Thread: Chev 350 building tips....

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I have entered the Bomber class at a local track here in Houston. Below is the rules pertaining to the engine. Last season, 2007, I ran basically a stock Jasper type 355. Nothing special, same motor you would put in the family truckster.

Next year I want to step it up. My machine shop is throwing out all sorts of ideas but I don't want to spend the money on a motor and be on the edge of legality. Loopholes don't bother me but I want to be legal so if I'm torn down I pass.

Thoughts????


2. Engine

2.1. Engine must be stock for type and year of vehicle used. GM in GM, Chrysler in Chrysler, Ford in

Ford etc…..

2.1.1. All major components (block, crank, rods, ) must remain stock for type and year of engine.

2.1.2. Engine size limited to small black only up to 360 ci.

2.2 1.5” springs only and 1.5” ratio rockers

2.3. NO aluminum heads.

2.4. Screw in studs and or pinned are allowed. No other alterations.

2.4.1. Any cast iron head 72cc minimum NO EXCEPTIONS

2.4.2. NO angle milling.

2.4.3. NO porting or polishing. NO gasket matching.

2.5. Stock OEM dish or flat top 4 valve relief pistons only.

2.5.1. NO late model small ring (Vortec).

2.6. Carburetor may be stock 2 barrel of the same type and year engine was originally equipped with

or Holly 4412 500 cfm to be checked with go no go gauge. Stock dimensions top 1.375, bottom

1.687. $200.00 claimer will be placed on carburetor.

2.7. Stock intake manifold.

2.7.1. No porting, polishing, or altering in anyway.

2.7.2. No high performance or marine intake manifolds.

2.8. Cam shaft must match make of engine being used. Hydraulic or solid flat tappet lifters only. No

roller lifters. No bleed down lifters. No altered firing order.

2.8.1. Engine must pull 18” of vacuum @ 1000 rpm.

2.9. Headers or Manifolds allowed. No 180 headers.

2.10. Stock ignition systems.

Two questions. Aren't you worried about claimers rules and why would you race a sanction that allows such ridiculouus claimer rules? Not poking fun, just alerting you to the "Snakes" that you're gonna be on the track with. Cost of building a claimer without cheating is prohibitive......My two cents.

Back many moons ago we found the ideal setup for a bomber class car with the absurd claimer rules all the tracks think the have. We ran a 10 pound nitrous bottle hidden under the right side of the dash, with hidden fuel and nitrous lines going in through the back of the block in the lifter valley and plumbed into the bottom of the intake.... Really helps in getting a sled to come off the corners!!!!! The class payed little or nothing to win, so when we were protested, we just forfeited the nights winnings and went home. We were only there to teach a kid how to drive. I don't have a lot of time for claimer classes. Why should some no brain just be able to plunk down $200 to buy what we've spent years learning??? Reading through your rules, might as well try the hidden nitrous, looks like any other mods would be cheating anyway!!!! Oh yeah, doesn't take a lot of metal filings in thick, wet engine paint to make a magnet stick to aluminum!!!!!! Rules are for the other guys!!!! It's been my job to "adjust" things in such a way that the circle burner tech geeks don't know what they're looking at!!!!!

Doubt I'd race there!!!! They tried to bring in all the NASCAR dirt rules around here once....both those tracks have new managers and real rules now. Some kid racing for the heck of it isn't going to be bothered by a bunch of bs rules and fines.... Too many other places to race. Rules here are simple, if you're protested and legal, you keep the money. If your protested and illegal, the protestor keeps the money. If you don't show up to be tecked for the protest, you lose the money and points for the nite and have to race elsewhere the next week... Simple and fair. In small time weekend racing, ain't no sanctioning body going to confiscate my car or parts. Period... Too many other places to race...

Well, it wouldn't be the first track I left without bothering to unload the car!!! Cheap bomber classes should be for fun and experience and not confused with big time high dollar racing.

As for the bfh to the heads, guess I would have just loaded the car up and saved the bfh for anyone who got in the way of me leaving!!!!

OK, rlwjr1, as I understand it, inly the carb is subject to claim. Correct? If so, try to find some 4412 Holley carbs used. They are definitely better and more responsive than any other 2-barrel I ever tried on my stock cars. Give the carb a standard rebuild; do not modify any of the major parts (so it's legal). Remove the choke plate and shaft unless they are required by the rules. If the carb you are using has a hard foam float, trim the bottom right corner off so the float becomes somewhat wedge-shaped. This keeps the float from shutting off the fuel flow in the corners.

Use a common cast iron 4-barrel intake and use an adapter to put the 2-barrel carb on it. The 4-barrel intake flows better than the 2-barrel ones and the adapter gives you almost an inch of extra height for improved flow.

If you are stuck with a factory cam, advance it 2 to 4 degrees to improve low-end torque off the corners. Someone else on here knows a lot more about cams than I do, so maybe they can give you some more specific advice on that.

Have the engine's rotating assembly balanced; it will run better and live much longer.

If this is a GM product, run a HEI distributor. Get rid of your alternator and run a "positive decay" system. Make sure you have a strong "deep cycle" battery and charge it up before you go to the track each week.

Tell me what's allowed on your chassis and I might be able to help there, too.

Good luck!