Engine Weight

[Duster440]

theres this guy that keeps saying that when i get my 451 built for the duster , he will blow me away with his 396 nova , how much does the 400 block weigh? with that in a duster with 4 speed and 3.91 sure grip, i cant see why i wouldent beat him. does anybody know if the 396 weighs more or less? thanks.

[Comp Chassis]

As I recall, a big block chevy is actually about 100 lbs heavier than a big block mopar. you ever picked up a cast iron big chevy head? They are huge.

[Duster440]

i heard that a rb is heavier than a b engine. since the 451 is essentially a b engine , it probabbly would weigh about the same as a 383 , wouldent it? mabey a little more , but less than a rb right?would the 451 duster have an overall weight that was less than the 396 nova?

[TL]

I think you have it figured. I don't know whats in the Nova, but there better be something in there he hasn't told you about or he's in for a disapointment. He won't admit it anyway. Chevy talk. Always Chevy talk.

[ChristianCuda]

The only way he will beat you is either if you dont get any traction or havent worked on gettting traction with that 451 torque monster OR the 396 is running nitrous

Christian

------------------
68 'Cuda 383 Working on adding EFI
69 'Cuda Race Parts Car
76 Duster 273 recent transplant
95 Neon 2.0 SOHC best of 16.96
84 Dodge Ram D50 transplanting 360

[Duster440]

when i get a 400 block with 727 , i will get a 440 steele crank and then put that in. my question is, other than the machining of the crankshaft, what about the pistons? if i use the low comp. 400 stock pistons , will that be fine? i wouldnt opt for high comp 400 pistons or they would crash into the head, correct?? could i get a cast crank to work, or will it let go in a short time? remember , i only want to race the car once in a while. I am just basically planning to build an extreme sleeper. How much hp and torque do one of these beast 451's produce? what about fuel economy with 3.91's , 4 speed and 275 60 r 15's. thanks guys, oh by the way , the 452 heads i have will be good for that engine , right?

[DartGT66]

You can use 400 pistons with 400 rods, but the tops must have be milled, and the skirts clearanced for counterweights. Not a good idea if you can't do the machining yourself, and even then not a good idea. The least expensive way is to use KB '451' pistons, they are available for both 400 and 440 rod versions, the 440 rods are highly recommended because it gives you better rod angles and lighter reciprocating masses. The cast crank is ok for up to 600 real hp, no need for a forged crank in a naturally aspirated pump gas street engine. You may need to balance it externally (like it's balanced from factory, no prob) depending on how you do the block prep and what pistons and rods you use. With a clearanced block (not turned down counterweights), 440 LY rods and lightweight pistons & pins you can balance even a cast crank engine internally. The KB's are pretty light and reasonably priced, an other good solution is ROSS '451' pistons from muscle motors. They are about 450$, are forged and weigh 530 grams compared to about 900 gram stock pistons. Check out the following web pages that handle these subjects: http://www.bpli.com/compare.htm http://www.bpli.com/toddlnk.htm