Welcome aboard Sonny
I built a performance 400 decades ago. I used custom ordered pistons:
(1) forged aluminum
(2) 351C 4V style flat top (notched for 4V valves)
(3) 400 size wrist pin
(4) for use with pressed wrist pins
(5) 1.685" wrist pin height
(6) standard ring package
Today I would order the pistons from Ross, specifying their round skirt endurance racing style piston (for cylinder wall durability), and a modern thinner ring package.
The engine was based on a low mileage block, I didn't have any machine work done. Therefore the 1.685 compression height of the custom pistons was specified to achieve 10:1 with a block that had not been milled or bored. The new pistons were nominally 0.030" down in the hole. You may want to adjust the piston's compression height for the following reasons:
(1) Desired static compression ratio other than 10.0:1
(2) Engine has been bored, displacement greater than 400 cubic inches
(3) Actual deck height of the block (block has been milled)
(4) Head gasket thickness other than 0.040" compressed
(5) Cylinder head combustion chamber volume other than 75cc nominal
To achieve 10:1 static compression those pistons were used in conjunction with D1ZE open chamber Cobra Jet heads having nominal 75.8cc chamber volume. A closed chamber head would have raised the compression too much. I used the Blue Thunder dual plane manifold along with spacer plates, and a 780 Holley carb. Spacer plates raise the intake manifold, thus a Ford distributor couldn't be used (the distributor hit the manifold). An aftermarket distributor that sits higher was necessary.
There are other ways to go about doing this, but this is what I did in the 1980s, and I still believe this is the best way to go.
I'll tell you what, that engine was a torque monster! 428 Cobra Jet type torque. It went into an F150.
-G
