Brent makes some valid points. Building a 347 from scratch does take more engine know-how than a 331 or stock 302. And then, you have a maxed out block. No room for future expansion.

Since you seem to like the cubes, how about buying a used 351 (they're everywhere) and upgrading heads and cam as time and $$$ permit. A lot more bang for the buck and you can always bore and stroke it to a 408 if you have the inclination.

I'll take a stab at it:

Yes, you can easily get 400hp from either a 331 or 347 for a reasonable amount of money.....nothing wrong with wanting to build your own engine,only way to learn, is to do it.....
with that said,I'd suggest you get to be good buddies with someone local you trust and has done this before to give you some pointers or watch over your shoulder,it'll save you some headaches down the road and maybe some $$$ if you screw something up.....

Personally,I'd get a 331 cu in rotating assy. (crank/rods/pistons/rings/bearings) from anyone of many distributors that sell them,they are in the $1,200.00 to $1,500.00 range......depending on the rods/bolts,you'll likely have to do some minor clearance on the cylinder skirts, not a big deal........
A decent set of after market iron heads can be had for around $1,000.00 on up, hydraulic cam in the low to mid 500 lift,alum dual plane alum. intake and 650 cfm carb and your looking at 400 hp and you'll have a very streetable engine that will run up to 6,000 rpms and give you many miles of service and not break the bank doing it....

I say go for it,you'll enjoy the trip and learn all about engines along the way.....

David

Where would you recommend buying a used engine from jhv?

Ender where did your 400 HP come from? Did you have 300 and now want 400 or?

Just trying to help.

Mark

I have never put an engine in the car. The 400 number comes from what seems to me to be a good enough power to weight ratio to have a good time.
Also enough to beat my dad's corvette and Porsche ;)

Enders Ok What car are you wanting to put it in ? If you were to take it to the drags what kind of times would you like to run? In my example of my mustang motor if put in a 2200 pound cobra could be a handful and certainly be a lot of fun. The motor I used in it was a very mild 302 with factory iron heads and stock sized valves. I ported on the heads myself . I would think the mildest 347 with a set of ported iron 69 to 72 351 Windsor heads could make those numbers easily. Like other have said what kind of money would you like to have in it? The motor from my mustang if I had it torn apart and all laid out most engine builders would never dream that the car went as fast as it did with that motor.

Mark

Low 12s on street tires would be good, i have to beat a 2014 vette and 2014 carerra S. The motor is going in the cobra.

Ender, do a search on Car Craft magazine, January 2015, and read the article on the 351 build they did using a used motor (as I recall). They then upgraded the heads and cam but if you're happy with 400 horsepower, you could use the stock heads and cam. I think they got the engine from the junkyard. Should be lots of them around. Fords been putting them in various cars and trucks for many many years.
It put out 505 hp and cost about the same as a well built 331 but had more torque low down. Ran just fine up to 7000 rpm.

Their June issue built that engine out to 595 hp at 7500 rpm if you really wanted to fry your friends.

Beware of the false economy of building your own engine. You seem to be motivated by budget. A 1/2" socket set is not going to make this happen. Engine stand, torque wrench, dial indicator, indicator stand, spring compressor......... It all adds up. And if something goes wrong no matter how unlikely that is. Pull the engine out once or twice and the savings are gone.

I have all the tools

What price range would you like to do this in?

Under 4,500

do you have any parts already for the build such as a block/timing chain cover/water pump/etc/etc?????
the "little" parts will nickel and dime you to death.....
sometime back I picked up a 351-W engine in a junk yard,it was missing the intake and heads,otherwise everything else was there,gave the guy 50 bucks for it, the timing chain cover alone is worth that.........I have since used the timing chain cover and oil pan on another engine as well as some brackets and pulleys, then sold the bare block for 50 bucks.......

$4,500 is possible if you are careful and have some parts laying around to re-use or go junkyard shopping for the odds and ends....nothing wrong with a used intake,just bought an aluminum daul plane Wieand intake for a 351-W for 50 bucks and a electronic distributor with less than 500 miles on it for 100 bucks, both sold new for a little over 400 bucks combined....

$4,500 is even more doable if you go with a 351-W instead of the stroker motor......you should be able to get a complete 351-W engine in a junkyard for 250 bucks (doesn't have to be a running engine,complete is what your looking for) ,I've gotten them for as little as 100 bucks.....
tear it down, bore the block,turn the crank if needed,new pistons/rings/bearings and $1,500.00 for a good set of after market iron heads and a nice hydraulic cam/alum intake and carb and your looking at 400 hp and at least 400 lb ft of torque if not more........

David

I do not have any parts

If you're bent on a 302, you can go find a good 5.0 core and go through it. You won't be able to get your 400 hp for under $4500, but at this point in time, you can do a quality rebuild, and probably end up with something around 300 hp.

If your starting from scratch with no parts,I don't see a stroker motor getting done for $4,500.00.........

but I do see a 351-W getting in in the budget......with the 351-W,assuming you bought a complete junk yard engine, you would re-use the block/crank/rods and most likely the distributor and pulleys/brackets,this will save a bunch of money...depending on the level of work you can preform, you could even re-use the heads if you wanted to take the time to port/polish them and get them in the condition you would need to make your target 400hp,it can be done..........your biggest expense will be heads/intake/pistons/gaskets/carb and boring the block.....can done in your budget and get your 400 hp..........

same for a 302 based engine but with less hp......

with a stroker motor, your looking at an additional $1,500.00+ for the rotating assy. over a 302 or 351, that will kill your $4,500.00 budget.....

You need to sit down and put it all on paper, get a Jegs or Summit catalog and start pricing the items you need,you will be surprised at how quickly it adds up....

David

ender2664, if you are looking for a junkyard motor see these guys:
LKQ Corporation - Location Search
They are nationwide and I have dealt with them numerous times when I owned a chain of shops. They have a fully computerized inventory (no spelunking) and are great about standing behind their product. Tell them what you want and they match it EXACTLY and will deliver to your house or shop (usually). I used them for running motors for customers who couldn't afford or want rebuilt engines. Never had a problem.

You can try Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market - I started with an LTD (1978 down), zip 92255. The next page allows you to select the specific engine (351W). The results include none in California, but a handful in the range of $500-550 in Arizona.

Enjoy the hunt.

The TV show Power Nation did a 347 build a couple of weeks ago. It is a TV show but they did used off the shelf parts and what they used is well documented on their web site. Here is a link.
Black & Blue Stage I | Engine Power | PowerNation TV - Full Episodes

507 HP from 347 CI - pretty good - but it might be a bit high-strung for a daily driver.

That page also lists the components they used, with links to Summit's site so the current total $$ can be tallied up - though I suspect it's well over the $4,500 budget.