whats the good ,bad and the ugly of it all

[dirty dan]

Whats the big differance between a 440 bored 60 over and a 400 bored 30 over with a 440 crank instaled. As I recall this would give both engines a 4.380 bore and matching stroke. As far as I can tell the only real differance is con rod length and of course rod ratio.
So what is the point ?
I have herd that these 400 stroked should be keeped or are at least ment to be used under 5500 rpm.
Is this accurate?
So tell me whats the good the bad and the ugly of these 400`s with the 440 cranks?

[PRO]

the real advantage is a shorter piston(shorter deck)which means lighter piston weight,usually 100+ grams (x8) or so,not to mention saving 15lbs in the block.......PRO....

[gotcha]

Dan.....a couple of ways to go. 400 block with 440 crank and 400 (383) rods. 400 block with 440 crank and 440 rods. The reciprocating weight (bobweight) total is the key. You have a shorter deck height on the 400 with a cut down crank, a lighter or the same rod (your choice) and a much lighter piston than a 440.

Next subject is strength.....the shorter deck 400 is physically stronger that the tall deck 440. Because the crank on the big block is secured near the center of mass the shorter the deck, the stronger the block with mains attached. Torsional rigidity and stability. Especially on nitrous. The oil demand on the cutdown crank is less because there is less surface area, and to a degree less friction.

The third consideration is the overall weight. The 400 block is about 20-30 lbs. lighter than the 440.

When swapping engines the shorter deck height helps in the overall width (valve cover to valve cover) and header clearance.

In almost every case the 400 combo will rev quicker and produce more HP and torque than the same cubic inch 440. I did not say rev higher, but quicker.

Now for the good part. You can now build a 496 to 505 440 for about $200-300 more money. Hughes engines is supposed to be building a 4.15 crank for about $300 to $400 plus your core.

This entire thing is based on what you have available to work with as far as basic parts. Blocks, cranks, etc. Hope this helps.