I broke it. Think I've got a main bearing out of it. It still wouldn't make any power, And it was losing about 20 HP per pull. It started crankin slow, and I had to left foot brake it to keep it running, So I shut 'er down and pulled the dipstick. The oil was this really cool charcoal gray metallic color! SOOOOO..... Now I have a few questions. 1: The first time I had the car on the dyno, the motor would zing to 5200rpm, and then take FOREVER to climb past that point. This time it only went to 4700 then took forever (we're talking like 10 seconds) to get to 6000. Is it the Trans? We made a pull in 2nd gear, and it did the same thing. Converter??? I thought they got looser when they were taking a poop? 2: I cant afford the time or money to fix it right now. Should I just say "fuck it" and be done for this season? (it's pretty god damn frustrating! ) Or.... I have a 355 out of my other car that needs 1 piston and a gasket set to be runnin. ( I can probably afford that) it's just a 9.5:1 motor, Edelbrock Performer RPM heads and Intake, Holley 650 Dbl pumper, and with a comp cams Xtreme Energy 284 cam (240/246 @.050, .507 .510 lift). So I'm guessing a mid to high 12 second car at best . A couple of my friends that are into roundy-round racing are telling me to put the top end and valvetrain off the 406 on the 355 short block and spin it to 8000 RPM and it'll make all the power that I want, But I don't know what to do. Any suggestions kids???
That really sucks man, I'd put the 355 or another running small block in there just so your still mobile, and put the 406 back together when you've got the cash.
8k for a 355 is alot,maybe if you put the bottom end of the 355 into the 406 you would get that......run the 355
Steve sorry to hear about your luck.........throw the 355 into her and keeper on the road..........she might not be as stout as the 406 but a mid 12 car can still be lot's of fun and cheaper on gas to cruise around in with the family!! Good luck, I hope it works out!!
Sorry to hear that Steve. Put the 355 in it for the rest of the summer and enjoy it. I know it won't be as much fun as the big $$$$ mill but at least you can motor around Flint til you get the time and money to repair it.
Dude, that really sucks! Put that little motor in it, and have fun with it, save your money, and go gonzo on the next motor build. The car is cool as hell just sitting there, so who cares if it is slower than it used to be, just think of the lower gas budget you will be having.... Now go poke some holes in people, so you can get that fat knot of bills for the next motor. -Joe
Sorry to hear about the bad luck. Sounds like everyone is concurring, me included. Drop the 355 in it and just cruz.
Talk to Hatch...it's a long shot, but he MIGHT still have the COMPLETE (carb to pan) 327 he wanted to sell me for a few hundred bucks. A buddy of mine has a running 305 4v, all stock he'd let go of cheap... I can talk to a few local car guys tonight and see what's out there, too. One idea, might be to look into a "claimer" motor, or short block. These are low budget rebuilt 350 Chevys sold to roundy rounders especially for classes with a motor claimer rule in effect. Nothing fancy, usually just 0010 blocks punched .030" with cast flat tops, new oil pump, rings, bearings and gaskets. Good to go for not alot of dough! Good enough to motor around in anyway! My advice would be to look for a complete, running "drop in" engine for a bargain price...don't worry about what it displaces...believe me...when I dropped a 305 into my old Pontiac to replace the tunnel rammed 355 that was in the car when I bought it...I never cared that the engine was "too small"!! I was out cruising and bracket racing that thing all Summer...and enjoyed the Hell out of every minute! SO glad I didn't dump a ton of money into fixing the 355. Stick a runner in there and drive it...while you take your time and build (or buy) yourself a SERIOUS motor. Trust me on this...you won't need to spend much to get it running with a milder small block, and you'll be able to drive it anywhere and everywhere while you prepare your "real" motor! If you ain't racing the car, you won't really miss the extra ponies...beats having the car sit around dead while you struggle to rush the NEXT race motor into it! Sucks that this one went sour on ya so quick...but I'd better see you cruising it around with a tamer mill in it REAL SOON, Bro!!!
[ QUOTE ] Any suggestions kids??? [/ QUOTE ] NO MORE CHASSIS DYNOS!! Talk to the guys at Hardcore/1 Badd LS1 (is Pete still there? Haven't talked at him in a while) Have them get ahold of me at VSI (Mike) I'll cut their prices so they can give you a better deal. Do the 355. And spray the dog piss out of it!
[ QUOTE ] And spray the dog piss out of it! [/ QUOTE ] Ha Ha! That's what I think I'm gonna do when I put the 400 back together. Nahh... Pete got a better job offer at the Chebbie dealership next door to 1 Bad LS1. I'm still friends with all of the guys up there though, so I'll have one of 'em call ya! Thanks a bunch man! BTW: Can a by a ring pack for just one piston, or do I have to buy a set of 8???
