I am pulling a 350 out of an early impalla pre 86 that the guy said i could have for 200 bux the engine only has 29000 miles on it? Is that a good place to start with my 350?? and when i pull it and before i slap it into my 86 t/a what kind of mods, refresher parts, and other things should i do to prepare the motor for the trans am. I am retaining the tpi. some people say put a big block oil pump in??
any input is appriciated
Brett
brettd@broadcast.net
86t/a
any input is appriciated
Brett
brettd@broadcast.net
86t/a
Member
unless there is a problem with the oil pump leave it alone
pull the pan and a bearing cap if your worried about the bearings, but if you know the owner and trust him leave it all buttoned up down there.
pull the water pump and timing cover and replace the chain(cheap insurance).
while the chain is off and you have the intake off, you could put in a little more aggressive cam and new lifters.
my prices are canadian but here are some (very) rough price estimates
complete gasket set (felpro) $30
timing chain (cloyes) $30
cam and lifters (your choice) $160-$400
you'll need the gasket set anyways to swap your intake
headers are always a good option
but they can be a headache and some are high maintenence(stupid header bolts)
it all depends how much hp you are looking for.
I work at a high performance shop so whatever questions you have can be answered (if not by me then I can find out from my co-workers)
if you do have anymore questions email me at rspire1@yahoo.com
good luck
Rich
[This message has been edited by 82suped-up-coupe (edited August 09, 2001).]
pull the pan and a bearing cap if your worried about the bearings, but if you know the owner and trust him leave it all buttoned up down there.
pull the water pump and timing cover and replace the chain(cheap insurance).
while the chain is off and you have the intake off, you could put in a little more aggressive cam and new lifters.
my prices are canadian but here are some (very) rough price estimates
complete gasket set (felpro) $30
timing chain (cloyes) $30
cam and lifters (your choice) $160-$400
you'll need the gasket set anyways to swap your intake
headers are always a good option
but they can be a headache and some are high maintenence(stupid header bolts)
it all depends how much hp you are looking for.
I work at a high performance shop so whatever questions you have can be answered (if not by me then I can find out from my co-workers)
if you do have anymore questions email me at rspire1@yahoo.com
good luck
Rich
[This message has been edited by 82suped-up-coupe (edited August 09, 2001).]
Supreme Member
I wouldn't fool around with the oil pump. Especially not to put a big block pump on it. It's not necessary. By the time something about a SBC motor has deteriorated to the point that a regular SBC pump is inadequate, the thing is so shot that the additional oil flow is the least of its problems.
First question: what kind of a "new motor" is it? Is this some mass-produced cheap-as-possible kind of thing with the cheapest of everything, like you get in a car that you buy at a "we tote the note" dealer that bought a junker at auction and made run? Or is it a new motor from GM? Or is it a performance build from a reputable local engine builder? Or what?
Next: What heads are on it? 305 heads, mid 70s smog garbage, 70 model LT-1 heads? What pistons are in it (cast, forged, dished, flat-top, etc.)? What cam is in it? All of those things are fairly important to deciding whether that long block is a good foundation for a buildup as it sits, or what you'd have to change to make it so.
A 350 block is pretty much a 350 block, as far as that goes. Since it's a pre-86 one, it's a 2-piece RMS non-roller block like millions of others. Having been recently rebuilt doesn't by itself improve on that, and may be a liability. What if, for instance, it turns out that it's been bored .040" over like so many cheap rebuilds are; and it has damage to the cylinder walls? You basically have a very clumsy boat anchor at that point.
More info is required to know whether that's a good deal or not. There's alot more to it than meets the eye.
------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports
First question: what kind of a "new motor" is it? Is this some mass-produced cheap-as-possible kind of thing with the cheapest of everything, like you get in a car that you buy at a "we tote the note" dealer that bought a junker at auction and made run? Or is it a new motor from GM? Or is it a performance build from a reputable local engine builder? Or what?
Next: What heads are on it? 305 heads, mid 70s smog garbage, 70 model LT-1 heads? What pistons are in it (cast, forged, dished, flat-top, etc.)? What cam is in it? All of those things are fairly important to deciding whether that long block is a good foundation for a buildup as it sits, or what you'd have to change to make it so.
A 350 block is pretty much a 350 block, as far as that goes. Since it's a pre-86 one, it's a 2-piece RMS non-roller block like millions of others. Having been recently rebuilt doesn't by itself improve on that, and may be a liability. What if, for instance, it turns out that it's been bored .040" over like so many cheap rebuilds are; and it has damage to the cylinder walls? You basically have a very clumsy boat anchor at that point.
