[57 Surf wagon]

I’m brand new to the page so thanks first off for any and all help and advice.
Looking for thoughts opinions on build

I kinda know weak spots but want others input
Building 5.7 406 for my 4 door 57 chevy wagon.
block is gm 400 with splayed caps, balanced crank rods and Venolia flat tops
.510/.520 230/236 @.50 LS 110 hyd roller cam
1.6 pro magnum rockers
Eddy 195cc RPM heads
ATI balancer
Digital MSD w Billet mech dist.
Air gap intake older 750 hp carb
Hamburger pan

4.10 quick perf 9”
700 r 4 2400 converter
28-29” tire( pie crust cheater for now)
Car is probably about 3700 with me in it.
It ran 14.30s with stocker 350 with dart S/R heads and 3.55 8.2 rear.
I assume from all the research I’ve done the heads are marginal and the converter is not enough.
Intention is a street car with occasional weekend racing.
Thanks for any info or opinions.

 

[Ianstaine1]

To me that build sounds very Solid, obviously there are all the usual drawbacks of a GM 400 but it seems you are in the sweet spot where you probably just need to match the cam profile to the Head flow numbers and i know the Eddy heads have springs for .575 but you may be right where you want to be with the head flow. I had a similar situation where i had a 4 door 77 malibu 350 w double humps that was a great driver that i changed into a 500 hp setup similar to yours. The 700 i had to shortshift or it would slip bad. I currently still have that same tran and am attempting to build another for a C4 im building but i Think the trans will be a weak point from Exp with that Heavy a car and that Power. But the motor info sounds great.. Don't know if you've considered an Elec water pump and small pulley system.. That would be cool on that car to keep it cool other than if your driving longer distances..

 

[heshtesh]

I’m brand new to the page so thanks first off for any and all help and advice.
Looking for thoughts opinions on build

I kinda know weak spots but want others input
Building 5.7 406 for my 4 door 57 chevy wagon.
block is gm 400 with splayed caps, balanced crank rods and Venolia flat tops
.510/.520 230/236 @.50 LS 110 hyd roller cam
1.6 pro magnum rockers
Eddy 195cc RPM heads
ATI balancer
Digital MSD w Billet mech dist.
Air gap intake older 750 hp carb
Hamburger pan

4.10 quick perf 9”
700 r 4 2400 converter
28-29” tire( pie crust cheater for now)
Car is probably about 3700 with me in it.
It ran 14.30s with stocker 350 with dart S/R heads and 3.55 8.2 rear.
I assume from all the research I’ve done the heads are marginal and the converter is not enough.
Intention is a street car with occasional weekend racing.
Thanks for any info or opinions.

I had a 520/530 L ... 230/236 @ 50 on 110 c hyd. roller and wished i had gone a little bigger with 4500 lb. vehicle

Liked the 700r4 with the 3000 stall converter, was not a fan of gearing in second.

Engine was 383 with 6" rods 10.7 to 1......eddy 200cc E-Tec and eddy Pro-Flow muti port.

 

[ericnova72]

I assume from all the research I’ve done the heads are marginal and the converter is not enough.

I'd say you pretty much nailed it with that statement....although from my experience I also agree with Heshtesh that more duration wouldn't hurt....especially if you want to make a splash at the weekend drags. Got to get the stall up first though.

 

[ExcellenceAuto]

Got to get the stall up first though.

Yes, don't cheap out on the converter. I have a similar setup as you. The 700R4 cost quite a bit, but it is rated to 750hp, and works flawlessly.
When I upgraded to a nice converter, (FTI)it was a big time difference I could feel! Picked up .4 in the 1/4. So the cheap one was robbing 40 HP?
Anyways, they both behaved exactly the same. I couldn't tell a difference until I stomped on the skinny, that was when I had to upgrade to drag radials because of traction problems.
Freak show has one coming my way for my current build, but the good one I speak of came from FTI. Others can give more names to choose from.

 

[ExcellenceAuto]

Also like E mentioned that cam will be on the mild side in a 406.

 

[55_327]

Rod length? Did you consider 210-220 heads?

 

[ericnova72]

Rod length? Did you consider 210-220 heads?

It's in he first post...5.7"

" Building 5.7 406 for my 4 door 57 chevy wagon. "

 

[55_327]

Wondered why he wrote 5.7, because a 406 is 6.6 liters!

 

[57 Surf wagon]

So all the engine parts listed are parts I have accumulated,short block is a one I had freshened out of a late model circle track car, cam and heads were hand me downs from a buddy who after 1000 miles decided he wanted a set of cnced AFRs and a .600 solid roller so most of it is on the cheap. Heads are far from what I want but will have to do for now. I have a set of angle plug bow ties that were heavily ported by brezenseski, but they need valves and full rebuild. Not sure if it’s worth it. Next year will be better 700r4 and converter for sure. Was hoping With the 1.6 rockers it’ll wake the cam up a bit. Anyone run or running a similar set up and have 1/4 estimates. Trying not to have any real expectations since trans is mild build.

