Moparts
400 SMALL BLOCK!!?
My boss is trying to sell me what he swears is a 73 ish mopar 400 small block... Is there such a thing? Told me They were in cube vans during the fuel crisis in the 70s.... Before I throw 500 bucks down on this im questioning the existence of this powerful motor... Second if its real...will it bolt in my 72 duster
Posted By: DARTH V8Я
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 03:18 AM
Just Chevy 400 small blocks.
Posted By: MoparGary7272
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 03:26 AM
That's what I told him...but even his Mopar guru dad says its a Chesley 400 small block..rare motors.... There's one on you tube on a dyno but i'm still nor convinced its real
Posted By: zrxkawboy
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 03:40 AM
I've never heard of such an animal.
Posted By: stumpy
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 03:44 AM
What are the numbers cast into the side of the block?
Posted By: HotRodDave
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 05:22 AM
yeah no magic decoder ring needed like a SBC to figure out what it is and no factory built 400 SB mopars.
Posted By: CraigS
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 05:32 AM
If the distributors on the front ,its a big block.
distributor on back its a 360,probably.
put a 4 inch stroker crank in it and it will be a 400
Posted By: DPelletier
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 03:10 PM
There is no factory LA 400 cu in engine. I sold autoparts for many years and there wasn't one catalogue (yes, we used catalogues back then!) that showed such an engine.
Dave
Posted By: dogdays
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 04:37 PM
Yeah, this really is a no-brainer. If it's a MOPAR 400 it's a B engine and to all but the truly illiterate it's a bigblock. The '73-ish timing tells me it's the 400 that was introduced about 1972 model year.
That being said, you can do many wonderful things with a 400 either with stock 3.38 stroke or with increased stroke out as far as 4.25".
If it was my situation I'd go for a 408 smallblock stroker in an A-body. But a really nice low mileage 400 would be tempting.....And with aluminum heads it'd weigh the same as a smallblock.
R.
Posted By: DPelletier
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 05:28 PM
Quote:
Yeah, this really is a no-brainer. If it's a MOPAR 400 it's a B engine and to all but the truly illiterate it's a bigblock. The '73-ish timing tells me it's the 400 that was introduced about 1972 model year.
That being said, you can do many wonderful things with a 400 either with stock 3.38 stroke or with increased stroke out as far as 4.25".
If it was my situation I'd go for a 408 smallblock stroker in an A-body. But a really nice low mileage 400 would be tempting.....And with aluminum heads it'd weigh the same as a smallblock.
R.
I've always wished someone would do a comprehensive weigh in of a "lightened" B and RB vs. a stock LA. My guess is that with headers, aluminum intake and heads and you'd be there.
Dave
Posted By: MoparGary7272
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 06:30 PM
Still my boss insists its sb 400......i keep arguing with him its not a Mopar engine.....aaaaand now he tells me its got rebuilt ford heads on it....he said the F word..... THE F WORD!.....i need to stick with finding a 340 or 360 with Trans....having a though time finding a running combo in ny
Posted By: 70Cuda383
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 06:36 PM
are you just betting him it's not a small block? or are you thinking of buying it off him?
if it's a bet, have him take you to look at it. bring a smart phone with you so you can google the casting numbers and show him what it is. either it's a small block that MAYBE somebody rebuilt with a stroker crank and told him it was a 400" small block, or it's a stock stroke B-block.
Posted By: CraigS
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 06:37 PM
thats good.A chevy 400 with rebuilt ford heads!!!wow they must have glued them on.
Posted By: MoparGary7272
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 06:49 PM
told him if there was such a thing id buy it from him... ..aaaaaahhhhh its a 360 bored out amc motor?.....with 429 heads.... Sounds weird
Posted By: MoparGary7272
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 07:57 PM
I'll keep everyone posted and take pictures when I go see it....its coming out of a79 ram with a727 behind it...
Posted By: dogdays
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 08:18 PM
Can't wait!
R.
Posted By: B5 Bee
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 08:42 PM
Quote:
told him if there was such a thing id buy it from him... ..aaaaaahhhhh its a 360 bored out amc motor?.....with 429 heads.... Sounds weird
You know, 
, there was an aluminum block 3.7L 4 cylinder motor that used a Ford 429 head. But a 429 head on an AMC? 
If the motor is coming out of a '79 Ram, it's a 318 or 360.
'78 was the last year for the Big Block Mopar (except in motorhomes).
