My dad and I got the idea that we'd start buildin a new engine for my camaro on an engine stand, and jsut build it up piece by piece cause its cheaper for me that way (not a whoel bunch of money at one single time :-)

so my question is, for a 350 Block from a Z-28 or a Iroc Z from a junkyard, how much should the block run on average? I just need a basic idea so I can plan accordingly!! gotta find one first!

thanks! and dont flame me :-) hope this is the right place?

 

I am thinking about doing the same thing as you. But i would go to the junk yard and pull a 4-bolt main 350 out of a truck. It would be cheaper that way. I've known people to get them as cheap as 150$.

 

out of a truck?> that the same as the other 350's meaning I can get the same amount of HP out of em??

thanks!

 

Yes, you can get the same amount of horsepower out of them. Its basically the same engine. What all are you planning on doing to the the 350?

 

The truck has 4 bolt mains meaning that if you were running a lot of NOx or a lot of hp it would be stronger. However if you plan on building a mild 350 I don't see any problem w/ 2 bolt mains. I plan on building a 2 main 400 SBC.

 

If you find a good block, for the right price, jump on it. There are kits you can buy that let you convert to 4 bolt caps. Granted, there is some machining work involved. But, at least it could save you a little hassle trying to find a good 4 bolt block.

 

ok.....my dad knows what to look for, but I wanna know too......how you tell if a block is "good or not" aside from the obvious...cracks and what not....

 

150 is the norm, the bolt setup can be altered if need be. 4 bolt is better but not necessary until roughly 400-450 and even then it still isn't necessary. never hurts to be safe though.

as far as checking, you have a machine shop pressure check the block for cracks and magnaflux(i think that's what it's called) it as well.....i think there are a few other things but i can't remember.

honestly your best bet might be to save up money and do it right at once, if you go piece by piece not only will it be a project that might take years....but prices change over time and so do interests.

 

The guy that I had do my heads told me that the best SBC blocks are the ones out of school buses, 4 bolt mains, extra thick cylinder walls etc, he was telling me about a guy he knows built one up and raced dirt track with it against a lot guy running high cube engines and beat the **** out of them. If you can find one I would look into buying one of those.

 

I just want to find a 350 Engine Block, I don't need anything insanely huge, just a 350 4 bolt main would be nice. Should I look for a 3rd gen IROC-Z or Z28 engine?

thanks!

 

The only hard thing about that is most busses used 366 big-blocks. Those motors are getting harder to come by. If your looking for cheap, find a motor thats got something wrong with it. Since you are rebulding anyway you can fix what was wrong. We just picked up a 350 with a blown head gasket for $50. My dad is building it for his truck. Also why are you so concerned about it coming out of a camaro. A small block chevy is a small block chevy. A truck motor is the same motor as a camaro motor. Just depends on what accesories are on it!

 

no 3rd gen camaro/firebirds came with 4 bolt main engine blocks. They only came in trucks. All Small Block Chevys look the same from the outside from 305 to 400. So they all will fit in the car.

 

Around $1900 to do it good. 2 bolt main out of 79 chevy.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/showthread.php?threadid=158038

 

I spent three days plotting out my motor...I came to a total of $979.99 without exhaust.....Of course there would have been extras, but this is the basic package Heres what I had plotted before I found and bought my 327...

350 Block-Free
Summit Rebuild kit (.30 over) $256.00
Summit Cam Kit- $79.99
Machine work- $344 (bored .30 blueprinted and balanced)
Roller Timing Chain- $35
Used Heads (Ported Polished 2.02 valve) $300
Edelbrock Intake-Free
Used Performance HEI- Free
Chrome Dress up kit- $50
670 Holley Carb(Ebay)-$15

 

Let's set a few things straight before you start looking.

You have a '91, which has a 1 piece rear main seal. This is only on GM 350's from late 86 and up.

MOST truck blocks 87 and later, have the 1 piece rear main seal, but are not set up for a factory roller cam, which IMHO is the easiest and cheapest way to run a roller cam, which has been proven on countless dyno runs to be worth torque and HP over a flat tappet cam.

You CAN use a earlier block, but again, no factory provisions for roller cam, and you'll need a different flywheel, and a different starter.

Also, the 87 and up small block Chevy's were NOT balanced the same as the earlier one's. ALOT of people will tell you that only the 400 is externally balanced, but the DESIGN of the engine changed some in 87, and the balancing changed as well.

87 and later small blocks had weights added to the inner hub of the balancer. The flexplate ( auto tranny ) had weights added as well, the flywheels ( manual ) had holes drilled to balance them.

MANY people will disagree with me, that's fine, but my info comes from GM.....other names that come to mind that have preached about this is John Lingenfelter, David Vizard etc...

As for a 4 bolt block, IF you're driving it on the street, it's ABSOLUTELY NOT necessary.

I've seen ONE 2 bolt block fail with my own eyes......and it was running low low 10's with INSANE amount of nitrous on a basically stock short block......'nuff said.

You're best best IN THE LONG RUN is to find a RUNNING ENGINE!!!! Buying a block for $50 is great, but someone took that engine apart for a reason......right? Also having a matched set of mains, rods etc really helps.

