Hi
I recently pulled a 350 from a 77 Caprice Station Wagon at my grandfather’s farm. The car has been sitting since the mid 80s but according to my father and uncles the engine ran and drove fine when it was sat. The reason my family sat a perfectly running car was because the car was given to them by a wealthy women up the road who was sick of the other problems with the car. The car had broken door handles and the interior was garbage. After further asking, I found out that the car had a relatively new engine in it because the old one was blown and she had a new one put in. the block is blue which could mean nothing but a pretty good mechanic told me that these blocks were good and generally were not put in by gm (he could be wrong so don’t take my word for it). After pulling the engine I turned the crank with a tire arm and a pipe for leverage to check for compression, it had compression.

I plan on rebuilding this engine for performance, so I’m not going to just throw in some new oil and springs and run it. I plan on pretty much buying everything new that I can (maybe not the heads $$$$). Currently I have taken everything off down to the heads and block.
Originally I wanted to stroke it to a 383 but I took off the oil pan and it’s only a 2 bolt. Now I know many people have different opinions about stroking a 2 bolt but I don’t want my post to turn into a 2 bolts aren’t strong enough argument. I look at it like this, I can still build a pretty decent 350 and since I’m only a college student and can’t afford to put money into an engine that might blow in a year or two. I plan on dropping this engine in my 92 firebird which is going to be a street/strip car, mostly street for I might just take it to the track for qaurter mile times. I want to build this engine best for stoplight to stoplight street racing (low to mid power) and would be willing to compromise power for high speed racing. I look at it this way: an unsafe start ticket is nothing to worry about compared to a 150 in a 65 ticket.

Now that I got the background and planning info out of the way here’s where I could use some tips. I know from researching and reading some info on engine rebuilding but I don’t have any 1st hand experience like many of you gear heads on this site have. I do have an uncle that is a very decent mechanic and has rebuilt engines many times but he lacks new technology info and the initiative to build a fast car. he’s kind of one of those old gurus that puts down everything saying things like "your car is fine the way it is" and complaining how much work everything is. But I bet if he looked back at when he was young he be doing the same thing as me. he admitted he’d help me rebuild the engine and use his garage but when it comes to taking the right path and choosing the right parts I would like better advise otherwise the engine would be a late 70s 350 with stock parts.

My first question is about magnafluxing. Since the engine reportedly ran and had compression should I spend the money to magnaflux the block?

Now I know there may be cylinder ware and a machinist may recommend boring to a certain point, but say the cylinders are pretty good. What should I have the engine bored to? I was thinking 30 over but maybe I could go 40. Someone told me never to go like 50 or more over unless you plan blowing your motor in a year but I think he was only talking about off-road drag cars. Remember it’s a 2 bolt.

Since it’s a 2 bolt. Maybe I can strengthen up the main by having splayed caps installed. Does anyone know if machine shops do this? Price? Would it be worth it?

Now I know prices can be cheaper and more comfortable knowing parts will fit by buying a rebuild kit but if I can spend a little more money to get the best performance possible by buying parts separately than I will. Now money is a problem but I’m a very good saver and would rather get the best performance I can while I have the engine on a stand and not in the car. I don’t want to think back in a couple years saying I wish I went with these pistons or cam...ECT. Can anyone recommend any rebuild kits; I don’t care about emission testing since in NY, inspections are easy and I have many friends, so if the kit is meant for strip only and puts out more power so be it(its not like California here). Also if anyone has gone thru this b4 and recommends buying parts separately then let me know.

Not sure what I should do with the heads. I know I can port and polish them but it would be a little tougher since they’re iron heads or I could spend a grand for good heads. What do u guys recommend and how much more power can I get by buying new heads rather than to port and polishing them.

Next thing is cam. Many builders recommend choosing your bottom end parts and heads first. Which sounds like a good idea. But after looking around at cams I became confused about their specs. I’m not sure which cams are better for low to mid power because of their specs say for instance a cam offers 1200 - 4200 rpms 260 duration .427 lift and 110 lobe separation. Now correct me if I’m wrong but the confusing part is that when you’re at a stand still and you accelerate your not shifting till the power band so you need your power at higher rpms. I know I may sound stupid but I’ve been trying to understand cams for awhile and I’m still a bit confused. I slightly understand the other specs but I’m still not sure what the better range of numbers is for duration, lift and lobe separation to get the best low to mid end power. So if someone could give me number ranges for these specs to get the best low to mid power that would be great.

