Looking to rebuild my stock 350, on a budget. New internals, heads, cam and carb. Maybe even a stall converter to add. Ideas? Let's say $2,000 budget. What would you do?
Your idea, and budget restraints is exactly why crate motors are $1500.00 . They sell a bunch too Beating the bushes and finding deals, horse trading, and pure luck are the other way.
I don't have the tickets in front of me, but I spent 2 grand +/- 200 on my 327 last year. I wanted to build it also and enjoyed the entire process. I also wanted to balance the rotating assembly and smooth the inside of the block in a few areas. Things I would not do to a crate engine. I also knew that I would spend less on a crate engine. Machine work, new rings, pistons, bearings, cam, fasteners, and lifters. Re-built heads. If you want new heads and carb, that will be half of your budget.
cast flat tops, shop around for a set of fuelies already worked or maybe a set of vortecs, an off brand performace cam with 220 degrees of intake duration @.050, aluminum intake with a 600cfm list1850 holley, HEI or similar distributor appropriately curved - the trouble with most crate engines is the compression is too low - those rebuilder flat tops will be .025 or so in the hole and final compression should still be well under 10:1 -decent heads will be key to making good power, so again shop around for a set someone has already done the work on and is bailing out - usually you can get a rebuild kit with a performance cam, gasket set, pistons, oil pump, timing set, rings & bearings, etc for cheap on the auction site, northern auto parts or the like
New heads take the build to another level and leads to other things, better intake manifold and so on. If your existing heads can be freshened up with new valve springs, you'll save a lot. I went for new pistons (Speed Pro +.030) & Scat rods with mine, adding a Dart top end kit as well. A bit out of what I initially planned, but it will be a stout engine in the end.
Crate for me too. You simply can not have the machine work done, buy the parts, have your heads refurbished, for anywhere near what you can buy a crate motor for. I have rebuilt a lot of engines in my life but just bought a Jegs 350 crate motor for $1329.00 delivered to my door. I have $1200 in machining and head work on a 351 Ford motor sitting in my shop. You simply get more bang for your buck and a reliable motor with a warranty. Don
http://www.northernautoparts.com/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductId=148 has parts. Still need to get block and crank work. You can buy aftermarket heads for about same as rebuild anymore. You can still buy Vega torque converter for ~$150
I have a fresh set of Heads... My price is way less than machine shop or new from the mail order speed shops.. Could be a deal if shipping doesn't kill it.. Drop me a PM
Just put a 350 crate in my 51 Merc, $1459 delivered, the Old/True expression is " Speed cost Money, how Fast do you want to Go" your budget of $2000 does not cover rebuilding a 350 properly IMO, Note, IMO Chev small block is the cheapest/good engine to work with, if you are a novice, get some help and advice from experienced people and somebody w/ proper measuring tools to check EVERYTHING for you and help w/ assembly, speaking as an "Old Timer" Been There and Done That !. There's only one way to get experience is to DO IT !, Good Luck with your build and again IMO raise your budget some and you will have the satisfaction of saying " I Built it Myself "
I've built 2 small blocks. Completely bare. I don't want a crate engine. The engine I just removed from my car has 7,000 miles on it. 1,000 towed. Only thing dirty is the water jackets. Cam doesn't even show signs of any wear. So on that, I doubt much needs done to the block itself. Maybe hot tanked, honed. Stock crank can be reused, I don't want 700 hp so not looking to bore it, polish, etc. It's a 4 bolt main, great shape and an excellent starting point for a build. Just looking for a little more pep in the step from stock. Nothing like having a highboy roadster with crappy power. Heads are garbage. Nothing wrong with them but they have the dreaded 624 cast. All in all, I would love to build this thing. Looking for ideas for the perfect cam, carb, head setup. Maybe stall converter.
Heads - 1000 Cam and lifter set - 200 Carb - 300 Converter - 400 1900 ^^^ Gaskets 50 There's your budget of 2000 Pistons rings bearings crank work, block work and your 2000 budget is long gone. I got a pretty neat 307 recipe that's dirt cheap and about 320 Hp.
Maybe I asked the wrong question.. How about I change the question to, Stock running 350 with a $2,000 budget for extra umph.. What wold you do to a stock engine to upgrade for more hp?
What is it now? 2 bbl or 4bbl you can use? Cast exh. manifolds you can use, if not you want ram horns or headers ( I don't like listening to headers)? What rear gear ratio and tire size? Are you in an area for used intakes or buy new?
Is this the engine with the overheating issue? With only 7000 miles, I would: 1) Disassemble and hot tank the block. For whatever reason, there was a lot of gunk in that block. 2) Inspect, magnaflux & measure block. If OK, proceed with steps below. 3) Hone the cylinders. With only 7000 miles, bores should be OK. 4) Inspect crank and rods. If OK install new bearings. 5) Reuse the pistons, but use new rings. 6) Get different heads, either camel-hump or aftermarket. 7) New camshaft and lifters. With today's oil, I wouldn't take a chance. 8) New oil pump, timing set and gaskets. 8) Reuse --> manifolds, carb and distributor. Of course, this is a high level overview, but I'm thinking this should keep you under $2,000. Am I missing anything? EDIT: I just saw the 350 master kit from Northern that includes pistons for $220. Wow, you can't beat that price....
Perfect! Thanks. I should have thought about it and asked the question right the first time. Lol. I have ram horns on it already. Keeping them. Edelbrock streetmaster intake. 4bbl and carter carb. Thanks for the ideas!
What do you suggest for an intake and possibly headers? Would love to find some headers to fit with my sides still fitting.
Streetmaster was on it. I don't mind spending a little extra to make something work. Also don't know what gears are in now. QC Champ so I can always play with that later.
Heads are crap. Main reason I pulled engine. Cast 624. Known to be garbage. Figured I would pull engine and redress everything
Looking for a better sound. Meaner. My 2015 dodge dart with single exhaust sounds better. Hoping to touch throttle and go a little better.
Also I should add, car was getting hot. Water jackets all junked up. Radiator needs rodded to be safe.
If you keep pistons, looks like they are 8.5:1 with 76 cc head so don't go wild on cam. 64cc heads give you 9.7 which is pushing it on pump gas.
Another thought check with your local machine shop and see if they have an abandoned motor might have one stuck with that someone ran out of money might pick up discounted machine work that way
Mannnn that's a lot of carbon for 7,000 miles. I've got one here with well over 100 and no where near that carbon. The 624 heads are junk. The vortec heads and their small Cc combustion chambers on the dished pistons will work quite well. The vortec engines have about 9.4:1 stock and run just fine on that cheap blend of corn and camel piss. You'll not see 9.7 with 64cc unless there is flat top piston. Even that shouldn't be a problem for pump gas with tight quench at 0.040. The detonation problem comes on strong with the 0.010 short rebuilder pistons designed for zero decked blocks running in a non decked block and 0.040 head gasket. That stacks up to a 0.070 or more quench. The slightest bit of compression and it will detonate. The big quench is multitudes more conducive to detonation than a bump in compression. I'm running 10.4 on 91 pump gas without any trouble. I might try 89 too see how it does. Its a bit smaller bore though with steel shim head gaskets.
I wanted to keep my 355 build under 10:1 and right now the nominal is 9.7:1. I have to talk head gaskets with the builder soon. I'm using .030 over flat tops with a 64cc combustion chamber. Definitely spending more than if I went crate, but we're having fun and I know what I have exactly.
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