400 SBC potential
 

How hard would it be to get a 400 SBC (78 or so out of a pick-up) to get to about 450 hp to the wheels? What all would it take? How much do you think it would cost? Do you think with this much hp it would be able to start in the winter at -70 below windchill?

450hp at the fly is simple, at the wheels is going to be tricky. You'll need 10:1 or better compression, AFR 227 or equal heads, and a large solid roller cam. Figuring 20% loss through the tranny 450 wheel horsepower is about 565 at the fly. For a 406 small block that's a healthy 1.4hp/ci. Good luck.

Are you assuming an auto tranny? What would the loss be through a manual trans? I think I may have a setup that will easily get you 450 hp to the rear wheels.

As for slippery roads, you might as well forget driving this setup on anything but a dry road. I can make a dry road act like a wet road with street tires.

Let me gather more specifics on my setup and I'll share it with you.

Would a larger solid roller cam do well in the cold, as far as starting?

do a retro hydraulic roller cam

whats that?

it lets the older engines a hydraulic roller cam like the newer engines which frees up some extra hp by reducing friction between the cam and lifters

oh....thats cool.

I run a solid roller in my 78..... not bad on cold starts,very little maintenance. Its not a cheap conversion but worth it in my opinion. They make great power!!!

Solid roller, all the way........ You may have to adjust valve-lash every now and then.. But that's a small trade-off for the power, and RPM's you'll get.......:)

If you're really worried about cold starts you could always pull a freeze plug and put in a block heater. It'd probably make a whole lot more difference than whether you put in a solid or hydraulic roller. Oh, and if you're tossing up the solid/hyd. roller debate, go solid if you aren't afraid to adjust valves every once in a while, especially if you want power numbers like that.

A really simple solution to make power in that neighborhood might be to add a blower. It'll be expensive and such, but it'd be a lot easier doing it that way with some good forged internals than trying to do it n.a., and it'll look cooler too. Keep in mind I'm all for N.A. horsepower, because if you've got the ponies otherwise you can always add blower/nitrous/whatever and it'll be that much meaner. But if you want to go with an easy way to make big power all the time a blower is it.

Hope this helps. ---J.Bird