Whats up guys?I recently perchased an old 1978 350 and have a few ?s on it.First ill give u a description.It is a 1978 350 as stated,its from a truck,4 bolt main,.030 flat top pistons,reground cast crank,20-20 993 heads,double chain,right hand dipstick.Now for the questions.First one does .030 pistons mean that it has been bored over?next can the heads on it be ported and if not I have some off a 90 rs tbi LO3 can those be ported and put on top of this beast?second to the last how hard is this swap over gonna be the guy told me id need a flywheel and a smaller pan is any of this true,is there more too it than that?and last but not least what type of paint can be used to make this thing a little prettier?Its chipped orange and metal,looks ugly as sin.Thanx for taking the time and looking at my post,any help advice is welcome.

 

.030 pistons mean that it has been bored over? .30 over + 350 = 355 ? correct me if im wrong;P

 

AWSOME,thanx for the reply and that was exactly what i wanted to hear for that question.Now can anyone help me with the rest of these ugly things we call questions?

 

i would "think" the heads could be ported. also you CAN use the l03 heads. however the l03 is a 305 i think. <correct me if im wrong on that> ive also heard alot of people say using 305 heads doesnt quite do what you would think it would. however. do a search on 305 heads and see what it yields. paint? go to advance auto or autozone get you some engine enamal. ofcourse make sure you clean the block up some to remove the oil/grease and the paint chips before painting!

 

Thank you.now for the swapping out part,Ive done a little searching and people say since its a pre 86 block to get a pre 86 fly wheel .What yr fly wheel would u guys say to get?I have a 700 r4 now but plan on switchin to a th400 in a while id like to get a fly wheel thatll bolt to both trannys from a 78 block.I d also like to know if id have to get another oil pan being that the engine is from a truck?Sorry for so many questions but i wanna do this right the first time.

 

The engine has been bored .030 over. Not exactly good, not exactly bad. If it needs "maintenance" again, you may be pushing. Most 350 castings will make .060 over. Your block falls in line with the blocks that had lifter bore issues. YOu will want to check this out too.

THe heads are junk, both sets. The lo3 heads are crappy swirl port POS heads, and the others are probably worse. Look for something different. YOu could look for some TPI heads or maybe some 416's. Unfortunately, most people spend more "working" those heads over than if they would have just went with some entry level aftermarket heads. Why go with a th400? If you plan to race almost exclusively and not drive much on the streets you dont really need overdrive, but the th350 is a better trans for the job. Oil pan will probably be fine.

DOnt forget the basics like cam and lifters, timing chain and gears, gaskets, etc. All of this should really be replaced now, assuming this engine is ready to run. If there is no warranty or guarantee on the status of the engine, then it sounds to me like you have a rebuilder core.

 

yes sir,you're totally right.I wanna rebuild but supposably the block was freshly bored over new flat top pistons installed yadayada,but I definatly wanna through a stronger cam in and some cheap vortec heads,and intake.I have yet another question on the v tec heads now in a summit magazine i have it says to use self aligning rockers what exactly do they mean by self aligning arent they all?so any info on a vortec topend on a 1978 sbc would be greatly appriciated.

 

'87-earlier the rocker arms were aligned by the pushrod hole - which was really a slot - the sides barely larger than the pushrod. '88-later, including Vortec heads, the pushrod hole was round and a lot bigger than the pushrod. They added little nubs to the sides of the rocker arm where it meets the valvestem tip to keep it alingned with the valve.

www.sdpc2000.com has a Vortec head kit that includes the heads, intake, gaskets, & rocker arms for a very good price. Look into it. They have options that include heads modified to handle more valve lift as well.

 

I have a 78 Truck 4 bolt main block in my car, I used the stock truck oilpan and flywheel in my car, But my car was also an 82' and already had a TH-350 in it

 

On the flywheel, I do know that if you get an older model flywheel, you'll need an older model starter too - different # teeth means different starter - My 350 was a 1969 block and came with flywheel, so I got an older starter. Know that the older stock starters are a bit larger, so it'll be tight to header Y-pipe - mine actually almost touches Y-pipe (Hedmann), but it works fine.

Test the paint somewhere - my motor was supposed to be red - but it dried pink! (more like fushia color, but it damn sure ain't red)

 

man dont want that to happen ill definatly test the paint first.thanx for the heads up.So what im thinking is I gotta get qa pre 86 flywheel and a pre 86 starter right?when u say different teeth what number do i have now 153?what will be the new number when i get the older style?As for the heads it sounds like there were alot of major changes from a certain era to the next.Will they bolt right up or will there be alot of modification to get them on?I swear guys im so excited about this its the first engine ive ever had to build cant wait till spring so i can get started.If one of you had this engine what exactly would u do to it?Im on a lowly budget so i dont wanna spend to much,I'd like to get some suggestions from people who know there stuff.Thanx

 

# of teeth I get confused on, and I'd tell ya wrong - just make sure you get the starter and flywheel for the year block you have.

Heads I'll also leave for the experts. I'm unfamiliar with 993 castings. But I'll tell ya this - I'm tight as hell, and always on a budget. If your used to a 305 or a v6, ANY 350 will give you quite a rush off the bat. You could spend cash now on headers, carb, dizzy, new motor mounts, and all the other things you may need, and forgo the heads for now - they can always be changed.

My 350 has what everyone calls the "crappy smog" heads - they are 882's. But the difference from my modded 305 to this 350 is enormous to me, and I'm plenty happy with it for the time being - especially since I'm in need of a tranny and a paint job at the moment.

It's true that power is made in the heads, and this is the biggest HP gain per $ probably, but also the biggest $ spent up front. If on a budget, consider just enjoying the 350 for awhile, with the necessary additions you'll need just to get it installed, and a head upgrade is always just a savings account away - you can save $1000 and get some awesome after-market heads AFTER you find out the 350 isn't enough for you. I always tell the kids - at least taste the food BEFORE you add salt!

If this sounds appealling, I'd spend my cash on 1) whatever it takes to get the motor in and running, 2) headers, hi flo muffler, 3) rear gears, 4) suspension (poly bushings, wonderbar, sway bars, etc.)

On the rear gears, if you can stand the wheels sticking out an extra 1.75 inches on each side (some call it *******/ghetto), you can snag a used 4th gen rear with positraction and disc brakes for as cheap as $150 complete - I got mine for that with 3.42 gears from a wrecked 1999 LS1 car.

 

I did my motor swap and gears at the same time, I bought a used 3.73 posi rear from a guy off ebay for $75 and picked it up. My motor dynoed at 316 Hp, 386 Ft/Lb torque, at the wheels. A new set of heads would totally boost my motor!

 

wonder what ill see,HP wise.When i do this motor swap and rear gears?It would be nice to see 316.Any info on that?Or would i have to have the cast number to know?

 

Wait a min, you said right side dipstick. Do you mean driver (Left) or pass (right) side? Your left or right decision should be made when you are in the drivers seat.


I might be wrong about this but dident pass side dipsticks not come out till 81??

 

Kurt