At the parts store I used to work at, we sold rings individually as well as in sets...we carried Sealed Power and TRW engine components...ONE of our chain stores is still left...on 8-mile. I can call 'em if you just need a standard +.030" 350 ring set for one cylinder.
Alright guys.... Just cam in from a THOROUGH inspection of the 355, and 2 pistons are burned (damn Edelbrock carbs!!!) and 2 of them are looking like they thought about melting (a little pitted and textured), so I need a set of 8. Only problem is, I yanked one out, and the only casting number ANYWHERE on the piston is "987P". I have NO clue who would use a part number like that. The Bearings are Clevites dated 10/86, (I was 9 then! ), so this motor was put together a while ago! Any of you "old" folks have any clues to the origins of these pistons??? They are 2 valve relief flat tops, pressed pin, 4.030. I know that any piston would work, but there is a HUGE amount of material removed from the bottoms of these pistons for balancing. I don't want to fuck up the balance, so I want to get a piston that can be made to match the current weight of these ones (the non-burned ones that is! ) I know..... just press one off and weigh it.... get a new set at the same weight or a set a few grams heavier and machine 'em down. But I'm lazy... AND curious!
By time ya finish "rebuilding" your "temporary motor", you'll have too much tme and money into it for practicality's sake! (I tried that with a fresh, but poorly built 355 in a car I bought...thought "I can just fix what's wrong with it and save the engine"...after a week of tear-down, inspection, consultation, and parts/machine work pricing, I concluded that it just wasn't worth it, and dropped a known good small block in it's place.) For what you'll spend on pistons, rings, bearings, gaskets and machine work (hone it at least!)...then realize that a freshened up short block will pull oil through older valve seals (ask me how I know!) and so you add a valve job to the mix...you would have been well ahead to buy a runner for a few hundred and drop it in. Spend your time, money and energy on the REAL motor! (Just the voice of experience talking...that 355 with the bearings dated from 86??? Might be one of MY old ones, Bro!!!)
sorry to hear about your ride man that suck,s!!! well there is way to much summer to park it so do something to keep that black beast rolling good luck!!! peace
The 355 block looks DAMN good though Greg... I'm gonna go out in a few minutes and check the bores with my dial bore gauge to be sure, but there is NO sign of even the slightest little bit of a ridge. I've got 2 (different grits)of the "dingle ball" flex hones, so I can hone it. As far as the "old" parts, I bought that motor from a guy in 91 or 92, right as I was building my first car. He had the motor built, balanced & bluprinted, etc... (Damn nice set of ported 487x casting heads!), but never ran it. (never got the car ready for the motor) SO... I had been running that motor in all of my cars from 92 til about 99, when I decided I wanted to go a little quicker. I JUST put a new cam in it, and NEW heads & intake on it, and I ran an Edelbrock 750 carb that I got from a friend. I drove it to work and back twice (about 60 miles total!), and I burned the pistons. The bearings and journals all look REALLY good too, so I'm thinking: "Pete's got those .030 over KB claimer pistons for $90; I put a molded silicone (reusable!) Oil pan gasket on it when I did the cam and heads. So, all I'll need is a set of head & intake gaskets, a set of rings, a few bucks to get the pistons pressed off/on, and I could be rollin!" Am I thinkin' right or wrong ???
Well, given the latest info there...I'd say you could probably get by with pistons and such...just didn't wanna see you tie a bunch of time and money up into a 'temporary' engine is all! Carry on!
Well, I've got a couple other rolling chassis' sittin around, and a couple of friends that are gonna need motors soon, so It's not like it'll be for nuthin! It'll find a home quick-like after I get the 406 put back in...
That 987p number sounds a lot like a Sealed Power number... I can check it tomorrow at work... that 'P' makes me think it is a cast cheapie... Single ring sets (one pistons worth) are availabe from every mfg. Federal Mogul (Sealed Power) sells them with a W prefix (ie: SCB E251k30 would be WE251K30) They are special order out of Muskeegon, Michigan. I'm sure any machine shop would have open-stock rings for a SBC... Good luck
Hey Hot Rod ,I guess I don't know you and I could be all wet on this but I wonder why you can put your car on the dyno a couple of times and flog it but you don't have the money to repair it. Sounds like bad priorities to me.
I agree that it seems like that, but I paid for the Dyno time up front, (and got a REALLY good deal on it, since they're friends of mine), and after I broke it and put it back together I figgered " Shit, I've paid for it, might as well use it!". See how well that worked out for me, huh???
Oh, I also figured in the cost of the Dyno tune in when I was saving the dough to freshen it up over the winter. My "play" money is all gone now!
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