400 CID SBC Chevy heads

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73c20jim

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How many different style OEM 400 SBC CID heads are there? Are there any one better than others?
 

Rusty Nail

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Not many.
I do not know for a fact but my GUESS is 3 or 4..
882s,487s but there's bound to be others.
edit* 462624 was found on some 400s

I took a perfectly good set of rebuilt 882s off of my 400 to replace them with a pair of World Products Torquer heads that I had purpose-built for their new job.

I've got <$600 in the pair, I think.

Stainless valves (1.94)with bigger exhaust (1.60) , mild porting (casting flash and sharp edges -MILD -read cheap) surface milled to 72cc-ish. They have screw-in studs and 1.5 Comp Magnum roller tips that I already had.
AND they were drilled for the steam hole.

There is absolutely NO reason to seek out a pair of factory heads with steam holes unless you simply want to. 487s MAY be a better flowing head than a 882 but that ain't sayin much!
882s were such a fat and heavy boat anchor casting that you could port the pee-waddin out of them and FORCE IT to flow but this is well into a diminishing return.

There are many, many more - much, much better places to spend money on cylinder heads.
You can drill steam holes into any head and use it on a 400. Please don't let that mandate your choice(s) because the sky really is the limit and cylinder heads really are the primary limiting factor of how much power your engine will make. That is for sure the best place to spend money in a build.

Hope this helps!

FWIW : 083s and 113s were probably the best flowing gen1 sbc heads ever built. 083s are 64cc and 113 are 58cc though. Late model centerbolt covers with canted intake bolts.
Others may disagree but they'd be wrong.

*pro-tip:
Be sure to save an old head gasket to use for marking the holes. There is a tool made specifically for the steam hole drilling job.
 
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73c20jim

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Others may disagree but they'd be wrong.

Trying to put together a basically stock torque motor to put in my C20 2wd to carry a in bed rv.

I need to check the casting numbers on the heads of my 400 and 350 to see which ones would work the best. Not buying new heads. Those are my choices right now. This is a run what you brung project.
 
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Rusty Nail

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The old "double humps" or "camel humps" were eclipsed by the later TUNED PORT heads.
A TPI Camaro or a Firebird will offer an EXCELLENT choice of factory heads for your 400. After market hi-po intake manifolds will be readily available AND cheap.
Them motors are famous for torque production Jim, I ain't yankin your chain! They have great cylinder heads...
 

Rusty Nail

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Oic.Run what ya brung...I bet they are 882s. On what year? A 1973?
First year for 882s I think - but I really don't know.

amirite?
 

morrow07

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I know you don't want to buy heads, but I agree with Rusty. Those stock heads are awful! I ran World Product Sportsman 2's with steam holes, and 1.5 Harland Sharpes. Loads of low end power for pulling. I bet you can find those heads for next to nothing now a days.
 

bucket

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I ran a set of ported 882's on the 350 in my K5, with a very mild cam. It was a very good truck motor with respectable power, even considering the terrible 3.08 gearing with 33's. Imho, they don't deserve to be called awful heads.
 

morrow07

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Sure, if you wanna put the time and effort into doing that with those heads, it's going to be your most cost effective route. But if you have a better design cylinder head, it doesn't cost very much. I don't see why you wouldn't use a nice set of aftermarket, or better GM heads. With no porting they're going to far exceed anything you can do with the ported 882's. With that said, my TBI heads are awful lol!
 

73c20jim

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But if you have a better design cylinder head, it doesn't cost very much. I don't see why you wouldn't use a nice set of aftermarket, or better GM heads.

$$$$$$
 

morrow07

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I understand $$$$ having 3 kids, but I just shopped around out curiosity this morning and found new (open box never installed) complete aluminum sbc heads for $400. That was 10 minutes of searching tops. How much more money are you going to spend in gas putting your foot into it with mediocre heads?
 
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