Thread: Have heads (kind of) now what?

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Well, I'd like to know what would be best then take my time collecting up all the parts. Cost is a factor to be sure, but I dont want to cheap out on this project. I havn't thought too much about it yet. I have noticed you can buy a ready to build 383 short block all day for $1800 FWIW. I'd like to get a "wish list" together then look for deals on the forums and such. Alot of good deals out here if your patient.

As far as MPG, I want to be able to drive this thing around town, even to and from work occationally (20 mile round trip) and I know its not going to be cheap. I know 20 is out of the question but I need better than 10.

I regret putting that tire smoking comment in there, I was trying (poorly) to make a point. I'd rather it hook up.

I'm starting to lean towards a 9~9.5:1 compression 383 or 406 with good throttle response if I can get there with these heads.

Thanks again,
Sean

Originally posted by MadMax
...How much money do you want to spend? How far is mileage required? Going over 400 or so HP will kill your mileage, because to achieve 400 you'll have the power band in pretty high RPMs. And you'll need a loose converter to get those wheels spinning with the torque peak up so high. When you've answered these two questions we can start giving you real advice. But we're getting there,

Max

PS: you can only chose two of the following: cheap, good, fast.

@ erik,
I don't think it's much use building anything that isn't highly efficient. That means good power with as least waste of fuel and money on not needed parts as possible. I'm not saying that a 600 HP motor can be fed on as little gas as a 200 HP motor can. Mostly things that make engines fuel efficient are the same things that make them go fast, because the fuel efficiency comes from a better burning process and preciser spark and valve event timing (etcetc...), which in turn gives more power. Even Winston Cup engines are designed to be fuel efficient. OK, they might only get 5 mpg at WOT, but with hundreds of HP and loads of torque that certainly is a kind of effiency, considering that many badly built 350s only get 15 mpg and have much less than a third of the power a winston Cup car has.
Quite apart from that, I guess 80% of the users have a couple of questions about timing their dailys, replacing a 305 for a 350 in their pickup, building a tiresmoker that sometimes sees the strip, but should also go to work every day... I'm not denying this is a forum intended for hotrodders. But here are also many people just wanting to learn a few things here and there (like me) without ending up spending 5k on an engine that burns their winter tires to a frazzle in a quarter second. But that's just my opinion, no offence meant.
Greets, Max

Originally posted by MadMax
@ erik,
I don't think it's much use building anything that isn't highly efficient. That means good power with as least waste of fuel and money on not needed parts as possible. I'm not saying that a 600 HP motor can be fed on as little gas as a 200 HP motor can. Mostly things that make engines fuel efficient are the same things that make them go fast, because the fuel efficiency comes from a better burning process and preciser spark and valve event timing (etcetc...), which in turn gives more power. Even Winston Cup engines are designed to be fuel efficient. OK, they might only get 5 mpg at WOT, but with hundreds of HP and loads of torque that certainly is a kind of effiency, considering that many badly built 350s only get 15 mpg and have much less than a third of the power a winston Cup car has.
Quite apart from that, I guess 80% of the users have a couple of questions about timing their dailys, replacing a 305 for a 350 in their pickup, building a tiresmoker that sometimes sees the strip, but should also go to work every day... I'm not denying this is a forum intended for hotrodders. But here are also many people just wanting to learn a few things here and there (like me) without ending up spending 5k on an engine that burns their winter tires to a frazzle in a quarter second. But that's just my opinion, no offence meant.
Greets, Max

YOU SEE THAT IS WHERE WE ARE DIFFERENT I AM VERY (OLD SCHOOL).TO ME HOT RODDING IS ALL ABOUT BIGGER,BETTER FASTER, EVOLUTION OF ANY AND ALL KINDS ON ANY AND ALL PARTS.IF I CARED ABOUT FUEL EFFICIENCY I WOULD NOT HAVE A BLOWN 540 BBC,TO ME IT IS ABOUT A CONCEPT OF POWER.IF I WANT SOMETHING THAT HAS FUEL EFFICIENCY I WILL DRIVE MY WIFE'S AMERICAN MADE V-TEC. HONDA ACCORD.I TRULY THINK PEOPLE HAVE LOST THE WHOLE IDEA OF WHAT ( HOT RODDING) IS.TO ME IT REALLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A CHEVY VAN WITH A 350 IN IT.

