i have a 400 in my ramcharger and it does have good power, but im looking to try to get some more out of it, just wondering if its a good platform to start on. also i hear you can put a 440 crank in it, is this true?

 

also, am i able to put 440 heads on it?

 

Yes to all the above, you can put a 440 crank in, but you either have to turn down the mains on the crank or open the crank bore in the block and main caps. Any big block head (B and RB) will physically bolt onto any other big block (350, 361, 383, 400, 426W, 440) with the exception of the hemi. Thing you have to watch out for is piston to valve clearance. If you have a smog era motor (which I'm guessing you do) then the piston doesn't even come to deck height. A good cheap alternative to raise compression is to find a set of '67 or older heads and have them upgraded a little (hardened seats, better springs, bigger valves, etc.). I had a set of -516's that I had worked up for my Monaco before Katrina, but then she claimed my Dodge so I still have them. I had a 400 in my 72 Road Runner and it made awesome power for cheap. It was a stock short block about 75,000 miles and I put closed chamber heads on it with not too wild a cam, a windage tray and an Edelbrock Performer RPM. It also had a good ignition system on it, electronic with a massive coil. It was reliable and had absolutely no problem pushing a 3600 lb car all over the place. If you stroke the 400, you'll end up with a 451 B (low deck) engine, lotsa torque, helluva sleeper engine. Its what I was planning to do before I sold the car. I know Muscle Motors (musclemotorsracing.com) makes a kit to do just that to a 383/400. Mopar Action did it to a 400 in a Runner some years back and published the whole thing, you may be able to find or order the issue. Hope this helps.

P.S. If you're interested, I still have those heads and still looking to sell them.

 

on the 77 400 rc i put a 4brl manifold and picked up what seemed like a lot of low endqp

 

I've got a 76 400 from a Cordoba was a powerful car ,but going to put the motor in my 76 D100 inplace of the 318. I know it'll be different. What woulf those heads you were talking about do on that motor? It was one of those lean burns that actually worked!.