Z's Charger and Recent Engine Troubles

[Boris]

We have been putting a ton of prep into the block. It’s a early (hard) 6.2 BGE. We’ve been opening up the water and oil passage ways and are smoothing and polishing every sharp or ragged edge. Particularly the oil returns. They’re even being polished to increase return and reduce oil suspension as the crankcase is breathing through those returns. The difference in these early blocks is evident when doing the porting. The newer BGE’s cut like butter compared to the 15-16 blocks. This thing is like kryptonite compared to the current blocks. We’ll be using a Callies billet crank, but the big deal will be the rods. They are special forged Manley I-beams that they produce “on occasion”. The magic of forging at its highest level. Adam tried to get some more but they said they are not making any more of those at this time. We are also hard filling the block to the water pump.

Street Car

 

[zhc]

Its been years but i thought you were not supposed to go into neutral in a 400, can overspin the trans and turn that into a grenade.

Again, it’s been years and I'm sure someone possibly came up with a solution by now. I'd double check with your trans guy.

That’s correct if you have a standard valve body. But there are alternate valve bodies out there that have a “clean” neutral built in. Clean neutral reverse pattern valve bodies allow you to put it into neutral without causing it to overspin. It requires a shifter designed for this style of valve body. The shift pattern goes like this.

Park - Normal Neutral/Reverse - 1 - 2 - 3 - Clean Neutral

 

[Marc W]

Street Car

Street car 😎

 

[zhc]

That’s correct if you have a standard valve body. But there are alternate valve bodies out there that have a “clean” neutral built in. Clean neutral reverse pattern valve bodies allow you to put it into neutral without causing it to overspin. It requires a shifter designed for this style of valve body. The shift pattern goes like this.

Park - Normal Neutral/Reverse - 1 - 2 - 3 - Clean Neutral

@Boris

A picture of what the shifter looks like for a reverse pattern safe neutral valve body.

 

[Marc W]

These special race T400’s are not your old Chevy turbo hydromatic. Many of the clean neutral 400’s actually go into reverse by activating the transbrake while in the reverse position on the shifter. If you don’t do that it will damage the trans. Also you never start your burnout in first gear and shift to second. Second gear start only with one of these things. I have a completely different setup in mine. I have the valve body with no clean neutral. When I let off the gas in high gear, it immediately starts freewheeling and the rpm goes to idle. These things have about as much in common with that old factory 400 as the space shuttle. Mine…

 

[Smitty]

Sorry to hear about the issues. That sucks and I know how frustrated you must be. Lots of good info you shared. Good luck @zhc

 

[zhc]

Sorry to hear about the issues. That sucks and I know how frustrated you must be. Lots of good info you shared. Good luck @zhc

I’m actually not frustrated at all. It helps to understand that there are no guarantees at this level. The financial burden will pass with time and I have a few paths I can take to move forward or backwards depending on how you look at it.

Still having fun here and wish I had more time to put in. That’s been the hardest part about all this is finding time.

 

[Smitty]

I’m actually not frustrated at all. It helps to understand that there are no guarantees at this level. The financial burden will pass with time and I have a few paths I can take to move forward or backwards depending on how you look at it.

Still having fun here and wish I had more time to put in. That’s been the hardest part about all this is finding time.

Great attitude! I don’t know that I could maintain that level of calmness. 😂 Keep at it and I wish you the best!

 

[jonx96]

These special race T400’s are not your old Chevy turbo hydromatic. Many of the clean neutral 400’s actually go into reverse by activating the transbrake while in the reverse position on the shifter. If you don’t do that it will damage the trans. Also you never start your burnout in first gear and shift to second. Second gear start only with one of these things. I have a completely different setup in mine. I have the valve body with no clean neutral. When I let off the gas in high gear, it immediately starts freewheeling and the rpm goes to idle. These things have about as much in common with that old factory 400 as the space shuttle. Mine… View attachment 106954

My first time driving something like this I was 18 and was awfully confused by the whole reverse thing. I was driving through the parade and didn’t want to mess anything up I ended up telling them I didn’t have reverse 🤣

 

[Magnified]

Street car 😎 View attachment 106949

You guys made me smile

 

[Magnified]

These special race T400’s are not your old Chevy turbo hydromatic. Many of the clean neutral 400’s actually go into reverse by activating the transbrake while in the reverse position on the shifter. If you don’t do that it will damage the trans. Also you never start your burnout in first gear and shift to second. Second gear start only with one of these things. I have a completely different setup in mine. I have the valve body with no clean neutral. When I let off the gas in high gear, it immediately starts freewheeling and the rpm goes to idle. These things have about as much in common with that old factory 400 as the space shuttle. Mine… View attachment 106954

You have a passenger seat

 

[Marc W]

You have a passenger seat

Street car

 

[Boris]

That’s correct if you have a standard valve body. But there are alternate valve bodies out there that have a “clean” neutral built in. Clean neutral reverse pattern valve bodies allow you to put it into neutral without causing it to overspin. It requires a shifter designed for this style of valve body. The shift pattern goes like this.

Park - Normal Neutral/Reverse - 1 - 2 - 3 - Clean Neutral

Figured there would be something by now.
Sold all my race car shit back in 08/09
My 400 wasn't stock chevy but was told by my trans guy not to shift into neutral.
540bbc running 9.50s index and brackets.

Need to look into this.
Getting the bug to build a turbo motor for my chevy.
Tired of cruising it after a few hundred miles lol

 

[Dman007]

Zdung,

Hope you get your car back up and running asap and know your pain about being down. But we know you will get that motor built stronger than ever.

We have clean neutral at top as well and I have not gotten used to it. It just sounds like the motor will blow up each time going from 180+ into neutral. I have to wap the throttle as few times to get most of the gas out of the cylinders.

See you back at the track in no time.

 

[hellno]

Great write up 👍