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1972 400 engine #3034615
04/18/22 10:19 AM
04/18/22 10:19 AM
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Brisbane Australia
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572B1 Offline OP
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Hi, I have a 1972 400 block. its a 630 block cast in 1972 with J 400 on the pad. I thought J 400 was a 1973 model. but it has 11/3/72 on side of block.


They must have made 230 and 630 blocks in 1972. Thoughts.

Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: 572B1] #3034623
04/18/22 10:47 AM
04/18/22 10:47 AM
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crackedback Offline
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1973 model year cars where built starting in Aug 1972.

Gonna need parts that were cast before that production began.

Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: crackedback] #3034629
04/18/22 11:18 AM
04/18/22 11:18 AM
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i have a 230 block and a 630 block. i read somewhere, maybe 440 source that the 630 blocks were next best to the 230 blocks. crackedback, can you please explain the statement about parts for the "before production date". thank you. i got them for possible future stroker builds. probably won't use them but you never know.

Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: trw1982] #3034641
04/18/22 12:15 PM
04/18/22 12:15 PM
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Castings were made in different places around the country (or world). The cast parts needed to be poured weeks if not months before the engine was assembled so it is normal to find an engine that has casting dates that are months earlier than the engine production date. Sometimes the casting dates could be a year or more earlier than the engine production date. Detroit in the 70's was not "just in time", it was more like "pile the parts over there and we'll get to them later".

Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: AndyF] #3034727
04/18/22 03:55 PM
04/18/22 03:55 PM
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I remember hearing one the Mopar drag race seminar engr. say that Mopar let all their cast iron blocks age and cure outside for at least 3 months after casting them before having them machined for use shruggy
I don't remember him saying anything about aluminum castings confused


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: Cab_Burge] #3034759
04/18/22 05:07 PM
04/18/22 05:07 PM
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572B1 Offline OP
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Ok thanks . that makes sense.

Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: trw1982] #3034798
04/18/22 07:40 PM
04/18/22 07:40 PM
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I've sonic tested over 12 400 blocks from early casting dates in June to October of 1971 up to 1979 blocks, they all had about the same thickness cylinder walls unbore (.250 down to .1500 on the thrust sides except one that a customer brought to me to assemble after he had all the machine work done, it was .060 to .020 on the driver side cam side puke It was so bad it couldn't be sleeve to save it down
Test them first for cracks and block thickness scope twocents up


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: Cab_Burge] #3034816
04/18/22 08:17 PM
04/18/22 08:17 PM
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Brisbane Australia
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Thanks Cab, I had another 400 block sonnic tested years ago. It was 120 thou in one cylinder at std bore.

Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: Cab_Burge] #3034860
04/18/22 09:46 PM
04/18/22 09:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
I remember hearing one the Mopar drag race seminar engr. say that Mopar let all their cast iron blocks age and cure outside for at least 3 months after casting them before having them machined for use shruggy
I don't remember him saying anything about aluminum castings confused


I was told engine blocks and heads age 3 months outside. Otherwise the machined surfaces don't stay straight. Something about aging outside settles the casting.

I was also told cast bodies for bridgeports or lathes age for years before being machined.

Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: MoonshineMattK] #3034964
04/19/22 10:20 AM
04/19/22 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by MoonshineMattK
Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
I remember hearing one the Mopar drag race seminar engr. say that Mopar let all their cast iron blocks age and cure outside for at least 3 months after casting them before having them machined for use shruggy
I don't remember him saying anything about aluminum castings confused


I was told engine blocks and heads age 3 months outside. Otherwise the machined surfaces don't stay straight. Something about aging outside settles the casting.

I was also told cast bodies for bridgeports or lathes age for years before being machined.


That may be the norm now but I can remember one 383 I had that was cast 3 weeks before the engine assembly date, I may still have it ?


running up my post count some more .
Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: JohnRR] #3035001
04/19/22 11:56 AM
04/19/22 11:56 AM
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Originally Posted by JohnRR
Originally Posted by MoonshineMattK
Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
I remember hearing one the Mopar drag race seminar engr. say that Mopar let all their cast iron blocks age and cure outside for at least 3 months after casting them before having them machined for use shruggy
I don't remember him saying anything about aluminum castings confused


I was told engine blocks and heads age 3 months outside. Otherwise the machined surfaces don't stay straight. Something about aging outside settles the casting.

I was also told cast bodies for bridgeports or lathes age for years before being machined.


That may be the norm now but I can remember one 383 I had that was cast 3 weeks before the engine assembly date, I may still have it ?
I would have every machine surface check for correctness before doing any thing repair wise to it scope up twocents
I started building my own Mopar race and Hi Po street engine in the early 1970 after buying the micrometers, inside and outside and other precession tools to accurately measure so I could tell the machine shops what i needed done to blue print motors for NHRA "Stock" classes.
Mopar quality control on machine work to their engines was not the best then and is probably not much better now whiney scope

Last edited by Cab_Burge; 04/19/22 12:01 PM.

Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: 1972 400 engine [Re: Cab_Burge] #3035008
04/19/22 12:08 PM
04/19/22 12:08 PM
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JohnRR Offline
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Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
Originally Posted by JohnRR
Originally Posted by MoonshineMattK
Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
I remember hearing one the Mopar drag race seminar engr. say that Mopar let all their cast iron blocks age and cure outside for at least 3 months after casting them before having them machined for use shruggy
I don't remember him saying anything about aluminum castings confused


I was told engine blocks and heads age 3 months outside. Otherwise the machined surfaces don't stay straight. Something about aging outside settles the casting.

I was also told cast bodies for bridgeports or lathes age for years before being machined.


That may be the norm now but I can remember one 383 I had that was cast 3 weeks before the engine assembly date, I may still have it ?
I would have every machine surface check for correctness before doing any thing repair wise to it scope up twocents
I started building my own Mopar race and Hi Po street engine in the early 1970 after buying the micrometers, inside and outside and other precession tools to accurately measure so I could tell the machine shops what i needed done to blue print motors for NHRA "Stock" classes.
Mopar quality control on machine work to their engines was not the best then and is probably not much better now whiney scope


I'm with you on that , I have a 2005 426 Hemi crate motor that was done by Cummins recon that needed the lifter bores bushed , block decked and the bellhousing flange cut so it was at a right angle to the crank center line ... and after all that the main line bores needed to be tweaked because they were tapered according to bearing clearance measurements on assembly ... nevermind the mess the heads were ... it was FACTORY FRESH WITH ONLY CAM BREAK IN TIME.


running up my post count some more .






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