Plus and minus to the 440 or 400 block combo.

My preferred engine: The 383/400 block engine is overall less wide and less tall. This means actual room for your hands and socket/ratchet to change spark plugs on the passenger side. Also gives you more hood clearance, which is great. 383/400 block also weighs less, and the 400 block has stronger main webbing as mentioned. More room for header clearance. I personally think they look better also, more compact. Downside, intake selection has less choices, but enough to get the job done. No max wedge crossram, unless you run stage 6 mopar heads.

The 440 block engine has the most selection for intake manifolds, and is probably a little easier to build. However the 440 has downsides: block main webbing is not as strong, heavier, wider, taller, less clearance to work on the passenger side spark plugs (really non existent for #2, 4 cylinders). The crappy clearance issues for the spark plugs/headers, and less hood clearance using a 440 block is enough to really consider building a 383/400 based engine in my book. Note: Small block mopars have awesome spark plug access, way smaller overall size, weight...worth considering a 408 stroker type build.

I personally have based 440 based engine 505 stroker, flywheel dyno'd 620 HP @ 5900 / 620 torque @ 4800, 4.25 stroke/7.1 Rod, Keith Black forged flat top pistons, A&A max wedge cross ram with two 600 cfm Edelbrock carbs, Edelbrock RPM heads, CNC ported by Modern Cylinder Head, Bullet solid flat tappet cam 259/263 @ 0.050, nearly .600 lift, 108 centerline, BHJ balancer, TTI 2 inch headers, 10.5 compression. Never run down the quarter but its super fun and fast enough. Will run on pump gas but likes 100 or 110 leaded octane better with more advance like 35 degrees. 4:10 Dana, with A-1 4800 stall 8 inch converter, and Pro-Trans full manual 727. Installed in my 1964 Plymouth Savoy, street legal and driven often. Yes...I hate changing the spark plugs on the passenger side.

Eagle offers a 498 kit should be more then enough for my combination. Plan on running what was on the 440. 590 cam, some ported 452 heads, crane roller rockers. Would love to get some trick flow 240.

What would be a good low deck intake for this combo?


Just tore down the 400 everything looked good. Anyone need any stock 400 parts lol

Trick Flow makes the best low deck standard port intake so if you're going with the 400 block that is what I'd run. It is fairly tall so you might need a hood scoop of some sort.

If you build the short block for the 240 heads then it will be easier to switch down the road. The compression will be a little low with the 452 heads but you can drive it like that for a year or so and then when you have the money you can bolt on the 240 heads and be ready to go.

Please check the weights of the kits you are looking at - as alluded in other posts - the lighter the internals, the better it will survive. Eagle parts are not lightweight unless marketed that way

6.535 sized molinar rods vs eagle 736g vs 805g
Icon/source/diamond have the lightest "cheap" forged pistons
source have a "lightweight" (4lbs less off 69-70lbs)4.25 crank for 900 vs 750 for a std one

Intake - your going to hear Edelbrock performer RPM allot

Trying to keep everything on time and in budget is the biggest goal.
Plan on shifting at 6000 rpm will talk to machine shop this morning and see if they have other options besides eagle.

Car already has a good size scoop.

Don't fall into the dual-plane craziness.............

The trans stall is to high and eliminates any theoretical advantage of a dual plane.

Summit single plane intake pricing

Weiand team G $270
Victor 300.60
Torker 303.52
Trick Flow 349.97

Not sure how they really stack up. Will have to research more.

Anything but the Team G.

Especially on low decks.............

Team G is garbage on a RB also!!!!!
The only thing there good for is the scrap pile.

I'm with Andy on this one.

Get the TF.

IMO, the only TG that was worth anything was the RB 4500 version.

The low deck 4500 version wasn't too bad if you welded up the bolt reliefs in the 4 inner runners and ported that area to get rid if the choke point.

Those were crazy restricting for sure but after that extra work how'd to get the bolts in............They were stupid tight as cast.........

Probably had to use a small allen head bolt, or something similar.

I run a 440 source 505 , 4.25 stroke 7.1 rod .
11.0:1 . 272@050 solid flat tappet , .600 lift .
In my Satellite has gone 10.53s and over 126mph best so far . So around 615 flywheel hp .But this does run a 5000 stall and 4.1 gear . This is my daily that I also bracket race .
I went Dougs 2"headers - way better plug access over the 1 7/8 hookers .
I have Source CNC heads by Modern .
Has only been running since January but no issues other than getting the 4150 carb right .
I shift at 6000 trap 66/6700 , 28"radial slick
There would be more hp in a roller cam , better heads and a 4500 carb but I am happy

Tex

I think it's a "secret"............

I guess I didn't realize it needed an answer.

In my case, I didn't have the recesses in the outside of the runners filled in completely in the area directly adjacent to the bolts.

I did a little clearancing around the bolt area and test fit the intake and made sure I could get all the bolts in prior to doing any porting in the runners, and just didn't open them up fully at the bottom where it started to feel thin.
I still ended up barely dimpling one of them...... And I smeared a little JB weld on the outside to seal any possible leak.

I used header bolts with the heads ground a little shorter in those 4 holes.

This all happened quite a long while ago, but as I recall the intake mod was worth over a tenth on a friends S/G car.

Very impressive!

I obviously have the wrong daily driver!

Good info and we are lucky to have manifolds w/a hp design in mind more than a fitment thing............

You sure don't need a big stroker. With a good set of cylinder heads on a 440 or a 400/451 you can make 600 HP before 6,000 rpm on pump 91 octane.