Hey kids i have a question....I want to make my 79 f-250 4x4 a contender in the local truck pull but i dont want to spend that much on it cuz i paid 600 for it. It has a 400 2v with a lil over 80k, true dual exhaust, and thats about it. Also i want to enter it in the stock class so no major mods can be done(blower,nitrous,blah, blah, ect, ect.)

thanks for ur help
bill

 

While there are a list of mods that you can do, some are expensive and others may not be allowed. There is one inexpensive mod that will help. The Cam timing on that motor is retarded 4 degrees. This will reduce the low end torque. Replace the timing set (it might need it anywy) with a good double roller timing set. Install the new timing set 'straight up' (zero degrees).
Other mods include headers, an Edelbrock 4 barrel carb and manifold, mild porting work, a cam change, and increasing the compression ratio.

 

first thing I would suggest has nothing to do with the engine, make sure you have lockers or spools in both diffs, and do a lot of maintinance on the truck such as replacing the ujoints (I suggest all of them expecially the 2 axle joints in hte front axle) I suggest this cause reliabilty will do as much for making you a contender as more power to start out with then look into what you can do to the engine as suggested by Danlee.
after that we would really need to know what the rules say for the class you want to run as far as allowable engine mods.

 

Here are the rules for what i can do to the engine:
~~ ENGINE~~
20. Maximum cubic inch displacement:
a. Small Block class = 410 CID
b. Big Block class = 496 CID
21. PURE STREET class vehicles over 496 CID may compete in the BIG BLOCK class.
22. Engine shall be equipped with OEM engine block. No aftermarket engine block.
23. Engine shall be equipped with OEM cylinder heads. No aftermarket cylinder heads.
24. Engine shall be equipped with a single carburetor or stock fuel injection. No dominator carburetors.
25. Engine shall be equipped with a stock style intake. (i.e. carbureted engines shall run a dual-plane intake manifold)
26. Engine shall have 14 in. of vacuum minimum within the intake manifold at 1000 RPM.
27. No aftermarket forced air induction. (i.e. turbocharger, blower or centrifugal supercharger)
28. No open headers. Vehicle shall be equipped with street legal exhaust system.
29. No racing fuel, aviation fuel, alcohol, nitro-methane, propylene, benzene, nitrous oxide or other oxygen adding agents.

 

20. Maximum cubic inch displacement:
a. Small Block class = 410 CID
Bore your block +0.030 = 408 CID

23. Engine shall be equipped with OEM cylinder heads. No aftermarket cylinder heads.
Get a set of Aussie closed chamber 2V heads. You can buy a set of these professionally ported and flowed.

24. Engine shall be equipped with a single carburetor or stock fuel injection. No dominator carburetors.
An Edelbrock #1406 carb

25. Engine shall be equipped with a stock style intake. (i.e. carbureted engines shall run a dual-plane intake manifold)
Edelbrock #2171 Intake manifold.

26. Engine shall have 14 in. of vacuum minimum within the intake manifold at 1000 RPM.
Comp Cams 255DEH cam, or 260HR Hydraulic Roller.

28. No open headers. Vehicle shall be equipped with street legal exhaust system.
Headers.

29. No racing fuel, aviation fuel, alcohol, nitro-methane, propylene, benzene, nitrous oxide or other oxygen adding agents.
Get a set of zero deck pistons from Tim Meyer. Set the CR with the Aussie heads to 9.5:1.

Other improvements include the double roller timing chain, roller rockers, aftermarket ignition etc.

 

first off with aussie 2v heads on a 400 with flat top pistons in the bore .010 not even at zero deck your compression ratio is 11.72:1 (higher with the zero deck pistons) so no go on those heads leaving either the 4v closed chamber heads that you can't get manifolds to fit or the open chamber 2v heads which won't allow enough compression without detonation to do any good. Also most of these places consider the 351m400 big blocks (this isn't my opinion it just happens to be the opinion of the people making hte rules, and teching vehicles) so your at a major disadvantage to start with no reason to make it worse.
Next both of the cams Danlee listed will easily pull 17" of vacum at 800 rpm (I used a comp XE268 on a 302 in a vacumn limited class and pulled 15" at 900 rpm, and thats alot bigger cam) so I would look to atleast the 265DEH
The edelbrock 1406 carb is a 600 cfm, and although that would be a good carb for a street driven only vehicle I personally don't think your going to find it will feed that motor when pulling, and even though I am not a fan of Holley carbs I would go with atleast a 650cfm holly or a 670 street avenger, a 750 would work too but might leave it a little sluggish on the very bottom end although in traction limited tracks thats not always a bad thing, and once your moving your going to be keeping it above 4000rpms anyway.

 

Tim Meyer's Zero Deck Clearance pistons can be dished to whatever is necessary to achieve a certain CR. A 400 (+0.030) with a zero deck piston that has a 32cc dish and valve relief will give you 9.47:1 with 58cc Aussie heads.

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


The cam and carb could be bigger, but I thought that you needed power at low RPM. If you need it at 4000 RPM, a 750 CFM carb is a better choice. A 265DEH or XE268 or 270HR cam will work well there.

 

Yeah figured that was what your thinking was but on a pulling truck it's about wheel speed after you get it moving.
If you go to the network54 big block forum and read some of the posts by guys like Brett Powell, and shazam they are turning 8500, and holding it there for 25-30 seconds with thier big blocks thats how you make it down the track is with momentum not low end torque in this game.

 

If you interested in where a pulling truck engine is running, and needing it's power watch this video, it's one of Shazam's video's with the big block but I think you will get the idea.
http://www.supermotors.org/vehicles/....php?id=232824

 

I see that the power band is at high RPM. You will want as much carb as you are allowed. An 850 Holley double pumper should be good. I would definitely use a roller cam, full roller valve train, and ported heads. You will probably need a high stall converter.

 

thats a great video. Here is a simple trick as you see in the video his rear end dosent sag at all. So take a green treated 6x6 And weg it between your springs and the frame. So as the weight transfers to your hitch it directly pushes down the tires for better traction. Also that track was wet, if its a very dry track it will buck the hell out of you off the start line, but stick through it and then give all its got it will smoth out.