CHEVY TURN KEY SBC 427 STAGE 5.2 DART BLOCK, AFR HEADS, CRATE MOTOR 628hp MANLEY

We have dyno tested the original creation of this engine with every cam and intake choice available extensively. We now include the engine test mule run at no additional cost. The engine is thoroughly tested for leaks, vibration, unusual noises, overall engine sound and feel.

THIS ENGINE IS BUILT WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE PARTS WITH CONSIDERATION TO KEEPING THE COST OF THIS ENGINE REASONABLE. WE'VE REVIEWED WHAT THE COMPETITION IS OFFERING, AND WE'RE CONVINCED THAT WE ARE OFFERING THE BEST VALUE FOR THE MONEY.

We include an engine lift plate and heavy duty engine stand with casters with every engine we build.

We offer this engine with selected upgrades. Listed below are some of the most requested ones. Many not only improve performance, but further enhance the reliability and longevity of your engine, along with resale value. Most of these upgrades are low in cost considering the benefits they offer.

Race balancing: This is for those who want the engine to operate virtually vibration free at high rpm. Extends engine life and frees up a few more horse power. This is a somewhat labor intensive procedure and is not required, but the feel of an absolutely vibration free engine at high rpm is desirable by many. The standard balance job that is included with this assembly at no extra charge is certainly sufficient. With a race balance job, all pistons and rods are match weighed to within 2/10's of a gram or less, and the final balance is brought down to around 1 gram plus or minus. An ultra smooth engine at high rpm has a noticeable feel and sound to it. If you do not opt for this upgrade, the assembly will still be fully balanced. We spend a good hour and a half doing the regular balance work, and it will certainly meet your needs.

Cost of this race balancing upgrade is $125.00 We have this upgrade featured in our other listings. You can see this and other upgrade options in our ebay store under the "UPGRADES" category, or simply do a search with the key word, "Upgrade" in the search bar when shopping in our ebay store. Before you finalize your purchase of this assembly you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.

Holley Sniper EFI Self-Tuning Fuel Injection System. This has become a very popular upgrade on many of our engines. For those not wanting to deal with the potential quirks of a carburetor, this is the way to go. Drivability becomes greatly improved over a carb. Startup and warm-up are also greatly improved. Tuning stays spot on. These systems make it very easy to tweak the tuning on your engine to better serve your application. Our engine room crew has found the Holley Sniper system to be a very straightforward setup. Some of our customers have requested the Fitech system, and we find them to be an inferior product in many ways to the Holley Sniper system. The customer service offered by Fitech also has been a very poor experience for us. There is no comparison in the way the two systems function, nor in the way they are set up. The Holley system is 100% made in the USA and that is not the case with the Fitech system. The Holley system has a slightly higher cost, but is well worth it, in our very strong opinion. Our company founder, Skip White, stated that he has no problems with running a carb on a street rod engine, but the ability to tune the engine to perfection and the fact that fuel metering is so perfect with the EFI system has changed how he thinks an engine should receive its fuel and air. The difference in drive between the two is vast, to say the least.

Cost for this upgrade is calculated by taking the retail difference between the carburetor that comes with this engine and the retail cost of the Holley Sniper EFI System. This is a great value with many benefits, in our opinion. You can see this and other upgrade options in our ebay store under the "UPGRADES" category, or simply do a search with the key word, "Upgrade" in the search bar when shopping in our ebay store. Before you finalize your purchase of this assembly you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.

Dyno Tuning (Carbureted Engines): This is one of the most important upgrade/options we offer. There are many benefits to this service. The engine is first run at fast idle to bring the water and oil temp up to normal operating temperature. It is then run for approx. 20 minutes under a simulated load at around 3k rpm to promote initial ring seating. After this, the engine is shut down to allow us to check the readings on the spark plugs, and for any possible oil leaks. This cool down is considered part of the engine's first heat cycle. We then follow up with multiple low to medium rpm runs to further the break-in process of all the moving parts in the engine. During these multiple runs, we are paying close attention to the EGT (exhaust gas temp) readings, vacuum pump readings, oil temp and pressure, coolant temp, and overall engine sound. At this point, we start the actual dyno tuning process and this focuses around the air to fuel ratio numbers and what timing numbers produce peak power. We usually have to change carb. jetting several times, adjust the idle circuits, and the air-bleeds occasionally have to be changed. We then establish the engine's full horse power and torque numbers at a given rpm limit.

