hi, i hava a 400 sbc in my 84 cutlass. Im 17 an hav low money income so am doing one step at a time. It has stock 882 heads with 1.94, 1.50valves, 9.2:1 cr, comp 268 high energy cam, performer rpm intake, hei, 600 edelbrock carb, stock exhaust manifolds, and 40 series flowmaster with a stock stall and th350. The rear end is a pathetic 2.41 peg-legger with 27 inch tall tires. I know it is missing a lot, but shouldn't this 400 make enough low end torque to boil thehides off when i mat it? It wont break the tires loose until i brake torque it. I know a stall and headers and rear end would help, but it seems like it should still spin the tires. It jus kind hesitates. If i keep it is first an nail it at about 30mph, then it hauls ***. Im just lookingfor suggestions on what to do and what parts to get first. Thanks

IŽd go for lower gears and a bit higher stall, to start of. DoesnŽt have to get too expensive. graemlins/waving.gif

If the engine is hesitating, you should optimally tune it before you start buying replacement parts. Once you get it running as best as it can with the parts you have, then you can decide where you want to go with it.

The CC 268HE cam should run fine in your motor but it is the rearend/tire ratio that is probably down around 2.00 to 1, (what with your 27" tall tires), that is killing you!!

My 280/230, .480" cammed 9.5 to 1 CR., 406 with an M-20, 3.31's and 26.5" tall tires was "on the cam" while cruising around town. It would get to bucking in low and second gear at times, but once above say 2500 rpm would run like a scalded dog!!

Run your rearend gear and tire height through this to check against a stock 25.5" tall tire...

MPH = (RPM x Tire Dia.)/(Rearend Gear Ratio x 336)

Just set your speed at say 60mph for the check in both cases... pdq67

PS., my 3.31's are more like a 3.08 with taller tires so know just where you are coming from...

...or play with this.
www.woodyg.com/fairlane/finfo/rpm.html (http://www.woodyg.com/fairlane/finfo/rpm.html)

graemlins/hurray.gif

[ 05-26-2003, 08:55 AM: Message edited by: mr. Wrrooom!! ]

Originally posted by boodlefoof:
If the engine is hesitating, you should optimally tune it before you start buying replacement parts. Once you get it running as best as it can with the parts you have, then you can decide where you want to go with it. I agree with this. I pulled a 400 out of a '71 Caprice and dropped it in my '79 Camaro w/o rebuilding it (left the heads dead stock). I added the usual: intake, 4 bbl. carb, headers etc. I even left the stock cam in it for a while. With the stock open rearend and stock gears 2.56?? it would smoke one tire for as long as I was on it from a stop. Later, when I changed to a 280 Magnum Cam, it lost a little low end (would still annihilate the "tire") but it pulled harder through the mid & upper RPM range (w/ new valvesprings it would have run better though). The car ran 13.8 @ 100 with the stock gears and that was several years after I dropped it in. By then the engine started smoking and needed a rebuild.

I would get your engine tuned properly and go from there. Timing and carb adjustments can gain you alot of power. Even with your gears you should be able to light 'em at will from a stop. Good luck!

Are you 100% sure it's a 400? Just curious, because I too think that a 400, setup as you have described, would eat the tires off of it, even with the 2.41 gear. Something just doesn't sound right here.

I have to agree with the other guys, you really need to make sure she's tuned right. You should get the engine running right before going out and spending money on this and that, because you just may come to find out you might not need all the other stuff. Of course a steep gear would always be helpful, but if you get it tuned right, it may run satisfactory for you as she sits, gear and all.

Good luck and keep us posted.