400 vs 440 for blower build

[1974dodgecharger]

what would be a better block, curious for opinions here 

Which block would hold 800HP better?

[c00nhunterjoe]

Thats a loaded question with a dozen different answers. Your question is way too vague so without dragging it out, my answer is this- 800hp can easily be achieved without boost or spray. Either block will do it.

[1974dodgecharger]

Thats a loaded question with a dozen different answers. Your question is way too vague so without dragging it out, my answer is this- 800hp can easily be achieved without boost or spray. Either block will do it.

alright...loaded it is....im googling and they say the 400 is a better block than 440 to the thicker web design (acting like I know what that is  )

Well I have a 871 blower lying around im gonna use it....

[c00nhunterjoe]

I know alot of nhra stockers and super stockers that have sonic tested 1000s of blocks. There is no one block that is cast better then another. Dont beleive everything you read on google.
   Depending on what you are doing with the crank (stroker motors) will depend on which block you should run. I say this based on rod ratios and placement of the oil rings. If you are not going huge cubes, go with the 400 block since it has the largest bore of any blocks. However, if you already have a 440 block, then you can use it too, there is nothing wrong with either. Either block has its "best" potential depending on what you are trying to do.

[Mike DC]

  
This is based on amateur observations but - the 400 might be better, if both had similar strokes/cubes, and if you were mainly worried about the block surviving the HP rather than lasting for long miles.  The 400 would be running shorter pistons which would rattle around in the bores more (wear) but the shorter cylinders in the block would be a little stronger.


800 horses is enough to make me start thinking about aftermarket blocks.  That's like 3 times what the factory put through it.  

I mean, it might very well live at 800.  But you know yourself better than we do.  Some guys would be thrilled with that.  Others would be itching to try 1000 HP two years later.  

[Challenger340]

what would be a better block, curious for opinions here  

Which block would hold 800HP better?

REAL, and Engine Dyno'd 800 hp ? or comic book / bench rac'in 800 hp ?

That's like saying which pile of poop smells better ?

Do you just want to blow it up again ? or get it to live for awhile ?
What say you ?

because really, IMO,  for a "Blown" 800 hp... it matters not 400 or 440, it is not "if"....  but rather "when" you will be addressing issues with the stock 2 bolt main Blocks and major thrust side Cylinder wall issues which can get expensive.
and with an 8-71 type Blower.... for extended street useage ?
probably a good idea to not only address potentially an aftermarket Block ? but also getting a second 1/4" Crank keyway cut 180* opposite the factory keyway.

The stock Blocks will live for awhile, and as with any Block tuning being your best defense against self destruction , just say'in.... neither 400 nor 440 were ever designed for those outputs long term.
Other best defenses:
* Good geometry / Rod ratio for your intended target... either 400 or 440, but I tend to lean towards the 440(low fill) even with the thinner main webs to allow more Rod/Piston changes.
* move the break point on the Piston skirt(2618 Piston Alloy ONLY !, no 4032's for boost), Pin-Fit to .001" Rod & Piston
* Added accumulator volume between compression rings on the Pistons, and keep the top ring down away from the heat.
* low fill on the Block
* Studs/Caps/Girdles... ANYTHING to help the mains, add .0005" clrc on #4 because it takes the whack hardest.(#5 is closest to the load so it acts as the fulcrum on the teeter totter and #4 gets pounded !)
* 2nd Crank keyway,
* 21-4N exhaust valves(cheap)
* Tuning, tuning. and more tuning with EDT's and lambda so it don't kill itself !
this could go on and on.....
suffice to say, don't just go plop your huffer on some cockroach wedge and expect it to do much more than eventually exit stage BOTTOM ! probably sooner than later... but ya never know.

[1974dodgecharger]

Good info from the expert glad you guys chimed.....trust me when I say I listen to you guys with the outmust respect......

cant get this information from anywhere else exept here....

I will engine dyno it with huffer....

I don't know why I want 800 only mayb because I was near it with my last build, but as we all know look at what happened there which I expected, but man what a blast it was while it lasted...

you guys are right at 800 its a matter of time before block itself grenades this time if I build it up all forged and stronger and button that button end up.

CHALLENGER340 what do you recommend for a girdle system?  I actually dug a post from firefighter ron suggested the BCS type and you saw it and agreed its a nice piece.  Did you ever get to use it?  Its expensive at nearly 800 bucks at pop and thickest of its kind at 1/2 inch thick girdle with new caps and all.

