Chevy 400 Vs. Ford 400: Here's How The Small Blocks Compare

GM divisions Pontiac and Chevrolet each produced 400 cubic-inch small-block V8s pinch akin bore-to-stroke ratios. Ford made 1 arsenic well, but its artifact was very different from Chevy's successful astir each way. Some whitethorn mention to nan Ford 400 arsenic a mid-block motor because its 10.3-inch platform height – nan region betwixt nan crankshaft centerline and nan cylinder-head mounting aboveground of nan artifact — is arsenic gangly arsenic galore Ford big-blocks. It's besides overmuch taller than nan modular SBC platform tallness of 9.025 inches.

However, its 4.38-inch bore spacing is nan aforesaid arsenic different mini artifact Fords of its clip and shorter than nan 4.40-inch bore spacing of nan small-block Chevy. The 400 Ford is besides wrong half an inch of being nan aforesaid wide size arsenic nan 351 Cleveland engine. 

Internally, nan Ford and Chevy 400 cubic-inch engines usage differing bore-to-stroke ratios. Chevrolet opted to enactment pinch its established SBC architecture and support nan changeable astatine 3.75 inches. To scope 400 cubic inches, this required boring nan cylinders to 4.125 inches. Both of these aspects neared nan maximum amounts for accepted Chevy small-block engines. 

Ford opted for a much symmetrical attack pinch bore and changeable measuring an moreover 4.0 inches. The longer changeable necessitated nan accrued platform tallness compared to different small-block Ford engines, specified arsenic nan 302 pinch its 3.0-inch changeable and nan 351 pinch its 3.5 inches.

Neither of nan 400 cubic-inch engines from Ford aliases Chevy were considered precocious capacity engines. Although, they're among the biggest mini artifact engines ever built. Both engines debuted successful nan 1970s and by nan precocious 1970s nan Ford 400 was producing 158 horsepower, according to Hot Rod. However, pinch immoderate modifications, nan Hot Rod squad was capable to coax considerably much horsepower from nan Ford 400.

"This clip around, nan torque peaked astatine 565 astatine 4,300 rpm and nan horsepower was 505 astatine 5,300."

Discussing nan Chevy 400, Hot Rod says location was ne'er a high-performance type from nan factory. Most Chevy 400s saw work successful larger sedans and ray trucks, overmuch for illustration nan Ford 400 — isolated from nan second was besides sometimes utilized successful nan potentially-sporty Torino and Cougar. 

Stock versions of nan Chevy 400 were rated location betwixt 150 and 380 horsepower depending connected its intended use. Hot Rod dyno'd a lightly modified Chevy 400 (a mild aftermarket cam and Vortec heads) to get 376 horsepower. Nick's Garage tested a Chevy 400 connected its dyno that produced 411 horsepower. Ultimately, nan powerfulness imaginable from either automaker's small-block depends connected its build. MotorTrend proved really nan Chevy 400, albeit a highly-modified aftermarket version, is tin of making successful excess of 1,000 horsepower. From their respective factories, nan SBC 400 provided much powerfulness than Ford's 400 cubic-inch engine.