i just bought complete SBC 400 for 50 bucks. it comes with heads, cam, intake etc. is from a friend and he says its fine and that nothing ever happened to it. what is the procedure to have the block checked and process to have the crank resurfaced

 

Um, get the block checked and the crank resurfaced. LOL Sorry I had to. Buddy, you have stolen that thing for 50 bucks. Wanna sell for a bill? Double your money. Hmm. Ok, for real just take it to a machine shop with a good reputation. Tell them you want a magnaflux. Stop there until you find out if all is good. Then if all is well then start the plan. Do you just want the crank cut? If so why? If the crank is shot the cylinders are probably not well either. Also check the cost of a replacement crank from scat or eagle. Sometimes the cost of cutting one 10/10 and new bearings is the same as a new cast steel crank. Again if you live near Mich I'll double your money.

 

Oh yeah I forgot. Alittle trick i picked up when I was new to this. Take a punch and stamp your initials somewhere on the block. Not the head surface. This will ensure your not gonna get screwed out of your block at the machine shop. Some less honest guys will tell you its crap and give it back. Meanwhile its good and they gave you someother one that really was cracked.

 

Great buy,the crank is worth that even if it needs to be turned.
Yeah get it magged and mic the crank and bore so you know what you have there then go from there.
Sometimes the crank will just need to be polished and the bore might just need to be line honed but you won't know till they check it all.
On a side note be aware that a 400 small block is like a 454 big block and externally balanced,that means a special flywheel/flexplate and harmonic balancer.
You cannot use one off a 305 or 350 or any other small or big block,it must be for a 400.

 

I'd love to find a 400 small block! Even in stock displacement they make tons of torque and when built lots of power too! I've got a friend with a pretty stock 400 in his little Anglia and it will pull the front wheels off the ground launching with ease!
Be sure when you pull the engine down to have it tanked and manifluxed that you stamp the rods and main caps to keep them matched, or check the caps and rods to see if they are already stamped. Need to keep those things in order.

 

the guy who i got the 400 also has a 383 strocker motor. i havent picked the motor up yet but he said he has the heads off both motors and cant remember which goes with which one!! how would I tell, I think both set of heads are stock?

 

400 heads will have steam holes in the middle. On the deck surface side.

 

The heads for the 400 would/should have steam holes drilled between the cylinders. The stroker heads wouldn't have the holes, unless somebody slapped 400 heads on that too.
Looks like this: http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/te.../photo_09.html

 

so you r saying that between each cylinder in the heads is a hole? how big is this hole and how deep does it go? this all new to me, thanks for the help!

 

Looking at the block in the above link, see the small holes just below the large holes that are next to the upper portion of the piston, as well as the other two small holes below those? Those are the steam holes, and the heads should have holes in the same position to match. If the guy still has the head gaskets, you can use that to lay over the heads to check for the holes too.