I want to build a 400 small block

[Vern]

FWIW Electric water pumps are not made for the street and often don't last a long time in a daily driver street type application.

 

[tnts79]

My 406

I have a 406 in my malibu now, one hell of a motor I might add! :lol:

My build list
4 bolt main 400 block (.030" over)
Scat 9000 Crank(wish I would have just bought a forged crank)..$700++!
Eagle 5.7" H-beam rods
Speed Pro Flat-top forged pistons/moly rings
SFI 18.1 Flexplate and Balancer
All Weight mached and dynamically balanced
Comp 292H cam
1990 LT1/L98 stock gm aluminum heads 1.94/1.5 swirl polished stainless valves/ 5 angle valve job, lightly milled, drilled for the steam holes....(might see some porting this summer....)
Full ARP stud kit, Heads and Mains/ if you plan on running aluminum heads I would suggest studs rather than the stock head bolts, same with the mains. Studs instead of reused stock bolts=peace of mind!
Cloyes double roller timing chain
1.6 Scorpion Full Roller Rockers
Holley 770 street avenger
World Products Crosswind intake (rip off of Performer RPM air-gap)
Ummmm.......
7 Qt. pan with a diamond tray, windage baffles etc...

Anyway, all this boils down to a tire smoking monster.... I have a 700R4 with a 2400 stall and a 3.73 posi-trac rear with 255/60's for now. I am waiting for my 12 bolt to come back from the shop, then I will have 3.55's and 10.5" MT ET streets. Hopefully the tires and 12 bolt with bring with them some much needed traction. In the 1/8 mile my 60ft times are in the 2.20-2.35 range and I am still running 8.70's

Only advice I have for you, building a 406, is save some money before you start. Do it right so you don't end up with another stroked 334..? disaster! I wish I would have put a forged crank in my motor but the guys at the machine shop had nothing but good things to say about the 9000 series scat cranks, and they have built a lot more motors than I ever will. I am going to estimate my motor somewhere around 400-425hp/450-475 ft. lbs. torque. If you plan on doing a motor build similar to mine plan on replacing your rear end with something like a 12 bolt (what I am doing) or a 9". The ole 7.5" in mine has laid down some one wheel wonders here lately, starting to think the clutches in it are headed south....? Also unless you want to put up some serious $$$ keep your RMPs under 6000. I shift mine at 5500, 5000, never have a WOT shift to 4th (don't need it). Once you add some decent power to a G-body you better plan on some chassis work to get that power to the tires. Good luck, we want to see some pics! If I could figure out how to post pics I could put up a couple albums with my motor and car....PM anyone?

 

[Vern]

tnts79, Ever made a pass at ye ole test & tune to see what kind of et/mph she is at? Also have you ever checked the mileage and do have any cooling issues in stop & go traffic?

 

[tnts79]

I put the et in my post, I can't remember the mph.... I will have to dig through my receipt box and find the slips from the first time with the new motor. I will have some more current slips this spring after I get some tires and my new rear end. As for mileage.... I have no clue, it's not good I am sure of that. Never had a cooling issue, still running a 3 core copper brass with a 7 blade clutch fan for now. I have two 12" electric fans I am putting on as soon as I can find a decent aluminum shroud or make one. It has a 160 thermostat a high volume aluminum water pump and the hottest it ever gets is 190. I drove it a couple 100 degree days last summer and don't plan on doing it again. I will never build another street car w/o ac, its torture! On a cool night 60-70 it will run right at 160.

 

[disorderindminor]

Is this going to be a track car or a street car? Also, why would you need to tub it when so many people run 9's in stock style suspension cars? I would put the money in a 9 in rear instead of tubbing it.

I want to micro-tub the rear end, its where you notch the rear frame rails to fit a little larger tires in it. (like this one)

as for street car i doubt it will see very much action on the street at all, maybe one every couple months, im kinda a panzy when it comes to driving my car "hard", i just like to go out every now and then and stomp on the other local projects that my junky car budies got going on. Mostly mustangs and foreign crap and a few camaros. Nothing built, all reasonably stock but we do like to show up for test and tune night and hang out by our very leaky autos in the parking lot like loosers.

Your combo sounds great TNT. I think the scat crankshaft will suit my needs, id rather dump 700$ into my valvetrain then into the crank.

I think the key to getting what i want out of this build is the heads.

To me its a tie between
AFR SBC Eliminator Cylinder Heads 210cc with 75cc combust chamber
or
Dart Iron Eagle SBC 230cc Angle Plug Heads with 72cc combustion chamber

with this cam
COMP CAMS SBC 294 XTREME ENER HYD. ROLLER CAM #12-443-8
and 1.6 ratio comp cam roller rocker.

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[tnts79]

Doesn't look like you will have much strength in those rear frame rails. It also seems like a lot of work for limited results. I am pretty sure I can get a 10" et street under the stock wells in my malibu, that should be enough bite for my setup. If you go to cutting the rails I would narrow and tub it right, eliminate problems or limitations in the future.

 

[disorderindminor]

Doesn't look like you will have much strength in those rear frame rails. It also seems like a lot of work for limited results. I am pretty sure I can get a 10" et street under the stock wells in my malibu, that should be enough bite for my setup. If you go to cutting the rails I would narrow and tub it right, eliminate problems or limitations in the future.

yeah i should probably get some mandrel pre bent rear frame sections and just narrow and do it right. It will turn out alot nicer in the end.