I am looking for another motor for the Fly. I am gonna break down and go over to the other side..... the 350 dark side. I was doing some figures on machinework etc on a used block and I wonder if I wouldn't be better off buying an aftermarket block ya know? What do you think? Cause I would hafta have it bored, if ya have it done with a torque plate that's extra.... Zero decked- line bored- Vatted Plus the cost of the used block. Anyone sell a reasonably priced bare block? Under say... 600 bux?
I don't pay anything for used blocks.I get them preped for $450.(Cleaned,pressure tested,bored w/o torque plates,cam bearings and freeze plugs.)I don"t get them zero decked.Make a carefull piston choice & use the .018 steel head gaskets.Put the extra money in good rod bolts & stud kits.By far the most common failure in my Grenade motors is cylinder head cracks.I'm stepping up to some World Products heads this year to see how they last. Charlie
Cheapest aftermarket small block is about $1800. You can get a stock block from GM perfomance parts for about $600.
Even if you buy a new block ther is no guarentee that the deck will be right for your crank, rod, piston combination. What ever they bore the block to its not assured that it will be right for your pistons (ever have a set of pistons vary one from another?). You'll have a "GREEN" block that hasn't settled from thousands of heat/cool cycles so it might not be stable. Just some things to think about, not necessarily a vote against a new block. Frank
Root If you're stepping over to the dark side..., Why not step completely over to a 400 plus like Ryan...! "Mousey" looks with "Big Block Brutality"...! Throw a Six Deuce set-up on it and have "Serious Fun" with Nostalgic looks! And get rid of that troublesome Hilborn Fuel injection (to me!)! Mark
I'm sending the pump to Kinsler to have it flowed.When we get her lined out ...there's no turning back.
Also, I debated the 406 deal but that would require a gear change and I don't wanna hafta start that.
[ QUOTE ] Even if you buy a new block ther is no guarentee that the deck will be right for your crank, rod, piston combination. What ever they bore the block to its not assured that it will be right for your pistons (ever have a set of pistons vary one from another?). You'll have a "GREEN" block that hasn't settled from thousands of heat/cool cycles so it might not be stable. Just some things to think about, not necessarily a vote against a new block. Frank [/ QUOTE ] Absolutly right. Seasoned block is the way to go. Even with the price of machining and a used block you'll still be in cheap. Alot cheaper than a new block then machine it anyway.
What gear set-up are you running? Did you buy a used fuel pump...? I did that and found out the guy ran Alcohol and made a few undectable changes that messed with my head for a couple of weeks! Sent you a pm if that helps... Mark
hey i had this in the classifieds, but you might be interested 350 PRODUCTION BLOCK 10% NICKEL ALLREADY HOT TANKED MILODON BILLET SPLAYED MAIN CAPS INSTALLED LINE BORED AND HONED ARP MAIN STUDS STILL AT STANDARD BORE NEEDS BORES FINISHED AND DECKED $500 HELL THE CAPS AND PUTTIN THEM ON ARE MORE THEN THIS BUT AS FAR AS PRODUCTION BLOCKS THIS THING IS BULLETPROOF
Root,I was just gonna suggest you check with your machine shop and see if MAYBE he has an engine there that someone hasn't paid for.........Good way to get in cheap
Really, why would you need to change gears for a 400 or 406??? And even if you did, would'nt the extra power be worth the hassle??? My car has a 406, TH400, 4.11 gear, and 30" tires. Only goes through the traps at about 5900 RPM.
I run a 400 in my truck that is more stock than modified. I like it. It has a gear drive, aluminium intake, Holley spreadbore, and a Summit cam that was chosen because it had the highest lift without special parts or machining. It has been up and down the highway and the dragstrip for the last 6 years with the only failure being a broken rocker arm. I shift at 5200 more or less. I would build a good solid engine and then run the car a season or two before you go all out. I really think you can have a lot of fun with the engine you have now. You have just had a bad run of luck. The present engine would let you iron out some of the suspension setup and get you some seat time in the car, before you go on to more HP.
root, buying a new block dosn't get you out of the machining. i have bought aluminum bow tie blocks and steal bowtie blocks. both are good. you get a hair less power out of aluminum because it expands more when it gets hot. for the money i would go with the steal if you want new. i would buy a used block and have it magnufluxed to check for cracks. if it's good i would use it. do some research on the machine shops in your area. they differ greatly in quality and knowledge. i suggest going to the local dirt tracks and asking about machine shops they will know who to use.you might want to think about going with the 400 if your going for maximum horsepower. absolutly do not buy the 1968 4 bolt. they have very weak bottom ends as the inner main cap bolt actually protrudes into the bottom of the cylinder slightly. use a 2 bolt block and put on aftermarket 4 bolt splayed caps. you have to use good parts no doubt. but more importantly it is essential that it be put together correctly with tight tolerances. i've had to buy 5 sets of main and rod bearings before to get the tollerances right. when you get your parts back from the machine shop in that niffty vacume packed plastic wrap. take it off and clean everything thouroughly with a soft brush and gas. you'll be suprised how much shavings you'll get. and balancing is a must for a long life high rev engine. i've used dart and world products heads both are good i didn't see and advantage in either one. but a good set of 2.02/1.60 will work fine too. i used strickly cola cranks/ 6.0 h-beam rods/ venoilia pistons. if you go with the 6.0 rods you'll have to get the bottoms of the cylinders clearanced or they will hit. i had the best luck with crane roller rockers with guide plates and harded crane push rods. bowtie intakes and barry grant carbs. also barry grant belt driven fuel pump. but all that is way overkill for a street/strip car. these engines that i'm decribing were for dirt track use. which see 8200 to 8700 rpms for 30 minutes at a time. 3 times a night, 2 to 3 days a week.
[ QUOTE ] I am looking for another motor for the Fly. I am gonna break down and go over to the other side..... [/ QUOTE ] You had me scared for a moment there! When you said "dark side" I thought you ment Imports! just kiddin.
What kind of HP you looking for.... if you have the money go buy one of those 427 or 454 cu inch small block monsters. If you are looking for under 400 hp I would suggest going with a crate motor, over that, then find a solid block and stoke it.. With those gears you are going to be turning hi RPM's (I have always been a fam of 400 sbc if you want to turn RPM's... I have had several buddies with them and they were strong runnings motors (low 11, high 10 sec cars)
50 mercfan, thanks for all the info. I really don't want a 350 to be honest. I am really torn though. All the parts are geared that way. The 327 and down have smaller journals so parts are higher. I actually have a 66 327 at the machine shop right now. I like the smaller journal stuff just because of the sound. Well, that and the fact that a 327 is not as common as a 350. The 406 is probably the best bang for the buck but I don't really desire a low Rpm -hi torque motor. I like to make em sing. My last altered was a 301 with the same Hilborn setup except it worked!! The pump is soon to be enroute to Hilborn to be tested. I have a feeling it is the root of all evil. The 327 I have has been bored in the last 2 weeks and I have a set of TRW 12.5-1 domes for it. I may or may not use it. It could go in my street motor minus the piston combo. We'll see.....thanks guys.
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