Thread: first time builder chevy 350 help!

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hello i am new at the hole car thing however i would like to build a chevy 350. I am not a total retard mechanicly however i have never built an engine and would like to do so. i was wondering if any of you could recomend a good book or manuel to help me on my way. I am going to build this engine from the block up goin to the junk yard tomarow to pick up a block and then to the machine shop to get it bore out .030 over. after that i have almost no idea what i am doing.

thanks please help.

ps. i would like to get the as much power out of this engine as possible which im sure is usless to say isent that what we are all after.

One of the best

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...Ntt=book+chevy

Thats the one

If you run into any problems after reading the book post your questions here. They helped me alot. I also would search the old posts I think Streets posted a list of things to do and not to do when rebuilding an engine.

thanks guys for all of your help

today i was running around looking for a block when i stumbeld into this guys shop, who told me that it was not nessesary to use a 4 bolt main. he said that i should try to keep things simple for my first build, and that with a 2 bolt i could get 400 hp with out any problems with the block.

this guys shop is not oppen to the public, however he told me that he would set me up with a block and parts, and give me some pointers on how to build my engin. the reason why it is not open to the public is because he builds races cars and has a contract with a chevy dealership to inspect ther pre owned cars only to fund his racing. his shop is huge and he does have a ton of parts and blocks laying around but im not sure if i can trust him thats kinda what i was goin to ask you guys about. the way i see it is he is eather a con man or a nice old guy who wants to help out some kid with his first engine. ( when i say kid im not really a kid but to a 60 year old guy a 23 year old is a kid). he said he would set me up with a block and parts and set it aside and let me take some as i pay. sorry about the rambling ill stop now.

last question is is it a bad idea to buy used pistons?

thank you for your help i baught that book online today should be hear soon i also leared about when to take the block to the shop for boring.

Originally posted by timmytown
today i was running around looking for a block when i stumbeld into this guys shop, who told me that it was not nessesary to use a 4 bolt main. he said that i should try to keep things simple for my first build, and that with a 2 bolt i could get 400 hp with out any problems with the block.

He is correct, If you can afford the 4 bolt main then buy it and not look back at the 2 bolt main

Originally posted by timmytown

this guys shop is not oppen to the public, however he told me that he would set me up with a block and parts, and give me some pointers on how to build my engin. the reason why it is not open to the public is because he builds races cars and has a contract with a chevy dealership to inspect ther pre owned cars only to fund his racing. his shop is huge and he does have a ton of parts and blocks laying around but im not sure if i can trust him thats kinda what i was goin to ask you guys about. the way i see it is he is eather a con man or a nice old guy who wants to help out some kid with his first engine. ( when i say kid im not really a kid but to a 60 year old guy a 23 year old is a kid). he said he would set me up with a block and parts and set it aside and let me take some as i pay. sorry about the rambling ill stop now.

You can ask around before doing business with the guy and see what his reputation is like, chances are if his shop is that big he is not a con man but in reality being nice to you since you stumbled in and are doing a first time engine build. You probally will get better prices from him too

This is my thoughts and not a guarentee that he is a con man.

You can ask him to sell you parts as you progress and take them from his shop to where you are doing the rebuild

Originally posted by timmytown

last question is is it a bad idea to buy used pistons?

The cost of new pistons vs buying used ones is not that much in todays market and is a Very Bad idea unless you have the equipment to check the used pistons especially if they had been installed and ran in another engine...

Some people have bought new pistons and then decided to buy a different set or accidentally had a 2nd delivered and want to sell them.. Check the internet for piston prices...

I myself right at the time I am typeing this have a block at a mechine shop being bored .30 over and I am dealing with a shop that does not deal directly with the public and so far I have had no problems with the shop, I am also being given a better price on parts from him then I would get at the local speed shops

thanks for all the help guys!!!!! i have desided to go with a 4 bolt main. what is the going price for a 4 bolt? also i have been looking around the net for pistons and i am confused what is a there is a ton of them i no that i would like to have 10 to one compression i think and i can find plenty of pistons to accomidate that however i dont know what a good name brand is. is there a standerd with pistons like there is with say exhaust meaning i know that flow master is a good exhaust but i dont know what the hell is the standerd with pistons.

p.s i would like to keep it relitivly easy on the pocket book but not buy crap.

