Thread: Cubic Inches = Ahead In The Game

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I have been seeing a lot of guys wanting to build small engines.(smaller than 350cid) One question for you.

1. WHY????

A-1. I'm restoring a #'s matiching vehicle.
A-2. I'm building a 8,000 RPM screamer.
A-3. The engine has sentimental value.

If none of those three answers matched yours, your wasting time and money. If someone gives you a small cube engine, you still come out behind. After you bore, rebuilld, and reassemble the engine, you still don't have a 350. You could have saved that money and bought a 350 and have more than what you just built.

Cubic inches is where your power is at. Unless you have a 4-speed and a 2000lb car, anything under 350cid should be left where you found it. Buying a used, running 350 is money better spent. That's a worst case scenerio. The better idea is to get a 350 block and build a 383. With the aftermarket the way it is, the 350/383 is identical in price. For what it used to cost to get a crank turned, you can buy a new cast 383 crank. That puts you 33 more cubic inches ahead in the game, which on a stock built engine, will equal up to about 20 extra horses and a likewise amount of torque. You will feel that lowend when your pulling, towing, climbing, etc,. It makes a notable difference. The 383 can be built just as stock as the 350 that came in the vehicles. There is hardly a downside to this build, with plenty to gain. These engines are dependable, easily buildable, and plenty reliable.

If your going to spend money on a engine, spend it wisely. Stroking a 350 in stock form will give better results than adding a cam, intake, etc. to a 350 in a heavy vehicle or towing rig.

The performance usage engines are much more reliable and streetable when you use cubes to make your power instead of radical combinations. If you build a 1-hp per cubic inch engine, you will have a very long lasting, streetable, performance engine and the more cubes, the better.

Just remember, a 327 is 23 cubic inches behind a 350 and if you put $250 worth of cam and intake on it, you still don't have nothing but a 327.

It's your money, your choice. Build what YOU want. I am just giving advice on why to stay away from small cube engines.

yes that is why i have nothing smaller that 548 this for gas MPG and the 630+ cid just if i need to get there fast

So, just plain ol' wanting to does not count as a reason in your book? And what about, ohhhh, doing something new, something someone else has not. What about those guys in GN's running faster than many around with thier little turbo 6cyl motors? I believe CI's are the easier route as well, but I also feel that you, as a single individual, have no room to come in here and tell everyone that there are only three pre-set reasons as to why they should build anything below 350CI.

I personally, feel that you wasted time and money making this thread. You paid for the internet connection to do it with, and you wasted the time writing it. See how opinions differ?

Big cubes are cool, awesome and convenient, but being closed-minded and one sided is not.

Good point, RJ/CJ!! I like big cubes too, but to say that is the only way to go is a bit narrow minded. Some folks like the smaller cube motors. I've personally owned some very hard charging small blocks in Mustangs, Mavericks, and Pintos. Lots of folks only want decent power, and don't want the big cubes, heavy front weight and poor gas mileage. I suppose for those with unlimited funds the big blocks are very worthwhile. Others opt for lighter cars with good handling and respectable fuel mileage. I've had both and have learned to let the proposed use of the car dictate the size of the engine!!! JMO

Heck, some people think chebby is the only engine built!!! To me such narrow minded thinking doesn't allow them to play with a lot of other good combinations....

Put a couple of turbos on it and a small block is better than the big block for power and RPMs. Look at the dyno numbers for a turbo charged 350 vs turbo charged 327 or 283. The smaller cubes show better HP.
350=650HP@6500rpm
283=690HP@7000rpm
Saw the twin turbo 350 against big block that shook the ground and the 350 smoked him running 5 second 1/8 8 sec 1/4 170 mph.(set the track record for 1/8th)

Yup, and the small blocks with the belt driven superchargers and a small shot of nitrous aren't exactly a slouch, either!!!

do not take me to serous. but he has a point . i see you small block guy want to add a turbos to make more hp?? ok add that to the price of your small block? i see no one said any thing about a V6? put two turbos on one of them and look at the numers? you have a to make up you minds . if you build a small engine and dump 15.000 i hope for you it makes hp for you. but if you are goning big block killingYOU BETTER HAVE A BIG GUN think for low rpm.s hi tq ?on blowers or turbos they may fail or small part that may not take the hp and the rpm for very long if. you want to take TQ lets talk 810 out of a 10-1 632 no more than6500? and how about 590 tq at 2000rpm ??? or how about a 540 with two turbos bulit one hopeing two see some dyno numbers on this. i see you guy want to grab the bottle to? ok how about a very mild 468 with a small blower and a small shot of NOS all stock stuff but a cam and and a bowl job O port heads and 1880 ex valves and a set of pistons any takers. at this point what would you have to do to the small block?and how much stock stuff can you ues i would not say never build a small block or build this my way or you are sure to go to hell. build what you want have fun

First, let me repeat what others have said...Build what you want and have fun.