Having your engine dyno tuned will allow it to run at its absolute best, and is very important in protecting the engine from potential damage caused by the carburetor running excessively rich or lean. This also establishes the engine's hp output and max rpm. These numbers are very important to know. There is one more value that we consider just as important to what we have mentioned above. An engine that has been dyno tuned has also been validated to be in perfect operating condition. This is something that running the engine on a test mule can't provide. Any problems the engine may have will show up during the dyno tuning process. We have on rare occasion seen a popular combination show hp numbers that were not where they should be. Some of these problems give no indication other than reduced hp numbers. We find and fix such problems. The problem may be something simple and easy to find and in some cases very difficult to pinpoint. We will not send the engine out until it's perfect. If you choose not to purchase the dyno tuning package, we will still do a test mule run, as many engine builders do, and it certainly is better than nothing but pales in comparison to a full dyno tuning. When engines are dyno tuned, the chances of you having a problem are near non-existent. Unforeseen problems may still occur, but they are rare. We have kept the cost on this extensive procedure low to not only make it affordable, but it gives us great peace of mind knowing the engine will be in perfect operating condition when it is received. The cost to do a repair once the engine is installed can be very expensive for both us as the seller and for the customer. When you see the final dyno run of your engine on youtube, consider the fact that approximately five man hours, around $25.00 worth of fuel, oil and filter, and $105K worth of dyno equipment went into making that one minute final test run video.

Cost of the full dyno tune option for carbureted engines is $360.00 We have this upgrade featured in our other listings. You can see this and other upgrade options in our ebay store under the "UPGRADES" category, or simply do a search with the key word, "Upgrade" in the search bar when shopping in our ebay store. Before you finalize your purchase of this engine, you may add any of these upgrades to your shopping cart. Click here to add upgrades.

Cost of the full dyno tune option for engines with EFI fuel systems will be $100 more.

Pictured below is one of our actual Super Flow dyno's. This is a 2016 model and highly advanced compared to the much older models many shops have. We have two of these in use at our shop.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT DE-TUNING.

For those with very heavy vehicles, such as 4x4 quad cab trucks, 3/4 ton trucks, and crew cab/ex-cab trucks, Suburbans, plus trucks that may do light to medium trailer towing, we recommend the de-tuned version of this engine.

For those wanting to run a supercharger, we recommend our extra deep dish pistons with the 75cc heads regardless of the vehicle.

Our machinists each have many years of experience in building racing engines. This very critical work is done to exacting specs and with great care. Many vendors do not have machinists with the experience or the proper equipment that we are fortunate to have. We have built engines that cost upwards of $50,000. All of our engine builders have been in the engine machining and engine building line of work for their entire working lives. Their ages range from 40 to 67. We have a total of seven machinists/engine builders.

We have dyno tested the original creation of this engine with every cam and intake choice available extensively. We now include the engine test mule run at no additional cost. The engine is thoroughly tested for leaks, vibration, unusual noises, overall engine sound and feel.

THIS ENGINE IS BUILT WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE PARTS WITH CONSIDERATION TO KEEPING THE COST OF THIS ENGINE REASONABLE. WE'VE REVIEWED WHAT THE COMPETITION IS OFFERING, AND WE'RE CONVINCED THAT WE ARE OFFERING THE BEST VALUE FOR THE MONEY.

This engine is warranted, with limitations and exclusions as set forth below, for two years from date of sale.

• Should a major problem arise with this engine within the first year of use, the warranty covers all parts and labor and we will pay for shipping the engine both ways.

• Keep the crate your engine came in to ensure a safe return to our workshop.

• We do not cover the removal or re-installation of the engine at any time during the warranty period.

• Our engines must be used with a rev limiter. Should warranty issues arise, proof of the rev limiter use will be required.

• Should a problem occur in the first year of the warranty that we determine can be repaired by you or a qualified repair shop, upon our written approval, we will pay for the repair based on our in-house hourly rates for labor and our estimate of a reasonable amount of time to make the repair with the engine on a stand as you received it. To be specific, d ue to the difficulty of accessing certain engine parts in some vehicles, we are not responsible for the additional time and labor costs you may incur in removing and replacing such parts.

• In the second year, the warranty will cover all parts minus any labor to remove and install needed parts. The cost of shipping the engine to us is not covered in the second year of warranty.

• Tuning or maintenance are not covered under the warranty. Tuning includes jetting or adjusting the carb, ignition timing, or readjusting the rockers. Tuning would also include changing out plugs to optimize temp range for your needs. Setting ignition timing is also considered tuning. You must check the timing on this engine before it is driven.

• If you are not satisfied with the cam or intake you have chosen, we will exchange any of these items for up to 60 days. You will pay for shipping and any required labor.

