Not to hijack the "400" thread, but here goes as per Tom request (all relavent street info
)
Yes I set the tach light approx 300 early, was a bit of a lesson learnt as the the changes (especially 1-2) come arounbd reasonably quick for a street car If you set it where you want to shift you end up over where your rods want to go LOL
Combo was a pretty simple deal I put together to get used to the manual trans before putting a "stout" engine in it and it actually went pretty well for shed parts (11.75 @ 118+mph at 1850kg weight)
455 block + 030, stock 3.25 crank, flat top "heavy" TRW piston, 6X heads (-8) home ported, opened up chamber (2.11 / 1.77 valves) with pushrod sleeve AKA SD heads (Felpro 1223 gasket), Holley SD intake with angle milled welded top section, converted to square bore with 3310 750cfm Holley (stock). I later tried a sleeper look 76 EGR intake with ALOT of internal mods / spacer which would ET the same (due to better 60ft !!!!) but MPH a few less (shifted at 6000 RPM instead). Custom 1-7/8" headers and an HC-03 hydraulic cam. (crane Gold 1.65 rockers)
3.73 rear gear
Pics of the Holley SD 4150 "converted" intake. Would work equally well on a "high winding" street 400. Runners were welded and extended into plenum and a large radius rolled down from the spcer into the runners. Would have preferred a bit more thickness (radius) at the front edge of the runners but run out of time to build up again before testing the thing.
Cutting off the crossover etc allowed for intake manifold changes at the track between rounds, much to the disgust of the Chevy crew watching on LOL
Probably the biggest lesson learnt was match the stuff you are running to the RPM range you intend to run at (or shift where the engine wants it, not where you want it)
I definitly wouldnt have shifted an auto 455 that high but the close ratio box kept the engine up where it seemed happy and I think 4 gears helped this. The manual would have definitly been more suited to a high winding 400 and would have made the starting line a bit easier. The modified factory intake probably would ET better with a 3 stage auto and a smaller cam. When I get some time soon I plan to try this for a bit more "sleeper" look.