400/440 Stroker

[daveteia]

I have a 400 cid Engine in a 69 Charger. I have read about putting a forged 440 crank into the 400 and boring it .030 over to make a 451 or 452. Can someone give me more specifics about this Combo? Is that all there is to it? I have 346 heads, do I ditch them for 906 or 452's? Thanks

[moeflo]

It's a great motor. Get a forged 440 crank/rod assy. cut the main journals to 400 size. Bush the rods for .990 pins, JE has a great 565-gram flat-top piston, for it. The reduced bob weight makes it noticeably more responsive. And with piston weight cut by around 1/2, a 440 rod is very strong. If I'm not mistaken, a 346 head, is about the same animal as a 452.
Did one of these motors, once for an idiot customer, in a E-body bracket car. He's run it, off and on for 6 years now, been caught on the highway(drunk), etc. Damn thing is still in one piece.
Also check, now as resizing/good bolts/ installing/ reaming bushings, for a stock rod, may put in in the range of aftermarket steel rods. Wasn't an option, when we did it.

[440 Jim]

I refer to the 440 crank in the 400 as a "451" since pistons are available if you bore it to 4.375" and that makes 451 CID. The 346 heads are fine, the new Edelbrock RPM aluminum heads look great!

Start with this link:
http://www.phoenix.net/~atc347/451/

Then go to my web site and check out the 451 Engine page. It has the above link and a link to my build notes along with a bunch of pictures. I am using longer rods and therefore different pistons, but the idea is the same.

Popular pistons are the Ross and JE's:
http://www.rosspistons.com/
http://jepistons.com/cgi-win/jecat.e...est&cat=020301

The only issue to making this affordable is to find a crank grinder to do it at a reasonable price, say $200-$300.

[Lee Pritchard]

I have seen many of these 451s at are track..and i have to say i dont see them running any better that a standard 440.. I have seen one 472 made from a 400 that did run very good... they used an early 400 block and bored it around 80 over (so i am told) and off set ground a 440 crank to 3.90 stroke...we can't seem to find any good 400 blocks around here, but can find pleanty of 440 blocks. A 440 with ross light weight pistons and lightened ly rods seems to run better than a 451 400 block combo.... well at least in my case they do..and i can do a 60 over 440 much cheaper than a 451... but i guess if you want that 383 sleeper look a 400 - 451 would be better....Lee.

[daveteia]

Thanks for your help guys. I'm still thinking of doing the 400/440 because I already have a 400 block. This is going to be a street car with an occasional stop light contest.