[cdr]

An aftermarket block, with this build there is NO other choice!!!!

[1974dodgecharger]

An aftermarket block, with this build there is NO other choice!!!!

don't tempt me CDR  the thought has crossed my mind.....curius how much an aftermarket block is hehehehhe

[Challenger340]

Good info from the expert glad you guys chimed.....trust me when I say I listen to you guys with the outmust respect......

cant get this information from anywhere else exept here....

I will engine dyno it with huffer....

I don't know why I want 800 only mayb because I was near it with my last build, but as we all know look at what happened there which I expected, but man what a blast it was while it lasted...

you guys are right at 800 its a matter of time before block itself grenades this time if I build it up all forged and stronger and button that button end up.

CHALLENGER340 what do you recommend for a girdle system?  I actually dug a post from firefighter ron suggested the BCS type and you saw it and agreed its a nice piece.  Did you ever get to use it?  Its expensive at nearly 800 bucks at pop and thickest of its kind at 1/2 inch thick girdle with new caps and all.

Nope, I have still never used the BCR so I can't comment.
I've done Aluminum Caps and Pro-Gram Engineering Steel Caps 2 & 4 Bolt on stock Blocks, Chenowith Girdles, Hughes Girdles, but no BCR caps or their girdles.
But nowadays
and being very tired of line "boring", then line honing to set Brg Clrc., we just find it too time consuming and expensive for our customers to do much line "boring" unless absolutely necessary and they gotta have it. 
So we'll run the stock Caps up to about 650 hp with studs.... and 650 and up we just recommend an aftermarket Block, which has been problematic the last couple of years due to aftermarket Block availability being so bad..... so we did end up doing a few CNC knock-off steel caps to get by.
But Really, imo here....
At 800 hp on a stock Block....  Main Cap conversion ? partial Block fill ?, or a girdle ? All of it is just putting lipstick on a pig for a while

[1974dodgecharger]

I might have to settle for longevity purposed at 700 and below it seems....

Aluminmum block start off 5k....not that I couldn't save that, but it would take me probably a year and half to get my build done.

so I will settle and say 650hp granted you don't need a huffer for that, but I prefer it and will just majorly under drive it at max 5lbs

figure 500hp from engine and be go from there to 650hp or so give rest by huffer...

thanks again for the information.

[myk]

Save up for the aluminum block.  What's the rush?

[1974dodgecharger]

Save up for the aluminum block.  What's the rush?

bucket lists stuff to finish, lol....my final goal with the car is to drive across the states to visit some of my friends I have met on facebook.  yeah sounds corny, but some these guys I have spoke to over the years that share the same interest in cars and are passionate even had some fly out to visit me to work on my car. like I said before I have met so many great people in the car world and some sour ones that hate my build, but its those that I want to visit that enjoyed my build and enjoyed watching theirs. 

Im thinking from AZ, TX, then go up to MI from MI to WI, maybe MN, then head down to KS, OK, Missiouri, Colorado, then Utah and then back down to AZ...multiple people in each state...

[John_Kunkel]

I know alot of nhra stockers and super stockers that have sonic tested 1000s of blocks. There is no one block that is cast better then another.

But, given the exact same wall thickness, wouldn't the shorter walls of the B block be stronger?

[c00nhunterjoe]

I know alot of nhra stockers and super stockers that have sonic tested 1000s of blocks. There is no one block that is cast better then another.

But, given the exact same wall thickness, wouldn't the shorter walls of the B block be stronger?

By my statement i meant a 440 is a 440 and a 383 is a 383. You dont have to find a specific year and casting for a given block.

[Rolling_Thunder]

I am going to be running a 440 with my 8-71....      why ?  Because you can get a blower manifold for a RB block. When I was looking around I couldnt find a B block blower manifold. My old business partner ran a 440 with an 8-71 and was a mild build and he never had a problem

[1974dodgecharger]

I am going to be running a 440 with my 8-71....      why ?  Because you can get a blower manifold for a RB block. When I was looking around I couldnt find a B block blower manifold. My old business partner ran a 440 with an 8-71 and was a mild build and he never had a problem

they are rare and costs double and I think now triple the price of a RB manifold blower costs....I was able to get my B manifold from a member for 600 bucks and when I was looking they were 1250, but now they have shot up in price to 1600 bucks!!!!!