400 hop-up help/info wanted

[64cat]

I plan on rebuiling my 1967 400 in the future and was looking for some advice/info. The motor is a 1967 400 350hp.It has 670 heads, stock cam and a Carter 4-barrel. The only mods done to it right now are a performer intake and HEI distributor. The motor is in a 1964 Catalina (with plans for a turbo 400) the rearend is a 3.42 safe-t-track. I want to get in the mid 13's or better(haven't run at track yet) so any info would be greatly appreciated. Plus, what would be a ballpark figure for the setup?


Thanks,
Karl

[64cat]

I plan on rebuiling my 1967 400 in the future and was looking for some advice/info. The motor is a 1967 400 350hp.It has 670 heads, stock cam and a Carter 4-barrel. The only mods done to it right now are a performer intake and HEI distributor. The motor is in a 1964 Catalina (with plans for a turbo 400) the rearend is a 3.42 safe-t-track. I want to get in the mid 13's or better(haven't run at track yet) so any info would be greatly appreciated. Plus, what would be a ballpark figure for the setup?


Thanks,
Karl

[slobrd]

The first question I would answer is how much valve train noise can you tolerate. By that I mean, can you tolerate the ticking associated with variable dur lifters. They are a sure bet for a big Pontiac and a mid 300s gear. Crane has confesseed to me that theis var dur lifters tick. Their ads say they are quieter than rhoads but Crane didn't offer this over the phone. In fact the tech guy was rather indignant about the whole thing. Anyway when I see Jim Hand's wagon run in the low twelves in "an infinately streetable" 455, mainly because of the advantage of a very broad torque band (var lifters)I have to ask the question about tolerating a "ticking" noise.

[PROBRD]

If your rebuilding have them zero deck the block. Balance the rotating assembly. If your looking for mid 13's a Ram Air IV cam will more than do the job. Get a good valve job. Try a little steeper gear (up to 4.11). A Holley 700 double pumper is plenty. My opinion is to get a Torker 2 intake but I'm sure others will disagree. Get a good set of sticky tires. you'll need all of the traction you can get. A set of bolt on ladder bars will help. A very good distributor is a Mallory Unilite. Set the timing at 35 to 38 degrees total. If you want to go faster you need to port the heads and go with a bigger cam. If you run an automatic put in a 3000 to 3500 stall convertor. If you want to go any faster than mid 12's we'll have to rethink the whole combo but this will get you where you want to be for now. With this combo I ran 12.90 in my 69 GTO on street tires 10 years ago. Good luck.

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PROBRD
(probrd1@aol.com)

[irishman]

Karl: I guess because I work on a shoestring budget for my car, I come at this differently. First, how is the car going to be used: Is it a weekend toy, or do you want to be able to drive at any time, on the highway, in traffic, etc., and does it matter if you need race gas versus 93 octane? Second, what's your budget roughly?

Jerry
'66 LeMans

[64cat]

To answer Irishman questions. I don't drive the car everyday, mostly on weekends. So I'd like to still do that. I would like to run on pump gas (I get 93 octane around here). (Just to sidetrack her for a second. What do you guyr think of octane boosters?) I guess my budget will be around $3500. Thanks for all the help guys. If some one has a rebuildable turbo 400 long shaft for sell let me know.

Karl

[irishman]

Karl,

That helps to know. Starting at the back and working forward, think about boxing your lower control arms and replace all the bushings with new stock rubber. I'd go with rubber over poly because you want the suspension to move, to transfer weight front to rear on launch. With your gears, I'd shop for a wheel/tire combo that both fits at stock height and is about 28" tall. You may just want to have a spare pair of wheels with slicks on them to make it easier.

For the Turbo 400, find someone local that knows how to rebuild them, and use good quality OEM parts, and have them redo the valve body (a good builder doesn't need a shift kit) just for firm, positive shifts. Chirping the tires is cool, but it gets old driving one on the street, and it's a lot of constant impact on the drivetrain. For a converter, talk to the folks at Continental, they understand Pontiacs better than most. You'd probably be looking at something like Jim Hand's that flash stalls to 3200. On the streets, in normal driving conditions, you won't feel much slippage. If you have to have a driveshaft cut to accomodate the trans, make sure the welds are top-notch, and it's balanced well afterwards.

If your Cat has a factory floor shift and console, you can get a kit to update it for a Turbo, and look stock.

Engine-wise, idealy the 400 will overbore at .030 without a problem. Make sure the machinist does all the "smart" things, like using a torque plate, tap fittings into the oil galleys, etc. I'd also say to zero deck the block, and consider using the new KB SilvoLite dished pistons. Recondition the stock rods, and install ARP bolts. On the heads, standard rebuild with a good 3 angle valve job, and port match the intake to the heads. For a cam, in my opinion, talk to Nunzi in Brooklyn, NY. He's got years of experience making heavy Pontiacs move fast, and his prices are reasonable. Odds are, a straight hydraulic will work for you.

For ignition and fuel, I'd lean toward one of the small-body HEI's, because not only are all the components new (reuses the body and shaft, though), it comes back already curved to your exact application. For $175, tough to beat. You may want to keep the Carter you already have, and just freshen it up. If it's too tired, consider a Q'Jet. On the exhaust side, I lean toward the cast SD style manifolds, with a good 2.5" system and X-over. They just make a simple, clean install and shouldn't slow you down at all.

Lastly, make sure your cooling system is up to par, and if you don't have one, get a shroud for the radiator. Stay with a stock 6/7 blade steel fan and clutch.

I think properly set up and tuned, this should get you solidly into the 13's, and be tame enough for cruise nights or a weekend trip. Just my .02, but hopefully gives you something to think about...

Jerry