engine building help

[snowmangaggift]

so im planning on rebuilding a chev 350 soon and need some help with parts.
Im not replacing the bottom end but am wondering if i could get some advice on a good cam,heads,carb,intake.
more so for cams though cause i know good intakes and heads. but any advice is helpful 😀
Thanks

 

[kornball426]

What do you mean you're not replacing the bottom end, you mean you're not going to rebuild it or you're not going to go with an aftermarket rotating assembly? Because I really think you shouldn't bother putting your money into performance parts on a worn out bottom end...

 

[Dennyboy]

i made that mistake on my first build on the 455. didn't touch the bottom end except for the rear main. 200 miles later i spun a breaing. it's not hard to build the lower end it really just takes time marking everything and installing it. new bearings are cheap insurance. as well as taking a look at the crank. i got lucking and didn't send the rod through my block.......

 

[CHRIS.O]

Extremely broad question. What are your plans for the engine? Do you need it to pass any type of emissions stuff? Budget? What gas are you gonna want to run it off of? What is your horsepower goal? You wanna go roller cam?

 

[snowmangaggift]

Extremely broad question. What are your plans for the engine? Do you need it to pass any type of emissions stuff? Budget? What gas are you gonna want to run it off of? What is your horsepower goal? You wanna go roller cam?

sorry your right it was a very unclear question. By not rebuild the bottom end i ment not buying new parts. What i will end up doing is take it all apart, checking all parts for wear and replace if needed. I will put in new bearings cause ya its cheap and worth it. I just dont have the cash for an 800 dollar bottom end kit. My plans for the engine are to have a nice 350 with between 320-400hp. Not for the strip but just to give my car some kick. it would need to pass "aircare". My budget is about 2000 bucks. pump gas is what ill run it off and it deosnt matter the grade. a roller cam would be nice but like i said depends on the cost. For a cam im looking at anthing under 500 bucks.
Thanks for the great replys!

 

[megaladon6]

do you know what pistons are in the engine now? you'll need that to figure out compression numbers for different heads. i'd aim for 10:1 or so. i have approx 9.7:1 and it will run on goat piss. wish i'd gone for 10.5:1
i really like the stock GM vortecs. you can get a pair for about $500 brand new, or just get them from 96-98 chevy truck at the junkyard. the intake is more expensive that for regular heads but it's not that much more. they may need some machine work if you get a big enough cam. they take about .480 stock
then about a 250-260 or so advertised duration cam. if you can pull it off, get a roller. they are better overall, but more importantly don't need the special oil additives that flat tappets now need (ZDDP)

 

[snowmangaggift]

do you know what pistons are in the engine now? you'll need that to figure out compression numbers for different heads. i'd aim for 10:1 or so. i have approx 9.7:1 and it will run on goat piss. wish i'd gone for 10.5:1
i really like the stock GM vortecs. you can get a pair for about $500 brand new, or just get them from 96-98 chevy truck at the junkyard. the intake is more expensive that for regular heads but it's not that much more. they may need some machine work if you get a big enough cam. they take about .480 stock
then about a 250-260 or so advertised duration cam. if you can pull it off, get a roller. they are better overall, but more importantly don't need the special oil additives that flat tappets now need (ZDDP)

well i found this cam, looks like one i would get what do u think?
http://www.compperformancegroupstores.c ... y_Code=HRT
i accually havent got a 350 yet, i plan on slowley getting all the parts together then buying the engine. so no i dont know the pistons haha

 

[megaladon6]

huh, that changes things a bit. i would replace the pistons and rods, and have a shop go through the crank. the crank journals need to be checked for surface finish, parallelism, and size. the rods may be fine, but upgraded ones are actually pretty cheap, and this way you don't have to worry about the bearing sizes, possible cracks, twisting etc.
i wouldn't trust stock GM pistons for performance. hypereutectics are pretty durable and cheap.
the cam is too large for a regular/mild build. i have a 383 with a smaller cam than that!

 

[CHRIS.O]

If you are not willing to do a full rebuild then I wouldn't mess with much. Find yourself a running 350, throw a mild cam in it with some headers, intake, carb and enjoy it. You could possibly throw some vortec heads on like mentioned for a little more power. I just wouldn't buy a core and plan on getting away with freshening it up. Buying one you can hear run for 4 or 500 bucks is probably your best choice.

 

[snowmangaggift]

If you are not willing to do a full rebuild then I wouldn't mess with much. Find yourself a running 350, throw a mild cam in it with some headers, intake, carb and enjoy it. You could possibly throw some vortec heads on like mentioned for a little more power. I just wouldn't buy a core and plan on getting away with freshening it up. Buying one you can hear run for 4 or 500 bucks is probably your best choice.

YES! that's exactly what im going to do lol. I relized i just don't have the cash to do a full rebuild. Im having a hard time finding out what a "mild cam" would be lol can u help me out?