Now I have both on the garage floor. The 350 is in for a major rebuild, the 400 was pulled recently. Was looking to do the 350 to 300 hp, the builder said about $2,000 to $2,500. Was looking to just do a head job on the 400 with a cam and D.R. timing chain. Both were running when pulled. Or I can spend the $2,500 on the 400 and swap it into my Motor Home.

For $2,500 you will be able to get more then 300hp out of either motor. I would go check out a couple other shops.

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A little is good, More is better, too much is just right.

Ya that was a shop that builds mostly race engines. Your right its on the high side.

id rather have a 350 because the 400 have those siamese cylinders and something bad with cooling. I think a 400 would be great and Id do that if its a car thats not gonna see much traffic but its daily driver thats gonna be in much a traffic a 355 would good. Your choice man. If I had a 400 Id use it because Ive only had 350's

Go with the cubes. You'll never have to wonder what if.

As for cooling I have a stock 400 in a 26ft Motor Home with headers and no stock fan. I run 2 12" electric fans. Only run them when pulling a long hill and slow in town. When pulling the hills, I got it to the floor, I hold nothing back. It reads 98,000+ on the clock. The new engine will be a daily driver, with a few trips to the strip.

A stock 400 with intake, headers, and the right cam will hit 350 HP with worked stock heads. And you will have tons of torque, probably at least 450 lbs./ft which is what a 2nd gen needs to get moving. Don't worry about head gasket issues, just use quality gaskets.

The 350 will have trouble breaking 400 lbs./ft. unless you use something like Vortec heads (more money) and/or a roller cam. I always err on the side of bigger http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/wink.gif You can get an easy 350 HP out of either, but it's torque that gives you that pushed back in the seat feeling http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/biggrin.gif.

The 400 blocks got a bad rap for cooling problems because people used to swap 350 heads onto them without drilling the steam holes in them. As long as those holes are there (and you really only need the bottom set) and the head gasket has the holes too the 400 will be okay.
If you are doing the full rebuild and are spending the money install longer rods.

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by GetMore:
The 400 blocks got a bad rap for cooling problems because people used to swap 350 heads onto them without drilling the steam holes in them. As long as those holes are there (and you really only need the bottom set) and the head gasket has the holes too the 400 will be okay.
If you are doing the full rebuild and are spending the money install longer rods.</font>

My 400 actually runs a bit cooler than my old 350! Don't sweat the overheating rumors. As long as you have the steam holes and a good thermostat and radiator, you're set!

If you want a good budget kit, the Northern Auto Parts 400 rebuild kit is only about $100 or so more than their 350 kit, and you get all TRW and FelPro parts!

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by 1978LT:
A stock 400 with intake, headers, and the right cam will hit 350 HP with worked stock heads. And you will have tons of torque, probably at least 450 lbs./ft which is what a 2nd gen needs to get moving. Don't worry about head gasket issues, just use quality gaskets.

The 350 will have trouble breaking 400 lbs./ft. unless you use something like Vortec heads (more money) and/or a roller cam. I always err on the side of bigger http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/wink.gif You can get an easy 350 HP out of either, but it's torque that gives you that pushed back in the seat feeling http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/biggrin.gif.</font>


Like i was saying earlier....my 406 has 2.02 heads, a nice hot cam, lower end is basicly stock. 570 cfm carb and she is running 370 horse and 480ft/lbs. A 750DP would really open her up.

Got a little deeper into the block. Looks like a few miles on the 400. My plain is a full head job, resurface the heads and a mild cam with a D.R. timing chain. I have a rpm intake and it will have headders. Hope the bottom end will last a while.

are you asking about the rebuild to go back in the motor home? Get vortec heads and a good cam regardless, but put the 350 in the motor home and use the 400 in the camaro!

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'71 RS/SS project: full roller 406sbc / 9.76:1 w/ E-Tec Al. heads / 750 Competition AFB / big 4 whl discs, 1-5/16 VSE ft & 1" Rancho adj. rr sway bars / 4 speed 3.23 posi / 81 Z28 & dual snorkel vette Air Induction

If you want some serious tire smoke, the 400 rules as far as factory small blocks go.

As for your machine shop, an intake, headers, and a decent cam will hit 300 HP.

The plan is for Vortec heads, Gen 1 or 2 Im not sure for the 400. Performer intake for sure, mild cam and headers. I have a home built 2 1/4 inch exhaust exit B-4 the rear wheels. So soon it will go from a 305 to a 406. Maybe in a few years the motor home will get a new 400 also.

Swap the cranks and build either a torque monster (383 stroker) or a high end horsepower motor (377 destroked)

400 in the camaro. The torque will knock ya back in your seat.

[This message has been edited by mnz28 (edited May 15, 2005).]

whenever in question about sbc's, the answer is always "Go with the 400!" Get vortecs, drill steam holes, get a good solid cam if you don't mind valve adjustment now and then, hydraulic if you just want it to go, with a little less power than a solid. Get some D-dish type pistons as well for the small chambers in the vortecs. Kieth Black / Silvolite makes an 18cc and 22 cc d-dish piston that will give you 9.4 or 9.75:1 compression with vortecs, KB168 and KB147 I think, for 5.7 rods. Use stock crank. There might be some Federal Mogul pistons with a dish like that for less than the KB's (~$250 for KB).

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'71 RS/SS project: full roller 406sbc / 9.76:1 w/ E-Tec Al. heads / 750 Competition AFB / big 4 whl discs, 1-5/16 VSE ft & 1" Rancho adj. rr sway bars / 4 speed 3.23 posi / 81 Z28 & dual snorkel vette Air Induction

If it's in the budget, a 3.875 stroke Scat crank will fit with grinding, but then you would need more expensive pistons. If you haven't built many engines, go back stock stroke.

P.S. Did I mention a .030 over 400 with the 3.875 crank is 420 cubes! http://www.nastyz28.com/ubb/wink.gif