Straight plug heads or angle with hooker headers and retro roller cam want

[64nailhead]

What's your goal for the motor?

 

[79malibu]

My goal is to be able to use pump gas and make over 400hp on motor if stays a 350 or 383 close to 450hp. Would like to use 87 gas but premium is a price to pay for compression I know. I don't want to lash rockers every year (parked for winter dam u minnesota ) so prefer not a solid roller. And lastly be durable as a factory motor lasting 100k like daily driver duty but able to be beat on on weekends strip street summer cruising . Hardest I ever ran it was 6krpm at Rev limiter bout 130mph side by side in open country against brothers 09 jeep srt8 cherokee. That 6.1 hemi couldn't take me until that speed where he had od and my 700r wouldn't hold od in wot (dunno if I changed that yet)

 

[Bar50]

Go to the junkyard.

Pull a 1996-1999 5.7 Vortec 350 from a pick up, Suburban, or Tahoe. $150-450-and up

I would buy new or known good vortec heads.

Rings, bearings, and gaskets.


OR


Buy an L31 Vortec and add the stuff below.

Buy and LT4 GM Hot cam.***

Get some LS2 blue valve springs GMPP # 12625033.***

Get some Comp Cams retainers #787-16***

Look for a Vortec carburetor intake that works with the Q-jet. Dual plane or even better an air gap.


400-430 horse power. Pump gas friendly. Hydraulic roller cam 350. (sorry, no mechanical fuel pump provision)


If you have money left over, buy some self align 1.6 roller rocker arms and 2400-2800 stall. The Buick GN is like 2150 stall.


***these parts make for .580 lift on a Vortec head with NO machine work to the guides or heads!
The HOT cam is .492 lift with 1.5 rocker arm it is .525 with 1.6 rocker arm.

 

[crotchss]

Eagle 383 SIR rotating assembly #B13005E030 =$770 shipped
Dart SHP 200 heads #127422 =$1100 shipped
Howard's retro roller kit #CL110265-10 =$620 shipped
Built one for a guy with a set of roller rockers, Airgap intake, 750 carb, and headers that made just above 500hp, if I remember correctly. Plus added cost of pushrods, timing set, oil pump, etc. But these were the major components of the build, he drove it on a regular basis, not daily, but at least 2-3 days a week till winter would come. Had it in a '81 Camaro with 700r4 and 2800 stall, loved it.

 

[79malibu]

I have a 97 vortec shortblock k on floor now bout long ago for the heads but was overheated and cracked heads pretty good. Bearings look ok but its a dam 2 bolt block and I think rods are shot cause I can wiggle small end of rod on piston pin bout almost 3/8inch. New machinist tells me it's better off to goto 40 0ver for new pistons ( i dunno bore wear on current 30over) and I'm looking at the b13404e040 kit. Do external balanced motors take rpm and live daily driver life like internal balanced?

Is a late gm roller block strong as old hi tin hi nickel blocks like my 2 piece main.? Do link bars ever fail on retro roller lifters? I'm looking to build it for 6500rpm.
I'll checkout that Howards cam. I was thinking of using comp retro roller xfi cam, 230/236 and like .570(1.6) but 113 lob sep. Even with carb suppose to be great broad power curve so I'm told.

 

[crotchss]

That guy I just mentioned shifts that 383 at 6500 RPM. I also have the same bottom end except in a 406 in my 63 Chevy short box and I turn it 6000 RPM all the time, it'll go to 6500 when I put my other top end on it that I took off of my SS. I also have a buddy that runs same bottom end 406 in a 82 S10 with aluminum heads, XE284 Comp cam and 150 shot of spray turns it 6500 and it has been that way for 4 years no problems, Plus I have built at least a dozen more using the same bottom for other guys and turning 6500, so I guess I am saying that I personally have seen the external kits live spinning that RPM repeatedly for years

 

[crotchss]

I think that Comp XFI cam would be better for a daily driver and the idle will definitely be smoother and have better vacuum then the Howard's cam that I mentioned, but the Howard's cam would probably make more peak power. I guess it depends a lot on the rest of your combination and basically what it will be used for. Either way with a good set of heads on it and whichever cam you decide to use, it will definitely be a big boost in performance over a vortec 350

