350 engine in my Clipper not a 400 like I thought

[bigray]

Had my Clipper in the shop for some repairs and the mechanic told me that my engine is 350 and not a 400. Go figure!

All the repairs that I've done on the engine was with the assumption of a 400. I guess I'll have to get the serial number off to be sure.

I recall last year a fella said that he had an 350 and he was considering replacing it with a diesel. I thought it was odd that his Clipper had a 350 but I guess mine does too. I keep you posted!

[Shayne]

The Clippers never came with a 350, so at one point, a previous owner must have put a new motor in it?

Not that that's so bad....  the 350 Chevy motor is just about bullet proof. And parts are easier to find.  It wouldn't take much to get that 350 putting out some real power.

I was once told the same thing about the 440.  I asked a friend that was an old Dodge mechanic and he said.. too bad it's a 440, if it was a 360 we could get it to make some power.

[bigray]

I have't confirmed it one way or the other yet! As long as that puppy doesn't die on me anytime soon. It has plenty of power for my needs. Heck, I don't care if it's a Brigg & Statton I'm happy (when less gas would be nice but oh well).

[Rodney]

:arrow: There is no replacement for displacement.  :!:
I am considering building a stroker motor for my Clipper,
500 cubic inches would sure be handy on the hills. Mopar of course.
an over worked small engine will burn as much if not more fuel than larger displacment engines and the extra tourqe is what these heavy Clippers need to get rolling.
Some if not all 400 small block Chevys have steam holes in the heads between the cylinders and are prone to cracking when over heated.
360 mopars have  poor exhaust port air flow which creates a lot of extra heat which leads to  cracked heads and exhaust manifolds.. There are give and take  will all engines.
R  

[bigray]

My casting numbers are 3951509 which indicates a 400 engine according to Mortec.com (thanks Terry). The idiot that changed my temperature sensor (and cracked my exhaust manifold by the way) had no clue what he was talking about obviously. I don't know what numbers he was looking at! For that same reason I'm not letting anyone else touch my Clipper. I don't care if I have to take 6 months to complete a repair.

[Conrad]

Hey  Rodney, what does it take to improve the exhaust flow on the 360?  I recall that in my high school shop class conversations the intake and exhaust ports can be ground smoother.  Am I remembering correctly?  33 years ago is plenty of time to get them old thoughts mixed up!


I plan on converting to a 4bbl at a future date and will go with headers as well.  

What type of mufflers does everyone else have on their rigs?  What are the pros and cons of glasspacks vs the standard steel muffler?

[Rodney]

That's great news Big Ray the 400 is what you need. I hear you about finding a good mechanic. their are just about no more for the older vehicles. If you what it done right you have to do it yourself has been my moto for some time and every time I choose the Lazy path {for Me} of having someone else work on my rigs it ends up costing me twice.

hi Conrad,
I fall into the same class of CRS {can't remember shi@#$}.
Yes a person can smooth up the ports on  the A engine heads to increase flow. the exhaust ports need the most attention. and a good set of headers, I am running a set of Doug Thorley Tri Y's on my 440 IMHO they are the ones to go with. I am not sure of the cost of the Edelbrock heads but if you have some extra cash that might be the way to go, but I would check application for use on a motor home. The 340 X and J heads are also a good choice but finding a good set of those are getting harder to come by.
Mopar Preformance sells a set of templates for porting the heads and may be a good idea if you are considering doing it yourself. a person can ruin a head by making thin spots and going to far. There are some obvious bumps and sharp areas on the exhaust side that could be smoothed out.
another thing I have found is the port for the exhaust to the intake [in the center of each head] to warm the intake will get plugged and cause heat build up.
motor homes like trucks are extremley hard on exhaust systems and a cheep muffler will not last long with the amount of back pressure created. I would suggest using a good heavy duty muffler intended for motor home applications. This is one area I would use an GOOD exhaust shop.
I really don't like crawling under a rig & trying to do a good job.
hope this helps
BFN R