[NotFastEnough68maro]

Just want to let you guys know i finally replaced my sick 355 with the new 405 sbc that many of you helped me, make the important part selection and build decisions. As many of you said,i most certainly agree,these 400's put a smile on your face every time you fire them. I have made a trip to the track and ran the car with the same 750 holley vac.sec. still tuned to the 355 and the old 1 5/8 headers and it performed well with a best of 1.57 60'
7.312 1/8
11.496 1/4
115 mph
The 355 best was 1.630 60' 11.96 at 112 mph.
I would like to give a big thanx to Greg O, who i basically copied his build, Eric68 for his shared performance experiences and advise and also Camaroman7d for taking the time of measureing and photographing his proform valvecover stud girdle setup as that is what i went with and it worked out great. I would really like your comments on weather my 750vs carb and 1 5/8 headers are holding me back and if so what parts you would recomend. Gregg are you running 1 3/4 headers and if so what brand? Are your AFRs straight plug. Mine are and i have powersteering and don't want to waist money and time on a poor fit header. If you could help me out one more time,that would be awesome! Iwould also like to thank CNC BLOCKS N/E (Carl) for your advise on cam core and distributer gear issues as i did like you suggested and bought a billit cam and compcams polymer dist.gear to prevent what happened to my 355 setup.

Thanx , Ken

[Eric68]

Great times! 11.49 is a good ET for 115 MPH -- it must be hooking pretty good.

I don't know exactly what your combo is so its hard to say about the headers -- I'm guessing that you would probably pick up a little with the 1-3/4 but probably not enough to make it worth the effort unless you are reving the motor over 6k.

Going from a 750 vs carb to a double pumper will probably be worth a 1/10th if both carbs are tuned correctly.

[DOUG G]

Great time, I'm jealous. Give us slow guys some info .

[67RS502]

A hp750 or hp950 will pick your mid/upper range up and should be worth 1-2 mph. The headers maybe a tenth or so for out of the box headers.

[BigRed-L72]

Nice times.
1-3/4" headers with an X-pipe would help some.
An 830 annular #9381 Holley is an inexpensive carb and would work very well with that motor it will amaze you with it`s quick response and over all performance.
Good job!

[NotFastEnough68maro]

Doug G : My combo is definately nothing trick,more so just proven parts suggested to me from this forum! Anyways here it is:
-#509 2bolt block out of a 1980 chev van
-block was deck plate bored and honed to .020 over
-it was also zero square decked off the mains and also studded the mains
-i used a eagle stock stroke cast steel crank with 6" I beam eagle rods and exterally balanced the assembly
- clevette 77 H race bearings
-the balancer is a professional products sfi 8" model
-professional products 168 tooth sfi flexplate
-pistons are .020over 16cc-dish srp forged
-total seal standard tension rings
-heads are my old AFR ported 195's with 64cc chamber giving me 10:1comp.
-AFR rev kit
-cam it is a comp hyrdra roller xr300hr 248/254@.050 562/580 lift. Billit core.
-rockers are comp promagnum 1.5
-crane stud girdle
-standard volume mellings m55 oil pump
-milodon 7 quart pan with windage tray
-proform electric waterpump
- old holley vac sec. carb
-1 5/8 flowtech headers into 3in. exhaust with x pipe and ultraflows
-cloys hexadjust billit timing set
-rpm air gap
-sunoco 94 pump gas
-never so far running over 190 degrees
- msd 6al and msd dist.


Hopefully with some good air and maybe a 750 double pumper and 1 3/4 headers i may see some 11.20 passes. Ken

[67RS502]

How high can you spin it with that rev kit, notice any diff. before / after?
I havent seen much diff with other people using them, but always like to see what works and what dont on the hyd. roller stuff.

[NotFastEnough68maro]

67RS502 : I have ran it up to 6500 rpm so far with no signs of valvefloat yet. Also forgot to mention in last reply that car is 3484lbs with me in it and all passes so far have been with air under both fronts! Ken

[67CamaroD]

Just out of curiosity why did you go with the 1.5 rockers instead of 1.6s. Im about to buy some for mine and wondering if there is a good reason to choose the 1.5s.

[NotFastEnough68maro]

67CamaroD: The main reason i went with the 1.5 rockers was because i already had them from my 355 combo. Also my new cam is very close to 600 lift with the 1.5's and don't feel there is much to be gained with these heads and the 6200 rpm max that i plan to run with motor. The rocker pushrod geometry was perfect with this setup so did not want to mess with it.


Ken.

[RickD]

Good thread!

So many choices to a 405/406/etc. Stock stroke with overbore vs 3.800 with a different overbore. Gotta love it.

I too am following the steps of you and others. I have a stock bore 2 bolt main block and am looking at rotating assemblies. I see you have a cast crank. I too have a set of comp cams 1.52's to reuse.

[RegaMaro]

Ken, where abouts in Ontario are ya? I have almost the exact same setup except I'm running a Scat bottom end and a smaller cam(xe284) in a Camaro. Be great to meet up at the track sometime and run the cars!

[NotFastEnough68maro]

RegaMaro: I am actually from Cottam, 15 minutes from Windsor. We have probably raced against each other and didn't know it as i race regularly at St.Thomas Dragway and occasionly at GrandBend Motorplex. I assume you do the same. I missed the F-body meet at St.T. this year cause i was then in the process of putting 405 in the car. I will probably be racing this weekend in Grand bend for the Octoberfast event and the following weekend in St.T. for the ironman classic. Maybe our paths will cross,let me know if your going!

Ken

[jwmcintire]

Those are nice ET's and 60 foot times. What is your suspension set up and tires? Are you running an electric fuel pump or mechanical. My motor set up is real similar and close to the same MPH but slower ET. I'm having traction problems and also loosing fuel pressure at the end of the track, also launching a stick shift car is a little tricky but fun ;-)

[DOUG G]

AAAHHHH, roller cam. I need to wait till the prices drop more.