400

TheGrateRonzini · May 22, 2018

Picked up a 77 400 today from Clist for my Dakota. Claims to have 60K on it. Going to leakdown test in the am. Turns over well. I was building a 440 for this truck when I bought my notch. I almost had half a mind to liquidate the big block dakota parts...

rumblefish360 · May 22, 2018

That is a very low compression engine. I have a ‘78 400 engine & it can run on camel pee.

RustyRatRod · May 22, 2018

The last 400 I had was a 77 model. Came out of a truck and had a factory steel crank in it.

brian6pac · May 22, 2018

Nice, where do you get camel pee.

rumblefish360 · May 22, 2018

Achk mod’s around the corner.

TheGrateRonzini · May 23, 2018

I sure hope it is cheaper than gasoline... The 440 that was in the truck was a 75, so also low co. Looking at a comp cams dual energy kit for the time being.

MRGTX · May 23, 2018

Very cool!

There was a lot of buzz a years back about scooping up these 400s and tuning them into fire breathers. I don't think they're still as cheap or as common as they were at one point...but If this really only has 60k on it, that's a gem. A low compression big block certainly wasn't breaking a sweat unless it was in a bus or something. Even then, it's probably fine.

How easily do big blocks fit into early Dakotas? Are you going to leave it stock or build it?

MRGTX · May 23, 2018

RustyRatRod said:
The last 400 I had was a 77 model. Came out of a truck and had a factory steel crank in it.

How common is this? I had assumed they were all cast pieces by this point.

Hellrats · May 23, 2018

brian6pac said:
Nice, where do you get camel pee.

Most any gas station carries it now a days

TheGrateRonzini · May 23, 2018

MRGTX said:
How easily do big blocks fit into early Dakotas? Are you going to leave it stock or build it?

With room to spare!!! Rear dump manifolds I had in there. I’ll put some pics up of the set up in there. I bought the truck with the 440/727 back in 2004. Spun the nylon off the crank gear and it jumped time around 08. The gear looked like a circ saw blade. I’m looking to go mild with this. Perhaps a dual energy comp cams kit and a single plane mani. For now at least. Of course I would be looking to stroke it in the future. But I just dumped a ton of cash into the 440, TF top end, etc... so just a little freshening up for now should do.

TheGrateRonzini · May 23, 2018

RustyRatRod · May 23, 2018

MRGTX said:
How common is this? I had assumed they were all cast pieces by this point.

Extremely. Truck engines still got the steel crank.

my5thmopar · May 23, 2018

RustyRatRod said:
Extremely. Truck engines still got the steel crank.

How can you tell if it is a truck engine?

MOPARMITCH · May 23, 2018

my5thmopar said:
How can you tell if it is a truck engine?

Uhh... It came out of a Truck....

my5thmopar · May 23, 2018

MOPARMITCH said:
Uhh... It came out of a Truck....

Somehow I knew this was coming, but let it go anyway. Doh....

daliant · May 23, 2018

It'll have a rear sump oil pan.

my5thmopar · May 23, 2018

daliant said:
It'll have a rear sump oil pan.

Hum, not sure about that...A lot of trucks and motor homes had a front sump. I was meaning are there some numbers on the pad or anywhere that specifically means...this was a truck engine.

TheGrateRonzini · May 23, 2018

my5thmopar said:
Hum, not sure about that...A lot of trucks and motor homes had a front sump. I was meaning are there some numbers on the pad or anywhere that specifically means...this was a truck engine.

There is... I posted the stamped pad in the OP. I don’t know how to figure it out after the first couple. i.e. the sequence number is where I get lost. I know that the damper is significantly thinner than the cast crank damper from my 12.3.76 date 440

IQ52 · May 24, 2018

RustyRatRod said:
The last 400 I had was a 77 model. Came out of a truck and had a factory steel crank in it.

Manual transmission? Never seen a '74 or later 400/440 forged crank that didn't come from behind a manual trans, never an automatic. Don't mean they didn't, just never saw it.

TheGrateRonzini · May 24, 2018

Looks to be .30 over and can still see cross hatching

TheGrateRonzini · May 24, 2018

Definitely cast crank also. Not drilled for manual

RustyRatRod · May 24, 2018

IQ52 said:
Manual transmission? Never seen a '74 or later 400/440 forged crank that didn't come from behind a manual trans, never an automatic. Don't mean they didn't, just never saw it.

Sorry, I left that part out.

TheGrateRonzini · Jun 16, 2018

Got some stuff done on the 400. Crank measured std, needed bearings. King bearings all the way around. Cam/Lifters/Valvetrain, Hydraulic Flat Tappet, Adv. Duration 268/280, Lift .477/.480,
Comp Cams Kit k-21-223-4
Milled .030” off the heads, steel shim gaskets
Street dominator intake
Leakdown @ 1%
Preload .032”
(Picture with pump housing is mockup, no dirty parts haha)

rumblefish360 · Jun 16, 2018

Looking good!
I have the same 440 source water pump on my 400. Danm that stock iron stuff is HEAVY! Holy moly!

famous bob · Jun 17, 2018

rumblefish360 said:
Achk mod’s around the corner.

literally LOL on that one !

400

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