Why 400s are used for stroker builds: 1) They have the biggest bore of any MOPAR bigblock; 2) in relation to their crankshaft bearing bores, they have thicker main webs than 440s; 3) when you are finished, they still look like a stock low-deck bigblock, and will fool a lot of people that are looking for the ID pad to tell them you have serious inches; and 4) they are dirt cheap to buy; even cheaper than most 440s will be. I like the idea of building smaller engines myself, but the stroker won't go away any time soon. The old axiom, "there's no replacement for displacement;" always holds true. Build either engine into a stroker, as the money to build a stock stroke engine is not much less than a well-thought-out stroker. Cylinder heads now exist to feed monster cubic inches, and it is easy to get 1-1.5 hp per cubic inch without stressing the engine. I would keep the 400 and stroke it, and sell the 440 to somebody that wants a heavier engine when they are done building their stroker.
