Mild 350 build. Opinions? Anybody?

[heffalump]

So I'm about to start the rebuild on a 350 for the 73. The engine is a 2 bolt main 350 from a mid 70s sprint. All stock, low miles, never touched other than maintenance. Couldn't decide what direction to go, rebuild it stock, mild build, or maybe build it sorta period correctish with old school parts.
Well found this at a swap meet.

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Edelbrock torker 2. I know a dual plane is better for the street but they look and price was just to good to pass up.

My plans now are as follows.. Mild rebuild with an old school look. What I'm wanting to know is everyone's opinion on best cam, heads, and so on. I'm not wanting to spend a huge amount of dough on a full blown race motor or anything crazy. Just a mild budget friendly motor for an everyday driver.

 

[Snoots]

Clean up the Torker and sell it for a profit. Buy a dual plane unless you like a lot of RPM's and low MPG.

 

[hirschdalechevy]

I put together a 350 for a buddies k5 and it was great on fuel and excellent torque combo. That being said it's all about good machine work, (which is hard to find) and the right parts. I always go for quench motor builds myself on the bottom end and then go with the best heads you can afford, then the right combo of parts to go with the fuel octane you want , (compression) then a cam for the head flow and rpm range you want and then there is , weight , gears , tire size etc... You are doing the machine work anyway so that is a hard cost no matter what. Power and mileage is all about volumetric efficiency and that is all about the right combo and good machine work and it does not have to cost a fortune.

I just purchased a crate engine from gm , (sp350/357) for my blazer , (might be an option for you), but its not the cheaper way to go and you are rolling the dice on a mass produced engine if it will be the cats meow or not. The reason why I did it I didn't have any small blocks laying around and its winter with no time or room to be building an engine so I went for the new sp engine from gm , (we will see how it goes).

Anyway my buddies k5 runs killer. I would, (on a budget) go with vortec heads and build around that. Stay around 9 to 1 compression with a good quench, (.040 to .045). Vortec heads have a 64cc chamber so you will need a d-dish piston, (maybe 22 to 24cc dish) at close or at the top of the deck, (decking block), with a .041 head gasket compressed, and that will get you 9ish to 1, (use a compression calculator to get exact dish piston you need for your stack), to get to that 9ish you need. Then we went with a smallish cam for torque and to make use of the vortec heads. Vortec heads have a really good chamber and flow good on the intake side of things but don't flow that great on the exhaust so we went with a dual pattern cam , the comp cams xe 256 and it make's great power with vortec heads. A retro fit roller cam is the way to go but it is not if you are on a budget.

Then headers , dual exhaust with h-pipe , dual plane eddie intake , jet q-jet carb , hei ignition. This combo pulls really hard in a k5 and he said that he pulls 16 to 17 mpg with 33 inch tire's as long as he stay's out of the secondaries of the carb , which he told me that it has enough torque to carry the k5 on hills on the highway staying on the primaries only, and it rip's we you get on it. I figure its about 350 horsepower and 400 torque.

You said mild on a budget so I would go for the vortec heads and 9 to 1 with the right cam. You could also go 383 but that will cost you a bit more, it's all about a good machinist you can trust. Vortec heads are way better than any old style stock heads , imo.

Hope this helps you on mission.

 

[Shorty81]

Clean up the Torker and sell it for a profit. Buy a dual plane unless you like a lot of RPM's and low MPG.

X2- I had an old single plane Holley Street Eliminator and it looked bad ass. Changed it out for a new Weiand Stealth dual plane and it ran 100% better.

 

[shiftpro]

A retro fit roller cam is the way to go

I respectfully disagree with this point, and I invite you you to explain your reasoning...

I'll explain mine....
When building a daily driver engine let's for the sake of discussion say we are expecting 200,000 miles of driving...
I rest my case...

 

[Snoots]

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[Rusty Nail]

Period correct
Old-school parts

Dude. Build a 9/16. I really want to!

 

[heffalump]

Selling the torker was in the back of my mind... Really want a dual plane but the price was to good to pass up..
When I say old school look and parts I mean anything from mid 70s back. Don't really want to use vortec or billet aluminum heads. Block and heads painted gold, white intake and long tube header with glasspacks. Re jetted quadrajet.

 

[4WDKC]

Selling the torker was in the back of my mind... Really want a dual plane but the price was to good to pass up..
When I say old school look and parts I mean anything from mid 70s back. Don't really want to use vortec or billet aluminum heads. Block and heads painted gold, white intake and long tube header with glasspacks. Re jetted quadrajet.

vortec heads that look like double hump heads, just paint them to match
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tfs-30210006

 

[Rusty Nail]

Back in the 60's 3+9/16 (3.5625) stroke cranks were available for the 327s.. 363 CID in a 4.030 bore block.
369 CID in a 4.060 bore block.

Works with the Torker.

Think it over! This was the "383" of the good old days.

 

[Snoots]

You got smog heads or no?

 

[shiftpro]

Selling the torker was in the back of my mind... Really want a dual plane but the price was to good to pass up..

If you ever want a propane powered sb in the future then keep the intake. It works very well with propane. A tunnel ram is even better. On big blocks or even a healthy 383 you would need to run two regulators (evaporators) and two carbs (Impco 425, mixer) so there is a good use for the old twin carb tunnel rams sitting around collecting dust.

