Really? So answer me this; you suggested decking the block to raise compression. Stock pistons usually sit .015 +/- down. Standard cut is .015. Does that not equate to zero? And are you going to go to all the trouble and cut .010 off? If so, that won't raise compression. You just gave (bad) advice without thinking it through. You do it all the time.

 

Build the engine and drive the car. Make hot rod friends that are willing to help you out. Trade out parts to get what you need. Keep an eye on Craigslist for cheap parts. Read and learn to do as much of the work yourself as you can. You can build a budget motor and enjoy it. It might not be "right" but at least you are driving it. The more you keep your foot out of it the longer it will last. When I blew the TH400 that was built "right" I was broke and put a $50 salvage yard TH400 in and it's still in the car 15 yrs later. The motor gave out before that old tranny. Just dont expect a junk motor to outlast or outperform an expensive motor.

 

right on the money there. Amen.

Say, 455man, your post count = 455. How cool is that!

 

Ha. Just noticed that.

 

I am answering his question. I am not adding to, nor taking away from what he ask in any way. Read what I wrote..."YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH STOCK ROCKER ARMS. IF YOU WANT TO GET ADJUSTABLE ROCKERS..."

Seriously? This bullshit is why you haven't seen me on in a while. Nunya, if you have anymore questions I will be happy to answer them in PM...yet another thread has turned into a pissing match. I'm sure the OP appreciates that.

 

Jim most blocks i have checked, checked out around .025 to .030. that particular block i sold nunya the pistons sat .025 in the hole so that leaves .010. Get over your self jim. im not sayin i have all this experience im just saying what has worked for me and how long it has held up. Im with steve same people jump in feed the same bs. and im sorry but i will say what i have done and im more than honest about the outcome. So you can just f>>k off dude go rub one out . Not everyone can do it your way or the expensive way. How did i give bad advice when you dont even know the deck height of the block. I do because i ran that block. So yet again you prove you are an a$$.

 

I'm out...this is gay.

 

lmao . Sorry steve. I know im one of the contributors to this but $h*t head keeps running his mouth i wont let that happen.

 

You are another guy hat continually posts bad advice. You can call it BS or feel free to respond to any posts I make. You c an call it a pissing match but I am not going to stand by and see bad advice, IMO, go unchallenged. This is what you stated,
"I would say that if you stick with the cam you have"
And I replied what I did. Also, I do not think a cam with .520 lift will be OK with stock rockers.

 

Good, your information is often incorrect and your advice bad. IMHO.

 

It is a sure sign that you are wrong when you call me names. Stock pistons do not sit that far down. Find one instance where I insulted another member or posted incorrect information. I post my opinion, and qualify it with "IMHO" or "IMO". I got into a sinmilar arguement with John (Eightupman) who owns OldsPower. Maybe he will chime in on how that turned out. I really do not understand why doing things the correct way is so disputed. It is one of the reasons that we are so looked down on by the Buick and Pontiac boys.

 

No, I said "if you stick with the cam you have, or smaller"...meaning if you stick with .520 lift or smaller you can "GET AWAY" with stock rocker arms. Gee, you don't read crap do you? And I'm giving bad advice? Really?

Have you ever run stock rockers on a .520 lift cam out of necessity? No, because your head is so far up your own *** you would never think to. I have run it, and it runs fine for many years. Sometimes you have to use what you've got...not everyone has $4,000 to throw into a POS 350 HP 355 like you do.

You're a jerk, you're hard headed, and you will never see anyone else's experience as valid because you can't get over yourself. Stick with the fishing, it is obviously where you belong...I don't think you play well with others. "IMHO"

I knew there was a reason I had you on my ignore list for a while...time to put you back in the closet.

 

Let's stop stirring the pot and throwing insults and stick to the topic, please...
In my experience here, I found there to be no 'cheap' build (or rebuild). Either it is leave it alone (if still running) or cover all of your bases (which costs $$) to do it right the first time.

 

Jim I'm sorry but almost every block I checked the pistons sat.020 + in the cylinders. Others can chime in. But just like olds claims 64cc's on all sb heads but they are actually more I'm pretty sure I aint wrong.

 

I concur.

I've only checked three, but they were all 0.020-0.025" down at all four corners.

- Eric

 

I'm sure he will find a way to get around the fact he was wrong. Again im sorry to nunya but everytime anyone post something the same people come one here and start the same crap. saying someone else is wrong for Putting in their 2 cents which i usually an opinion but apperantly opinions are wrong. Just put these people on your ignore list we all know who their are . I will hit ignore once he see's what i have posted and how he was wrong and go from there. I encourage people to ignore him as he will bash your build tell you you cant do it or you need more money or a cheaper hobby. Nunya I think you will be fine. Keep pressing on I did the same thing you are doing and my engine lasted 5k miles and 45 1/4 mile runs I might add a very hard 5k miles Which in turn turned out ti be a year. Im happy it blew up because i learned what works what does not and how hard i can push stuff. Jim just seems to focus on the fact it took out two bearings and cracked 4 piston skirts it didnt really blow up. Fact it i ran 13.3's @ 103 mph on 3300 carb to oil pan .

 

I agree, and stated it earlier in this thread. I have no problem upgrading a known good running engine, but once you tear it down do it right or it can be a disaster.

 

If you add up half the stroke, 1.6925, add the rod length, 6.00" and the published piston cd of 1.612 you get right around 9.304. Avg deck height for a virgin 350 is normally around 9.325-9.330. I think we can all do the math.

The only thing I will say is if it runs o.k, then leave it alone. Once you pull it apart and do a cheapo rebuild you leave yourself open for failure. Sometimes it works out, but most times it doesn't.

