.060 400cid for street?
05-27-2008, 05:34 PM
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.060 400cid for street? Will a 400 bored .060 be allright to run in a street car?I have heard that .060 is too much on a 400 and overheating is a major problem.This is going in a 78 camaro with a/c.It will be cammed and aftermarket heads but nothing to fancy.Let me know if anyone is running a 400 bored this much,thanks.
05-27-2008, 07:19 PM
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Depends on core shift and general condition of block. Weather it overheats will have little to do with cylinder wall thickness. I can promise you you do not want to see the bore deflection when honing it
I once ran a .060 400 because a machine shop trashed it, just to prove I could. 10:1 comp. steel heads. Low twelve daily driver. Never did have a lick of trouble. Can most surely be done though!
I once ran a .060 400 because a machine shop trashed it, just to prove I could. 10:1 comp. steel heads. Low twelve daily driver. Never did have a lick of trouble. Can most surely be done though!
05-27-2008, 07:37 PM
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I found one thats rebuild to stock.I plan on running 200cc runners 64cc heads with a mild cam,rpm intake,750/800 cfm carb,headers,3.42 gears,2500 stall in a 3700lb car.I dont know if stock pistons with 64cc heads will give me enough compression to make any real power so im still up in the air about the combo.
05-27-2008, 07:53 PM
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Will a 400 bored .060 be allright to run in a street car?I have heard that .060 is too much on a 400 and overheating is a major problem.This is going in a 78 camaro with a/c.It will be cammed and aftermarket heads but nothing to fancy.Let me know if anyone is running a 400 bored this much,thanks.
A .060 bore is pretty much MAX for any stock SBC. You need a good cooling system in order to do this with a 400. I mean spend the money on the radiator/fans, DO NOT run a thermostat, if you have to do so, run a 160 degree type. Runa a colder spark plug and make sure that the engine is timed well enough so that it doesn't run hot. That's about all the advice that I can give.
05-27-2008, 09:43 PM
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Been there, done that! It's all about core shift!
A .060 bore is pretty much MAX for any stock SBC. You need a good cooling system in order to do this with a 400. I mean spend the money on the radiator/fans, DO NOT run a thermostat, if you have to do so, run a 160 degree type. Runa a colder spark plug and make sure that the engine is timed well enough so that it doesn't run hot. That's about all the advice that I can give.
A .060 bore is pretty much MAX for any stock SBC. You need a good cooling system in order to do this with a 400. I mean spend the money on the radiator/fans, DO NOT run a thermostat, if you have to do so, run a 160 degree type. Runa a colder spark plug and make sure that the engine is timed well enough so that it doesn't run hot. That's about all the advice that I can give.
Last edited by ZONES89RS; 05-27-2008 at 11:29 PM.
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05-27-2008, 10:08 PM
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Having the 400 block sonic checked is the only way to tell for certain whether its safe or not to go .060" over.
BTW.... .080" over 010 350 blocks are very common. These are the best of the 350 blocks and can go more than the newer blocks.
BTW.... .080" over 010 350 blocks are very common. These are the best of the 350 blocks and can go more than the newer blocks.
05-28-2008, 12:41 AM
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The last 400 block that was .060" over that I checked still had .285" at the very thinest area of the cylinder wall. More than likely you can get away with a .060" block so long as you sonic check the cylinder walls.
05-28-2008, 07:53 PM
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Yea that is what I keep hearing.It will be cheap insurance to tear it down and have it sonic checked.But if has .250 walls could I half fill it with hard block and still run it in a track only car?I can get the block for almost nothing and it is topped with double humps that I could sell and make a little money back on.
05-28-2008, 09:07 PM
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Yea that is what I keep hearing.It will be cheap insurance to tear it down and have it sonic checked.But if has .250 walls could I half fill it with hard block and still run it in a track only car?I can get the block for almost nothing and it is topped with double humps that I could sell and make a little money back on.
05-28-2008, 09:49 PM
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FWIW the only cracked 350 blocks I've ever seen were std bore high nickel 010/020 blocks.
As far as the .060 400 goes I'd be very concerned with the steam hole to bore distance. I've seen some hack machine jobs where the bores were just hogged out without being on center, this shifts the bore to one side. In a case like this it doesn't matter how thick the cylinder wall is because it's never going to keep a head gasket in there.
AND every cracked 400 I've ever seen was between the steam hole and cylinder.
AND FWIW I ran a .030 400 in several vehicles, it had a crack between a steam hole and bolt hole and never gave a problem.
In the fourth vehicle (14 years later)I had that in would run hot a lot because it had AC. It started fogging the neighborhood in the morning, one day I pulled a spark plug first and water came out so I traded the whole truck in.
As far as the .060 400 goes I'd be very concerned with the steam hole to bore distance. I've seen some hack machine jobs where the bores were just hogged out without being on center, this shifts the bore to one side. In a case like this it doesn't matter how thick the cylinder wall is because it's never going to keep a head gasket in there.
AND every cracked 400 I've ever seen was between the steam hole and cylinder.
AND FWIW I ran a .030 400 in several vehicles, it had a crack between a steam hole and bolt hole and never gave a problem.
In the fourth vehicle (14 years later)I had that in would run hot a lot because it had AC. It started fogging the neighborhood in the morning, one day I pulled a spark plug first and water came out so I traded the whole truck in.
05-28-2008, 09:54 PM
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yeah i would check it to be safe i have a buddy that has one in a liffted 85 chevy stepside it has dart heads and 10.5 to1 and it never has a problem it went 13.8 on 35's
05-28-2008, 11:54 PM
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We have had three or four 400s one at .060 ended up sleeving two cylinders after cracks developed in them ..it was fine after that but watch out ..it saw limited street duty mabye 1-5 miles at a time the rest were .030 over and with good cooling systems ran OK normal street driving ..