Current Engine:
Chevy 355 with TRW forged pistons (L2256F .040)
Dart Iron Eagle 215cc heads (64cc combustion chamber)
Comp Cams 270H hydraulic flat tappet cam, 224/224 @0.050 and 470/470 lift, 110 centerline
7.9" Manley Pushrods
I am told the compression ratio with this setup is 9.76:1, but i have not measured it myself.
Transmission/Rear - 700r4 with 2000 stall converter, 3.73 Posi

Problem with current engine (less than 50 miles on it):
Starter hole is destroyed on block, and chipped around it. Cannot be fixed in car, and probably not fixable (properly) outside.

Solution:
Use this as an excuse to upgrade to a 383 rotating assembly

What I am trying to figure out is what i want to keep, and what i want to replace.

Would reusing my current heads/cam be a bad idea? I do want this to be streetable (power accessories, idle), and run on 93 octane. I am assuming this cam and a ~9.5-10.0:1 compression ratio will accomplish this?


I am looking at purchasing a prebuilt 383 assembly, like the one below (although i doubt i'll buy it from ebay, just an example)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHEVY...Q5fAccessories


Any advice/suggestions would be very helpful. I want to get it right the first time and not have to pull this thing for a long time. My car does not have any emissions equipment, carb is a 750 quick fuel double pumper with electric choke.

Thanks in advance, and if anyone is in the Dallas area and wants to help, let me know!

 

I'd probably be tempted to just find a new block and put the current rotating assembly into it, since there's nothing wrong with any of it.

 

I am tempted, but wondering how much i will actually save after buying a new block, machine work, and swapping internals.

Maybe it is easy enough, but I have never swapped internals on an engine. I have done heads/cam/just about everything else, but never pistons,rods,or crank. Any advice here would be helpful... If it is a huge cost difference i might go this route, but i have to admit a 383 would be nice!

Thanks again for all replies, going to start yanking the engine out anyday

 

You'll save the cost of the crank and pistons at least. If you got another block of the same vintage as your current one you'd just have to bore it out to +.040 and everything bolts right in, assuming it doesn't need any other work. Figure maybe $200 for boring, plus the cost of a set of rings, bearings and gaskets. There's other stuff you could change "while you're in there", but that'd be the minimum.

 

It looks like i would spend ~800 to get a new block,machine work, and parts.

Assuming i do not go this route, and i do purchase a 383 rotating assembly as listed above, do you guys think the cam/heads i have now are sufficient, or would you change either/both while everything is already apart?


I also want to replace my holley blue electric fuel pump with a mechanical pump, this electric pump is WAY too loud

Thanks

 

The heads are pretty good, but the cam seems a little small for 215s.

Try the blue pump with a bypass regulator instead of the deadhead it comes with.