Jmo.

 

Stock piston has p/h of 1.615. 1.615 + 6" rod length + 1.6925 (half of stroke) = 9.3065, call it 9.307. Subtract that from deck height of 9.325 = .018. If deck heaight is 9.330, that is .023. So, pistons should sit down .018-.023 +/- Whack .015 off and use a shim gasket with sloppy pistons, bigger cam, and milled heads and I bet you something hits. Also, you suggested decking the block to increase compression, cutting .015 costs $125 and increases Cr by .2. In your opinion on a budget build is that a cost effective upgrade?

 

Like i said that block he has the pistons sat @ .025. Yep cheaper than a new cam that is cost effective. Again i suggested to deck the block not that he is going to do it because i said so. now you are going on about .018 this and .023 that. Those pistons sat .025 in the hole. I know that because i measured them. That is my old block i sold him. Just get over it dude you where wrong. You read too much into stuff and go off at the mouth in this case the key board . You see you assume too much you assume that block is junk. It actually came out of a 45k mile car I ran it one season and was still in great shape. how do you know his pistons are sloppy. You can assume all you want but it dont make it so.

 

I'm glad you are happy that your engine blew up (your words). Most fellas would not be. Bottom line, the engine failed after 5,000 miles. Most would not consider that to be a success. Please show us where I told any member to get a cheaper hobby. I stated that performance cars are not cheap. You continue to give the same bad advice based on two builds, one of which blew up (again, your words). I have built engines and raced cars for over 30 years. Ive seen, and made, plenty of mistakes. Let the members decide who they will take advice from. I have zero problems with anyone disputing things I have stated. Tell me what I said, and what you disagree with.

 

So, you are stating that by bumping the compression from 8.4 to 1 to 8.6 to 1, it would then be OK to run a lazy 224/235 cam in a 350? Hysterical. You do this all the time, keep digging the hole deeper.

 

I didnt tell him to run that cam . he also said he was doing the heads how do you not know he is milling them . he will get 9.15 to 1 compression if he gets the heads to 64 cc's with a .022 shim gaskte but most say they are thinner.

 

Or, he could take the $250 bucks for all that milling and get a decent cam. My impression was that he was spending nothing on machine work for the block. By stating "cheaper than a new cam" pretty much says that you are saying it os OK to use the one he has.

 

Jim you are the only one arguing anything do you realize that?

 

I am not arguing with anyone. I am not calling anyone names for cursing at them, you and "Pilot" are. I am simply giving my opinions, and when disagreeing with a post giving the reason why.

 

You disagree with anyone unless they agree with you so why dont we just call this captjim show and kiss some @$$ and not have minds of our own.

 

Copper, put him on your ignore list and be done with it. He is a troll and will always be one. He won't curse, or use foul language...that is trolling at its finest. He is uneducated, and lacks the ability to comprehend what he reads. Leave it at that, and let him get his rocks off trolling someone else.

There's a reason this picture exists...it's from people like him.

 

WOW! I'm learning so much! Please continue. (SARCASM)

Actually i have gleaned a few pearls of wisdom out of the pile of crap.
you get what you pay for, and going cheap WILL NOT LAST AS LONG AS A FULL REBUILD. I GET IT. OKAY?
5 years would be a smashing success. $1000 engine divided by 5 years equals how many dollars per year? Please tell me I'm to stupid to figure it out. DUH!
I could buy a 455 right now and drop it in for $500, but I'm having fun with this, and pushing a friend to get off his A** and finish his car.

Now then all the people who want me to spend 1.5- 4K on an engine GTFO of my thread. I have heard your point of view, and am changing my build somewhat, but PLEASE STFU, AND LEAVE. (thank you for your concern, and input.)

2. I AM NOT USING THE 496/520 CAM IN THIS BUILD.
Originally i had planned to put flat tops in. I AM NOT doing that now. so the Cam would be overkill.
2A. reason two for not putting the cam in. IT WOULD COST ME MORE THAN BUYING A SMALLER CAM. I would need to replace the rear Diff, and put in a higher stall torque convertor. For the price of those parts i can buy a Cam and related parts that are better suited to my POS Engine.

FYI I'm also working a deal to get some different Tires and wheels for the car, and getting rid of the draglites. It will save me money on having to change out wheel studs and lugnuts.

and as a final note this low buck build is being watched, and checked over by an ASE Certified Mechanic with 30+ years of experience. he know what i want out of it, knows it is LOW Buck, and agrees with the cam change, and reason for the change. Pretty much said i wouldn't have let you get that far without saying something
(I'm at the point of putting the bottom end together for Christ sake.)

I the OP asked for advice on GASKETS, BEARINGS and TIMING GEARS.
I got told by a couple people to more or less give up and just find a new hobby. I do have other Hobbies. I carve wood for one and sold a walking sticks for $50 and up.

My father always said "If you don't have anything good to say about a person say nothing at all."

I'll end this by saying there are a few people here i don't have much to say about.

 

Our site needs to be a place people go to get information concerning their builds and they should be able to do that without wading through posts that have insults and cursing whether it is 'bleeped' out or not. The intention is fully understood that people are more interested in arguing than presenting their viewpoint. Do you guys really think others pay attention to your viewpoint whether it is correct or not when you scream, holler, and curse at each other? No need to get personal no matter how low your opinion is of another member. If you want to argue then go to the PM mode and do it privately. If you want others to read your viewpoint, listen to it and believe it then present your facts and let it go. If there is differing opinions and those people really are interested in your viewpoint then they will ask you for clarification either in the thread or via a PM.