400 sbc vs 350
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400 sbc vs 350 - 3/13/2008 1:10:59 PM
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tx_marez_tx
Posts: 31
Joined: 2/8/2008
From: Yuba City, CA
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alright guys, i've figured it out. i want to put a v8 in my blazer. nothing unusual. anyways though im looking at my options for engines i can get within 2 months.
a guy that lives across from my parents house builds cars and engines, and has a spare 400 sbc sitting in the back of his garage that came out of a mid 70's truck. it runs great, has everything on it and is more or less ready to install minus mods to my computer and a fuel pump. cost, $1.3k
then my other option is a 350 at my local junk yard that came out of an 86 camaro rs. has everything as well but im told it has bad valves in the 5th cylinder. it looks clean and dont look as if it leaks oil, just has the expected residue and dust build up from age. cost, $700
what i'm wanting to know is how different are the motor mount points? will my stock 5 spd bolt up to the back of the 400 sb? and what kinda milage can i expect out of either engine? both engines are stock.
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-Josh
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/13/2008 1:53:36 PM
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swartlkk
Posts: 15304
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From: Waterloo, NY
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What year are you driving again?
One of the big problems I have with a 400 is that the bores are siamesed so there are no water jackets between the cylinders, just around the outside of each cylinder. This can cause hot spots and detonation if you are pushing things.
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My Restoration Projects
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/13/2008 10:53:36 PM
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tx_marez_tx
Posts: 31
Joined: 2/8/2008
From: Yuba City, CA
Status: offline
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swart
im driving a 94 model w/tbi. i was considering just yanking the computer and everything out anyways cuz once i get an econo box this thing is gonna get parked and turned into a weekend toy only anyways. so mpg wont make a damn to me at that point. i've heard of the water jacket issue before with the 400's, and remember rick (the guy with the spare one) mentioning something along those lines w/ detonation and hot spots when i asked him about his. he said that as long as im not looking for 700+ horses it shouldnt be an issue. and if i ever did look to push those kind of numbers than i could just come back to him and he could take the block to work and take care of it for me. idk really, as i sit right now... i would be more than happy with ~400 horses
burak
im looking to do this on a semi sorta budget. i dont have 10k to drop on an engine. if i did i would invest a little more wisely and go with an ls5 w/all aluminium block and heads
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/14/2008 10:43:44 AM
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swartlkk
Posts: 15304
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From: Waterloo, NY
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Depending on your location, yanking the computer, etc may cause you to fail your inspections.
If it were me, I would go with the 350 and build it up. You can easily get 350-400HP out of a 350 on a budget build.
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My Restoration Projects
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/14/2008 12:43:29 PM
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tx_marez_tx
Posts: 31
Joined: 2/8/2008
From: Yuba City, CA
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ya i understand what your saying about the inspection thing.
if i were to do that though it wouldnt be until i had another daily driver econo box. something that gets 35+ mpg lol. after that all i would have to do is have it titled as a show car or something like that where im only allowed to drive 2500 miles a year, and it has to be inspected every year. with that i would be able to drive it to shady side dragway for the 4 summer competitions and still have some miles to waste on a weekend.
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/14/2008 9:38:50 PM
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4x4blazerguy
Posts: 194
Joined: 3/9/2008
From: EXIT 105
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I agree with the post about the 400 SB. I don't like them, a 350 is a far better engine IMO. If you look around you should be able to find a crate 350 NEW from a Chevy dealer for $1500-$2000 max. Long Block.
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/15/2008 12:11:30 AM
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xmradioguy
Posts: 111
Joined: 1/2/2007
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quote:
ORIGINAL: 4x4blazerguy
I agree with the post about the 400 SB. I don't like them, a 350 is a far better engine IMO. If you look around you should be able to find a crate 350 NEW from a Chevy dealer for $1500-$2000 max. Long Block.
400 sbc is a decent motor but it has its place a blazer isn't one of those places its hard enough to get a sbc to run cool in a blazer nevermind a 400 that has limited water jackets
Plus I wouldn't pay 1300 for a 70's 400 that runs great you could buy a 350 core from a salvage yard and rebuild it for cheaper or like said above buy a crate 350 for 1500 and get a year warranty. Better yet do some clearancing and put a 400 crank in a 350 block and have a 383 this option will cost you some bucks.
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/15/2008 4:43:05 PM
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tx_marez_tx
Posts: 31
Joined: 2/8/2008
From: Yuba City, CA
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eh. right now im open for options. im more or less leaning towards a 350 anyways because i already know it'll fit in a 1st gen blazer without any major problems to take care of. anyway i go after a v8 gets put in, shortly after the blazer is being turned into a weekend driver regardless. because i just quoted a used toyota prius yesterday for 9k (thank goodness for parents who are in the good with dealerships). bi-weekly fill-ups here i come! :D
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/15/2008 5:29:17 PM
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WolfPack
Posts: 3074
Joined: 10/30/2007
From: Raleigh, NC
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quote:
ORIGINAL: tx_marez_tx
bi-weekly fill-ups here i come!
Yea...but you'll be driving a Prius...
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/15/2008 5:38:47 PM
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xmradioguy
Posts: 111
Joined: 1/2/2007
Status: online
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quote:
ORIGINAL: tx_marez_tx
eh. right now im open for options. im more or less leaning towards a 350 anyways because i already know it'll fit in a 1st gen blazer without any major problems to take care of.
Just FYI the 400 and 350 blocks are the same physical size
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/15/2008 11:29:52 PM
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if6was9
Posts: 88
Joined: 1/29/2008
From: Columbus, Ohio
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SBC 400's were the first attempt at smog reduction back in the day. Those blocks suffered a lot of problems. A few builders did manage to get HP back into them. The Chevy 400 will be more costly to rebuild. I'd go for the 350.
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/15/2008 11:46:58 PM
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tx_marez_tx
Posts: 31
Joined: 2/8/2008
From: Yuba City, CA
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quote:
ORIGINAL: xmradioguy
quote:
ORIGINAL: tx_marez_tx
eh. right now im open for options. im more or less leaning towards a 350 anyways because i already know it'll fit in a 1st gen blazer without any major problems to take care of.
Just FYI the 400 and 350 blocks are the same physical size
ya i knew that. i've just never worked on one. my biggest issue was wondering how different the intake and heads were, like the ability to work on them easily in comparison to a 350. then accessory brackets, how different is the set up and what not. will the water pump protrude too far out to use a clutch style fan. simple stuff that you wouldnt think would be a problem outside the box, then once you get inside the box it becomes a major issue.
quote:
ORIGINAL: WolfPack
quote:
ORIGINAL: tx_marez_tx
bi-weekly fill-ups here i come!
Yea...but you'll be driving a Prius...
lol ya ya i know. dont remind me :P
i catch hell about that from the guys every time i mention toyota now
< Message edited by tx_marez_tx -- 3/15/2008 11:54:27 PM >
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/16/2008 1:04:19 AM
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uberfiend
Posts: 35
Joined: 3/10/2008
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quote:
ORIGINAL: swartlkk
Depending on your location, yanking the computer, etc may cause you to fail your inspections.
If it were me, I would go with the 350 and build it up. You can easily get 350-400HP out of a 350 on a budget build.
Is it possible to get a conversion like this licensed in any state? I live in CA where I expect DMV would not be too enthusiastic...
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1998 2DR 4WD LS 4.3L "W" @ 100k mi.
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/16/2008 10:54:59 AM
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Zed
Posts: 164
Joined: 8/29/2007
From: Niagara ON Canada
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383 Stroker !
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/16/2008 11:56:51 AM
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if6was9
Posts: 88
Joined: 1/29/2008
From: Columbus, Ohio
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quote:
ORIGINAL: swartlkk
CA is the worst of the worst in terms of making changes like this. All I can say is good luck.
It all started in CA back in '67. AIR systems were required for cars with automatic trans. CA has had the strictest tail pipe emissions since.
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Growing older is mandatory... growing up is something entirely different. - Annon
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/16/2008 7:22:32 PM
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tx_marez_tx
Posts: 31
Joined: 2/8/2008
From: Yuba City, CA
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: if6was9
quote:
ORIGINAL: swartlkk
CA is the worst of the worst in terms of making changes like this. All I can say is good luck.
It all started in CA back in '67. AIR systems were required for cars with automatic trans. CA has had the strictest tail pipe emissions since.
ha, ya theres about 3 things keeping me from moving back to CA once i can afford the move to anywhere. emissions requirements (granted with a daily driver getting 45+ it wont effect that), property taxes, and cost of living in general. i would just as soon be happier moving back to TX.
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-Josh
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RE: 400 sbc vs 350 - 3/17/2008 1:00:07 AM
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uberfiend
Posts: 35
Joined: 3/10/2008
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I'll eventually figure it out. I poked around the Vehicle Code last night, and the DMV website. In theory, according to the Air Resource Board (or whomever), you can do it, but it has to be as clean or cleaner than the current engine. Any time you swap an engine, you are required to report it to DMV so they can issue a new ID number for your vehicle and re-register you. The fee appears to be $2.00 by statute. After all this, you have to take it to a DMV "referee" who will inspect the vehicle and presumably smog it.
Although licensing the first time round would be a hassle, I suppose it ultimately comes down to whether a newer 350 can run cleaner than a 10+ year old 4.3L. I have no idea. I assume the smallblock would be a bit more thirsty though.
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1998 2DR 4WD LS 4.3L "W" @ 100k mi.
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