OK, here is probably the best thing you can do: get the book "How to build maximum performance Chevy smallblocks on a budget" by David Vizard and build by the book. All his combinations are dyno-tested and the most sophisticated of machines and everything is detailed nicely. The end of the book has "10 best engine combos" in it, all for under 3000 bucks complete. And considering you have the blocks and the heads, you're going to look at a lot less than that. If you want a stout 350, a racing 383 or a "full tilt" 406, it's in there and your heads are most likely going to bring you some advantage over the ones he uses (186s, BUT fully ported). Anything I could say to help you for your range of application is in this book. So go get it





@ erik:
putting a 350 in a van certainly isn't hotrodding. But in this forum you get very good advice nonetheless, so why shouldn't I hang around here even if my current project isn't a Hotrod? Let's just forget the squabble and help anyone who needs help in any way, that would be my suggestion

Alrighty then.

Think I'll do engine #5 - "mix-and-match street 400"

Gotta love Dave...

Sean

Originally posted by MadMax
OK, here is probably the best thing you can do: get the book "How to build maximum performance Chevy smallblocks on a budget" by David Vizard and build by the book.

Originally posted by MadMax
OK, here is probably the best thing you can do: get the book "How to build maximum performance Chevy smallblocks on a budget" by David Vizard and build by the book. All his combinations are dyno-tested and the most sophisticated of machines and everything is detailed nicely. The end of the book has "10 best engine combos" in it, all for under 3000 bucks complete. And considering you have the blocks and the heads, you're going to look at a lot less than that. If you want a stout 350, a racing 383 or a "full tilt" 406, it's in there and your heads are most likely going to bring you some advantage over the ones he uses (186s, BUT fully ported). Anything I could say to help you for your range of application is in this book. So go get it





@ erik:
putting a 350 in a van certainly isn't hotrodding. But in this forum you get very good advice nonetheless, so why shouldn't I hang around here even if my current project isn't a Hotrod? Let's just forget the squabble and help anyone who needs help in any way, that would be my suggestion

I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO BY HELPING PEOPLE.THE POST YOU MADE ABOUT THE PISTONS SEALING THE BORE WAS UN-TRUE. IT IS THE PISTON RINGS THAT DO THIS.FOR THE MOST PART EVERYTHING YOU HAVE POSTED HAS BEEN CORRECT. WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IS I DO THIS FOR A LIVING.I HAVE AN APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE.I ALSO AM RECOGNIZED BY THE A.E.R.A WHICH STANDS FOR AUTOMOTIVE ENGINE REBUILDERS ASSOCIATION. I AM ALSO RECOGNIZED BY THE A.S.E WHICH STANDS FOR AUTOMOTIVE SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS IN MANY DIFFERENT AREA'S.I FIRST READ DAVID VIZARD'S BOOK IN 1983 I WAS 15 THEN.DAVID VIZARD IS AN AUTHOR AND HIS BOOKS ARE A LITTLE BIT OUT DATED.I DID FIND SOME OF HIS ARTICLES INTERESTING.THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US IS I BUILD ENGINES FOR A LIVING. I REALLY DON'T READ THAT MANY BOOKS BECAUSE I FIND A LOT OF THE IMFORMATION TO BE FALSE.OVER THE YEARS I HAVE TRIED MANY DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS MOST OF THEM DON'T APPEAR IN ANY BOOK.IF I AM NOT BUILDING ENGINES I AM EITHER AT THE TRACK,RUNNING A CNC MACHINE,FLOWING HEADS OR TAKING SOME SORT OF CLASSES.I ALSO MAKE POSTS ON HERE JUST TO GET PEOPLE TO THINK A LITTLE(OUTSIDE THE BOX).