Now I could be wrong but I think intake and carb are pretty easy. Just choose the intake and carb that offer the best cfm air intake and consider clearance.

I’m sure somebody out there has put and older style carbed 350 in a thirdgen firebird so can anybody offer advise on the oil pan and headers for clearance issues? I don’t think there’s any difference of third gens but mine is a 92 if there is.

I know I’m going to have to get new motor mounts but that’s pretty simple.

It’s kind of early to think about transmission and rear-end but many say it’s good to have your drive train planned out in order to get the best of what u want from your car. In my situation I want a car that can get from 0-60 fast. My firebird is an automatic but as we all know there is already a hole above the tranny because the auto shifter is on the floor. Is the hole in the right location and big enough to put a manual tranny in? Many have told me it’s a pain to put a clutch and tranny lines in but would it be worth it?

I know the higher the gear ratio the faster off the line the car will be but I don’t want to be only able to go 60mph and I don’t want the wheels to spin only at the touch of the gas for that would cause me to loose races.

For the power the motor will have a stock tranny and rear-end would obviously be a bad idea. So can anyone let me know if it’s worth it to rebuild a tranny and rear-end with stronger aftermarket parts or buy an aftermarket tranny and rear-end? What are the better quality aftermarket transmissions and rear ends out there?

I m sorry about the extremely long thread but I tried to explain everything so the people who may try to help me can actually offer answers instead of more questions because the author of the thread wasn’t specific enough.

Thanks,
Tim  

Tim,
   I am the one who built the 383! As a matter of fact look at the TECH section on this website and you can read the whole article.
 If you look our 350 was a 2 bolt main! No need for a 4 bolt unless you are making over 650 hp! So a 2 bolt is fine! :-)

Be Cool,
   Ace  

Tim, sounds like you have a whole bunch of confusing info. First, thet whole blue block issue- many old "mechanics" think that any GM motor painted blue is either a real Pontiac or Oldsmobile V8, due to the fact that Chevy's were always red or orange up until about 1975. After 75 you might open the hood of any Chevy, Olds, Buick, Pontiac or Caddy and it would have a blue engine and not necessarily the same brand as the car (case in point:305 Chevy, 301/400 Pontiac and 403 Olds all available in the 77-79 TA's, all blue). My bet is you have a Chevy 350 in that wagon, and any engine builder will tell you that two-bolt mains are OK for street/strip use up to around 500hp. You need to set some goals other than street/strip, you need to pick an ET for the 1/4 mile and build accordingly. I know of street/strip cars that run high 15's and one's that run 9's, so there is a lot of leeway here. Another point is what engine is in your Firebird? If it is a V8, automatic you are probably OK up to 300hp with the trans and rearend that came with the car. If it is a 5 speed or a V6 car you will need a trans that can handle the extra power and torque. The rearend is likely going to need a gear change to suit the new engine and a posi to hook it up, both the V8 and V6 rears are the same 7&5/8" ring gear and axles so you can work with what you have for a while. The oil pan should work from the wagon if it isn't rusted thru, but the older style block uses a 2-piece rear main seal instead of the 1-pc of the 88 and newer blocks, meaning you must use the oilpan and flywheel or flexplate that matches the motor (these parts from a 1-pc block won't fit a 2-pc main seal block), stock V8 mounts from a 92 Bird will work fine as will the front accesory drives (alt, PS, A/C). Of course all of this requires wiring and fuel system mods to make a carbureted engine work in a fuel injected chassis. For cams and heads my recommendation is to trash the stock heads and buy a set of World Products SR or SR Torquers as the cost of rebuilding the stock ones and adding larger valves, new springs, screw-in studs and guide plates will add-up to more than the cost of new heads that will flow better and make more power right out of the box, cams are best chosen using the tech lines of the cam manufacturer. They will ask lots of questions about the motor, trans rearend and car to pick the best cam for your application. When you've built a few dozen successful engines and cars, you can choose your own cams, but for a beginner it's best to let the experts guide the way, ask your machine shop for guidance. My guess is that since this is obviously your first build-up, stick to a mild engine, A .030" over 350 using flat top cast pistons, the heads I mentioned and a mild cam of 260-270 degrees duration and 450-470" lift with a dual plane intake and 600-650 cfm carb hooked to a 700-r4 trans and 3.73:1 rear gears with posi and tires in the 245-255/60r15 or 16" range will put you around14 flat-high 13's in the 1/4mile. Oh yes, use a good set of headers with a y-pipe and 3" hi-flow single exhaust to let it breathe.
Hope this helps.
Steve  

sorry for the long delay had some troubles in college. i have reconsidered what i want to do with the 350 block. even though its a 2 bolt main i want to stroke it to a 383. i think it'l be okay bc im building it for a street car emphasizing low end torque. i know people may question why i want to sacrifice top end power for low end power this is because i want to be able to beet other cars on low traffic roads around me with 8th to 1/4 mile straight patches. so i guess what im tryin to say is i want to build my 383 to be the best at 8th to qaurter mile street racing.