More info is required to know whether that's a good deal or not. There's alot more to it than meets the eye.
------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports
i couldent tell you the specifics about the head and pistons. The guy has the car because his mom passed away and he was going to swap the 350 from this into his old camaro but he hasnt had the time or money. he is short on money and decided to offer me the motor if i pull it for only $200. The lady was like 92 and she bought the car new and drove it around the town. and the car only has 29k original miles on it and the motor is all stock and hasent ever seen a rebuild. the guy i am buying from is a mechanic that likes to drag race on the side. he has an 84 camaro that is completly striped and is selling that for 350. That was the car he was going to swap the motor in. he is selling all of the stuff he can because he is tight on money now. But he said it is great shape and can show me reciepts of the oil being changed regularly.
so the motor is a pre 86
it has 29k oringinal miles
reciepts for oil changes
and it is in the oringinal impalla
i can remembrer what year impalla but it is like late 70's i think
the guy is a mechanic and worked on his moms car regularly
i am going to go look at it on sunday it is still in the car. He said it starts up fine and run really smooth. so i am going to look and drive it in the impalla and see what it feels like and sounds like. What kind of things should i look and listen for when i drive it and what kind of data should i gather so i can post it here and get your opinions??? I was thinking of bringing a tape recorder to tape it and put it on the web so you guys can hear it and ill take some pics.
How much would a performance rebuilt 350 run me???
Thanx for all your help
brett
brettd@broadcast.net
so the motor is a pre 86
it has 29k oringinal miles
reciepts for oil changes
and it is in the oringinal impalla
i can remembrer what year impalla but it is like late 70's i think
the guy is a mechanic and worked on his moms car regularly
i am going to go look at it on sunday it is still in the car. He said it starts up fine and run really smooth. so i am going to look and drive it in the impalla and see what it feels like and sounds like. What kind of things should i look and listen for when i drive it and what kind of data should i gather so i can post it here and get your opinions??? I was thinking of bringing a tape recorder to tape it and put it on the web so you guys can hear it and ill take some pics.
How much would a performance rebuilt 350 run me???
Thanx for all your help
brett
brettd@broadcast.net
Supreme Member
Gotcha...
No, that is among the very worst of all possible 350 platforms, possibly the single worst except for a 350 truck TBI from the late 80s, to start a performance build-up from". That motor was rated at 165 HP IIRC. Pretty sad when you consider that a L69 305 is rated at 190 HP, and has more smog equipment besides. It has dished pistons and large-chamber heads, probably 882 casting, which result in a compression ratio of about 8.5:1. The heads do not flow. In fact their exhaust port is deliberately designed to be a restriction, to provide a sort of "passive EGR. The cam is the old .390"/.410" POS, very lame.
Consider it to be a nice cherry core, not a motor, and it might be a decent deal. If you're looking for a known good core to tear completely down and rebuild from ground zero, then it's fine; you will be sorely diappointed if you try to run it like it is. It's absolutely dog slow.
{edit}OBTW I notice you're on broadcast.net... I'm in that business too, where do you work?
------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports
[This message has been edited by RB83L69 (edited August 09, 2001).]
No, that is among the very worst of all possible 350 platforms, possibly the single worst except for a 350 truck TBI from the late 80s, to start a performance build-up from". That motor was rated at 165 HP IIRC. Pretty sad when you consider that a L69 305 is rated at 190 HP, and has more smog equipment besides. It has dished pistons and large-chamber heads, probably 882 casting, which result in a compression ratio of about 8.5:1. The heads do not flow. In fact their exhaust port is deliberately designed to be a restriction, to provide a sort of "passive EGR. The cam is the old .390"/.410" POS, very lame.
Consider it to be a nice cherry core, not a motor, and it might be a decent deal. If you're looking for a known good core to tear completely down and rebuild from ground zero, then it's fine; you will be sorely diappointed if you try to run it like it is. It's absolutely dog slow.
{edit}OBTW I notice you're on broadcast.net... I'm in that business too, where do you work?
------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports
[This message has been edited by RB83L69 (edited August 09, 2001).]
thanx for the response. We are based in the houston tx area = ) we provide cost effective streaming solutions = )
anyways what is the golden 350 motor i should look for or should i just go for a 400 sb. Basically what motor out of what cars should i look for ??? I am wanting some good hp and will eventually turn the motor into a turbocharged monster but i want a fast motor to drop in until i get enough money to do it up right = )
anyways what is the golden 350 motor i should look for or should i just go for a 400 sb. Basically what motor out of what cars should i look for ??? I am wanting some good hp and will eventually turn the motor into a turbocharged monster but i want a fast motor to drop in until i get enough money to do it up right = )