• Damage due to overheating, detonation or extreme abuse will not be covered by the warranty. Detonation damage is evident upon removal of the cyl. heads.

• Engines used in marine applications will have a limited warranty of ONE year from date of sale. The first six months will cover parts and labor, and the second half of the one year period will cover parts only. Marine engines must upgrade to a 4340 crank unless the engine already comes with this, and the ARP-2000 rod bolts.

• All external items on the engine, such as the carburetor, distributor, alternator, water pump, and power steering pump, will be warranted for the time period specified by the manufacturer. Most of these items have a warranty of one year or less.

You can enjoy your engine with occasional spirited driving, as it is well designed for it, but we will not cover damage caused by racing or improper tuning. A rev limiter and fuel to air ratio monitoring device must be used on this engine. The rev limiter should be set to cut off at its peak horsepower or less if you choose, and this should allow many years of service without a problem.

Your carb should be tuned to allow the correct fuel to air ratio. This ratio can vary depending on many factors such as altitude, vehicle weight, gearing, type of driving, etc. These values should be in the recommended safe zone.

Pre-Installation/Pre-Run Recommendations.

• It is highly recommended that you re-torque the intake manifold. The gasket sealant tends to shrink after a period of time and this may cause the intake bolts to lose their proper torque values. The torque range is approx. 25-30 lbs.

• The spark plug gaps should all be re-checked. For those running the MSD Pro Billet distributor, the plug gap should be approx. .035-.040 These values are very controversial and you may experiment as to what runs best in your engine. Widening the gap too much can put a strain on the ignition components. Be sure your plug wires are completely fastened onto the spark plugs.

• If your engine came equipped with a front end accessory setup, we recommend that you check all of the bracket and pulley bolts. It would be rare to find any of them loose, and it should only take a few minutes to check. We would also like you check the belt alignment.

• Check your flexplate or flywheel bolts.

• Check fuel bowl levels in the sight glass on the carb once you have the engine running. Be sure your fuel pressure is set in the correct range. Be sure to use a high quality fuel filter.

You may not find a problem with any of the items mentioned above, but considering the small amount of time it takes to check them, we find it to be a valuable preventive measure.

As it's been said, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Continue reading for more detailed information on timing and carburetion. You must follow the recommendations listed below.

Tuning, maintenance, oil and filter recommendations.

This engine must be maintained with oil specifically designed for high performance engines. The life of the engine can be greatly extended if you run a race grade engine oil such as our Schaeffer brand racing oil. We strongly recommend the Schaeffer Micron Moly 191 SERIES 20w-50 grade in warm to hot weather or you may run the Micron Moly 171 SERIES 10w-30 weight Schaeffer in cooler weather. After the engine is fully broken in, you may move over the Schaeffer full synthetic oil. The Schaeffer brand oil is very highly rated. It is the only brand of oil we use when dyno tuning. Racing oil must be changed more often than conventional oil. Every 2000 miles or less would be optimal. We offer a full line of this oil in our other listings.

Here is a brief outline of the average additive levels in the Schaeffer Oils as compared to Valvoline VR1. We only use Schaeffer oil in our dyno room, and strongly recommend its use in our engines. The 10W-30 171 Micron Moly series oil is totally acceptable to use in one of our brand new engines. It will not interfere with the break-in process. The 20W-50 Micron Moly is also an excellent choice to use in warm weather.

This engine does not come with oil in it. The oil that was used during the test run or dyno tuning will be drained as this is required by the shipping companies. We also prefer draining the oil as this gives us a chance to examine it for metal particles. The filter is removed and is also closely examined for metal particles or debris.

To prevent oil from dripping onto the shipping pallet, we re-install an extended life high quality oil filter (SUM-127004). This oil filter that we supply has an internal by-pass valve in it and is rated at 25 micron filtration. Run the oil and filter for a period of approx. 300 miles. After the first oil change you should only have to change oil and filter once a year or every 2000 miles.

You may wonder why we're using an extended life oil filter but want it replaced in such a short period. These extended life oil filters are an excellent choice for a new engine. They have a much larger capacity, (filter media) for the higher amount of debris developed from the new engine. They also have a better designed bypass valve and stronger cases on them. All of these features are essential to a new engine.

