Looking for opinions on what I should fill a 350 block I have with and which heads.

Right now I'm very conflicted on what I want to do with my 86 Firebird. I have a L05 Truck TBI 350 block and heads, which are fairly complete and was completely freshened up less than 2K miles ago. The cross hatch pattern is still on the cylinder walls.

I have a 305 CC carbe'd (dead) motor in it now. I suppose I could just re-ring the 350 and slap it back together, but I have no idea how this motor would perform in a carb'ed vehicle. If I build it up at all I need to keep it $1200 or less, and of course I'll be doing all the assembly, etc.

Let me tell you all what it currently is missing. Complete timing set, Harmonic balancer, oil pump, intake, valve covers. Other than those it is a complete L05 with a flat tappet cam.

What do you guys think? Keep the rotating assembly and to heads and roller cam? Or new rotating assembly too?

BTW, I really can't spend any money on exhaust unless it comes out of the above $1200 budget, and whatever I do, it needs to be able to pass CA smog (assuming they overlook that it's a 350)

Thanks for the advice!

GP

 

Why rering the 350? If it was just freshened up 2k ago, and you can still see the crosshatch, it should be good to go.

Does it have dished pistons? If so, that is a slight minus, but only slight.

I really like World Products' products. A set of 67cc S/R Torquers would do that engine proud. That will run you about $700. Use a Felpro steel shim gasket to avoid losing any more compression.

Flat tappet computer-friendly cam kit ran me $134.95 from Summit. You might not want to get the biggest one like I did, but they're all that price. I think the Summit true roller timing set was around $30. Melling oil pump less than $20.

I'd try to find a matching 350 damper and front cover rather than use the 305 part. Everything else from your 305 should fit.

Gaskets, incidentals like hoses, antifreeze & oil, you should stay within your $1200 budget.

Start saving up for that exhaust, though - you really need it!

------------------
82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4, 2300 stall TC. Ported World 305 heads, Crane PowerMax 2050 cam. ZZ3/4 intake, oil pump, pan & baffle. Accel HEI SuperCoil & module. Hooker 2055 headers, 3" Catco cat & 3" catback w/dual-opposite Flowmaster 80. 2.93 limited slip. Spohn SFCs waiting to be installed. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily year-round driver. Best ET, speed TBD...
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. '66 396, 9.7:1 forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Holley 750VS w/4150 conversion, GK 270 cam, Magnum rockers, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders & 3" Warlocks, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, MegaShifter, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Idles smooth @ 700 RPM in D. Best 15.02/95.06 @ 5800' Bandimere (corrected 13.93/102.4 @ sea level).

 

The block was already half disassembled by the kid and his dad I bought it from. I have no idea what they were thinking! They took off one head, the four pistons on that side, and unbolted the main cabs. Perhaps they were just curious what was in there??

One reason I say re ring it, is that on all four of the pistons that are out, the top ring is stuck on one side. I mean I can't move the ring at all. Not sure how that happened. Also there is a lot of black flakey carbon on top of the pistons. I can't tell if there was some overheating or what. There doesn't look like any scoring or anything anywhere I can see.

What about the GM crate 350HO/330HP heads on this motor?

I can get a new ZZ4 cam, lifters timing set etc for $300. I'd need a new balancer, and pushrods to go with it. If I stuck with a flat tappet, the lifters look very new, not sure I'd need to replace those.

GP

 

Okay, given that information, I would say completely disassemble it, clean it up, break the glaze on the cylinders, reassemble the shortblock with new rings & bearings.

Those Vortec heads aren't a good choice when compared to the Worlds. You'd need a $175 intake manifold, then have to plumb exhaust up to the intake crossover passage to feed the exhaust manifold in order to even hope to get it through emissions (the Vortec heads don't have an exhaust crossover passage in them). The Vortecs have press-in rocker studs compared to the Worlds' screw-in (press-in weaker, less reliable), requiring machining to install screw-in studs; have springs that wouldn't stand up to the ZZ4 cam (or the one I suggested), would need machining to handle most anything better (Worlds can handle the lift with a $15 spring upgrade when you order the heads); need self-aligning rockers (sure, Scoggin-Dickey has a "Vortec head kit" w/heads, intake, gaskets & rockers for $700, but the upgrades to the studs & springs aren't included for that price), the Worlds don't need that special stuff; the Worlds will flow as well as the Vortecs. Summary: the Worlds would be cheaper and better than the Vortecs for your application.

If you can use the ZZ4 cam, it's a good choice. I have a set of roller lifter pushrods I'm not using (and the lifters for that matter). They can be reused.

It is not a good idea, however, to reuse flat-tappet lifters. They form a wear pattern with the cam with which they were used, so if put on a different cam, excessive and accelerated wear will result. Most flat tappet cams come with a set of lifters for that reason.

[This message has been edited by five7kid (edited December 06, 2001).]

 

Thanks, good info. I thought the 350 HO motor part #12486041 had standard heads, not vortech? I was thinking about these heads rather than the ZZ4 heads. Actually I just looked again and gmpartsdirect wants $350 each for those heads, which I could swear were $250 last week. $700 for the pair? A company advertising in CHP has a set of S/R Torquers for $699. I think that's a no brainer.

On another note, I was taking a closer look at the pistons last night, and one of them has a quarter inch long "cut" on one skirt. Looks kind of like someone used one of those ratary tools to cut it. Guess I'm on to new pistons too. I really need to take the block and rotating assembly to the machine shop asap to check everything. If there's any issues with the block, I may just save more money and go for one of the crate motors.

BTW, I see gmgoodwrench.com updated the online stuff for crate motors etc. Looks pretty good. Downloadable pdf file parts lists for all the motors. Pretty cool. Check it out.

GP