Now i know b4 i said that im on a budget, but not to take your guys advice for granted but i want to do more than keep the stock bottom end and throw on top end stuff. i pretty much wanna make my own crate engine using the old block. now i know i could probably buy a crate engine for the same price but it wont match my specific specs for low end power i want. i want to be able to go to the gas station for fuel so i need it to run on pump gas.(around here they have 87, 91 and 93). from what iv heard u cannot go much over 10:1 compression on pump gas or you'll detonate.

Now i know to raise compression several methods can be done and i know to build a 383 u need to bore the cylinders 30 over. the other ways to build up compression that i know are to deck the block, small cc chamber in head and a thinner head gasket. i want to find the cheapest way to get around 10:1 compression unless i can go more on pump gas.

so ideally if i was a millionare which parts would i buy to build the fastest 383 for 8th to 1/4 mile street races. after getting this info i can understand the manufaturers specifications on the elite parts in which i can shop around and make compromises between performance, quality and prices.

from looking around iv found a kit that is probably ideal for my situation if u can suggest better go ahead

Northern Auto Parts :Chevy 383 Stroker Engine Kit - HP383KHW Hypereutectic Piston W/Crank

http://www.northernautoparts.com/ProductModelDetail.cfm?ProductModelId=1674  

Hey, if you want to spend the $$, you can build it any way you want. A kit like the one you mentioned is a great way to go, but remember you are only gaining 28 cubic inches and 1/4" of stroke over a .030" over 350 (355"). If you want to make big power, you will find it in all the top end hardware-cam, carb, intake, heads and exhaust, so you are going to have to spend the $$ there anyway. If you build a 383 bottom end and then stick a set of stock heads on it you will be left with a dog. How about this for a proven combo- my buddy ran 12.80's in a 1981 Olds Cutlass using a .030 over 350, stock cast crank and stock rods resized with ARP rod bolts, he has Sportsman II iron heads with 2.02" intakes and 1.60" exhausts, Crower 305/505" hydraulic cam, Rhoads lifters, Edelbrock Victor Jr intake and Holley650 double pumper carb, A stock th350 trans with a Hurst Hotshift2 shift improver kit and 3.73 posi rearend. The car was nearly impossible to hook up on 275/60r15 BFG's, at the track he used 26x8/15" Goodyear slicks and shifted at 6200 rpm. With a setup like that why would you need to build a stroker motor, all you gain is more torque that you have to spend more money to hookup. By the way try to keep your compression below 9.5 with iron heads, your pistons will appreciate it, especially if you cheap out and put 87 octane in it. Trust me there is no replacement for octane when you have too much compression, you will find it a real pain to drive with timing retarded and overheating because you thought you could get away with 10:1 on 93 octane, sure the late model stuff gets away with it, but they have EFI and electronic spark control to help. If you've never done this before, believe me it's better to start with something that works than to try to reinvent the wheel.  

ya now since many have told me i think i'l just concentrate on building the bottom end 1st then worry bout the top end.

if i ran aluminum heads what kinda comression could i run em with?  

Aluminum heads will let you run between 10:1 and 10.5:1 without problems due to the aluminum pulling heat out of the combustion chamber. Hope I didn't come across as a "wet blanket" on the whole 383 issue but my goal on here is to help guys make informed decisions. In my experience there are way too many "dream builds" being tossed around by magazines and engine shops who are in the business of taking our money. Not to say everyone is doing it, there is no doubt that a good machinist is your best resource in building an engine, but watch out for the guys with the latest and greatest trick of the month! Try to stick to good, basic engine building and use proven parts combos and you will have a very fun reliable Firebird. Oh yeah, one other thing, have you considered emissions testing in the future, it is easy to say you can get through the test now, but what if the rules change or if you try to sell the car. Several years ago here in Ontario, Canada, we were hit with Driveclean and suddenly every guy with a 5L Mustang, late model TA or Z28 who had modified it, found that it wasn't worth anything on the resale market because people stopped buying anything that couldn't pass the test. Just don't get caught unaware!