The Guys are telling you right by saying if you can afford a 4 bolt ,buy it.However it depends on what you are going to do with it.I get the feeling you are working with a limited budget. if you just want a good street engine that you can take to the drags every now and then, a2 bolt will work just fine .You should be able ....to build a 350 horse 2 bolt with ease.If you want more than that go with the 4 bolt. good luck

Timmytown, I think everyone here has given you some very sound advice. I want to direct this mainly to you and techinspector1. Techinspector1, It is clear to me that you are very knowledgible and I do understand Your Loose thread point. Let me try this one on you.I have two 355 race motors. they are both 4 bolt main blocks.But , I have every thing else to go with It ,Steel crank , Manley pro series pistons, comp cam , cloyes trueroller with torrington bearing,total seal rings ,plate honed, parralled block, Every piston .005 in the hole, balanced,Brodix track 1 heads, Victor Jr and too much carburator. You get the picture. when you get to this point you have to have everthing, Good headers,good exhaust, rear,Good convertor,if you use an automatic,I dont. Suspension,ignition, On and on and on.Im sure you know all of this. Now ,Lets go back to Tim.He proberly Didnt know the difference in a 2 bolt and a 4 bolt a week ago, and thats O.K. He is just getting started.He has told us he is on a limited budget, and much of it he will have to pay as he goes. I would suggest he build a 9.5 to 10to 1 motor that he can use pump gas , dont use anymore cam than about 270 duration 465 or so lift. You can buy complete 350 rebuild kit from Carolina auto supply in Charlotte for $200.00 You have to have an Automotive Business and be tax exempt to deal with them so he might have to pay the man something over to order the kit for him.You have to pay extra to upgrade the cam over stock. also upgrade to a good true-roller timing set.I have built this engine at least a haft dozen times and it makes agood little street engine .You do not have to buy a converter ,its fun to drive on the street. take the 150.00 or so dollars you are saving by not buying a 4-bolt and spend it on balancing the engine,or buy a set of headers Better valve springs,or whatever. You should not have 1500.00 in the whole thing.Put in in something and go have fun NOW.Worry about a 4-bolt when you start getting serious. IN 15000 words or less. Thats all Ive got to say folks! Have a good Evening.

Hey riverhorse59 you are just down the road from me, we need to get together sometime since I can use feedback on my project. You are right about the $1500 range and that is about what a GoodWrench 350 costs. I went the 2-bolt route because I already had the block and I found out that circle track racers using 400 SBC prefer 2-bolts because the 4-bolt main cap bolts make holes in the bottom of the cylinders due to the larger bore of the 400 cylinders. In the case of the 350 the 4-bolt is probably stronger, but hey the 327s wound up pretty tight with only 2-bolt mains and I am budget limited to about 270 H.P. so while I have not run my engine yet I am content that the 2-bolt will be plenty adequate for my needs. For Timmytown I would say that I worried about poor gas and kept my C.R. to 9:1 with a mild Crane street cam and amazingly with a 700 R4 four-speed trans I will be running in the range 1800-2200 rpm a lot of the time. So far I have found Joe Butler of Joe's Machine shop in Ashland to be an expert with years of circle-track racing under his belt and a friendly person more honest than many mechanics I have dealt with over the years (and I have dealt with some strange and shady folks over the years, I recall one guy who even boasted "I fooled you again!", but probably he was an unbalanced person.). Anyway if you find a 4-bolt block it should not be much more expensive than a 2-bolt and the trade-in value is only about $50 more, so build a 4-bolt if you find it, but with a 4-speed auto trans and not planning on competitive racing, a 2-bolt should be as good as whatever stress a 327 handled! I am well aware of bench-racing comments where you have to have the best of everything to be top dog, but I am putting more emphasis on what works reliably with just a touch of vulgar chrome accessories for fun, but I know my limits of workmanship and AMBR is not even in my mind, I just want something that looks good from a distance and runs reliably and may even be fairly "quick" with that 3.06 low gear in the 700 R4.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder, Ashland Va

Don, I have known Joe for many many years . Use to race stock cars aganist his car, Just called him at home tonight. Over the years he has done a lot of machine work for me. Twenty years ago Joe use to work for LT1 S10 who is also a good friend and now lives a 100 miles west of here.

Heres an idea, if your not sure what you really want or NEED, check into crate motors, you may be suprised what kind of deals you can find. Good luck

well guys i have finely made a decision, im goin to go with a two bolt main, not just because it is cheeper but because i have decided to drop it into my 1970 toyota land cruiser. i hope you guys will still help me out even though im not building a hot rod any more. i decided for my first engine i want to keep simple maybe a cam and good after marcket pistons and so on. the cruiser already has a 4.3 liter fule injected chevy V6 but i want to go a little biger. another reason why is because the kit for the 4.3 is also compatible with the 350 so i can bolt the 350 right in. my crusier also has a turbo 350 trany so i dont have to go and buy one of thoes. it will be the cheapest and easyist way to build and put in an engine.

to answer the question how many engines am i goin to build well as many as i can. right now i want to build my toyota an engine and after that i plan to build another 350 and put it in a hot rod.

thanks guys for all the help im sure i will need more. oh yeah i foud a torque wrench at wall mart for like 20 bucks should i scoop it up or go buy a snap on or craftsman.

Can you use a clicker type torque wrench for rolling torque?

Also I would suguest that you check prices more than one place...........The old say is if its to good to be true than it probably isn't.