Hey guys and gals, I recently got a 400 engine for my 77 highboy (to replace the 400 thats broken in it now), and right now she is sitting on my engine stand all greasy and dirty, just waiting for me to clean in, regasket and reinstall it. Im NOT looking into putting pistons or a cam in it, that doesnt interest me right now.
That being said, while its on the stand, are there any "must do's" for these engines while they are out? My plan, new front and rear seals, pan, intake and valve cover gaskets. Possibly head gaskets. Maybe sandblast the oil pan and valve covers and paint them.

Im also planning an edlebrock sps2 4 barrel intake (found one dirt cheap) some kind of 650ish cfm carb, a new timing set, headers. I have access to a mill and was pondering shaving the heads down .010, but thats just an idea and I havent looked into a guy can even get away with that with stock pistons. (Would of course throw new head gaskets in if I did this) For the clutch I was going to examine it while its apart, new bearing, throw in a new clutch only if needed.

Anyways Im open to suggestions on things I could be missing to do while the engine is out. Again I am not interested in ordering new pistons or much for machine work besides maybe shaving the heads to bump the compression a tad.

 

I would also throw some fresh bearings in there and a hi volume oil pump if your not turning the crank. Tim's oil mods would be nice but that would require more work than I'm sure your looking for. Others mite disagree but on a stock engine with its low cr, the SP2P manifold will help a lot and a 650cfm will be perfect. Depending on the compression from cylinder to cylinder you might want to ball hone and throw some cast rings in there to help it seal. I know you said no cam, but a comp cams 252H would, in my opinion, complete the package. I know, you know, that this engine combo isn't going to be a high winder or high horsepower engine, BUT it should pull down the eiffel tower...... if you could find a strong enough chain.....

just my 2 cents.....

 

Why on earth someone would waste good money on an SP2P intake is beyond me. Get a Weiand Action Plus or Edelbrock Performer and let it breathe. No sense in putting a 650 cfm carb on an SP2P when a 2 bbl would supply everything that intake would flow. Cam ? Summit's P/N 5200 will wake it up even more.

 

Can get the intake for 50 bucks. A 4 barrel carb for about 100, in your opinion, would the sp2p and 4 barrel for 150 be worth it? I have no interest in spending the cash on a weiand or performer though. Basically either the sp2p and 4 barrel carb, or the stock intake and 2 barrel are my options. (unless I come across a smoking deal on a used performer or weiand, which hasnt happened!)

I also wasnt getting much action here so I started a thread in the 73-79 truck forum, would love your guys input there on cams and whatnot.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...hat-to-do.html

 

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Scrap value is all I'd ever pay for an SP2P. This intake is the worst piece ever cast, a direct result of the energy crisis and gas rationing in the late 70's. You're better off with the stock 2 bbl and putting a Holley 350 or 500 cfm carb on that.

 

For a stock 351M/400 with LOW 8 something compression, the SP2P would help boost low end torque and possibly improve mileage. In some engines these manifolds work extremely well, the 351M is a good example. Now, the SP2p does suck for other engines, dodges mostly, don't ask me why. The SP2P runner size is very close to that of a stock 351W, so that helps explain why they work well on a 351M for mileage. I agree thou, the weiand and the edelbrock performer offer better performance up top, but with a stock cam and the stock compression, I feel your better off focusing on low end and not rpms. With that said, VELOCITY is key. Velocity is much more important to making power than flow is, up to around 3000rpm. The SP2P does this easily, but you will also notice that at 4500rpm the engine will feel like it hit a rev limiter. For a stock engine this really doesn't matter. The reason I said to use a 252H is that it also helps build cylinder pressure and with the weak compression of a stock engine, it needs all it can get. The problem with the summit cam, as I see it, is that it has too much duration and a late closing intake valve. That will bleed off cylinder pressure and that's bad with low compression engine. NOW, throw that same RV cam in a 400, get the pistons to the top of the bore and get a good 9.5 to one and that camshaft will come alive (https://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/ford...llenge-12.html ) is a good example, even thou he went old school with the quench problem.

So I say stick with the SP2P till your ready to do more with the engine, like pistons and machine work etc. But for now A cheap SP2P will work. ****, for $50 dollars you could buy it and triple your money on eBay! Just search the forums on SP2P's and listen to what people who use the SP2P, like BMC69. He has ran quite a few.

So as money would dictate, run the SP2P it will be fine for now, especially with the stock camshaft.(make sure its installed strait up tho).

 

I've actually run the Summit 5200 in a stock 400 long block, topped with the stock 2 bbl intake, 500 cfm Holley and long tube headers. It doesn't do anything you claim. The results were like night and day. Really woke it up. But you are right about hitting a wall at 3 grand or so with the SP2P, really no sense in having a gasoline engine that's rev limited to 3 grand. That's where the fuel mileage increase comes from. Limit the rpms and the mileage will increase.

 

being woke up and making the kinda power Halogrinder is making with the same cam but more compression is a big difference. And I said velocity is key to 3k and the SP2P will go to 4500rpm soooo, big difference there also. AND he can get it cheap. I would run it. Hell I ran one with my current engine that has TFS heads, just to see how it worked. Ran it with I believe was a trip to the cinders in AZ. Slow speed crawling and a hour or so drive to get there. The SP2P was in its prime. Mileage stayed the same, but it didn't have the top end, even with good heads. My camshaft is real short also 252H, but that's getting changed too. soon. Right now I have the weaind and its perfect match for the heads. Again totally different animal. Stock engine with low compression, that's exactly what the SP2P was designed for. go for it.

anyway, I think in the end we are both right and either way the OP should feel happy with what ever he chooses.

 

All well and good but the OP doesn't want to rebuild the engine to replace pistons. What I proposed will only cost him for the cam and lifter set. And gaskets. He can put that $50 and the cost of the carb towards these two items. The intake alone isn't going to change anything here, other than lightening his wallet. The end result will wake it up instead of leaving him with an empty feeling of why he wasted his money for zero gain.

 

didn't say he needed pistons. I said with the low stock compression the OP would be better off with a camshaft that has a earlier intake valve closing. If you can't grasp why, I don't know what to tell you.

 

Because you're all over the map here. You recommended pistons, now you're not. I'm giving him realistic advice here from first hand experience with a cam that works with what he's got. The cam, lifters and gaskets will cost him less than $200.

 

Standard oil pump with a moroso high pressure spring. Take it apart, clean it out fit the spring, and lube it up. Don't need HV pump for what you are after unless you may have low oil pressure issues.
If you have it apart and are playing with the heads why not do the cam? Big gain right there and a piece of cake with all the other stuff off.

 

Well I didn't really want to sink much into this engine besides just make it so it doesn't leak.

Have any good complete cam cam kit suggestions? I'm still a little fuzzy about when a person needs to get new lengthened push rods, as well how much lift one can go with a basically stock engine (stock pistons and heads and whatnot)

 

Never recommended pistons for the OP's build. I said to make full use of the 5200 camshaft you need more compression. Too build pressure in his low cr stock engine a camshaft with a earlier intake closing would help do just that. Go back and read it again... Your not understanding I'm comparing two different types of builds. Not saying your cam choice didn't run well, just saying for his engine other cams are better than that generic RV cam. AND that RV cam needs compression to get its full potential, otherwise your just leaving HP on the table.

did you miss this part of my post?