdale9831 I ran a 360 Javelin for about 15 years or more,that car seen past the redline revs uncountable times and it never had a problem like that.Must have been a wednesday car eh.

[@corvettejohn4507]

Well you'd need to test at least two different Chevy 400's. The SBC and the BBC 400. It'd be nice to see a dyno comparison between a similarly modified 400 SBC and 400 BBC. I haven't seen one of those in years.

[@billybadass411thefirst9]

I would love for you to tell us what ring gap you use on each combination. Just throw the info in the video like you do with cam specs. Awesome work as usual. Thank you!

[@richardholdener1727]

both had near .030

[@MississippiDan1]

We never had rod issues in the 400... We had axle issues and pinion gear issues and torque converter issues...😂 Still love this video

[@peterchown1552]

Ahh this is one of the engines I really wanted to see, great stuff

[@Thumper68]

Great video! Nothing like good old 400 sbc!

[@hannibalbarca8670]

Richard I would love it if you would go into detail about the 400sbc with tpi you built.

[@richardholdener1727]

I did a TPI 383 -don't remember doing a 400 TPI

[@kevinw5690]

I really enjoyed the fact that someone decided to cover the SBC 400. However, there seems to be almost no budget with this build which makes it hard for the average Joe to relate to.

[@jimciancio9005]

It's only cheaper to use a 5.7 Rod well it was back when I built my 406.... To get pistons like you were saying Richard in the Odd 5.56" wrist pin hight was like pulling teeth! No one has them in stock for anything more than stock replacement cast dished slugs. Trying to find forged ones in the 5.56 was about another 150 bucks in the cost of the set of pistons between those custom ones and off the shelf ones already made to utilize the 5.7" rod. So I changed the rods out the only issue was the rod bolt heads needing clearance for the camshaft lobes in the 400 with the stock stroke of 3.75" aftermarket rods and even stock rods with a larger cam profile comes into contact with the rod bolt head's. Grinding the bolts was the only bitch and trying to not lose too much balance between the 8 rods. Otherwise with a cast crank and a factory block I hit well over 8500 on more than a few occasions accidently when I didn't have the rev limiter setup. Never hurt anything inside but oil windage is definitely a issue with the stock cranks and a higher volume oil pump! Ended up pulling the pan and going with crank scrapers a stock volume pump and a 2 qt larger pan. Made a great difference in parasitic drag and no more issues with oil foaming and oil pressure drops at 1/4 mile runs. Hope this helps someone who has this issue? My oil pressure would drop off about 3/4 track and continue falling until the finish line all due to the oil whipping into cream inside the block.

[@robertmerrill7539]

Richard I would like to see how the 350 and 400 would compare to the old W motors 348 and 409 normal aspirated and boosted.

[@richardholdener1727]

wish I had one of those

[@RubenQuezadaJrAutoRepair]

Have y'all tested a powerdyne super charger? I have one on my lt1 Camaro with port&polished factory heads lunati custom grind cam long tube headers base tune by pcmforless. The salesman at lunati said it would make around 450hp

[@richardholdener1727]

I have run testing on the Powerdyne-friends with the 1st owner who was originally with Vortech

[@RubenQuezadaJrAutoRepair]

Are they junk or do they make power?

[@lloydholt6511]

Factory block would not have mattered or influenced hp/torque readings. Aftermarket blocks offer a lot of advantages over stock blocks particularly under boost or higher compression ratios. I know preaching to the choir. Lol. Good test with results as expected. I so enjoy your videos. Always informative, always practical, well thought out engine combinations. Thank you.

[@opieg7333]

Always loved the SBC400. Fasted car I had ever been in until maybe 5 years ago was a supercharged sbc-400 a buddy got his hands on back in the early 90's. Was impossible to keep running right but when it did was insane. Richard, do you have any "classic"engine combination charts from the 80's and 90's? Be interesting to see what those old Edelbrock and Offenhauser type kits were really able to produce. And it is sort of funny that the factory long rod engines of old never revved out enough to take advantage of the benefits.

[@TheF1shh]

I have a 400 from a delivery van sittin in the garage with like 40k miles on it. Not a chevy guy but would love to get a 70s or 80s caprice wagon and make a big ol grocery getter sleeper.

[@richardwimmer6846]

Sbc 406 my favorite,,,

[@95Sn95]

There's a local guy that bought a restored short bed mid 80s c10 square body equipped with a moderate built up roller SBC 406, I was told he bought it with the intentions of doing an LS swap for that next level performance but after a week of driving it around he came to the conclusion that definitely would be not necessary because as people say " just an old smallblock" was way more than adequate... I love that stuff and as much as I respect LS based engines it would be cool to spank an LS swapped truck, just because I love an underdog and because the folks that rip on the SBC even tho they are one of the greatest engines of all time with run of over 40 years....it's not the best design obviously but still has very high power potential no other platform has or ever will do that again. Also the idea engine gurus are building hybrid engines of basically and LS with SBC short block architecture claiming it's definitely superior.... Huh.

[@wisheye1]

@Richard Holdener how much power/rpm can a bone stock 400 small block short block handle if I put comp xe268h in and 200cc China heads, air gap and 750??? 5000rpm all day long with stock cast bottom end and 400 horse???

[@richardholdener1727]

yes all day at that power level

[@danieldimitri6133]

A lot of people don't like the 400 because they feel it didn't make any extra power. But power is in the cylinder heads. A few rare 350 and 327 did have heads that were better equipped. Big intake valves, guide plates, screw in studs etc.. And that's a little better place to start. But with good heads and healthy cams they are beasts. Much bigger and it's hard to get the specific torque to be the same but you may still see gains in total torque or better idle quality but I don't think it's worth the expense if you have a 400 short block.

[@jodypierson3137]

I have a 406 with 4:11 gears th400 and dual edelbrock 500s in my regal with the comp cam 268 grind and dart heads, nothing is super hot rod on it I haven’t been to the track with it but after adding a gear vendors overdrive I run out of street before I run out of torque pull.