Upgrades for a 400 2 barrel

[1973dodger]

Hello, I am new to the forum and look forward to exchanging information with all of you over time. To tell you a little about myself, I have been in the building business for 35 years and am somewhat mechanical but not enough to dive into this project without some professional help. I bought my first car in 1976, which was a triple white 1973 dodge charger with a 318 2 barrel and I said then if I ever got a chance to own another one I wanted a wanted a triple black 73 charger with a big block and bulge hood with some extra goodies I couldn't afford back when I was 16 years old. Well some 10 years ago I found a triple black 73 dodge charger with a 400 and have been waiting for the right time to fix it up proper. Well, the time has come.

It has had a few modifications such as a Lunati .507 lift cam w/ a 285 duration, and changed from a 2 barrel to a 650 4 barrel with an aluminum intake manifold. The motor still runs. Since this particular stock arrangement is not particularly collectible, I would like to do some customization and make some modifications to improve the performance to around 450 horsepower using the same engine block. I am considering changing to aluminum heads and going with a stroker kit. I am seeking advice as to which stroker kit and heads to use and should I also consider some modifications to the 727 tourqueflite, and rear ear end to handle the extra horses, cooling system, brakes, suspension, & etc.

Some of you purest may think it unwise to change to anything other than stock, but I've been waiting some 34 years to realize this dream. With that said, I am not a rich man, but I want to do this thing right and have it still be drivable on pump gas. So dig in with me here guys and give me a little direction. Thanks.

[brock]

Firstoff welcome!

Yes, I can be quick to "be all purist"! For example, "Don't cut
holes in the roof of your 71 6pack for T-tops & put the engine
in your 70 Challenger. Had to pass on that car back in the 80s.

I'm all for preserving rare numbers matching cars. Seriously.
But, that is precisely why I bought a 2bbl 400 in the most
popular color. No harm, no foul for hotrodding it & making it
what I want! 318 cars beg to be modified in my oppinion!

[lunger]

well new head would be a good boost, they flow much better than the stock irons, Headers, 650 may be a little lean on the carb. after all is said and done.

Trans just get a good rebuild , get a bolt in sprag. Myself i like a manual shift valve body. Thats because no kickdown linkage , i miss adjusted them so many times when i was younger , burnt up many trans's

rear end the 8 3/4 is good , aftermarket axles and new driveshaft if you can afford them. I have run 12:30's in my charger with stock axles and driveshaft, but i have never put on slicks .

One thing you have to change is those dam little straps on the rear yoke . losing a drive shaft at 115 mph sucks . they sell rear yokes that use the u-bolt connection.

i have a tci 3500 stall converter , but maybe just go with a more streetable unit.

cooling is a pain , some just put a 4 core in there and it works fine. Some have to add a shrowd around it .

[lunger]

stroker kits from muscle motors racing


400 Kits
400/451”: 3.75 stroke x 6.76 rod, 4.375 bore 1.320 CH piston.

One of the original stroker kits for big block Mopars. These kits are noting more than a 440 built with a really light piston. 3.75 x 6.76 (440 stroke and rod) but because the block is 3/4”shorter, the piston is ¾” shorter and literally ½ the weight. We use a new 4340 crank an rods with your choice of forged pistons. Rings, bearings and balancing included.

Only: $1999


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400/470”: 3.91 stroke x 6.700 rod, 4.375 bore 1.320 CH piston.

This is one of those kits that works better than it should. When using stock port window cylinder heads (factory, Edelrock RPM, Stage VI) this is the PERFECT combination. Good amout of cubes, super lite weight rotating assembly, great rod ratio, just a dynamite combo.

Only: $1999


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400/511”: 4.25 stroke x 6.535 rod, 4.375 bore 1.320 CH piston

My personal favorite combo for competition. These kits work really well with bigger port heads such as 440-1’s or B1’s. In a 400 block I don’t build anything bigger because there just isn’t any point in a stock block! This combo has a piston with a 1.320 compression height. What that all means is that it stops the piston at zero deck on an unmachined block. We charge an additional $100 to mill to tops of the pistons down (before balancing) to make sure you don’t end up with a positive deck piston or not enough piston to head clearance.

Only: $2099

[1973dodger]

All great replies. Now which heads do you recommend and which of the 3 stroker options would be a good choice to achieve the 450 hp range. Just for the for a weekend driver not racer. Nothing would ruin a good weekend to have a sweet ride with the hood up on the side of the interstate. If it is a matter of choice to sacrifice hp for durability, I will choose durability.

I have been collecting parts over the last 10 years along with having chrome parts re-chromed. Anyway one of the things I would like to do is put the column shifter, which is now in the car, down to the floor. I have supposedly aquired all the parts necessary to do this. Have any of you attempted this and what is involved in doing this.

I'm so excited to change this Charger from a shelf to set stuff on, to the lean mean machine it was meant to be or should have been.

1973dodger

[son7771]

440 source has everyting you want and if you call them they give great tech advice. Qaulity parts and nice peoples to boot!!! www.440source.com/ I got there heads and arp bolts gaskets and sparkplugs less then what edelbrock heads alone cost. I was going to stroke out my motor with there kits (cheapest I have found) but I found a fresh rebuild and put a cam and the heads in it and what a differnce it made!!!!

[1973dodger]

Thanks for the info, son7771. Do you know if there is a clearance issue with the oil pan in a stroker motor. I will contact them about a master plan for mating up their kits with heads, cams, and carbs.

Anybody got any advice with changing a column shift to a console shift yet.

By the way, sweet looking motor ;D

[Roy]

Apr 28, 2010 0:10:30 GMT -5 1973dodger said:

Thanks for the info, son7771. Do you know if there is a clearance issue with the oil pan in a stroker motor. I will contact them about a master plan for mating up their kits with heads, cams, and carbs.

Anybody got any advice with changing a column shift to a console shift yet.

By the way, sweet looking motor ;D

I got the 440source kit for my big block. The pan clearance is fine. They offer a windage tray (if you want one) to ensure clearance with the larger crankshaft (though you may have to modify it to clear the oil pickup line). On the block itself, I only had to grind a little off the oil pickup tube boss to clear a connecting rod. The larger kits may need a little off the oil pan rail of the block to clear the rod bolts/nuts.

I changed from column to floor a long time ago when replacing a bench seat with buckets and console. I cut the tunnel sheetmetal out of a junked car and screwed it on top of my existing floor pan (not the most professional, but it works and gets covered up by the carpet anyway). If I remember correctly, I just needed a small hole cut for the link between the floor shift mechanism and the transmission. I'm finally taking out the old steering column during an ongoing restoration/rebuild of the whole car.

[lunger]

i also changed to a floor shift a long time ago

i went with a turbo action shifter, before this i tried some of the ratchet shifters, the throw on them just seemed to be wrong for the 727, had to always readjust them

[1973dodger]

Is it obvious where to cut the hole in the pan or is there some calculations to make in reference to the placement of the transmission. I would assume the same pan was used for the column shifter versus the console shifter and ther would be some removable panel where the console would be positioned if not I wonder what would be the best way to locate the position of the hole in the hump. The parts I've accumulated over the past ten years are for the stock t-shifter and console.

1973dodger