[camino_man]

hey fellas,i have a 76 el camino and am looking at a sbc 400 to put in it. its in a seventy something caprice with a two barrel. i have a quadrajet and an aluminum intake for it. i have heard that these engines are bad about over heating, is this true? what else should i know about these engines? are they good for hot rodding, and what are yalls expieriences? thanks

[NAIRB]

400s are not really bad about overheating, they are pretty reliable. 400s get the bad rap about the overheating deal due to what happens to them if you do get them hot. Since they are really at the limit of the stock chevy smallblock in terms of bore size, there is less meat in a 400 and can be prone to cracking if you roach em, also the effects of detonation in a 400 can be extra bad due to the siamesed bores and "hot spots" that develop between the bores and heads. If properly cared for and maintained, they are just as good as any other smallblock.

[1BAD80]

As long as the steam holes are drilled you shouldnt have any problem. These motors were used in trucks to run at 3,000 RPM. Use a FelPro marine head gasket #1014 they have the steam holes in them. I run 400 blocks and never had a heating problem. Use a GM thermo fan clutch they help quite a bit, and only go on when it gets to a set heat range. Also a GM alumium high flow water pump.