400 cu in Chevrolet specs

[Rick Shirey]

I can't find the specifications for the 400 cu in 4 barrel equipped engine in the NHRA classification guide. I believe it may only have been available in a Chevelle. Any thoughts on where I can find them.

[Chuck Norton]

Check under the 1975 Chevrolet specs on nhra.com

[Jeff Lee]

Make sure your talking SBC 400 or BBC 402

[Rick Shirey]

Thanks Chuck and Jeff. Going by a old Motors manual that I have Chevrolet offered a 400 cu in small block in a 1970 Chevelle with a quadrajet with the highest hp rating that I have seen and I am assuming that is the engine being used by those runnuing a 400 sbc you see running in GT/C and GT/D. But yet I can't find that engine listed in NHRA's classification guide. I guess my next step would be to contact NHRA.

[Greg Reimer 7376]

The only 400 SBC that I ever saw in 1970 was a 265 hp 2 barrel.It had a 313 intake,a big 2 barrel Rochester,and 81/2:1 compression. It would have been a ball with a set of 041 or 186 heads, a 5577 intake, and a QJ.Unfortunately, it never came that way. The first four barrel 400's were in the later 70's. around 74 or so. It was intended as a replacement for the 402. One of our friends in high school graduated in '73, so his folks got him a brand new orange 73 Z-28 Camaro, four speed and all. From the time they got the car, it had a vibration at certain RPM's. He was changing the oil in it one day, and noticed that the block had three freeze plugs on each side. He asked his friend at the Chevy dealer about that, they looked at it,and the suffix on the block number indicated that it was a 400. It had the big 350 balancer, and a non- counterweighted flywheel.It seems the factory accidently(?) installed a 400 short block in place of the 350. The Z 350 even that late still had a four bolt block, a steel crank, forged pistons, a reasonably good hydraulic camshaft, push rod guide plates, 2.02 /1.600 valves, a high rise and a QJ. This 400 had the Z 28 heads, the finned valve covers, the high rise,the QJ, etc,but it was an accident. Makes me wonder who at the factory stole the correct short block.Sure was fast on the street!!

[Chuck Norton]

Originally Posted by Rick Shirey

Thanks Chuck and Jeff. Going by a old Motors manual that I have Chevrolet offered a 400 cu in small block in a 1970 Chevelle with a quadrajet with the highest hp rating that I have seen and I am assuming that is the engine being used by those runnuing a 400 sbc you see running in GT/C and GT/D. But yet I can't find that engine listed in NHRA's classification guide. I guess my next step would be to contact NHRA.

Rick,

The motor being used in Super Stock GT is the one from 1974-75. My friend, Tony Mandella, runs that combination in John Hennessay's GT/DA car. You never saw one in a real Super Stocker because the cars that it came in were too ugly to race. You can't count on Motor's or Chilton's to match up with anything in NHRA's books. Unfortunately, the horsepower rating on that motor has been blown through the roof by GT racers over the past ten years. It's still OK but it's not the killer it was at one time.

c

[Bench Racer]

I think the 400 is still rated at 280 or 285 in superstock. It would be neat to see one of them 2 ton sleds running class against the 283's and 289's. Don Jackson