 

[Rusty Nail]

https://www.jegs.com/i/Eagle/356/435035626000/10002/-1

Seems kinda high but it's 666! (As example)

I'd run that with the Torker, some #461s (462s) or #041s, the L46 350/350 cam, good 1.5 rockers, small headers, (1.5 "), 2.5 inch pipe with a Street Avenger 670 on the top and you would be very happy.

Plus! they would be forced to call you "Boss" or "Daddy".

Or course since it'll be very rev happy - you'd have to stick around long enough to hear them!

That engine will spin 6500 rpm all damned day.
My 362 is a 0.60 350 with a 3.50 offset ground, stroke crank and old rods (small journal). It was HELLA CHEAP to build.

More than one way to skin a cat!
http://forums.superchevy.com/chevy-...magazine/top-10-sbc-cast-iron-cylinder-heads/

Buddy THAT is old school cool.

 

[hirschdalechevy]

I have no problems with flat tappet cams at all if you are on a budget , (they have worked great for years) , but I really like all of the mild hydraulic roller cam builds I have been around , (two of my own and several others) with no problems. So if you want to save money by all means run a flat tappet, I on the other hand , (if I had the cash) would go hydraulic roller.

Why , the problems associated with hydraulic rollers in the past have been sorted out for the most part, and as far as advantages , no need to break in cam , the lifters can be reused if you change cams , the open and close ramps are faster , giving you more torque and horsepower for any given grind , roller cams wear at a fraction of the rate as a flat tappet cams , and you can use any of the late model motor oils with no zinc additives.

My girls 78 square has a 350 that we built a while back , (that for 3 years was her daily driver), has a comp. 270hr cam with morel hydraulic roller lifters is up to 59,000 miles on the clock without a hiccup. A few of my buddies have mild roller set ups in their square's and they run hard, but I don't know the mileage they have on them.

So I am a roller cam fan, but I don't hate on flat tappets and I would never own anything for 200,000 mile's, (I get to bored with stuff to quick), I would either take it apart and build it or sell it for something else, except for my wifes 4runner, just about to hit the 300,000 club.

So my budget build,(to get the best power and economy for my buck) would be build around the vortec's with a flat tappet cam, but if I had a little extra cash on hand I would shoot for the roller , just me and what I have been around in the roller cam world.

 

[shiftpro]

I have no problems with flat tappet cams at all if you are on a budget , (they have worked great for years) , but I really like all of the mild hydraulic roller cam builds I have been around , (two of my own and several others) with no problems. So if you want to save money by all means run a flat tappet, I on the other hand , (if I had the cash) would go hydraulic roller.

Why , the problems associated with hydraulic rollers in the past have been sorted out for the most part, and as far as advantages , no need to break in cam , the lifters can be reused if you change cams , the open and close ramps are faster , giving you more torque and horsepower for any given grind , roller cams wear at a fraction of the rate as a flat tappet cams , and you can use any of the late model motor oils with no zinc additives.

My girls 78 square has a 350 that we built a while back , (that for 3 years was her daily driver), has a comp. 270hr cam with morel hydraulic roller lifters is up to 59,000 miles on the clock without a hiccup. A few of my buddies have mild roller set ups in their square's and they run hard, but I don't know the mileage they have on them.

So I am a roller cam fan, but I don't hate on flat tappets and I would never own anything for 200,000 mile's, (I get to bored with stuff to quick), I would either take it apart and build it or sell it for something else, except for my wifes 4runner, just about to hit the 300,000 club.

So my budget build,(to get the best power and economy for my buck) would be build around the vortec's with a flat tappet cam, but if I had a little extra cash on hand I would shoot for the roller , just me and what I have been around in the roller cam world.

Thanks for your detailed comments.
I am by no means against retro rollers.... I understand all the benefits.... I only wish I could trust them for high mileage reliability. Even 150K would be
acceptable.
I respect guys that are maybe to say, on the hobby side of their old truck fetish. But I'm even a bit more crazy because I do this out of necessity.
And to make matters worse, I'll admit I actually think these old engines and parts are better than anything new... and a fraction of the cost.
If you gave a 2019 fully loaded $100K truck I sorry but I would sell it and buy old junk.

And just to be clear, I'm referring to retro rollers, for the older blocks never designed for this. Also I am usually referring to BBs... because I have a few on the build now waiting for the shop to get finished, and I so wish I could trust the rollers! The hot rod and truck guys in my woods with roller experience are for the most part BB junkies. So I don't really have any reliable info with sb and rollers... but take note my machinist/builder and a tech from Lunati both
told me small blocks with retro rollers will out live BB rollers.. Maybe there's something to that, perhaps not opening the valves over 1/2" helps.

Oh I forgot Dave (Dave's not here...) my BB head porting guru... This guy always drives 600+ hp trucks and sometimes Corvettes. He likes 496s and rollers. he eventually switched to solid rollers (from hyd rollers...again, retro). Amazing dude, but also kinda like wtf... He used to build fancy furniture... like
formal dining room table and chairs that would sell for $150K in the US. He has some brain issue and needs to see a specialist in Pennsylvania. And he has to drive, he can't fly or get an aneurysm or three..
Sorry I digress.. But man can he ever port a set of 781...!

AND ONE LAST POINT about retro rollers that really picks MY ASS...
I build for propane. I like it... Hides the smell of my farts. My propane engines idle down to 500-550 rpm. They also rev up really quickly, like a 2 stroke!
Can you guess the potential problem for dem little needle bearings inside the rollers? Give you a hint... it has something to do with oil... or lack thereof..
Again this was something the Lunati tech told me.