But the main idea of the thread has a lot of truth to it. The is no substitute for cubic inches. Anything that you can add to a smaller engine you can add to a larger one. I'm seriously not trying to offend anyone, but the 305 build ups make me scratch my head when a 350 would make more power for the same money. And this is true no matter if it's GM, Ford or Chrysler. The one difference with a Ford is the size of a 351 vs a 302. But why would anyone build a 318 when there are still plenty of 360's???

I'm not against being different. I think V-6's are interesting and can save a lot of space if packaging is difficult. And with Vortech and Eaton making superchargers for these engines, you can still make good power. But, would you really expect to beat a big block can with any kind of work done to it? It isn't happening.

Look, we all build different cars in different ways and for different reasons. When gas prices shot up around $3 and it appeared there would be no end in site, I seriously started to consider a 3.8L V-6 with a Eaton supercharger. While I wouldn't make the same power as a V-8, the gas mileage would have been just a little better. With prices stabilizing in the short term, I back to building a stroked Gen III small block that will have 402 CI. Why? Because there's no substitute for cubic inches.

Originally posted by camaro_fever68
I have been seeing a lot of guys wanting to build small engines.(smaller than 350cid) One question for you.

1. WHY????

A-1. I'm restoring a #'s matiching vehicle.
A-2. I'm building a 8,000 RPM screamer.
A-3. The engine has sentimental value.

If none of those three answers matched yours, your wasting time and money. If someone gives you a small cube engine, you still come out behind. After you bore, rebuilld, and reassemble the engine, you still don't have a 350. You could have saved that money and bought a 350 and have more than what you just built.

Cubic inches is where your power is at. Unless you have a 4-speed and a 2000lb car, anything under 350cid should be left where you found it. Buying a used, running 350 is money better spent. That's a worst case scenerio. The better idea is to get a 350 block and build a 383. With the aftermarket the way it is, the 350/383 is identical in price. For what it used to cost to get a crank turned, you can buy a new cast 383 crank. That puts you 33 more cubic inches ahead in the game, which on a stock built engine, will equal up to about 20 extra horses and a likewise amount of torque. You will feel that lowend when your pulling, towing, climbing, etc,. It makes a notable difference. The 383 can be built just as stock as the 350 that came in the vehicles. There is hardly a downside to this build, with plenty to gain. These engines are dependable, easily buildable, and plenty reliable.

If your going to spend money on a engine, spend it wisely. Stroking a 350 in stock form will give better results than adding a cam, intake, etc. to a 350 in a heavy vehicle or towing rig.

The performance usage engines are much more reliable and streetable when you use cubes to make your power instead of radical combinations. If you build a 1-hp per cubic inch engine, you will have a very long lasting, streetable, performance engine and the more cubes, the better.

Just remember, a 327 is 23 cubic inches behind a 350 and if you put $250 worth of cam and intake on it, you still don't have nothing but a 327.

It's your money, your choice. Build what YOU want. I am just giving advice on why to stay away from small cube engines.

This covers it for me.BIGGER,=BETTER,=FASTER.

Well. opinions are like asholes.....we all have one....so here's mine. I have always liked small blocks, in a light weight car, because sometimes i want to actually go around a corner fast or stop without the front end wanting to change places with the rear end...............light weight, handling, and just to be ornery....I build sbc's

Originally posted by Troglodyte
Well. opinions are like asholes.....we all have one....so here's mine. I have always liked small blocks, in a light weight car, because sometimes i want to actually go around a corner fast or stop without the front end wanting to change places with the rear end...............light weight, handling, and just to be ornery....I build sbc's

they make them big blocks in aluminum 460 pounds intake to pan ? what holes?

Scooter! Calling Scooter! Yoohoo, Scooter!

for every cu. in. you put under the hood, there is extra cost all the way to the rear wheels to maintain it, and make it work. in other words it cost more to run a big block.

Originally posted by Troglodyte
Well. opinions are like asholes.....we all have one....so here's mine. I have always liked small blocks, in a light weight car, because sometimes i want to actually go around a corner fast or stop without the front end wanting to change places with the rear end...............light weight, handling, and just to be ornery....I build sbc's

I think the original posters point was not necessarily between Big blocks and small blocks. 383 or 406 SBC weighs the same as as a 327, 302 or 283. It will also cost about the same to build and modify. The end result in most cases the bigger motor will produce more power. In fact it will generally cost more to pull 350 hp out of a 302 than it will to pull that same power out of a 383. I think the poster makes a good point and did not perceive his purpose as telling others what to do, only stating his personal advice. I happen to agree with him. I have seen small motors out run big motors too, but in most cases the old addage that there is no substitute for cubic inches is true, unless you add in other limitations or factors.

as always, read my sig line

Pat

Originally posted by Troglodyte
Well. opinions are like asholes.....we all have one....so here's mine. I have always liked small blocks, in a light weight car, because sometimes i want to actually go around a corner fast or stop without the front end wanting to change places with the rear end...............light weight, handling, and just to be ornery....I build sbc's

That's o.k. I will just get to the corner that much sooner than you L.O.L.