When replacing the filter with one of your choice, you must use a high quality oil filter that has a by-pass valve in it. We recommend the Summit brand premium oil filter part number SUM-127004. This is a very high quality filter. They are made by Purolator for Summit Racing. They meet all of our requirements for our engines. Some filters may also have an anti-drain back valve on them, but they are not necessary on V-8 Chevy engines, but the bypass valve feature is important when the engine is in it's break-in period. Our engines are now equipped with a billet oil filter adapter that requires the use of an oil filter that has its own by-pass valve in it such as the one mentioned above. Always opt for the medium length version, as this will help maintain oil pressure and volume much better than the short version. If your headers are an issue with the medium length filter, then the shorty version is acceptable, # SUM-127007.

Billet aluminum oil filter adapter.

Racing oil filters such as the Wix Racing oil filter may only be used after the engine is completely broken in. These racing filters have a very loose media and provide very little resistance and a high oil flow volume, but due to the loose media, they don't filter small particles of debris from the oil. They are only to be used on engines that do not see high mileage use, and have gone through one oil changes with a low micron rated filters such as the one we recommend.

Oil pressure of 50-60 lbs in the upper rpm range on a fully warmed up engine is nothing to worry about. You may also notice an oil pressure drops at idle to approx. 30 lbs when the engine is fully warmed up during very hot weather. This is somewhat common and no cause for alarm.

If your engine has a Dart block, then it has priority main oiling. This block routes the oil in a very different pathway compared to a GM block. The mains and rod bearings as well as the crankshaft are well protected with an ample supply of oil even when the oil pressure numbers are lower than you think they should be.

There are many special additives in race grade oils that are not in conventional oil. These additives are very valuable for high performance engines. Never add anything to racing oil. This oil has exactly what is needed to protect a high performance engine. Some of these oils will state that they are low or possibly non-detergent, and that is a very desirable trait of racing oil.

The anti-foaming agents in race grade oils are much better than what you would find in conventional motor oil. Race grade oils have higher than normal amounts of the zinc and many other compounds in them, and there are many components in the engine that can make great use of these additives.

This engine does not include a fuel pump. This engine is best suited to operate with an electric fuel pump, with a pressure regulator set at 6-6.5 psi. A chrome block off plate will be installed on the engine. We believe that the electric fuel pump system is a superior fuel delivery system compared to a mechanical system. We do not recommend using a mechanical fuel pump on any of our engines, especially those that are running a carb with a milled air horn, as these carbs do not have a choke system on them. If you insist on running a mechanical fuel pump on this engine, then you must use the special Comp brand fuel pump rod that we offer, and you must also use a fuel pressure regulator, and gauge, set to approx. 6.0-6.5 psi. Only use engine oils with very high levels of zinc compounds in them when running a mechanical fuel pump. This will protect the eccentric fuel pump lobe on the camshaft. We strongly recommend the Schaeffer Racing oil. See our other listings for this oil.

You must use a rev-limiter on this engine. Should you have a warranty issue, proof will be required.  A rev-limiter will allow you the freedom to drive without having to monitor the tach. Every car from the factory has this feature. Set the limiter to the peak hp rating of this engine or less for added protection.

We strongly recommend using a crankcase ventilation system to pull gases from the crankcase. The exhaust evac system we recommend is made by Moroso. The benefits are numerous as compared to the typical pcv system. Oil leaks are greatly reduced by using the exhaust evac system.

Engine break in: As soon as your engine is installed, check and reset the timing if needed.

Drive safely please but keep your engine under load more than normal and bring the rpm up and back down to seat the rings much better and faster. This allows the rings to expand in a perfect circle and with greater pressure against the cylinder walls to establish an even wear pattern. This is why race engines are dynoed: to put a good number of passes on the engine under heavy load, as this will partially seat the rings very quickly, making the engine somewhat ready for racing. Failing to do this not only delays the break-in, but can permanently stop the engine from establishing a good wear pattern on the cylinder walls.

If you have opted for our dyno-tuned version of this engine, then ring seating will be partially established. The dyno has a computer controlled break-in mode that we use before doing any dyno testing for power output. Should you opt for the dyno tuning package, it does not mean that your engine is ready for full synthetic racing oil. Your engine will continue to seat the rings in to an even higher degree after 300-500 miles of driving.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE.

You must prime your new oil filter. Priming is not needed when changing oil on a well broken-in warm engine that has been running moments before changing the oil. If your new engine has been sitting around for weeks, or possibly months, then you must prime the oil filter.

If your engine is equipped with the 7 qt. Champ oil pan, it has kickouts that swell outward approx. 3 inches on each side. If you think you will encounter clearance issues with the kickouts, we recommend opting for the stock appearing 5 qt. oil pan. The 5 qt. pan will still be a Champ pan and will have the windage tray and crank scraper. We strongly recommend reducing the amount of oil used in these oil pans by approx. 1/4th of a quart. Doing this may reduce the chance of oil leaks and reduce oil temps. The larger counter weights used on stroker crankshafts are why we recommend reducing the oil capacity in these engines. The higher capacity 7 quart oil pan is an optional upgrade on some of our engines.

