This is my first engine build so any help, advice, or combos will be greatly appreciated. This is what I've got and what I'm looking for. I've got a 68 Camaro w/ an M/21. It'll have a Ford 9" with something around 3.73's(may go steeper later). I would like to get about 400 hp and 450 ft lbs. for less than $3500(that's the kicker, I know) I'm not opposed to using used parts at all. So if you know any good used parts to get or to stay away from, please feel free. Oh, I guess you need to know about the motor. It's a 72 truck 402 with peanut ports.(looking right know for some 781 or 049 heads in my price range). I'm going to go with minimal boring to allow some extra meat for the next time I build. I'm looking to put Nitrous later, but is not intended to be figured in my hp #'s above. If you've had any experience with building 396's please help me to get started on the right foot. Thanks in advance. Jason H.

400 ponies is a breeze with any BB. Good choice for budget heads,..either pair of those, machined for the larger valves should only run $5-600 ready to go.

Pick up a hydraulic cam in the 230 range (duration) and some pistons which would bring her up 10:1 compression...since nitrous is in your future, forged would be the play here,..about $500.

If your rods and crank check out, use them. Same with rockers and pushrods, but I'd go for new lifters. Add an aluminum dual plane intake (Edelbrock RPM maybe?) and a Holley,..3310 (780 cfm, vacuum secondaries) or 4779 (750 double pumper, mechanical secondaries) and you're there. Or, if you have some experience with Q-Jets, it would work great here. Don't believe the critics of Q-Jets...Q-Jets, which also have 750 cfm, can support 450 to 500 hp, and are very tuneable and will deliver better mileage. Many prefer them to Holleys. Edelbrock has an RPM intake that will accomodate either a Holley or Q-Jet,..that's the one I'd get.

You may get lucky with used parts, but I'd go 'new' with pistons and probably the carb and intake,..the suggested intake above is about $175 new and the 3310 new is about $250. You could save with used carb and intake, but who know what you'd end up with,..an old Holley that's been 'tuned' to a blower, and a warped intake that requires 2-3 heli-coils. So if you go used, make sure it's a trusted source.

Lastly,..exhaust,..you'll need some headers in the 1 7/8 inch range,..about $250 for uncoated.

Add in the machine work, and you'll easily spend less than your budget (I'm assuming your core 402 block, rods and crank are all in good shape).

Good luck!

Thanks for the help. That's kinda a long the lines I was thinking. Any body else.

Go with a set of stock, closed chambered heads like -206's and .020" thick steel shim headgaskets IF you want to reuse your stock pistons b/c you will be down around 8.5 to 1 CR. due to flat-tops..

I figure a CC 270 Magnum cam, a 750 Holley on an RPM along with a set of 1.75", four tube, long headers AND you will be good to go right at 375 to 400hp through mufflers, (per D2K), and only doing bowl work and dingle-berry port clean up to the heads..

And the 280 Magnum will do too but be slightly soft b/c of your low CR.

Now if you want to get your CR. up to just under 10 to 1 with a set of domed pistons that match the heads and headgasket thickness, the 280 will run very good, imho..

pdq67

PS, at 10 to 1 CR, you are looking at 475hp uncorked with the 280 per D2K, but I really figure more like 440hp tho...

How far am I off guys??

I have a 280H in my 396 at its too soft down below. Feel like I'm takinf off in second. And I'm sporting 9:6:1 w/the 063's. Bottom line, you need compression with these small BB's.

Right, that's why I mentioned CC's 270 Magnum b/c it would be just about perfect at 9.5 to 1 CR, imho..

pdq67

Yeah,..the boys might be right,..230 duration, such as the Comp Cams 280H may be weak under 2000 with an auto tranny. The 270H is a great cam and you won't lose much top end. Plus, I think you'll pull 10-12 inches of vacuum with the 270,..vs. 8-10 with the 280...and anything under ten can be a pain to make carb hold idle, run power brakes, etc.

Good luck.

You said this is a truck 402 -- my experience with a true truck block is that it has a taller deck height. I ran into this when I tried to use the stock (truck)intake manifold on a standard height passenger 396 -- it was too wide, due to the truck block being taller. (Did they have four sets of rings compared to three on a pasenger car?) You might want to research this before investing in new pistons or doing work on a block you might find less than desireable. I think I read this in "How To Hot Rod Big Block Chevys".

Bill

You can make a 396 come alive cheap. I used to have a 69 RS/SS 396 I sold a few years back. My buddy that had it before me had a slap together ringed and bearinged 396 with close chamber heads, c-396 intake and only a 650 double pumper, Z33 575 lift Isky solid cam, m21 wide ratio with 4.10 posi and that thing hammered! You could seriously lay posi through all 4 gears, no bs. I don't know how much power it had or how fast it would have been if it actually got traction. But it was fun to drive and it was a cheap motor. The only problem it had is it would throw the power steering belt when you wound the **** out of it!

Right about the real h/d 366" and 427 truck blocks b/c they are .400" taller decked b/c of them having 4-ring pistons for endurance!

But not the car and standard P/U BB motors.

pdq67

:confused: I didnt know they made a tall deck 402, I thought the tall decks were 366 or 427s. But if his block is a 2 bolt main, then it should be a standard height block, because all the tall deck were 4 bolt main....wernt they?

I would try to find some closed chambered oval port heads like 720s or 215s. The 119cc heads like the 781s will take a piston with a huge dome to make 9.5 or more compression on a 402.