the 401

[jeepsr4ever]

401 [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ColeTrickle]

[klank]

401

I agree. 401. When I bought my 87 and drove it home from up north in Washington I totally noticed the difference between it's 360 and my 401 in the 89.

Now if I were only able to drive the 87 with the 401 swapped into it.

[Elliott]

Klank, what can we do to help?

[KivaKid]

My stock '76 360/4V Wag has a good bit more *oomph* than my dad's stock '77 401/4V Wag. Mileage is not severely different, and they are the same gearing. Mine does have bigger 31" tires, which should slow it down just a bit off the line, right? I think there are so many variables involved in each individual FSJ from back then until now, that it's really hard to tell. Depends on the previous drivers, the care, etc. All these can have their effects.....

[jeepsr4ever]

Come on now

[Elliott]

http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=018444

[imported_horsepuller]

But doesn't the above link sort of attest to the point that KivaKid is sort of making: Both the 360 and 401 can be built to be impressive engines. And yes, all things being equal, the 40

[imported_horsepuller]

. . . the 401 is a better engine. Not much debate about that. Given a choice between a 401 and a 360, who wouldn't want a 401? But I'd take a built 360 over a stock 401, too.

[Bobbo]

401 401 401 401 401 401 401 401 401 !!!!!!!!!!! I was gonna swap in a BBC, but after tuning up my 401 in the cherokee I bought for 175.00 NO WAY! 401 all the way! I can't wait to build it. Any motor can be built, but all things equal, the 401 trumps the 360 ANY day.

[1BAD401]

I'll give my .02 cents. You can see my 401 specs in my sig. I have a family friend that bought my brothers wag and put about $4000 into a 360.

Awesome head job, ported/polished
10 to 1
bored 30 over
Crane 270 cam
Edelbrock intake
Headmen longtube headers
Holley Street Avenger 670
True duel 2.5 inch with Dynomax mufflers
2500 TCI stall
3.31 gears and 31" tires

Anyway we haven't ran them yet but I've been in both and my 401 has more grunt and seems to pull in the mid rpms better. We also g-tech'd both:

I ran a 15.60 @ 93mph
He ran a 16.10 @ 89mph

I'll take a 401 over the 360 anyday...... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[gearhead77]

I found a 401 for $900 (no guarantee)
yeah I'm still looking.
Theres no substitute for cubes,but you have to feed em' and high compression 10 to 1 or less I say. There is more to this formula. Who has my engine?

[imported_horsepuller]

1BAD401: What is the gearing in your 79 Cherokee Chief? 3.31 gears and 31" tires on your friend's wag isn't an optimal combination for power off the line.

[1BAD401]

Originally posted by horsepuller:
1BAD401: What is the gearing in your 79 Cherokee Chief? 3.31 gears and 31" tires on your friend's wag isn't an optimal combination for power off the line.

3.56 and 31" tire with stock stall

[Elliott]

I can see it now:

"Worn out 401 blows Caddy 500 into the weeds!"

I got a kick out of this post over on the general discussion board and sure didn't want'cha to miss it:

4x4n In A Cherokee In Colorado
Member # 5850
posted December 04, 2003 05:12 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We mud raced on in the mid 80's.
It was a '76 J-10 frame, with a 80 Ford Courier body, T-400 with a 205. Ford 9 inch in the rear with disks. Dana 60 out of a 1 ton Chev in the front with 7.13 gears fronts and rears. Lifted about 2 feet.

We had a 401 balanced and blue printed, Jahn's pistons 13.5 to 1 comp ratio with moly rings. .030 shaved heads, so I would guess about 14-15 to 1 final comp ratio. Reliefed pockets, ports heavily ported both intake and exhaust. We put them on a flow bench, I cant remember the numbers, but everyone was impressed. Had 7/16 studs installed with push rod guide plates. We also had the valves undercut on the stems and swirled.

306 duration cam with .575 int. .600 exh.
Victor intake, with a predator carb, with a 250 hp N.O.S. setup

The truck sit on 4 foot Kubotata tractor tires.

Ita had a lot of other mods I wont go into. Back then nothing would touch it. They paid us to put on intermissions at monster truck shows. and it was the No.1 ranked truck in about 4-5 states. It was called The Mud Puppy if anyone remembers.

I did not own it but painted it and kept it looking good, also was the pit crew help. It was owned by 4 of my good friends.

We had a lot of fun in those days! We had custom headers going straight up out of the hood and when the exhaust came out the tips under full throttle with the Nitrous on, there was 8 awesome blue flames about 8-10 inches coming out. The crowds always loved it! The monster truck guys would come by in the pits and ask to see our big block chev. in our mud truck. We would laugh and show them our 401 rambler engine! They always were surprised! They were all pro's and they new engines. They would guestimate 700-900 hp.

We were never able to get it on a DYNO but it sure spun those Kobota tires!!LOL

I dont think anyone ever put a dime out of there pockets into that truck. It was only fixed up with the money it won. That is the funnest racing!

Then about 87-88, guys started building ultra lights with blown big blocks that floated across the mud like you see em do now. Since our truck had to run down and thru the mud, we could no longer keep up. These guys were investing huge $$$ into there rigs and since we were just a bunch of poor guys out to have a good time, we just gave up! Those were some of the funnest times of my life. Oh memories!!


[ December 08, 2003, 05:35 PM: Message edited by: Elliott ]