Posted By: MoparGary7272
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 09:10 PM
The motor original came out of a73ish dodge cube van then he got it built up and now sits in a79 ram...according to him he's going to blow all of us Mopar gurus out of the water lol...he says it's stamped 400 right on it and distributor is in the back
Posted By: Russ H.
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 09:13 PM
Sounds to me like there's some stroking going here but not to an engine. Ford heads on a mopar block.....shezzzzzzz
Posted By: stumpy
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/11/12 09:17 PM
Again the numbers cast into the side of the block will tell the tale.
Are you looking for something like a junkyard engine/tranny, or want something built? Where in NY are you located?
Posted By: Supercuda
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/12/12 02:48 AM
if he's too stupid to know what the motor is you don't want to buy it if he built it.
Posted By: slantzilla
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/12/12 03:17 AM
The Ford 400M was a small block. It gets called a big block alot, but it only shared a bellhousing pattern with the 460.
Tell this clown that the CI was never cast into the side of the block. It is stamped under the driver's side head.
Posted By: zrxkawboy
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/12/12 03:24 AM
Quote:
aaaaand now he tells me its got rebuilt ford heads on it
The boss is smokin' some good stuff!
Posted By: DARTH V8Я
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/12/12 03:26 AM
10 to 1 its a Ford 400 engine.
Posted By: MoparGary7272
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/12/12 01:58 PM
Quote:
Are you looking for something like a junkyard engine/tranny, or want something built? Where in NY are you located?
im doing a super six to An eight cylinder swap... The super six spun all but one bearing due to the oil pumped being clogged... I was going to toss it and throw a standard bore motor in her... Id rather not have a mysterious built up motor cuz I want to drive the car knowing what's in it lol.... Im near Albany ny ...
Posted By: MoparGary7272
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/12/12 02:04 PM
..
Posted By: DARTH V8Я
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/12/12 02:57 PM
So wheres the pics of this mythical beast?
Posted By: DPelletier
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/12/12 03:06 PM
Quote:
The Ford 400M was a small block. It gets called a big block alot, but it only shared a bellhousing pattern with the 460.
Tell this clown that the CI was never cast into the side of the block. It is stamped under the driver's side head.
Defining Ford Windsor, 335 series, FE and 385 series engines using the traditional "big block or small block" monikers gets a little confusing, but I'd also bet that the engine in question is a 400 ford (335 series).
Dave
Posted By: MoparGary7272
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/12/12 03:21 PM
I haven't seenit yet.... Nor does he have pictures.... Imm not throwing money down to go see it... That's haha.... My guess is its a360 b.uilt up
Posted By: DPelletier
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/12/12 03:22 PM
Quote:
I haven't seenit yet.... Nor does he have pictures.... Imm not throwing money down to go see it... That's haha.... My guess is its a360 b.uilt up
...but you are going to see it and let us know, right? It would suck to go through all this and never know for sure what it was.... 
Dave
Posted By: JDMopar
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/13/12 05:44 AM
Posted By: 451Mopar
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/13/12 05:56 AM
It must be a Henway.
Posted By: Jjs72D
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/13/12 10:47 AM
The answer is........ TWO and a half pounds!
Jeff
Posted By: Rug_Trucker
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/13/12 03:47 PM
Quote:
Damn!...How am I gonna sleep tonight?? 
Damn! How can I go to work today! I'm staying right here hitting the refresh button.
I had a 351M and a 400M in a '77 F150. That was a gas sucking pig.
Posted By: bboogieart
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/13/12 04:00 PM
My guess, being it was in an early 70's comercial truck, it's the 400 big block, and the seller has low deck confused with small block. It's a big block but not a raised deck big block. Non mopar folk might get this mixed-up.
Posted By: racer_amx
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/13/12 04:34 PM
Quote:
if he's too stupid to know what the motor is you don't want to buy it if he built it.
+1 
Posted By: RapidRobert
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/13/12 04:50 PM
What Ice Eagle said it's time for a pic
Posted By: Oyvind Mopar
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/13/12 04:56 PM
And you can't tell him his stupidity either cause he is your boss....
Posted By: Rug_Trucker
Re: 400 SMALL BLOCK!!? - 04/13/12 05:12 PM
Quote:
And you can't tell him his stupidity either cause he is your boss....
But, do take his $500!!!
Quote:
And you can't tell him his stupidity either cause he is your boss....
Those situations are frustrating when people try to actually portray themselves as actually knowing what they're talking about! 
My guess is that it's actually a totally stock mid 70's 400 Ford motor. Nothing more, just a guy misconstruing a piece of information to be more than it is. 