So my neighbor is giving me a 400 small block motor...it came in a car he was given its obviously was outside in the weather......the motor number is 3951096 i believe which is a 400 i dunno if i should take it cause im currently building a 350 thats bored 30 over and i was thinking of using this crank thats in the 400 to make a 383 but dont know if the crank is even good in this motor what do u guys think?

 

Why build a 383 when you could build a 400?

You'd need a machine shop to turn down the journals on the crank to put it in a 350 block.

 

U know i was thinking that too but this motor is pretty bad ha ha it was outside for who knows how long i tried to turn it today and was not budging i dunno it its cause of theres alot of stuff in it or what...but i dont even know if its worth looking at..but i wanted to see if i should just pull the pan and check it out..its still in the car where the seat should be so maybe i just could not get leverage to turn it.

 

pull a head

 

the heads are off the motor already its in pieces thats why im like hmm....maybe i should not even take it.

 

with the heads off, you can verify the current bore diameter, and look for rust on the cylinder walls, plus look for ring ridges.

 

ill probably pass on it cause like i said i believe there is rust on the walls and stuff and i wanted the crank but it might not even be good so ill just pasoo thanks for the help atilla and apeiron i appreciate it.

 

Just take it anyway. You'd spend another $250-$300 or so doing some more block work to make sure it's solid but you'd make that back easy and then some if you wanted to sell it later anyway. Besides, Like Aperion said, why build a 383 when you can build a 400? Take the 400, fix it up and sell the 350block.

 

400 blocks are very scarce these days, even if you don't build it yourself, don't let it be scrapped. If the block can be saved, you can get $200 for it.

 

I've got two 400's disassembled in my garage.
One is stock bore, needs boring, the other is .030 over and been in the plastic bags since I had it machined in 1996..lol!
You hardly ever see these engines anymore. The circle track guys and drag racers snatched them up years ago around here, so they are very rare.

 

Wow i guess ill just pick it up all internals are still in there and hes giving me the heads and manifold for it too it was at one point a completer motor so maybe ill get lucky and with a little clean up it will be good.

 

If they're original 400 heads, tell him thanks but no thanks.

 

Im not really sure if they are im not buying them he just asked if i wanted it and i was like alright cause he bought a 55 chevy i believe and the motor was just in there with the heads and stuff and he didnt want it...why the 400 heads are bad?

 

The factory 400 heads have large chambers and poor-flowing ports. If you need an anchor for your bass boat, they do that well. Everything other function, there's something better available.

 

so i should just tell him to keep the heads and ill just take the block then pretty much?? ha ha

 

You don't want the heads, or any manifolds, unless the manifold is an aluminum intake manifold from the Winters foundry. Look it all over for a little snowflake mark. You do want the block, and probably the crank.

 

cool deal ill look it all over today and tell him he could keep the heads for it..and ill look for a snow flake on the manifold..are thy put anywhere?

 

I'm not that big of a restoration enthusiast, but I know those restorers will pay big $ for those Winters castings, even if they're cracked. There won't be anything indicating Edelbrock, Holley, Weiand or Offenhauser, there won't be any EGR provisions, there will be provisions for the divorced choke. They will be square-flange, not Q-Jet. I think the latest versions, from '72 Z/28 Camaros, had the exhaust crossover under the plenum, but the late '60s versions did not.

 

Cool thanks again ima go check it out right now.

 

Eh, why not take the heads too? If for nothing else, you can practice your porting skills on them, then send them to the scrap yard next time you accumulate enough brake rotors & other steel junk. I've generally found that when somebody offers me stuff that it's best not to be picky and either take it all or don't take any of it. If you start picking through the stuff and taking some and leaving some, next time they ask somebody who'll just take it all.

 

Even if the engine is a dud, its still worth about $80 at the scrap yard

 

alright well i found that snow flake on the intake that atilla was talking about ha ha.

 

If you have any interest in trying porting, then this is good advice.

 

Sometimes I just have hunches.
Now get pics and post them up so we can verify it's genuine Winters, and so we can guess at the value of the manifold before you put it on e-bay or whatever.

 

For the record, I never said don't take the stock heads. I was trying to say, don't use them on the engine.

Porting practice, door stop, bass boat anchor, sale to a scrap yard - they're good for any of those things if you don't have to pay for them up front.

 

ha ha its alright man he said he wanted me to take it all so i guess ill just take them...and practice on them or whatever.