 

[Mike buttafuoco]

Ok, short story is this. Rebuilt 350 (80k) 1970 010 020 4 bolt rebuilt spdpro flattop stock o rods arp bolts. 9 years ago it was done. But they didn't align hone the crank or catch (not care because bought through jegs cheaper than them) 2 counterclockwise turned speedpro pistons by bout half inch. Bored it to .030 for pistons but didnt torq plate it and we agreed to do it and wrote it down.
This year Had a bowtieoverdrives pdqmade lightweight 700r4 2600rpm with lockup lose tcc. (Internal leakage etc so no tcc but fixed it free even shipping)With trans out of way so I decided to fix leaking oil main seal since started leaking 3 yr ago but only 10k miles. Upon teardown I see back thrust bearing is gouged n splitting up under main cap. Copper flakes and burnt black but no wear on main journal. Thrust on crank gouged like bad cheap brake rotors. So wtf, 1 bad thing leads to a discovery of another. What a basket case so I tore it all apart since needs a crank anyhow and found issues on heads n cam lobe.
Had looked over by new machine shop n say the 2 pistons are ok should replace cause not straight n since need crank do a eagle 385 kit n do new 040 pistons.

Debating whether to just get new 350 crank for total of bout 850$ out the door or a eagle cast kit ext balance for 1550 or same eagle kit but it bal forged crank for 1950 parts n labor no tax. Then bleed out more for roller cam and heads. Or buy a new zz4 shortblock for 2500 or new l31 vortec block with heads for 2080 off jegs but sadd dish pistons but new block roller ready. I dont really wamt to use someones rebuilt stuff and have to trust them. Thought blueprint engines being advertised buy internet has some stories on them. I know about doing ls6 springs n gmpp/ comp retainers to get valve clearance without machining guides.

If you are going to build a 350 and have all the machine work done, build a 383 (.030) or a 385(.040) you can run a much tamer camshaft and you will be so much happier with the torque. I run a flat tappet now but ran a roller in my last car. Both are relatively small cams but the engines are both torquey as hell. My suggestion is to call Competition Products and ask those guys as they are seasoned vets in the business, they are a Howard's cams distributor and they will help you every step of the way. My last engine was a 385 with brodix IK 200 heads with 1.6 ration rockers and a lunati voodoo cam. It only had 530 lift but the car had instant response and would shred rear tires. And the idle was lumpy. And the entire engine built was about $2700 dollars. I had a friend that helped with the machining which explains the lower cost but parts were economical and all bought through competition products. Just tell them what you expect from the engine and what you will use it for. And if you run a cast crank, be careful with your revs. And I always run synthetic oil. I will use it until they put me in the ground. Use what you want but those are my suggestions. Call those guys, you won't be sorry.

 

[Mike buttafuoco]

My goal is to be able to use pump gas and make over 400hp on motor if stays a 350 or 383 close to 450hp. Would like to use 87 gas but premium is a price to pay for compression I know. I don't want to lash rockers every year (parked for winter dam u minnesota ) so prefer not a solid roller. And lastly be durable as a factory motor lasting 100k like daily driver duty but able to be beat on on weekends strip street summer cruising . Hardest I ever ran it was 6krpm at Rev limiter bout 130mph side by side in open country against brothers 09 jeep srt8 cherokee. That 6.1 hemi couldn't take me until that speed where he had od and my 700r wouldn't hold od in wot (dunno if I changed that yet)

Solid rollers are a pain in the *ss anyhow. If you are running the street, hydraulic always!!!

 

[565bbchevy]

Solid rollers are a pain in the *ss anyhow. If you are running the street, hydraulic always!!!

I have been running solid rollers on the street for over 15 years, there are a lot of misconceptions out there based off of the old solid flat tappets that needed constant adjustment and race solid rollers that need splash lubrication and will fail on the street but now there are pressure feed roller lifters and these are needed when the cam size, spring pressure and RPM range exceed what a hydraulic roller can handle.
Now for a 400-450 horse small block Chevy a hydraulic roller is more than adequate and a cam/lifter kit can be bought for less than a good set of solid roller lifters but solid rollers do have their place on the street.