Check the classifieds etc for engines. Also check junkyards, as most will sell a complete engine pretty cheap, and most all offer a exchange policy if the block is cracked etc.

The biggest chunk of change initially to lay out is the machine work. So save up. Figure $300-500 at a GOOD shop to do the following :

- Vat the block ( cleans it before they do anything else )
- Magnaflux ( checks for cracks, if using used cylinder heads, have this done to them as well )
- Bore the cylinders out
- Hone the cylinders
- Check block for straightness, usually go ahead and "deck" the block which takes a minimal amount of metal off and ensures it's straight and FLAT.

Also balancing.....on a first engine, it's probably not worth expense, as this will be a GREAT learning experience.


MUST HAVES

GOOD 4 leg engine stand ( I was torquing the heads down on a motor on a 3 leg stand once and damn near lost my leg...no thanks )

Torque wrench

Tap and Die set ( for when you get the block back from the shop...use them on EVERY hole to ensure no threads are clogged with crap or messed up )

Engine cleaning brushes ( look like rifle cleaning brushes...this is the spot where most DIY engine builders get lazy.....DON'T!!! Use soap and water and clean, clean, clean, clean the block. When you' think it's clean, do it again .......when done cleaning / rinsing, dry it with some lint free rags and coat the machine surfaces with WD40 and then wrap the thing up in a couple of trash bags to keep out moisture ( flash rust will happen QUICK if you don't )


HOW TO REBUILD YOUR SMALL BLOCK CHEVY by David Vizard.

By this FIRST!!! Read it, read it again, and keep it handy.

Finally, PATIENCE>>>>>>>

TAKE YOUR TIME

ASK QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING YOU'RE NOT SURE OF...

This is the only way you'll learn.

My neighbor took my advise and bought this book.....he rebuilt the 305 in his Blazer using this as a guide, and he is NOT mechanically inclined, just a tight wad:P


Start with the book......It has ALOT OF INFO you'll need......

And welcome to the BEST PART of this hobby / disease......building you own ENGINE!!!!!

When done, you KNOW it's yours, you built it. And as for building it a piece at a time, IMHO, it's the BEST way to go. You really can't RUSH yourself when you're saving $$ for the next step, so it gives you PLENTY OF TIME to do each step the RIGHT WAY, double and triple checking your work.


HTH and good luck.

 

See thats what I thought about building it a piece at a time. Gets it done right the first time and gives you alot of time to think about what to get. So I shouldn't look for a 4 bolt main out a truck bcause of the cam? So my assumption was right in that I should look for a350 out of an iroc or Z-28 then, because they use the roller cam correct? If that is the case, which years should I look for? I havea 91, so look for what, 88-92 engine?

allright thanks alot for the lengthy and very knowledgable post....I'll keep in touch with you!

 

87-92 F-Body's, Police cars and Caprices after 87 as well.


HTH

Chris
85 IROC

 

what does balancing do and would it be necessary for a block from 87-92 camaros seeing as that is what my engine is anyways?

thanks!

 

don't get stuck on the idea you need a 4 bolt main 350 block . Nice but not nessary , i personly like to stay with 86 + because i feel its easier to keep the rear main from leaking . A roller block would also be nice to find . get a casting number run down , and go to your local junk yards . I would also reccomend max performance small block chevys on a budget by David Vizard . lot of good dyno proven info in that book . Don't speed alot of money on a block . i was just given a 85 2 bolt for free.. and it runs .

 

you have a TBI. you can use any small block. 2 bolt or 4 bolt, doesn't matter. If you are rebuilding for HP, you will be swapping cams anyway so that does not matter. You do not need a roller cam. It is nice, but not needed. Rear main is up to you. Both 1 piece and 2 piece are fine. If you keep your heads, your intake will work if you want. If you upgrade or find an older 350 with 2.02 heads, they have intakes that will fit older heads and retain the TBI. So you options are wide open.

One thing I will say is the 350 out of a truck is more likely to have a forged crank. that can help if you decide to go for serious HP.

 

im just lookin for a good amount of HP for each CC. Meaning like 300-350 HP for the engine. Niothing too insane!! :-)

 

heck you can add some port work and a good intake to get there.

 

Shoot my buddy was getting his engine swapped out of his 97 z71, and the shop that swopped it took it out and put it in his truck bed for me. So I pretty much got a free 97 vortec engine that has the fuel injection and everything, just needs to be rebuilt. (I'm plannin on transforming it into a 383)

 

Im not sure why a truck block would be any more likely to have a forged crank than a car block. I think you'll be damn lucky to find a forged crank in most any block, especially one with a roller cam. Also, keep in mind that a cam for a roller block is more expensive than a flat tappet hydraulic cam. Your total of almost 1K is slightly expensive. I bought a rebuilt 4 bolt 350 for under 1K. It also comes with a 7 year 70K mile warrantee. They put in the performance options i wanted for an incredibly reasonable price. If you have a grand to spend, i would suggest at least looking into a rebuilt motor. There is no better learning experience than doing it yourself, however.
matt