If i have a 10066036 350block targetmaster/goodwrench block I have understood that is low hp engine from the beginning but if i bored 0.30 and mounted my camelhumps 461 heads with a little more rough cam than original and on top a 600 cfm carb.. is it any idea to do it with this block? , im not looking to fly to the moon but I want at least a little more push in the slead..
I had one of those blocks and it was a 4 bolt iirc. Changed the cam and heads and it ran pretty decent. You should be fine .
Typically nothing wrong with the mexico blocks other than they are higher nickle content. Which is what most builder try to find, as they seem to be stronger. For what your using it for just build it as normal.
My experience has been they are a SOFTER cast iron, and therefore the cylinders wear FASTER. As far as building one up, no problem there. They can be hard to find oil pan gaskets for, or an oil pan if yours is/gets damaged. I have a Hecho en Mexico, 4 bolt, 350 that dropped an exhaust valve right after the warrantee expired. The block's going to be used to make a 4 bolt, large journal 327, with a forged crank, aftermarket rods, the stock G.M. 10.3:1 forged pistons, and a fully prepped set of 461 heads. Don't have the cam yet, intake's an Edelbrock C3BX, and HEI ignition. It's basically a twin to my small journal 327. Butch/56sedandelivery.
You just described my 327. Goodwrench 4 bolt 350 block, large journal 327 crank, Scat rods, even the C3Bx intake. I'm running Dart heads and a Comp 268 cam though. It's a nice engine.
Im no expert, but I have always heard that the Mexican block were tougher, but you hear a lot of stuff thats crap tho lol
I have one of the mexican engines, it started as a 290hp 350. I installed flat top pistons, aluminum heads,and a comp cams cam. Runs awesome and sounds great. You shouldnt have any problems.
I ve always heard that they lack nickel content and the cam centers are off ,If you look at the casting around the cam ,I had one of those blocks and it ran fine ,I don't know why people are so critical about them ,There fine for daily street use .Maybe racing you want a better block ,Kind of like 4 bolts are stronger ,But I have a 2 bolt 327 I wont part with .I like 2 bolts ......Nothing wrong with them.....
I built a Mexican block 350 back in the 80's, it was a low mile truck engine so I just ran a cylinder hone through it to clean out the glaze and replaced the rings and bearings. The stock cam had some funky wear on the cam journals so we replaced cam bearings. When I went to put the new Crane cam in it would bind up. We pulled it out and stuck the old cam back in and it would turn fine, we grabbed another new cam, slid it in and it bound up. We stuck the old cam in and spun it with a drill to "ream" the cam bearings a little and finally got the new cam to spin. Yeah, I know, I know but I didn't have another block and not a lot of money. The old guy that owned the truck said it never felt right from the day it was new. We had built him a 400 to replace the 350, he pulled a camper and the 350 just wasn't cutting it. I dropped it in a Camaro to replace a 305 and wished I had the 305 back, he on the other hand was tickled to death with his 400.
I was working from memory on that one ,Years ago I read an article on cam centers and read some are better than others .I owned one mexican block long enough to sell the car ,I put it in .It ran fine .I dont know if I would rebuild one ,But that is a tough call ,I did have an 80's 350 blow up on me ,700 miles .Cracked in lifter area ,To the best of my knowledge ,As I tore down .I read about these certain year blocks later .Not mexico.I personally would look at the casting around the cam ,To see how centered it actually is .Mexican block .
