Technical Cadillac 331 engine rebuilding in progress - where to get parts of a decent quality?

Hello to you all.
I've recently bought a '55 Coupe de Ville, a nice driver. The other day i pulled the engine out, took it all apart and the parts were measured out.
It will be rebored 0.020 (or 0.030, if 020 pistons isn't available), crank will be slightly grinded and main + con-rod bearings of 0.010 fitted, cam bearings replaced, oil pump kit replaced, valve guides, and so on.

I am therefore on the search for new parts for the engine.

To my relief, many parts are readily avaliable, and many suppliers stock it.

But - i'm wondering - what is good and what is bad quality here?

I've heard that a lot of these parts, regardless of price, are made in china or taiwan, and quality varies. Is that true?

Ebay has several engine kits from different sellers. Anyone who have used those kits for a rebuild, and how does it hold up to use?

Some kits have an Isky mild performance cam included. 270 degree or so. Is that a way to go? my car is otherwise a stocker. I would not change the cam for a more "racy" experience, but if more torque is avaliable without sacrificing the smoothness, it may be a hit.

I've also read somewhere that Chevrolet pistons can be used, is that correct? (maybe better quality US-suppliers to choose from)

I would like to read experience from you out there, who had your engine rebuilt - or did it yourself. Anyone with an opinion are also more than welcome to contribute.

Thanks in advance for your inputs!

 

Are you set up to do your own machining? Boring the block and turning the crank? Using pistons from another engine, you néed to check, bore, compression ht (piston pin to top of piston) rod length and stroke.

Cadillac 331 Bore 3.8125 x stroke 3.625.

Chevy 283 pistons 3.875 bore

You need to measure the following to see if it will all work out.

 

I recently installed new rocker arms and shafts from Falcon Global in my 331. They were a good vendor to work with; after a minor screw-up that they quickly made right. The quality of the parts was OK and they've worked well, though I've got less than 500 mi. on them and it may be too soon to tell...
Just my experience.

 

bump for the day crew

.

 

After a couple of days reading and searching all over ebay, i'm pretty much sure i'll go with Falcon. Quality looks good, and feedback as well.

Might stick to a 0.060 overbore and get some "free" cubes that way. The block's got some beefy cylinders!

Answering indyjps' question, i'll let my trusted engine shop take care of the work. I'm putting it all together myself, though.

Still, i'm curious about the cam... the Isky 270 looks fair for a stock engine, have any of you fitted a cam in your 331 that was different from the stock cam?

 

My 331 has an "RV" cam re-ground by Delta Cams. Don't know the specs. on it but it's pretty mild... lots of torque on the bottom end but no lope until I retard the timing which kills the power. I've also been looking at the Isky 270 cam...

 

The Isky 270 has a lift at .470" ... anyone who knows the stock lift on a '55 331?

 

'55 Shop Manual Supplement says .411" on both intake and exhaust...

 

good experiences with Kanter. standard SB chevy valves and lifters. had my cam reground. not sure about the 331, but I was discouraged from going .040 on a 390 block fwiw. you can also stroke it with the guts from a 365 or 390. The pistons are different too, not just the rods--fyi.

 

You may want to also check out Egge Machine in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. Good quality; been around since 1915!

 

What a great help. Thanks to all who contributed!
I will have a look at the different vendors and order some parts. Will update here as the progress goes on.
Have a nice weekend everybody.

 

The two who are most likely to have everything and of decent quality are Egge and Kanter. They're the real deal and have been around forever. Most of the others are just on-line marketers who don't answer questions well or even know exactly what they have or can get.

jack vines