Stock 350 re-building tips

15 purple
Ok so I am new to this website but always get great information from it so I was wondering if someone could help me out. I go to a school for mechanics and I am in a class right now where we build stock chevy 350 motors and put them in T-Buckets and run them on the dyno. Now the point is, is to get the most horsepower out of them over all the other groups. So far the highest HP from previous classes has been 185.5 on the Dyno. Sooo, if anyone has any little tricks or litlle things to do to up our HP on our Dyno run I would greatly appreciate it. Also the next class is where we get to put mods on it like headers, intakes, heads, etc. I will keep you updated on our progress.
Thanks to everyone in advance who reply's I really appreciate it!

keep the valve adjustment to 1\2 turn from -0- and check the fuel ratio, keep it as close to 14.7 as possable

If you have to use all stock parts but can modify them somewhat then do a little head work and gasket matching. Won't help a ton but will help some... Every little bit helps. Sounds like a sweet school though and lots of fun. What school are you going to? This is college I am guessing or are you in a high school course?

What are the rules for building your motor? What are the limitations? Is there anything that is not allowed? What fuel will you have to use. Are you limited to stock parts that the school supplies? Can you make your own parts? Are you allowed to drill holes in the cam drive gear so you can use offset dowels to advance or retard the cam? How high do they rev the motors on the dyno? Is there a rev limit? Is there a certain vacuum the motor has to make at idle? Is there a certain idle rpm?

I wonder about some of these old threads since some I have bookmarked are not there anymore and this one is from March 2005. I remember this as a series of improvements made during her class and the thread was much longer, but why does it restart now in truncated form? Is she still in this class?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

You got Tech going now and he wont stop!!! He's ALIVE!!!! Now once you answer those questions he will reply back with so many great tips that your engine (if you do what he says) will be the best one there I bet! 300 HP I am guessing. hahaha

Oh holy crap, Don your right! I didn't notice that. I saw this on the side there under "Active Topics" and replied....

Well WRENCHD asnwered it on 12-12-2005 so where did he find it and why was it only one post at that time? I had a similar professional experience recently when about 25 years of my professional work was "put in storage" in two libraries I am aware of. As annoying as this is it means that time rolls on and the present is NOW! I wonder what grade she got and the highest HP?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

use a clutch but prefer a electric fan because using flex or high rpm fans take 5-15 horsepower away matching gasket ports on intake and exaust helps setting timming with a degree wheel helps and seating valves and backing off rocker torque 1/4 turn might help good luck