Hot Rod did a build using a crate Mexico short block a few years ago and went with the later Vortec heads which was 64CC (some say different) and 012 head gaskets (cost a bunch) which raised the compression close to 9 to 1. The engine had deep dish pistons that looked like soup bowls and with the limited lift cam you have to do something to raise the compression or you're wasting your money on a cam if you're after a lope. With stock vortec heads the cam lift is limited on lift unless there's some machining done. They used the stock Vortec heads and did a basic triple valve grind and this was all the machining that was done on the early articles. They tried different carbs but I think they did better with a 750 Holly and air gap intake and after they changed to the Hooker headers and better exhaust they were pushing near 400 hp They were set on going over 400 but had to do some more things things to get it over 400. I can attest that the early articles are doable because I built an engine like it. I used a well used rebuilt Mexico block from a 3/4 van a friend had. It was already at it's limit bore at .060 over so I left the soup bowl pistons alone. I also used the Vortec heads with a Edlebrock airgap intake. I borrowed a 750 Holly to try but had to return it. It has a 600 Edlebrock now. I loved the Holly but I got the Edlebrock for 50 bucks so that took care of that. Even with the Holly which was awesome I'm sure I didn't get the HP they did because of the tweaking they did such as the triple valve grind and tuned exhaust. Even so, it was more than I needed in a 36 Ford pu cab. WAY MORE! I sold it to a friend and to this day it doesn't run hot and with .060 over if there's a thinwall you're going to know it. You can usually look at the machining around the front holes to see whether it has core shift. My block was a four bolt. I couldn't comment on the engine's life other than it was a well used engine when I got it. Check to see if the article is archived somewhere if interested. Most copy builds need to be almost exact to get what they did. One little change can kill the whole thing. Rules to live by: Never change a cam without changing the cam bearings. Alway break a cam in no matter what the circle track guys say. IF YOU CAN'T HEAR IT BEFORE YOU SEE IT, IT AINT A HOT ROD!
Ive got a "mexican" 350 in my '49 Ford coupe. I was told by a machinist that the heads are a softer cast iron and wont hold a valve job for long. I put a set of 64c.c chamber, 1.94 Fuelie heads on it and figure the compression is between 9:1 and 9 1/2:1 (145 psi cranking compression). I also put a bigger cam in it, the grind is similar to a comp cams 268H, and Im very happy with the way it runs.
I have taken a couple to the shop and couldn't use them due to core shift. As long as it will mag and sonic okay you should be fine.
i have used two 4 bolt main versions.1 in my old 54 chevy and that car would pull away from my buddys 454 and had the other in my 53 chevy that i recently got rid off and that car would scoot
i am running one now. switched the cam and heads havent had ant problems an d i beat the sh*t outta the car!
Pan gaskets...I've worked on one a long time ago, and don't remember much, but the crate motor ones came with dipstick holes on both sides and pan/gasket to match. If using the pan that came with the thing, you might need a pan gasket kit of both types. From memory, gasket for dipstick on left was used roughly up through '79, right gasket about 80-85, then they went to the whole new design down there. If using a different normal Chevy pan, the area of the unused dipstick isn't going to line up entirely. I would plug the hole in block and see which of the two possible gaskets, with and without dipstick hole, give the best amount of contact on block and pan.
On the last one I did I used a conventional pan and plugged the hole on the side I wasn't using at the pan rail. Used some 2 part epoxy to fill in over so the gasket had a flat surface to rest on. Also when those motors come from GM they usually [or used to] have a little bag with a steel plug in it iirc but I have seen lots of other stuff used as well.
I had one in my trusty ol' 85 Astro van....no drama, no problemo...although it did begin to blow a little smoke on start-up...valve guides.
i drilled the soft plug out for the driver side dipstick because it was a 94 crate engine and was pluged. passenger side just pluged the block it up worked out good.
Yeah, me likey. Decent SBC in an old truck, even using the 3-speed, and still on the column to boot. I'll bet that old truck has opened a few eyes. Butch/56sedandelivery.
i returned one back to a guy who tried to pass it along.....they are more prone to crack,,i would not use any of them.
I've used several of the 290 hp mex motors and they have performed well. I normally move the car along after I build it but nobodies called back with problems.
just got mine now , bored 0.30 all new bearings new cam , timing chain... Now im gonna overhaul the heads and hopefully everything will go on alright..
Now that would be a hell of an overbore...lol you mean .03? I know I know. I have a mexican reman motor. I thought reman motors were already overbored just guarenteed to not be more than .04? I haven't taken mine apart to measure
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