Our engines include a dipstick. It's very important that you re-calibrate the oil level marking on the dipstick. This is due to the fact that the dipstick, oil pan, and block are all made from various manufacturers and we often see great variances. Couple this with the fact that you may be running a reduced amount of oil, and the "full" mark on the dipstick will most likely not indicate correctly. Once you have put a predetermined amount of oil in your engine, and run it for a few minutes, let it sit for awhile on level ground, check the oil, and mark your dipstick with a flat file to re-establish the full mark.

More tuning recommendations. Very important.

You must be sure that your air to fuel ratio is correct. We strongly recommend purchasing a fuel to air ratio monitor. Proper carb jetting is also a must. If you purchased the dyno package from us then the fuel to air ratio on your carburetor will be tuned within the safe ranges.

If you are using your own carb. on this engine, then you must be sure the fuel to air ratio is correct. If your carb is running too lean, detonation is at your door.

If it is excessively rich, cylinder wash-down from excessive fuel will destroy your bore finish, pistons, and rings quickly, not to mention cause excessive fuel consumption.

A tad on the rich side is not a problem and can help resist detonation; a tad on the lean side will generate the most power and increase fuel mileage.

The optimal air to fuel ratio is approx. 13:1 Set total timing at 30-34 degrees. Total timing refers to the reading at 4500 rpm with the vac. advance disconnected. The closer to the lower number (30 degrees) the total timing is, the safer your engine will be. Do not worry about initial timing, as it will be determined by the total timing.

We do not recommend running the vacuum advance with this engine.

Be sure to have a high amperage battery and high quality starter. The battery must be 850 cca or more. Use heavy gauge battery cables. If you have a hard cranking issue, purchase an in-car timing controller or ignition kill switch. This will allow you to control your timing for optimal performance and ease of starting.

Do not run regular gas in this engine, no matter how much you have reduced the timing. It may not be enough! You may have run an old car in the past that pinged and clattered under load for many miles, and this didn't seem to hurt it. Most cars from the 60's and 70's had very low compression, especially when nearly worn out, and this is why the detonation did not destroy the engine. Excessive pinging, spark knock or valve clatter, as it's often referred to, may destroy this engine very quickly. Light pinging now and then is unlikely to do any damage, but it certainly will when there is an excessive amount of it under load.

Let any engine with compression numbers above 10:1 clatter and ping for very long, and you will lose the engine due to detonation, and in some cases this can happen very quickly.

Spark Plugs: We recommend the Autolite brand, part number Autolite 3923. Most of our engines include the correct spark plugs. We also offer a premium NGK plug that is highly suitable for this engine when running in very hot climate. Race grade plugs are fine as they have a few features that are desirable for certain types of driving. Keep the temp in the low to middle range. Use a plug that's too hot, and you are once again close to detonation/pre-ignition; use a plug that's too cold and they will foul constantly, run poorly when cruising at low speed, and be difficult to start.

Most of our engines come with spark plugs in them, depending on the package you purchase. You may also use NGK part # NGK 4544, a plug that is one step lower in heat range than the Autolite plug. The NGK plug is only to be run during very hot weather.

You would be amazed at how much better an engine will run with the correct spark plugs installed, but brand name has little do with this. It's more to do with heat range than any other factor. Factors such as outside temp, altitude, compression ratio, and the type of driving you do determine the temp range to run.

A slight loss of power is also an issue with plugs that are too cold, as well as possible difficulty in starting. However, you can have much more serious issues by running plugs with high temp ranges.

Keep the engine coolant temp as low as possible, but it is not a problem if it runs as high as 210 on very hot days, as long as it's consistent, and not climbing.

Never use any of the modern day type antifreeze formulas that are used in most newer cars. This will most likely destroy the gasket material used in these engines. We have a customer that used the orange colored antifreeze made for Toyota trucks as he happened to have this on hand. This led to a failure of the high quality Felpro intake gaskets. The print seal material was partially dissolved allowing great amounts of coolant into the combustion chamber. This led to a catastrophic engine failure. The correct type of antifreeze to use should be ethylene glycol based, usually green colored. There are some animal safe substitutes on the market that should be ok to use. A mixture of 50/50 or even slightly less antifreeze will cool the engine better than a rich mixture of antifreeze. Keep the engine temp down if possible, but don't worry if you can't get it below 210 on a hot summer day. The cooler you keep the engine, the lower the risk of detonation. Set engine idle at approx. 900-950, and never too far below this unless you are running the smaller engine cam choices. The reduced size cams would allow for a lower idle speed.

