Hello everyone. I'm building a high performance cutlass s coupe. I have a thread going in racing and high performance that I still need help with. Anyways, I'm trying to pull as close to 400 hp out of my 350 so I'm trying to figure out what's the best stahl for that and I'm debating between 3.42 and 3.73. Gas is not a major concern. This car is just to drive to wal mart or a friends house and to beat corvettes and mustangs that challenge me on the way there. Any suggestions?

 

This is question with no definitive answer. The stall and gear have to match what you are doing to the engine, everything needs to work in the same RPM ranges.
The stall has to let the engine get into it's power range and the gear has to work with the overall RPM range of the engine, you also have to factor in what transmission you are going to mix in in the center.
My car is all built for bottom end, I put a 1800-2000 stall converter in so I am 7-800 RPM's into the power range on what I call a hard launch, and I used a 3:90 gear with a 2004R transmission and am always in my power range on the highway which is where I built my car to be used. You have to decide realistically what you what the car to do.

 

According to the parts on the edelbrock power package, the list says it's designed to run in the 1500-6500 rpm range. I'm looking to fly off the line and keep up the power till up to 100 mph. I am also looking to dust mustang gts and challengers off the line and beat them to 100 mph

 

Get a 455!

 

Im close to the 400 hp mark on my current 355. I have 3.73 gears and a 3000 stall. I'll smoke em from a 20 mph roll. My last set up was a little mis matched had a small carb and too low of a stall and ran 13.3 @ 103 in the 1/4 mile I was killing stangs and Camaros all day on the street along with a few other cars lol.My mph in 1/4 mile was typical for a high 12 sec et. but my 60 ft. times where more like a 15 sec car. This is why matching the components matters a lot. So you kinda have to have a set up in mind to properly pick a converter and rear gear but a 3.73 gear is good for most street strip apps. and J.w. transmission sells a nice 11 in. 2400-2700 stall which I think will serve well in most street strip combos but essentially if you pick your gear and stall now when you build your engine you have to match the cam to the stall , gear, and compression just to name a few things. Don't do the power package from edelbrock.

 

I would pick the 3:73 over the 3:42,for what you are doing. Have you purchased the cam yet?
What is done to the 355?

 

I hear you on that 455 but I'm working with what I already have and I want to be a more experience builder befor I move on to big blocks. As far as the cam no I haven't ordered it yet. But I'm going off of the edelbrock power package and this list here except I went with a 10.1 compression and the guy doing my machine work said he's taking my heads to the highest amount of flow he can get and some other stuff I can't remember but I trust him. The intake and cam on that list is designed for 1500-6500 rpm range.

 

Hey copper cutlass would you say that the comp roller rip steel rockers would do me good if I didn't wanna dish out the extra cash for full rollers? Or better yet what did you do for valves, springs and rocker arms? If you don't mind sharing

 

I run the prw roller tips which rocket racing told me where just as good cheaper and have poly locks . Rocket racing did the heads. 2.07 in. 1.63 ex. I think stainless ferrea valves and springs good to 540 lift. I spent 1600 in the whole top end that's heads valve train and intake. The I slapped together a short block with old cast flat tops from a w31 with a comp 280 h cam. My current set up is .030 speed pro pistons with a howards 512/512 lift cam with 227/234 duration @ .050 . With appx 10 to 1 compression with the same top end I just mentioned.

 

That's sounds pretty good. I'll be looking more into it and hopefully I'll be running close to 400. Did u go with the edelbrock rpm intake?

 

Yes. But that's about it on the edelbrock stuff on my surrent set up atleast.

 

Not a fan of edelbrock?

 

There are better cam grinds than the Edelbrock.You can't exactly believe what the notations say in the Summit catalog or elsewhere.Comp & Lunati make some good grinds for off the shelf cams,but you can also get a cam ground for your engine,and with the right parts,make more power than expected.

 

Talk to Mark aka CutlassEFI, I've dealt with him as well as many others. He's very knowledgeable and he can have custom grinds made. Tell him what you want and he will help you get there!

 

Apparently the people at Edelbrock can't do simple math.
With the flat top L2320 piston, a 65cc head as listed, a 10cc head gasket along with the piston about .015 in the hole, I get 10.3:1. I was also told by an Edelbrock tech years ago that the heads used received "a fair amount of bowl work". Take it for what it's worth.

Happy to help whenever you're ready. Thanks.