New to the carbureted motor game, need insight

[BigCountry]

Hey guys, I'm completely new to this forum. This is my first thread and in my driveway is my first Chevrolet. I've owned a '95 Ram 5.9L, a '01 Ranger Edge, a '98 Mustang, and now FINALLY as of 2 days ago I have a 1980 K10 pickup. 4x4 with turbo 350 trans I believe. I'm a dealer tech for Volkswagen and know my way around a wrench.. and a sbc350 is about as basic as it gets.. however my ol junker needs alot of work and I need an inside scoop on where to get the best parts for the best price. So first things first, the motor is a 350, but I was told its not original. And even if it were, it looks like something you'd find in a gas station toilet, leaks and rust everywhere.. and has no power. It'll barely get that behemoth moving down the road. Rings have got to be shot. So was thinking I could buy a short block, find some good heads, good intake and exhaust combo, new ignition, and clean the carburetor... and have something worth turning a head. But I have no idea what to buy in order to be able to keep my power steering and alternator setup, or if I can just change it. Idc about a/c, I'm gonna ditch it. I can drive it as-is while I build a better motor but would prefer to be able to have a motor ready for swap in a few months and my budget is about $3000. So, any insight? Maybe 383?

 

[crazy4offroad]

Sounds like you already got the plan man!! 383: yes. Maybe go with better flowing Vortec heads but with the valve lift limitation of around .480" you'll need to compensate with duration/lobe separation angle with your cam choice to make a head-turner. A serpentine belt system is the hot trick these days too but be aware the waterpump is reverse-rotation compared to the v-belt setup.

As for carb I have an Edelbrock Performer 600 CFM but have heard better things about the Holly Truck Avenger, which I think is 680 CFM. You want a carb with vacuum secondaries so only the amount of fuel the engine is demanding is delivered, unlike the Edelbrock. Many folks here love the Quadrajet but they are very difficult to rebuild and tune but I guess if you take the time to learn how to do it properly it would be a valuable asset.

Otherwise you may have to address the rest of the drivetrain to stand up to the new power. Gears are probably 3.08 and depending on your tire size a better ratio may be in order. Depending on the miles on the trans that's another thing that might have to be addressed. It all depends on your intentions for the truck. Daily driver/occasional trail truck, street only, or King of the Mountain.

 

[BigCountry]

Thanks for the info man, gears definitely haven't been changed from factory. I'm thinking of changing the rear end gears but not sure what ratio. It is a daily driver and my only vehicle at this point, has 4 inch lift and 33" tires. 4.10? ps- I only drive about 5-10 miles per day however every couple months I like traveling to camp and fish and what not, so needs to be 50-100 mile highway trip worthy. At some point I'll be taking it off road for some light muddin too!

 

[crazy4offroad]

4.10 would be great for offroad but might be a little too low for the 100 mile trip. I had 3.73 when mine had 33s and 60 mph was around 2200 rpms. 4.10s might put you around 2500, and higher at higher speeds. Keep in mind I had the SM465 with the granny gear so offroad in 4-lo I had a super low 1st gear, but highway gear was 1:1 just the same as drive in the TH350. Depending on the stall converter you have your 1st gear in 4-hi might feel wimpy but 4-lo would compensate.

 

[fowjacob]

Sounds like you already got the plan man!! 383: yes. Maybe go with better flowing Vortec heads but with the valve lift limitation of around .480" you'll need to compensate with duration/lobe separation angle with your cam choice to make a head-turner. A serpentine belt system is the hot trick these days too but be aware the waterpump is reverse-rotation compared to the v-belt setup.

As for carb I have an Edelbrock Performer 600 CFM but have heard better things about the Holly Truck Avenger, which I think is 680 CFM. You want a carb with vacuum secondaries so only the amount of fuel the engine is demanding is delivered, unlike the Edelbrock. Many folks here love the Quadrajet but they are very difficult to rebuild and tune but I guess if you take the time to learn how to do it properly it would be a valuable asset.

Otherwise you may have to address the rest of the drivetrain to stand up to the new power. Gears are probably 3.08 and depending on your tire size a better ratio may be in order. Depending on the miles on the trans that's another thing that might have to be addressed. It all depends on your intentions for the truck. Daily driver/occasional trail truck, street only, or King of the Mountain.

i believe summit and jegs make a vortec style head with a little more valve lift but im not sure off the price

 

[bucket]

3.73 with 33's is a good all around combo for a truck that sees mostly street time, but be sure to check your current ratio first, because that gear was optional from the factory. A basic 383 shortblock with vortec heads would also be great to push the whole deal around.

 

[crazy4offroad]

i believe summit and jegs make a vortec style head with a little more valve lift but im not sure off the price

True, if he can get a decent priced rotating assembly and get the machine work done within budget those might be an option. I think I've seen a complete pair with 0.500" lift for around $650.

 

[woodsrider250]

A quadrajet is easier to tune for stroke/head change than a VW (Hitachi/Zenith) carb

 

[Jims86]

2 essential tools for your box:A vac gauge, and a Gunson colortune spark plug.

 

[Driver4r]

On 32s my 4.11's were running about 3.2k

 

[operatormase]

I also have 1980 k10. It has 355 ,Q-jet carb, 373 gears, and it seems to pull just fine on the highway.

 

[BigCountry]

Good info thanks guys. I think I'll do 3.73 when I get the spare change