Never let the engine idle for excessively long periods during the break-in period.

Hydraulic roller setups are virtually maintenance-free and require little if any maintenance.

Our recommendations will change from time to time. We never stop trying to build a better engine, and we learn from our own experiences and from feedback from our customers. We know there's always room for improvement. We're always working on research and development, as does any successful business. We advise checking out the recommendation section of our engine ads on a regular basis.

Why have we given such detailed information on our warranty and maintenance suggestions? Some customers bought our engines and did not fully understand our warranty and the maintenance needs of the engines.

Not knowing is understandable, but failing to educate yourself on the do's and don'ts is asking for problems.  We suggest joining a few good car forums, as they have a wealth of great information.

However, beware of some individuals on forums who think they know it all, and really know very little.  Do your research using several sources, and be sure to read between the lines.

Special note.

For engines equipped with special order solid roller cams, the warranty on the valve train components is for 30 days. You may never have a problem with any of the components, but excessive street driving at cruising speed can adversely affect these components.

Solid roller setups should not be driven for excessively long distances or for long periods of time on the street. A weekend of racing at the drag strip would likely have less of an effect on the valve train components than a 100 mile easy drive.

If you do think you will be driving significant numbers of miles, we strongly recommend staying with our hydraulic roller cam package. The warranty on the hydraulic roller cam and valve train components is the same as the rest of the engine.  See our other listings for info on all of our engines.

Skip White

Your engine info will include the balance sheet and other information on this engine such as cam card, and your invoice will show your personal selection of the options offered.

Many have asked why were able to sell such an engine for such a great price. It’s because we’re a major distribution center for all of the parts used in this engine, as well as a full scale machine shop. Our purchase price for the parts used in this and all of our engines are at master warehouse distributor (WD) pricing. Few machine shops ever get to master-wd pricing. We also believe in keeping our profit levels low enough to allow the working man a chance to build his car the way it should be built.

Transmission Recommendations by Skip White

Your selection of what type transmission you're going to use with your new engine is very important. I'm going to give you the real lowdown on what transmissions I recommend, as well as the ones I would stay away from. For those building a mild, (detuned) street rod, (small cam choice, dual plane intake) these recommendations are not as critical. We offer an excellent line of automatic performance rated transmissions built by TCI. The quality and cost are excellent.

700R4: Worst possible transmission choice when used with moderate to high horse power engines.

Pros .

• Driving at 50 and above in overdrive certainly has its advantages such as increased fuel mileage, reduced wear and tear on the engine, less engine noise, reduced emissions/pollution.
• Fuel injection/EFI does make this transmission operate much better providing the cam choice, intake manifold and final gearing are setup correctly.
• To setup an engine to operate properly with this transmission requires a detuning of the engine and top end horse power is greatly reduced.

Cons

• Very wide first to second gear spread. First gear is a 3.06 ratio Second is a 1.62 ratio. This nearly equates to skipping from first to third gear with a manual trans. This kills acceleration when these trans go into second gear on a carbureted engine with a healthy cam and large runner intake manifold. Compare this to a TH350. First gear at 2.52 ratio and second gear is 1.52, do the math.
• The 3.06 first gear is so low that any final gear of above 3.55 or numerically higher will have you right at the  max rpm at around 35 mph, only to then have your car fall on its face when it hits second gear, feeling like it skipped a gear. Wheel spin is uncontrollable upon hard launches, unless you have a very tall final gear, and then you can for sure count on going nowhere quickly when second gear comes in. Overdrive would be totally useless at highway speed regardless of detuning with a tall final gear, unless you were cruising at around 100 mph.
• Huge cost to build up to a decent street rod level. Don't even consider a stock rebuild to handle 500 hp or more. Under hard use, the 700R4 will fail quickly.
• Limited as to what level these can be built up to. High performance transmission builders and parts suppliers don't even recognize this as a serious transmission.
• More complex to build than a TH350 and far more expensive, especially when built up to handle high hp numbers.
• Having to run a cumbersome throttle value cable to the carb. linkage. This feature actually serves a good purpose, but if not set properly, it can destroy your transmission quickly. Very critical adjustment, and often overlooked. Our TCI built 700R4 transmissions do not require the throttle value cable should you decide to run this type trans.
• The overdrive is actually useless with engines running decent size cams relative to the cubic inch, especially with large runner dual plane intakes, and single plane intakes are out of the question with this trans. The exception to this rule would be those running a Holley Sniper EFI system, and a low profile single plane intake.
• Stall converters are double the cost of the one run in a TH350.
• This is  not a very reliable transmission in a street rod.
• Lowers the value of your vehicle to some degree, especially on high hp builds. These transmissions do not belong in most carbureted street rods. You must detune an engine considerably to operate the overdrive and be able to tolerate the first to second gear drop.
• Could be classified as the worst mismatch of parts known on a true street rod.
• As a side note, I would like to mention that most of us have owned a regular stock street car with a 700R4 trans, or its electronic likeness, a 4L60E, and didn't find much of an issue with the way they operated, especially if the vehicle was fuel injected. This is because stock car engines are designed to operate totally different in the very low rpm range. They have huge amounts of off idle torque compared to the average carbureted street rod that makes 400 hp or more. This off idle instant torque allows the vehicle to keep its speed up decently when the 700R4 drops into second gear, and the same low rpm also allows the overdrive gear to operate normally at very low rpm. There are other factors that also allow these trans. to operate at low rpm, especially on fuel injected computer driven engines.

