Is it worth the trouble?
October 23rd, 2016, 08:02 PM
#41
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 719
Idiots is how LOL The L78 Car Craft dynoed the engine, and it made 450, then they slapped a set of headers on it and got 500. The part about aluminum heads on the L78 is wrong. They were steel and produced more power, than the identical heads in aluminum. The aluminum head "option" was called the L79
October 23rd, 2016, 08:10 PM
#42
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 383
11 to 1 forged piston. Aluminum intake. 780 holley, and solid lifters, large square intakes ports and large valves. Forged Rods with 7/16 rod bolts, forged crankshaft, 4 bolt mains. Smokey slapped a set headers on one and hit something like 186, at the Salt Flats. Then there was Grump..
The Grump selected the SS396 model with the RPO L78 option. Announced in January 1967, several months after the Camaro’s launch, it featured a 396ci big-block V-8 rated at 375 hp and was offered only with the Muncie four-speed transmission and 12-bolt rearend. With a four-bolt block, rectangular-port aluminum heads, an 11.0:1 compression ratio, and a solid lifter cam, the L78 was essentially a smaller-displacement version of the 427ci, 425hp L72 package sold in Corvettes and fullsize Chevrolets. It was rated well below its potential, and by Indy that year, Jenkins had the combination thoroughly dialed in.
The ’67 U.S. Nationals featured one of the deepest fields of factory-backed Super Stock teams ever assembled. The Ford camp included Hubert Platt, Dick Brannan, Ed Terry, Dyno Don Nicholson, and Fast Eddie Schartman. The Chrysler contingent was led by three Plymouths from Sox and Martin and two Dodges from Dick Landy. The Fords were knocked out in the early rounds, leaving Grumpy surrounded by an army of Mopars as he marched up through the ladder. Jenkins had to eliminate two Sox and Martin cars himself in successive rounds before facing Bob Brown’s SS/A ’65 Plymouth A990 race Hemi in the final. Jenkins rocked the clocks with an 11.55 at nearly 116 mph, winning the first Indy Super Stock Eliminator crown.
The Grump selected the SS396 model with the RPO L78 option. Announced in January 1967, several months after the Camaro’s launch, it featured a 396ci big-block V-8 rated at 375 hp and was offered only with the Muncie four-speed transmission and 12-bolt rearend. With a four-bolt block, rectangular-port aluminum heads, an 11.0:1 compression ratio, and a solid lifter cam, the L78 was essentially a smaller-displacement version of the 427ci, 425hp L72 package sold in Corvettes and fullsize Chevrolets. It was rated well below its potential, and by Indy that year, Jenkins had the combination thoroughly dialed in.
The ’67 U.S. Nationals featured one of the deepest fields of factory-backed Super Stock teams ever assembled. The Ford camp included Hubert Platt, Dick Brannan, Ed Terry, Dyno Don Nicholson, and Fast Eddie Schartman. The Chrysler contingent was led by three Plymouths from Sox and Martin and two Dodges from Dick Landy. The Fords were knocked out in the early rounds, leaving Grumpy surrounded by an army of Mopars as he marched up through the ladder. Jenkins had to eliminate two Sox and Martin cars himself in successive rounds before facing Bob Brown’s SS/A ’65 Plymouth A990 race Hemi in the final. Jenkins rocked the clocks with an 11.55 at nearly 116 mph, winning the first Indy Super Stock Eliminator crown.
BUT, this conversation is good because it highlights torque. Torque multiplies with gearing, horsepower does not.
If you want a good cruising car, especially when you have long highway roads with 55-65mph, overdrive is your friend. You don't need the torque to cruise for long extended periods of time. You're just wasting gas after that.
Torque gets you going, horsepower wins races. I don't care what Joe Mondello said.
October 23rd, 2016, 08:26 PM
#43
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 719
Oh I agree, that is not all about what he wanted, but a 3.42 would probably be good for him and a good cheap hot rod tune up on timing and fuel. But change out that plastic timing gear LOL He would be amazed at how that car would run, and even more so with a newer over drive transmission.
Its all about torque not horse power. He wants torque well I offered him a simple, fast, and easy way to have all he could dream of, and still be like a factory car.
Small blocks have out run big blocks for eons, just because of lower gears=torque.
Its all about torque not horse power. He wants torque well I offered him a simple, fast, and easy way to have all he could dream of, and still be like a factory car.
Small blocks have out run big blocks for eons, just because of lower gears=torque.
October 23rd, 2016, 09:03 PM
#44
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 383
Oh I agree, that is not all about what he wanted, but a 3.42 would probably be good for him and a good cheap hot rod tune up on timing and fuel. But change out that plastic timing gear LOL He would be amazed at how that car would run, and even more so with a newer over drive transmission.
Its all about torque not horse power. He wants torque well I offered him a simple, fast, and easy way to have all he could dream of, and still be like a factory car.
Small blocks have out run big blocks for eons, just because of lower gears=torque.
Its all about torque not horse power. He wants torque well I offered him a simple, fast, and easy way to have all he could dream of, and still be like a factory car.
Small blocks have out run big blocks for eons, just because of lower gears=torque.
October 26th, 2016, 03:49 PM
#46
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 139
I have done both, rebuilt the olds 350 and spiced it up and then gone and spiced up a 455.
Hard to build a motor for cheap. If you do your 350, you know it, it runs. Do the heads older not #8s. Have them scanned for cracks. I would put the larger valves, hardened seats, new guides, some mild porting. Scrap the smog intake, you can find a non smog cast four barrel intake cheap. Or buy an aftermarket better flowing intake and a new carb. Go with a different carb, update the timing chain and gears from the crap plastic stock setup.
Personally I would replace the main and rod bearings... Back in the 70s lower end overhauls (mains and rod bearings) were what an every 40k event?
You mentioned it is dueled out. Did you go with headers? Or just cap off the cross over hole on the passenger manifold?
Change the gear ratio to a 3:23 or the most you would want to go to would be 3:42. Put in a posi either way.
Hard to build a motor for cheap. If you do your 350, you know it, it runs. Do the heads older not #8s. Have them scanned for cracks. I would put the larger valves, hardened seats, new guides, some mild porting. Scrap the smog intake, you can find a non smog cast four barrel intake cheap. Or buy an aftermarket better flowing intake and a new carb. Go with a different carb, update the timing chain and gears from the crap plastic stock setup.
Personally I would replace the main and rod bearings... Back in the 70s lower end overhauls (mains and rod bearings) were what an every 40k event?
You mentioned it is dueled out. Did you go with headers? Or just cap off the cross over hole on the passenger manifold?
Change the gear ratio to a 3:23 or the most you would want to go to would be 3:42. Put in a posi either way.
October 26th, 2016, 03:54 PM
#47
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 139
A mild boost in compression and a little more cam timing is all it takes to wake up the '72-'76 350. And the '72-'76 engine is the same good casting with solid webs as the 350 back to '68. The Th700r4 would actually be the biggest bang for the buck, however. And with care your Olds will last longer then any other engine from that era IMO.
October 26th, 2016, 05:22 PM
#48
Out of Line, Everytime😉
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Melville, Saskatchewan
Posts: 9,140
I ran my '74 Olds 350 for 500000 miles before a rebuild due to weak compression. Ran my '66 326 Pontiac for 292,000 miles. My luck wasn't unique with my Olds either. My brother sold an identical Cutlass with about 350000 on an untouched 350 except for valve cover and intake gaskets.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
