Pet peeve: SPID says "400" for 402 engine

[jumpsoffrock]

Did the printer stop working for 6 years? Did someone in the top brass have a fear of the number 402?
It drives me nuts that for seemingly no reason the SPID's state 400CID....Why didn't they call the 396's 394? Or 398?
They should have put 352 for every person that ordered a chevy 350....

It drives me nuts as to why they did that.

Your thoughts?

[special-K]

Most displacement "names" are rounded off. Not sure why 400 vs 402. I think 402 sounds cooler, like 302. Why wasn't that called a 300? And why wasn't the 396 rounded up to 400? I also think 396 Sounds cooler. I think the 402 called 400 had to do with 400 cu. in. engines being a cut-off line for some regulatory BS. At least Chevy could design an engine to last, unlike Ford with 352, three different 351s, then 360 while Chevy had a 350. Got it right the first time.

[Getter-Done]

Yeah me too.

First thing that comes too my mind when I hear this is,
400 small block or 402 big block????????
Which one are you refering too.

I see some posts on FB and,
It's obvious that they don't know what they are typing about

[toms68cst]

I can recall having some funny in-depth discussions with my preschool son about why some Chevy small blocks are bigger than some big blocks.

[jimijam00]

And to think Chevy used to market the 402 as a 396. Mind blowing for sure.

[72c20customcamper]

Not sure as to why gm used 400 on the spid or badges could have been a tooling thing why have 400 and 402 emblems being made . But they did some strange things like keep the 396 emblem for the cars. Believe they did that with the cars because they were so heavily invested in the SS396 moniker.

The move to over 400 ci was to circumvent federal emission regulations on engines 399 ci and below . AMC bumped up the 390 to 401 at the same time

[Palf70Step]

There is lots of tales or stories behind going from 396 to 402. One thing I do remember about why it took so long ( or they never did) was some policy and laws for pollution in the mid 70s about being 400 and below or above 400. I know that is the same time frame you went from 1/2 ton to 5/8 ton trucks to get around pollution standards. Who knows. As mentioned, probably just to save a nickle on retooling the emblem. I am getting to old to remember that far back

[Sheepdip]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

There is lots of tales or stories behind going from 396 to 402. One thing I do remember about why it took so long ( or they never did) was some policy and laws for pollution in the mid 70s about being 400 and below or above 400. I know that is the same time frame you went from 1/2 tone to 5/8 tons trucks to get around pollution standards. Who knows. As mentioned, probably just to save a nickle on retooling the emblem. I am getting to old to remember that far back

I have read many times that it was to skirt the smog laws, above 400 Cu In had less restrictions. 1970 and later 396 and 400 were actually 402 Cu In.

[sloGMC]

I have seen people say there was some emissions related change, but I don't think I've ever seen that backed up with any documentation. According to this 1969 Sept-Oct Service News letter, the 396/400 merger was nothing more than an effort to simplify the corporate engine lineup, reduce parts inventory and probably save money.

[jumpsoffrock]

Originally Posted by sloGMC

I have seen people say there was some emissions related change, but I don't think I've ever seen that backed up with any documentation. According to this 1969 Sept-Oct Service News letter, the 396/400 merger was nothing more than an effort to simplify the corporate engine lineup, reduce parts inventory and probably save money.

I tend to agree; mainly because when you hear 100 people say something and there's no physical evidence to back it up, I wonder.

But that's not even the point of this thread lol; the point is why they didn't reflect the proper CID on badges and SPID. That's my only complaint

[sloGMC]

Originally Posted by jumpsoffrock

the point is why they didn't reflect the proper CID on badges and SPID. That's my only complaint

Ah. Well if you're asking for speculation on why it was that way, you've come to the right place. I would guess the advertising department has a hand in engine designations, especially when they become associated with a submodel/package. I'm sure most people know Chevy wasn't the only one with inaccurate engine designations

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Originally Posted by sloGMC

Ah. Well if you're asking for speculation on why it was that way, you've come to the right place. I would guess the advertising department has a hand in engine designations, especially when they become associated with a submodel/package. I'm sure most people know Chevy wasn't the only one with inaccurate engine designations

The marketing department played a big part of why the 402 stayed the 396 in passenger cars. The brand recognition to a 396 was established and know to consumers. Just changing the badging could cause more confusion and drops in sales on cars. I mean they could have made the switch in 70 on the Chevelle and Camaro with the new styling, but they didnt due to just that brand presence 396 had already established and really a majority of people would not know why the change when it looks exactly the same visually.

As far as the trucks no clue as to why they went with 400. My own guess over the years was that at some point there was talk of adding the 400 small block to the optional engines, so they you would have 1 badge for 2 engine options, save money. The the small block never got offered in the 69-72 trucks.

I know I am more than likely wrong with that thinking, but it made sense when I was 12 when my grandpa dragged home a 72 big block truck and I had that thought as well at the time.

[jimijam00]

Originally Posted by CAMAROBOY68SS

The marketing department played a big part of why the 402 stayed the 396 in passenger cars. The brand recognition to a 396 was established and know to consumers. Just changing the badging could cause more confusion and drops in sales on cars. I mean they could have made the switch in 70 on the Chevelle and Camaro with the new styling, but they didnt due to just that brand presence 396 had already established and really a majority of people would not know why the change when it looks exactly the same visually.

Exactly.

[jumpsoffrock]

Gotta love the bean counters....


CAMAROBOY--the only reason I have to doubt your guess is that......didn't they only start offering the SBC400 in trucks in like 78?

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Originally Posted by jumpsoffrock

CAMAROBOY--the only reason I have to doubt your guess is that......didn't they only start offering the SBC400 in trucks in like 78?

I know I am probably wrong, that was me at 12 years old making that guess, but I based that on seeing similar type stuff with 67-69 Camaro's as I was heavily involved with those cars and history at that time (still am). There was quite a few options and things that made it all the way till the 11th hour before going into production. For example there was plans for a TH350 option for the Z/28 in 1969. It made it past the point where it was even listed on SCCA homologation paperwork in 1969, but it got axed at the very end.

So its not really out of the realm of possibility but its a very big stretch to think that.

[jumpsoffrock]

Hah I considered my self a T/A buff and I never knew the TH350 story. Interesting!

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Yep, the SCCA paperwork shows the TH350 as an optional transmission with the 302, but as we all know never happened. It was delayed until 1970. Also if you really look through an assembly manual for a Camaro/Chevelle/Nova, etc and look in the various drawings, you start to see options that were planned and never implemented. I have never looked at a truck manual, but I bet there are some hidden tidbits of planned options and never surfacing.

[Steeveedee]

I don't think that I've ever seen a '70 Z-28 with anything but a THM400, if it had an automatic. But I could be enlightened...

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

I don't think that I've ever seen a '70 Z-28 with anything but a THM400, if it had an automatic. But I could be enlightened...

your probably right, I think that was a similar situation where the transmission had the same code but depending on the motor would mean either 350 0r 400. Like a SS350 or 307 car would get a TH350, then a "396" or Z28 would get a 400, but the transmission code is the same. The 4 speeds were done that way as well with the M20 and 21's. They made both Saginaw and Muncie and depended on the engine in front of it. I not as well versed on 2nd gens as I am with 1st.