TH350: Best transmission choice, hands down.

Pros

• Excellent gear spread between all three gears.
• Very low cost to build up to various levels of power handling.
• Can be built up to extreme power handling capabilities.
• Most all transmission shops are capable of building these to at least level 1 or 2.
• No TV cable to deal with.
• Stall converters are low in cost, and the selection is broad.
• Very reliable and simple to repair if needed.

Cons

• None, simply none! Select a final gear that will allow you the best overall performance and one that allows a decent off the line acceleration, and one that will be in a tolerable rpm range at highway speed. You must have the correct stall converter for optimal performance. This can make a huge difference in the way your vehicle accelerates.
• These are becoming scarce, but there are still plenty of them around, and high performance parts are easily obtained.
• You may have to go through this long story to your less than knowledgeable friends as to why you didn't choose a 700R4, and when you explain it to them, they may still think you don't know what you' re talking about.

TH400, Excellent choice for high powered engines in heavy cars or trucks.

Pros

• Excellent gear spread. Very similar to a TH350.
• Very strong internal parts.
• Reliable.
• Simple and inexpensive to rebuild or repair.
• Best suited when running high powered big block engines in medium to heavy vehicles.

Cons

• Somewhat expensive to build up to higher power handling levels, as compared to a TH350. The TH350 has far more high performance parts available at reasonable costs. The 400 trans is not best suited for racing.
• Internal rotating parts (cast iron drum) are very heavy and create a drag compared to most any other trans. The TH400 is well known to be a heavier duty trans. than a TH350 but this heavy duty factor was designed more for heavy vehicles coupled with high powered engines that may encounter pulling heavy loads or vehicles with tall gearing. Only the largest of the GM cars weighing around 5000 lbs had these trans. in them, along with heavy duty pickups, usually 3/4 ton or larger trucks. Even the half ton Chevy trucks didn't come with these in them.
• They will certainly hold up better than a stock built TH350, but they are not a desirable trans. light weight street rod with a small block engine in it. You can build a TH350 to level two or three that would be superior to any stock TH400 in every way for about the same cost. We offer the TH400 trans built to level 3 and this trans. is best suited in high powered big block engines, in cars that are medium to heavy weight.
• You will seldom see this trans in a true light weight Pro-Street car.

Powerglide.

Pros

• Excellent transmission to build up to just about any power handling level.
• Most trans. shops are able to build this trans with ease.
• Very reliable, and simple to work on. Not much to go wrong.
• Decent first to second gear spread.
• Rotational drag is very low with this trans., more so than any automatic on the market. Very efficient trans.
• Stall converters are not expensive and many choices available.
• Often used in 1/8 mile drag racing.

Cons

• Two gears, that's the problem. This trans. can only be run in cars that have a very high hp to weight ratio. It would be fair to say a vehicle weighing approx. 3400 lbs would require an engine output of 1000 hp or more to make it a rational choice, and even then, you would still need a decent final gear to get things moving off the line. The first gear in these is somewhat tall. Those running a T-Bucket roadster weighing around 1800 lbs. with a 500 hp or higher engine could make great use of a Powerglide trans.
• Having only two gears limits having the best of both worlds when it comes to off the line acceleration and cruising at highway speed. The final gear choice limits the general use of your car greatly.
• This trans. will not allow a car to be setup for the best of both worlds, such as street cruising, racing, or highway driving, unless the car is extremely light, and the engine has very high HP numbers.

