[Restore60s]

I started to make a flower pot or a boat anchor out of a 76 400 Mopar engine. It runs, and was okay but it was in a 70 Charger I bought. The previous owner did have the 440 that came out of the Charger which I'm building now and it will go back in the Charger. But........... I was told the 400 could be made into a pretty strong engine by installing a 440 crank & rods and going 0.30 over pistons. Any truth to this?

 

[killerformula]

yes, 400's have a lot of meat and there are stroker kits on the web for them. 400 is a very good mopar block to have, do your homework on it!

K

 

[Restore60s]

Mopar experts

Thanks for the info killer. I have not done a lot of Mopars that's why I wanted to know if it was even possible before digging in to it. I appreciate it........

 

[Centerline]

I started to make a flower pot or a boat anchor out of a 76 400 Mopar engine. It runs, and was okay but it was in a 70 Charger I bought. The previous owner did have the 440 that came out of the Charger which I'm building now and it will go back in the Charger. But........... I was told the 400 could be made into a pretty strong engine by installing a 440 crank & rods and going 0.30 over pistons. Any truth to this?

Yes. The 400 B block is the strongest wedge block Mopar has. There is a rumor, and that's what it is a rumor, that the 400 block is a thin wall casting. This is not true, there is no such thing. The 400 block also has the largest bore of any of the Mopar big blocks (4.34"). The easiest thing to do is use a 440 crank with a .040 overbore, (use .040 instead of .030 because rings for the 4.370" bore are very hard to find. With a .040 overbore you can use .060 440 rings which are readily available). This combination yields 451 cu. in.

When it comes to the crank you have to turn the mains down to 2.625 from the stock 2.750 to fit the 400 block so a forged crank is recommended. There may be some minor die grinding required on on the bottom end of the block to clear the counter weights of the 440 crank or if you wish you can have your machine shop turn the counter weights down a few thousandths to clear. The whole rotating mass will have to be balanced anyway so this is no big deal. Also use stock 400 rods instead of 440 rods. The 400 rods are just as strong but will save you money (and rotating weight) and Keith Black has inexpensive pistons for this setup ( KB 215) available through Summit or Jegs for under $300. If you use the 440 rods you'll have to use custom Ross pistons at about $550 a set.

The biggest advantage to this setup is the difference in overall weight and more importantly rotating weight. The 400 block is 65 pounds lighter than the 440 simply because its a low deck design. When it comes to rotating mass, lighter rods, pistons, and slightly lighter crank as compared to the 440 means you have an engine that will produce more torque and will rev better.

It's really a great setup for street strip applications and still looks like a 383.

Centerline

 

[killerformula]

Ha ha, centerline knows his stuff fo SHO!!! I always like a good mopar thread. I 451 is some big cubes, but I'm pretty sure you can get way up in the cubes with a stroker kit? I'll try to dig one up, though I saw one on the web...


mmmm 500 cube stroker mopar bigblock.....

K

 

[Centerline]

mmmm 500 cube stroker mopar bigblock.....

There are 500 cu. in. 440 stroker kits out there but the bigger the stroker kit the more expensive ($2000+ for the 500 version).

Another interesting combo would be the 440 crank in the 383 which will yield a low deck 426 wedge that looks like a 383. Hmmmm.... now that's an idea. :thumbup:

Centerline

 

[spinn]

right on 451!

great package

mopars are a pretty engine, intake swaps are a snap. i will snap a picture of my stage one440 and post it...hold on


how do i show a picture

 

[killerformula]

do it do it! I'm really surprised at the disproportionate amount of folks on this board running chevy!

K

 

[spinn]

do it do it, i tried my smallest image is 386kb, wont let me.

 

[Restore60s]

Thanks Centerline that's the ticket......451!! I like the idea of the stroker kit for the 440 also. That engine is soaking right now getting good & clean and ready to inspect. That's not bad spending $2,000 to come to 500 cubes. Imagine a 70 Charger R/T with a 500 cubes under the hood.
Running this set up on either engine what about cooling?
See the new magazine out right now? Top 10 Muscle Cars is the name. A lot of great Mopars in it.

 

[slowturbo]

I just wanted to clarify that there are indeed 500 cid stroker kits available for the 400 block, not just the 440. They use the same 4.15 stroke crank as the 440 kits (with smaller mains, of course). The only problem with these ( in my opinion) is that, with the big stroke and short deck, you end up with a very short piston which has the pin in the oil control ring, and a very short skirt, which can make the piston less stable (rocking) in the bore. For a race motor its no big deal, on a street motor that will see a lot of miles, it may show up as possessive wear on the bore and piston. A lot of people do it though.

Another option on the 400 block deal is the 440 crank with the rod throws offset ground to BBC size with aftermarket BBC rods for 471 cid . I'm not sure if anyone is stocking that piston on their shelves yet, but it is available. The side clearance on the rods is a little excessive, so you need to keep that in mind when setting up oiling and oil control (windage tray, crank scrapers) systems.

 

[Black Sheep]

Other benefits to using Chevy rods is that they're lighter and the wrist pin is smaller in diameter. I recall reading somewhere that due to the popularity of Chevy rods in a BB Mopar, aftermarket rods are available with a wider "big end" to address the oil control issue.

 

[Restore60s]

Mopar experts

Okay, so Campbell Enterprises got with me on the Stroker Kit's for Mopar's. Eagle Stroker Crank, Ross Stroker pistons & pins, Manley 4340 Steel rods, Childs and Albert Plasma moly rings, HP rod & main bearings-- $2,249 for the 440 and $2,249 for the 400. Extra charge to balance them.
They recommend going .033 oversize on the 400. 440 would go to 500CI. The Dyers 6-71 Blower is an extra $2,300.
Sounds good to me.:thumbup: