Need one with good lowend torque, cam numbers, and part numbers, I want to be able to pull big camper, prefer 87 octane. BUT could up the octane.

What improvements to the valve train, springs, push rods, rockers.

This would be a great article if one isn't already available, I did a search but didn't find one with part #'s and technical info

 

There is a pretty good article that takes you step by step through a 400 rebuild that's in a book called The best of Hot Rod Magazine High Performance Small Block Ford Engines. The article is titled "Down and Dirty". I boght the book at either Barnes and Noble or Borders, can't remember which one, but should be able to find it online somewhere. Maybe another user knows. The best part is they get pretty good power on the cheap. Good luck.

 

Check around in this forum for some of the engine builds listed here as well as some of the tech articles listed.

 

Down & Dirty is the build I based my 400 on, works real well. I pull a 29 foot travel trailer, around 7,000 lbs all loaded. 2300rpm at 85kmh. I also have 410s. Never a complaint, never a downshift. Only problem is the gas mileage!! Maybe 7, MAYBE when towing.

 

Did you follow that article exactly, or did you change a few things? I'd be interested to know because I plan a sort of similar build very soon, with a few changes including CHI 2v aluminum heads, roller rockers, headers, and a XE 262 cam instead of the XE 268. I also plan on changing the diffs. from 3:50 to 4:56's. ( I run 35" tires.) Is your tranny auto. or manual?

 

Depending on compression I'd go with either the xe256 or xe262. Any larger and you lose the low end #'s but increase top end. I'd really like the xe256 grind if they offered it in a roller.

 

I have ran 35's with 3.50 gears, a C6 anda good 400. A well built 400 will have all the torque you need for that tire gear combo, in my experience.

 

roushracing- Like Kop said, you will be amazed at the power you will have and wait to change ratios until you experience that motor. MAN I can't wait to dyno my build!!!!!!

 

Thanks for the info on the gear change, I think I'll follow your advice and wait. With a C-6 tranny, did you leave the stock torque convertor? I'm new at this and appreciate any input.

 

I matched a coverter to my cam. This helped the performance alot, but it hurts my pocket book at the pump. I can cruise at 60mph at 2100rpm, yet if I'm running around town I can cruise the same rpm. It seems ounce I get up to highway speeds it doesn't take much to keep me there, but around town I'm constanly accelerating from a stop, so it kills my fuel mileage. Remember with a auto you need to match the converter to the cam, and keep your rear gears within reason. With a manual its realy important to match the rear gears, there is no give in a manual like an auto has. Also remember all those equations for gears asume your running a SBC 350. So torque and hp are based on the power output of a SBC 350. Our 400's stomp on SBC's when it comes to torque, and torque is what determines the size of tires and gears an engine can pull.

 

What is your build? I think I might have seen the specs before but....memory...and this is a build thread.

 

71 400 dearborn block, bored .020 over, ertyl flatops .050 in bore. 71 heads with 2.19 intake 1.71 exhaust (tuliped and under cut), 3 angle valve job, hardened seats, mild blending of bowels. Titanium locks and retainers. Arp everything on the short block. Hi-volume oilpump, straight cut timing gears, hi-volume alloy water pump, rebuilt 71 points dizzy with pertronix ignitor II points, coil and wires (timed 8*tdc mech, 12* with manifold vacume for a total of 36 at 3000rpm). Edelblah manifold and 1405 carb (8% leaner on cruise), hedman headers 2.5inch extension tubes to dual flowmaster 40's with a crossover tube. 4inch underdrive race pulley, Heavy duty flex fan, autolite 24 plugs gapped at .050, hi-volume fuel pump. Old cam was a comp cams 268H timed straight up and I matched the coverter to it, pulled 14 inches of vacume. But now I'm driving her everyday to school, so I put a puny clevete cam in her 270/290adv I/E, 192/198 .050 I/E, 427/433 Lift I/E, timed 4.5 degrees adv, pulling 21 inches of vacume. I have a new converter coming for this cam. Old mpg was 8-9 depending, tons of power, and with new cam old converter is 10-13, plenty of power below 3000rpm. New cam new converter I'm hoping for 15mpg.

 

Here is an engine project we did some time ago.

In fact the engine is for sale!!

http://www.tmeyerinc.com/400Ford.htm

 

I am about to start a build up on a 400M block. It is coming out of a 79 Bronco and is bone stock. Here is what I am planning on doing.

I want to rebuild this engine and not have to fuss with it for another 150-200k miles. It is to be a daily driver with lite to moderate recreational use. I want to be able to hitch a trailer to the Bronco and haul building supplies for my weekend home improvement projects. Once a year I travel from Iowa to Maine and back. I want this engine to be able to make that trip, potentially. (we'll leave the discussion about cost of fuel for the trip for another day!) The engine will sit in front of a C-6 and NP-205 turning 3.5 rear gears and 32 in tires. I like the look of the tires and am a little leary about cracking the rear end to change out the gears.....(thats negotiable, I think)

Based on the information I got in the tech article I am planing on
-removing the heads and having them decked .010" and rebuilt.
-replacing the stock cams with the Comp Cams 255 DEH Dual Energy cam kit and the K-kit.
-Upgrading to Comp Cams 1.72 ratio Magnum Roller rocker arms and the other stuff I need for that.
-replacing the stock 2v intake with the Edelbrock Performer 400 EGR 4v intake. (will this work 4v intake on 2v heads?)
-replacing the stock carberator with a holley 80457s carb.
-replacing the stock pistons with a set of Badger 9:1 flat-top cast aluminum pistons.
-leave the stock exuast manifolds and exuast until later.
- I also need a new distributor for this setup, probably a MSD #8477 ProBillet

I was useing some ideas from this article
http://www.projectbronco.com/Technic...e_build_up.htm

Please chime in with any ideas.

 

Nice build kopfenjager! That is a small cam. I FINALLY got comp to come up with a roller grind that I adore- 264/270 advertised with 212/218 at .050. The lift would be 521/521 and it would have 110 lobe separation. Thats a PUNY grind for a roller cam. I also hope to be in the 15mpg range with propane. Will have to get danlee to run the new numbers for me. He's a swell guy.

TMI did a great build but not sure if he gave out cam specs- will have to go see. His new stroker will be my next 400 project. I have to build my kids 351W here soon- thinking bout a clevor since I have the heads- missed out on a $125 clevor intake on ebay.. That would have made it easy! Planning to build his by Jan. Mine by December and then save for the stroker!

I'm going to have close to 4k in my current build with roller cam and oz heads etc- leaving me mighty low with the home folk!