I'm building a TPI 350 for my camaro, and I really want to use an aluminum block. Any suggestions on a good place to find one?

 

Summit, Jegs...

 

...and in deep pockets!

 

New, bare, aluminum SBC blocks start around $4500. Go with an LS2 instead. More cubes, less money, better head choices, and so on.
But if you insist, www.competitionproducts.com has some. There were 5 manufacturers to date: Chevy Racing (GM), Rodeck, Brodix, Dart, and World.

 

I was going to go with an LS but really wanting something that looks like it could have come factory that way. As for the price got alot of deployment money burning through my pockets that needs to get spent, and a new engines a good way to waste it.

 

If you go carb on a LS & disguise the aluminum block with paint...You can just tell people it is a big block. Yes it is smaller, but the exhaust will "tell" them it is a big block & most people will just say "OK..."

Save $ by going LS block (could even order a 454 LS block) & spend the saved $ somewhere else on the car.

 

Do the LS, Paypal me the difference, and I'll do an LS too! Then we could race! And I'll always let you win! It's the least I could do to make you feel better about all that cash!

 

You mean, like this?

 

Invest that money. No block is worth $4500. If you want the most enjoyment, then buy a Russian bride. Not a good investment, however.

 

Dart aluminum blocks are good, I know a couple guys running left over sprint car blocks, think they might be a Brodix... As for the price, yeah it's high. So what, it's just money. Got to wonder why you want aluminum? Friend bought one last spring at a swap meet, needed one sleeve and some welding along the pan rail, he got it for $800 then paid for the repairs.

My Eliminator aluminum block, though a "brand X" was $5800.00 plus freight and is on it's 6th season drag racing. Value is a relative thing, might not be worth it to some, but for those of us a bit further out there, it's worth it... Besides, price not a consideration it's an easy way to save 100 pounds!!!!!

 

I'm trying to build my car for track racing so looking for that majic 50/50 weight distribution.

 

Try a V6 then.

 

Go to the dark side of the force, LS1

 

Don't know where you live, but it would be worth your while to watch the swap meets with the circle burner parts, even out here in the boonies they're always one or two aluminum blocks for sale. I've also seen them for sale (used) from time to time on Racing Junk...

 

Unless class rules call for SBC, then LS2 forever wins.

 

I think the only thing that would justify the price of an aluminum block would be if you were going to run a 500 plus inch big block, or you were drag racing where weight is precious. Otherwise you can't really go wrong with one of those LSX 454's. They're awesome.

You could do the V6 also. If you are going to spend that kind of money here's an alternative route to think of. My father was building engines for davey allison before he died. They built a stroker 4.3 v6 325 inch motor that outran the v8 cars in practice runs by two tenths. This got them subsequently banned from all forms of nascar racing. With good EFI and a single plane manifold you could easily make 400 crank horsepower. We were toying with the idea of a TBI 325 v6 with a centrifugal supercharger. We converted a mazda b2200 pickup truck to a TBI 4.3 v6 and TH350. Whenever I get the initiative we are going to do it.

 

Very few circle tracks will allow electronic anything yet...Maybe if NASCAR goes fuel injection the local tracks might follow suit. As for the LS2, yeah they're nice, but I don't see them dominating drag racing or anything yet.

 

I'm willing to wager the exact same thing was said by a flathead Foed guy in 1958 about the "newfangled" overhead valve Chevrolet V8,now known as a GenI SBC.

 

get an LS7 block

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-19213580/

 

GMPP offers a distributor drive front cover for LSx engines as well as multiple carb manifolds. These engines can go as low tech as you can imagine

 

You're hanging out at the wrong dragstrips. And to hell with stupid nascar rules, we're only interested in nascar parts.

 

Probably so, but it wasn't me!!! If I've missed where the LS engines are dominating in racing, please show me where they are... All I've ever been after is the combination that's the fastest, street friendly doesn't really come into the equation for me.... When an LS anything is allowed in class and can put 650 or higher to the rear wheels without a turbo, blower, or nitrous I'll be all over it!!!!

 

oops, hit the wrong button, see below

 

An LS will make more power than a genI in ANY configuration,carbed to turbo'd efi.They are also far more durable,6 bolt mains?Ever had a genI that had that?
Do some studying,actually look into the facts rather than be stubborn and stuck on antiquated engineering.GM didn't replace the traditional smallblock because it was too efficient.

I don't know what class you race in that won't allow an LS,but in these parts,the LS is dominating on the circle track,and all of the smaller cubic inch dragracers have or are converting.Something to do with a cylinder head that stock will outflow many of the aftermarket genI heads.
I fought the technology for a long time,but let's face it,the LS engines are far superior in every fashion.

 

That's all very true, and I am not anti-technology..... The new engine for next year will be 600 plus cubes and 650 plus horsepower.... My question is, can an LS engine be built to do this without the use of a blower, supercharger, or nitrous? Which LS based block and heads would be used to do it?

Please, don't read the anti-technology thing into my posts!!! Heck, my daily driver is a DOHC 5 speed V-8. Soon as time and money permits it will have a supercharger on it.... All I'm after for racing is big cubes and big hp and torque. So far I have seen no LS based engines running competitively in Super Gas or Super Comp in Div 5. If it can be done at a price equal to or less then my current big inch engine, I'd be all over it!!!

The original post on this thread is a guy looking for an aluminum sbc... and most all I've seen is guys bashing him for wanting one. If that's what somebody wants to run an aluminum block sbc, maybe the posts should have something to do with helping him find what he wants and not just telling him he's stupid for not running an LS????

 

There's a few problems with your assertion. 4 bolt splayed mains found in all major forms of racing are stronger than 6 bolt cross mains. LS heads are better than old stock small block heads.... but not better than sb2.2 heads. Which is what most circle track racers are running. Most of the stuff that is so "revolutionary" in the LS engine was reverse engineered from ford racing heads and developments in nascar. Then it was further refined in the C5R/C6R program.

Besides all that you are off topic. OP wanted advice on the pros/cons on aluminum blocks. Which were addressed.