Doesn’t need much. I did it with a cast crank, speed
Pro pistons and 7/16 gm rods. Anything better than my junk will be fine.

 

Good cylinder heads with a moderate sized port, like a worked iron oval port, race rite 270 oval or an AFR 265 and dial in the cam specs and you should have no problem reaching your goals. Early 396’s have a rear grooved camshaft journal, be aware of that.

Any particular reason why you don’t want to build a 454 or larger?

 

You could do a 4" crank also. what's the end usage? Do you have a set of heads for it in mind?

 

Bonus on the 396 is it has a forged crank and is internal balance. You can put that same crank into a mark4 454 block and get 433-440 cubes,
ARP main bolt set that has studs for a bolt on windage tray.
Compare the cost to recondition your rods vs new forged.
Piston selection for 396 is limited. Using a 454 block will offer many more options. JE, Weisco and Mahle.
Dual plane intake with 850.
Heads and came are where you need to spend money.
Good thought out package will have no problem exceeding 500 hp and be very street-able using a 454 block. A 433 would easily make 550.
Rick

 

I get the bigger block thing but it’s just something i have just wanted to do for years so it what i am going to do, all i have is block so i will have to get crank what type should i get?

 

this is a 396/350HP engine upgraded to a hyd roller cam package. Stock heads, intake, with headers. PUmp gas.

 

One of the magazines a few years back (Hemmings Muscle Machines or Muscle Car Review) did a build -up on a 396 for a 70 Chevelle they were restoring and they put a 4 inch crank in the 396 block it makes 434 CI. with a mild hydraulic roller cam they got right at 500 lbtq and 500 hp. The engine specs were in the article.

 

If you are buying a rotating assy the 4" crank seems like a no Brainer. Cubes are your friend. Less rpm to get the same result.
A decent cam and even a set of stock heads with a good valve job should get you lots of fun.
It all depends on how much you want to spend and who is going to do the work.

 

396 + 060 over with AFR 265 heads and mild Hyd roller 221 duration, under .580 lift....

 

Did the AFRs have 2.19 or 2.25 valves?

 

Check out piston options for the 4" stroke first. Crank will likely be external balance requiring a different flywheel and balancer. Molnar lists 1 but no mention of balance. Calies might have an internal.
Rick

 

For the money, a good used 6223 crank will be hard to beat. You can get to your hp target with the 3.76 crank and likely have better piston selections. Set of ported iron oval ports or aftermarket heads, hydraulic roller and you can be there. Keep it simple.

is this a numbers matching block?

 

I tend to agree with keeping it a 396 for the sake of keeping it simple, forged lower end, a set of cast iron oval port heads and a roller.

 

A rotating assembly is 1st the list will a 454 assembly fit?

 

No it won't. You will be looking at a custom rotating assembly with a 4" stroke crankshaft and 4.094", 4.125" or 4.155" bore custom pistons depending on how much overbore your block will need. FYI, It would be a lot cheaper to build a 454 or stick to the stock 3.76" stroke so you can use off the shelf parts.

 

This is what it’s going in. Been sitting there for 30 years.

 

Wow! That had to be the most satisfying power wash of a car ever. Beautiful car!

I bet it was fun pulling it out of the barn over that collapsed service pit!

 

Gotta love a nice barn find.

 

All I have is the block nothing else so I will need rotating assembly, cam , heads, intake, and carburetor. You guy are not kidding on try to find 396 parts .

 

Ya was doing work for her and she said just take it get it out of here. He husband passed and she was moving

 

that Corvette cries out for solid lifter tick and chrome side pipes, Icon makes the piston for 4" stroker in 4.185" bore which is 440 cubes, the compression is lower than optimal about 9.8 or you could reach deeper in your pocket for custom pistons and use a 4.25" stroker crank and get 10.8 compression, use the L78 cam and it will sound just like a 1970 LS6 engine

 

X4 on stroker...........cubes are king.

 

Sir my guy will talk to customers lije me and listen. One of the first things out of his mouth is what is you goals and what os the budget. Your goals and budget go hand in hand. So once those are established you can move onto actually collecting parts and biulding. Are you biulding this or a shop?

I would say look at that stuff from Mr Straub posted. The all stock with headers over 475 in both torque and horsepower. Change the intake to say a old C396 or C427 or newer Stealth or Air gap and you should get to your goal. Like other have said for a performance Corvette the solid lifter tick sound is nice, so get Mr Straub to do that setup in a solid.

RH

 

Modify the 396, easier and cheaper considering you have all the pulleys, balancer, flywheel and brackets for the front.
If you choose to go with a 454 block, which would be better financially, make sure you get a mark 4 block. everything on the 396 will bolt on.
There are literally thousands of things for the 427 / 454 block.
Rick

 

But all that I have is a block no crank nothing else
It’s already 30 over and it seems like the hardest thing will be pistons would like to get around 10.5-1 compression I will buy new head AFR ? Cam, intake
And carb. I’m not in a rush I can get pulley , the place I got the block he has pulley and brackets. O AND HE HAD CHEVELLE PARTS.

 

But all that I have is a block no crank nothing else
It’s already 30 over and it seems like the hardest thing will be pistons would like to get around 10.5-1 compression I will buy new head AFR ? Cam, intake
And carb. I’m not in a rush I can get pulley , the place I got the block he has pulley and brackets. O AND HE HAD CHEVELLE PARTS.

Don't forget the corvette was a short water pump set up so post 70 chevelle parts won't work.

 

I like my 396 big blocks!

 

One word NICE

 

Check with Autotec/Racetec for forged pistons for whatever combo you’re trying to make

 

K.I.S.S. stay with the 396 build but I would decide what heads your going with before you order pistons; I would say the 375 horse piston might work but you really need the heads to know for sure. maybe one of the builders here can answer that question.