After some problems with my past engine and the want for more power I need a few suggestions for a rebuild on my olds 350. Its a stock bottom end engine, stock dish pistons to the 68-70 block, edel performer dual plane intake, #5 heads with minor port work done, (shitty) flow tech headers.... so on.. ect. when i had the last engine built had a "one step up from stock" cam. i love my engine builder, anywho i was wondering if anyone could suggest a mild-beefy cam that would still work with my power brakes and a 5500 rpm set up.I know the proper way to do it would get them flow tested but I'm on a budget. If anyone has had good luck with a similar set up please let me know.

 

Do you know which 68-70 dished pistons do you have? There were two styles: 6cc dish for the high compression 4bbl engines and 14(?) cc dish for the low compression 2bbl engines. Knowing the compression ratio is one of the critical parameters for choosing a cam.

I know the HC piston dish is .077" deep, so if you can measure yours you might be able to use that to determine what you have.

 

Are you planning to replace the pistons? When the heads come off you're going to lose that .017 shim gasket the and the compression associated with it. Also, what heads do you have? 69 and 70 blocks do not use the same heads from the factory.

 

No they don't, but the #5 and #6 heads are essentially the same performance-wise.