Technical The Case of the Hundred Dollar SBC

Yesterday while picking up lumber across the bay I also grabbed this as a potential replacement for my tired mill. Supposedly rebuilt, obviously in race trim as evidenced by the yellow oil pan and valve cover wing nuts, although the two barrel is a little misleading. Victim of an LS swap, seller said it came in the car and he never even ran it.

The flex plate, starter, fuel and water pumps, valve and timing covers are new so that probably covers my hundred right there. Who knows, cam went flat on break in, cracked something or other, rattle can rebuild? Place your bets, gonna blow it apart today. Appears to be a lo po

 

Heck, a guy can easily blow $100 on a bad date... I think the risk:reward on this is agreeable. On this Sunday, here's hoping the gods of internal combustion are smiling down on you!

Party On

 

I hope your good luck continues.....I'm thinking it will.

 

Someone took the time to either scrape off or mask the exhaust ports. Good sign?


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Run a compression check. crank it over without spark plugs enuf to see if it build oil pressue. and if everything is ok. Fire it up.

 

If it was original to an ‘82 Blazer it would be a 305. Not the best for a performance build, but nevertheless you got a lot of stuff for $100.
The heads look correct for that era, can you give the casting number for the block? Or even better the suffix letters at the front or the block.

 

Could be a pot of gold or wooden nickels........

 

Thought about running it on the stand..carbon on the valves and piston tops, not fresh. Probably cheap insurance to pull it down, might be just a rattle can rebuild, though the freeze plugs are fresh brass.

Could be a 305..

 

Well yeah, it's an SBC lol- sorry, Devil made me do it. Do you have a borescope to look inside? Might be an OK Seafoam/ oil change runner

 

What's the 6 or 7-digit stamp on the back upper deck o the block? Just curious

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Yellow oil pan and valve cover wing nuts = full race. Might also be Vette motor.

Unless there is a rod sticking out of the block, it is definitely worth 100 bucks.

Nice score, -Abone.

 

Isn't the V for Flint factory? Last four, 9800 Target Master....?

 

Casting number hard to read. Looks like 14016379

 

Or a $100 date could blow you!

 

That casting number would be a '78-'85 350.

 

Thanks, glad it's a 350. Yep, 4.000 bore. Definitely not fresh. No ridge though, and some faint hone marks. Guides tight on the two valves I checked. Some lifter wear. Are those 4 relief pistons stock stuff? Thin steel shim head gaskets. Looks like pretty low compression.

Probably pull the timing cover, pan and go from there.

 

Looks like one of those cylinders had some moisture in it. Is it light surface rust?

 

Yep. Corvette engine.
Seriously, good score.

 

a good number of years ago had a '65 Chevy Nova SS with a tired 350 - spotted an ad in a throw away advertising news paper : 327 Chevy Rebuilt $300 - was first to call #, and is was not too far away - called a couple of guys to meet me at the address and help load in my family station wagon - struck gold! - was a fresh rebuild by a local big name engine machine shop, with receipts - built to factory specs for 365 HP, with new cam, valves, pistons, etc !! right place at the right time - Nova flew like a bat out of Hell with it - had 350 trans beefed up to go behind it - really needed positraction, because would pull sideways from a dead stop

 

If that's ALL you go home with, you WIN!!!! HAHAHA!!!! [emoji23]

 

... yep. Targetmaster 350. "Doublepumper" for the win. Good job.

Congrats' ... Blowby, prolly' a 4 bolt main coming.

 

Yeah one pot on the other side too. Looks like rainwater, nothing serious.

Targetmaster then eh? Thanks DP. Well, good enough for my needs. It will get the Weiand huffer that's on my tired 305 now. The one thing I'd like to do is fit a decent cam.

Thanks for the replies.

 

Good score on that one...Squirrel on here is a whiz at engines...He gets motors running that are left for dead only replacing what's necessary...

 

Good night of drinking would have exceeded that amount back in the day, thanks to some lush friends. Nothing to show for it now, but faint blurry memories. Is it a 4 bolt main block?

 

Chrome valve covers and a 2 BBL manifold say "circle Track" engine to me. Probably a Targetmaster crate motor for one of the lower classes like pure stock especialy with the exaust manifolds.
EDIT: What casting # are the heads?

 

Aren't they all?

 

Ah... Another SBC goes the way of the flathead.

 

A bit of clean up, a rering kit with rings, bearings and gasket plus a cam and lifters an a timing set and you are in business. Cam, lifters and timing set will probably be the spendy part of the deal.
I've got to laugh at some of the guys wild ass assumptions though.

 

I'd say you got a pretty decent engine for your 100 bucks.
I picked up an old 283 yesterday. It was cheap too , but it used to be inhabited at one point.... I have never seen a push rod rusted out, hahahaha

 

rat or mouse motor?