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454 to 400 engine swap-Info, not questions

1K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  tvnl 
#1 ·
Just completed the engine swap on my 72. I had been picking your brains trying to figure out what was needed. Well, almost nothing, I have a Turbo 400 tranny, it bolted right up, did change flex plate and torque converter (torque converter was in increase stall), used same starter, changed motor mounts at the frame, by choice. The old ones would have worked. And new headers of course, but overall, everything was very easy to do. Sold the 454 for 3,500! Putting my fuel cell and battery in the trunk, but leaving the gas tank in for now.
Can't wait to start her up, getting close now. My 400 (406) has a new compstar balanced crank, SRP JE 4cc domes, Oliver 6" rods, Crane cam, solids, roller rockers, girdles, 205 (200 runners) world iron heads massive porting and polished to the vic jr intake, 910 Holley, MSD, and lots more.
I'll get a video up on utube and link here when I get a run out of her.
 
#3 ·
Really is one of the easiest swaps I've done but it didn't go totally without incident. I sat her in the engine bay with the lower motor mounts bolted on, sat it down on the frame, squared it up and welded the lowers in place. Then, I went to install the headers and realized I had to jack the engine up to get the drivers side installed. Unbolted, hoisted it up leaving it mated to tranny and was able to install headers. That night, just as I was dropping off to sleep, it popped into my head that I had not tightened the flexplate to the crank. Unbelievable, I specifically remembered now that I put the flexplate on to check the starter alignment and had not put a wrench to the bolts. It took me about four hours (I only have one leg) to unhook the engine and raise it up to torque the flexplate bolts. I was able to leave the headers hooked up.
Thank god it popped into my head that I had not wrenched the flexplate bolts!
 
#4 ·
That suck but at least you remembered!! I do the same thing sometimes sitting in bed.... I remember the drivers side headers.... One time on a 72 I had in my younger days I had a heck of a time getting it in there, hours of work. I had unbolted the steering box and jacked the motor up some to get it in there, had everything bolted back up except the headers. As i was putting the bolts in I lost my grip and the damn thing fell out!!! I was hot!! Had to walk away for a bit. I guess I didn't do enough wiggling before I started unbolting... Lesson learned.
 
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