 

[ExcellenceAuto]

406
11:1
Asian 200CC runners. Often referred to as proheader castings. Straight Out of the Box.

Straub Technologies

This Cam.
Truck weighs 3890 with me in it.
Built 700R4 with a nice 3200ish stall converter.
3.90 True Track rear.
Oh ya, Air Gap RPM with 750 Brawler.
12.6 @ 104 in a brick of a Truck.
If I had it to do over, I would have gone with Pro-Filer heads, and more cam.
But knowing what I know now, there is something even better coming down the pipe.

I was on a tight budget when I built this motor, but things have changed lately.
So at the end of the day, I have a good running shop truck to run around in, and I'm happy for now...
Isn't that what its all about?

 

[Ianstaine1]

Of course you can build a 406 to the moon with Cam/ Heads etc. but it all sounds like it's in the ballpark for what will work for your Heads / Cam / Intake / Converter. Change One of them too much and you will have to change all 4. 1.6 rockers will get you somewhat close to Your valve spring Limit already. Of course you could go to AFR 227 Heads and a Huge Solid Roller and a Victor Jr and high end Stall and run 10s and blow up the bottom end .. Or take the money that would Cost and Forge the Bottom end and Spray it to the Numbers you want.. Lots of options .. But it sounds like a build where the Parts should work together decent and Be somewhere in the Low 12's..

 

[Joer5000]

I’m brand new to the page so thanks first off for any and all help and advice.
Looking for thoughts opinions on build

I kinda know weak spots but want others input
Building 5.7 406 for my 4 door 57 chevy wagon.
block is gm 400 with splayed caps, balanced crank rods and Venolia flat tops
.510/.520 230/236 @.50 LS 110 hyd roller cam
1.6 pro magnum rockers
Eddy 195cc RPM heads
ATI balancer
Digital MSD w Billet mech dist.
Air gap intake older 750 hp carb
Hamburger pan

4.10 quick perf 9”
700 r 4 2400 converter
28-29” tire( pie crust cheater for now)
Car is probably about 3700 with me in it.
It ran 14.30s with stocker 350 with dart S/R heads and 3.55 8.2 rear.
I assume from all the research I’ve done the heads are marginal and the converter is not enough.
Intention is a street car with occasional weekend racing.
Thanks for any info or opinions.

Sounds very similar to the 406 ci sbc built by Beck Racing Engines that I installed in my 1957 Chevy 2 dr Sedan. It dyno at 549 up and 550 tq. I am running a TREMEC 6 speed .63 od and 4:11 gears. More than enough power for a street car!

 

[57 Surf wagon]

Thanks ,That’s about where I would like to be. It should be a fun ride at the very least

 

[ericnova72]

Sounds very similar to the 406 ci sbc built by Beck Racing Engines that I installed in my 1957 Chevy 2 dr Sedan. It dyno at 549 up and 550 tq. I am running a TREMEC 6 speed .63 od and 4:11 gears. More than enough power for a street car!

Thanks ,That’s about where I would like to be. It should be a fun ride at the very least

It's not going to come anywhere close to 550 hp with out-of-the-box Edelbrock 195cc RPM heads. They don't flow enough for that cam to get there.
You'll be 75 Hp short of that goal at best.....they barely flow better than a stock Vortec head but the port is 25cc bigger volume than a Vortec....velocity gradient will be way down in comparison.

They would need porting to get to the 550 Hp level.

 

[57 Surf wagon]

No I don’t think the motor will have 500hp I was guessing 450ish, the heads piss me off but is what I got for now. I was hoping for mid to high 12s which might require the converter change.

 

[ericnova72]

No I don’t think the motor will have 500hp I was guessing 450ish, the heads piss me off but is what I got for now. I was hoping for mid to high 12s which might require the converter change.

I think your probably there already with what you have, at least high 12's anyway if you can stick it down in low gear maybe even mid-12's....the siren song of running 11.99 might soon creep into your head tho', and that would need changes...
You'll need a 69 foot time in the 1.8's or better to do it for 12's.... 1.7 or better for 11's.
How good do those pie crust repro's actually work? Are they similar to maybe current dirt track rubber compound?

 

[ericnova72]

What's the weight on that wagon, about 3500 lbs?

Whoops, never mind, Just renoticed you said 3700....

 

[57 Surf wagon]

Pie crusts are for the vintage stuff probably not as sticky, I’ll run Goodyear’s or Hoosiers when I get some. And probably a 27-28” I assume car will be 3700 ish but with aluminum heads intake water pump and radiator maybe a little less but 9” will be a little heavier. All I have to compare to is I used to have 84 Monte that was 3250 with me in it, 10-1 350 with .509/.528hy roller 200 cc sportsman 2 heads performer rpm 750 dp 350th with 3000 stall and moser 12 bolt with3.73 car ran 12.36 at 108, new motor has more compression more cam more cubes and more gear but 700 r 4 and heaver so not sure if comparing apples to oranges. Had thoughts of light gasket matching on rpm heads.

 

[57 Surf wagon]

And As I mentioned I have a set of angle plug bow ties that were heavily ported by Brzensiski but not sure if they compare to anything current.