GM METRIC 200

Pros

• Has a better gear spread than the 700R4 but not as optimal as the TH350.
• Not much good to say about this trans. It certainly has a place in some special late model applications, but old school Chevy engines is not one of them.

Cons

• This transmission can cost up to three times more to build up to a decent power handling level compared to a built up TH350.
• Cannot hold up to high torque engine builds unless an enormous amount of money, (Art Carr) is spent on this trans.
• Most all the cons you see for the 700R4 exist within this trans.
• This trans is not a reliable trans. compared to any of the early GM trans unless a great amount of money is spent building it.

4L60E Electronically controlled trans.

Pros

• No TV cable to deal with or shifting linkage. It has pump pressure control and shifting via electronics.
• Not much good to say about this expensive trans. It is virtually a 700R4 with a modern twist. The same "pros" mentioned with the 700R4 would apply to this trans. also. The 4L80E trans. is a better choice due to the fact it has a proper gear spread, and is a much heavier duty trans vs the 4L60E.

Cons

• Most of the same issues as the 700R4. Terrible choice to run in an old school carbureted engine.
• Very expensive to build up to a high power handling level. Can cost up to $4,000 to build this trans up to a decent level. Computer controlled engines may require this unless you bypass the car's computer system.
• Complex. Very complex!
• Pointless to run such a terrible transmission.
• If you insist on such a trans, the 4L80E is a better choice, as it has a normal gear spread, and is a much stronger trans. Still pointless to use with an old school carbureted engine in my opinion.

Four and five speed Manual Trans.

Pros

• Excellent acceleration at any speed due to many selective gear ratios. Finding a gear at any cruising speed to hit it hard is easily accomplished with a manual compared to an automatic.
• More efficient delivery of horse power to the rear wheels with a manual trans. versus an automatic. In other words, less loss of power due to slippage as encountered with an automatic trans.
• For some people, the fun factor of shifting gears is one of the high points of owning a street rod.
• Very reliable, long lasting. Low maintenance. Simple to change out a clutch if needed.

Cons

• Can be very expensive to purchase a high quality modern manual trans. and high performance clutch and flywheel, especially the Tremec Series.
• Can be somewhat complex to change over from an auto to a manual trans.
• If you think your car is going to run faster with a manual versus an auto, you will be greatly disappointed. The automatic transmission can not only shift much faster, but off line acceleration can be controlled to a much greater degree. This is why most drag cars have automatic transmissions. All things equal, a car equipped with an auto trans will outrun one equipped with a regular street rod manual with great ease.
• Missing gears when racing can cause damage to your engine, and loss of control of your vehicle should you drop into the previous gear during an aggressive run. Been there a couple times, dropped a valve in brand new Lotus Esprit shifting out of second into first rather than third, and locked up the back wheels on a Dodge Viper shifting into second rather than fourth at high speed. Nearly lost control of the car at around 80 mph.
• If you're deciding to run a 5 or 6 speed manual trans because of the overdrive gear, be aware that most engines built with large lopey cams, and single plane intakes running a carb will usually not allow effective use of the overdrive gear.
• Tremec T56 transmissions are very popular and highly advanced. They are expensive. They tend to be very notchy to shift when new. Takes many miles before they become easy to shift. They can be difficult to install in some early model classic cars, as they are huge compared to early model transmissions. They can cost a great deal of money to rebuild if needed. Still about the best manual trans out there, and can handle very high hp levels. The 6th gear in these transmissions is a double overdrive and will never be useful when running any old school street rod engine unless you are running a very deep final gear.
• If your engine is built in the upper horsepower range, then you must run a level two or three clutch kit. These clutches are notchy and lack a smooth engagement like a stock clutch. This is very noticeable, and you will adjust to this after a while. A stock clutch can not be used on any engine in the 500+ hp range.
• Sadly, your wife may not be able to drive your car with a manual trans. This could be a plus in some cases.

A final note.

Our eBay user id is: skipwhite , and our eBay store name is whiteperformance1. You may have noticed other sellers using a similar name offering similar products. These other sellers have capitalized on our name as we see it, and many customers searching for us will inadvertently find them, thinking we are one in the same company. There is only one "Skip White." We are the original premier eBay seller under this name since approximately 2003. We have no other eBay names, nor are we associated with any other company regardless of the similarity in the name or location. Our official company name is Skip White Performance. Please see the article below for a more detailed explanation.

The real story...Skip White Performance vs. White Performance & Machine