I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

Hey, Im looking to get a 350 long block, then rebuild it myself. I haven't done this before, but my dad has, who may be able to help me a little. My first question is: Price?

My Plans: I hope to get around 300HP, but dont know the logistics of this.

Whats it cost for:
Hot Tanking a block?
Boring a Block .030?
Reconditioning Rods?
Reconditioning Crank?
Will the heads need modded, if so, price?
New Bearings?

Will any shops do, like a package deal? Dip, Bore, New Bearings, freeze plugs, etc?

What do you guys think about this Kit:
http://www.jegs.com/i/Eagle/356/B13402E/10002/-1

Or, This one?
http://www.jegs.com/i/Eagle/356/B13403E/10002/-1

Are these Pistons any good?
http://www.jegs.com/i/Keith+Black/64...7.030/10002/-1

How about these?
http://www.jegs.com/i/Sealed+Power/8...5NP30/10002/-1

Is all you have to do, to make a 383, is get a SBC 400 Crank?

Thank you for any and all Help! :thanks::thanks:

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

I'm not sure if i remember this right but when i got a quote it was something like 300-500 bucks to tank the block and bore it over depending on how they bored it over. Torque plate is the best way i believe and abit more expensive but the best way to do it

its pretty much standard for them to strip it all down and reinstall some plugs/etc Just request that it shouldnt be too much more for a good shop to do so. Cam bearings would be cost of the bearings and a small install fee i'm sure, but depends, it may be included.

get new rods as they are cheap these days, under 250 a set is good deal. Same with pistons and new crank can be had for under 250 as well. For your build, budget will work. 300 is cake to make on a 350

what intake setup you want to run? TPI or carb or what? ARe you keeping 350 or going for a 383? 383 is just a stroker kit. cando the old school 400 crank and stuff but just get a stroker kit, its easier that way

heads? what heads you using? stockers? rebuild/clean up on those would probly been in the 200-300 range as well with new cheap springs/valve job/etc but depends on how much work is done and what parts you install

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

It's very rare that I recomend anyone to downgrade the quality of the parts they are considering.However,if your honestly wanting to have a 300hp street engine,and are positive you'll never stack on a power adder,or get the itch to make 400hp with the same shortblock,I would stay with the stock rotating assembly.
I'm going to throw out some ballpark figures for machine work,this is for Southwest Missouri,so it may vary from where your at.Around here,a reputable machine shop will bore/hone,hot tank,freeze plug and cam bearing a block for $450-$500.Reconditioning rods should run about $150 with new ARP bolts,pressing rods on pistons shouldn't be over $100 max.
Cylinder heads at that performance level shouldn't be over $300-$400,assuming what you have isn't destroyed.
I would recomend a rebuild kit from Northern auto parts,stay with cast flat tops,upgrade to moly rings and Clevite bearings,upgrade to a quality timing set,and upgrade the camshaft to a Comp XE268.
Even with a poor set of heads,you should easily make 300HP,topped off by a Performer RPM or equivalant intake and a 600-650cfm carb.
If you haven't blown your budget at that point,a set of vortec heads would be an excellent place to put some coins,get a set that have been upgraded for more lift,and the corresponding intake,and IMHO,you'd be looking at 330-350HP,which driven responcibly,will still give the stock shortblock a long and happy life.
Just my 2 cents,but I kind of feel like the Eagle rotating assembly would be pretty overkill for the power level your looking to achieve.

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

Thanks for the replys, guys, really appreciate it.

Im totally new to ''Building'' Engines, and am on a part-time wal mart salary, needless to say, my funds are quite limited...

I Plan to Re-use anything I can, and boring a block over just seems like what your ''supposed'' to do, although I read elsewhere that Its only about 5HP increase, can I get significant power, even if I don't bore it over? Because Ive been emailing a guy that has a running 350, from a 72 Chevelle, and talks pretty highly about it, as being ready to go. I will try to go through it the best I can, and replace what I feel needs to be replaced. (IF I buy it) He wants $350 for it. The block # is 3970010. Anything I should look out for?

Ide like to buy this engine and just slap a good intake and 4bbl carb on it, with a good tuneup, and allow my funds to increase, for a full rotating assembly upgrade. I have access to a Torker (the 1st one) Manifold, and a 600cfm edelbrock carb w/ elec choke. Can I do a cam swap, without modding the heads, or valves or anything? Will all I need to do is adjust the carb?

Ide like to have a backup plan, as it seems my 305 is beginning to show its age, smoking on startup, hard to start, etc.

Sorry if Im being bothersome, just trying to learn, Thanks for the help :)

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

I called my machine shop and asked if they had any blocks ready to build. I lucked up and picked up a block that was prepped for a shop project. Bored, etc. new cam bearings and freeze plugs for $360.

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

I'm always leary of something online that the owner "talks highly of".$350 will go quite a ways on your build,and at least even if your 305 is tired,you know what you have.
Boring is really not a performance upgrade,but a machining process that cleans up and renews the cylinder walls,repairing the wear of an engine's previous life.As I stated earlier,you could save a lot of jack running a stock rotating assembly.As far as performance upgrades on a mystery 350,I can't recomend that,too many things can go wrong with a used engine that you don't know.

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

And yes, the engine would run with an early Torker intake, but it's no trouble at all to find a current-design Edelbrock Performer intake on Ebay. If you buy his engine, get it in writing first, with impartial witnesses' signatures, and their phone numbers, some wording to cover yourself in case the engine turns out to be a lemon.

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

Okay, I guess I can start with a bare block, considering what you guys say about a used engine, which is probably right, it IS , after all, a '72 block. So, what EXACTLY will need to be done to achieve ''just over'' 300HP?

Block Work - ?
Head work - ?
Rotating ***. work - ?
Cam - ?
Etc?

Thanks soo much, you guys are very helpful. :)

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

You'll have to tear the engine down and inspect it before anyone can tell you exactly what will need to be done.

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

have the block stripped clean, hot tank etc. new freeze plugs and cam bearings etc

new journal bearings and get bearings for the rods

have the stock crank checked out and reuse if possible. get new budget replacement rods and pistons.

what stock heads are you using? A iron L98 head is good for almost 400hp, same with 305 head. you can get 300hp with those heads

have them cleaned up, new springs/new valve seals, and possibly new valves with a valve job if you can spend the money on that

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

Thanks for your support guys, and I know Im being hard to follow. Here is exactly what I need help with:

I Can Buy These Pistons (For a good deal):
http://www.jegs.com/i/Sealed+Power/844/345NP30/10002/-1

And These Rods (Used, 10k Mi.)
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...1&autoview=sku

And some good rings to match.

Heres what I want to do:

Make it a 383 Stroker, the MOST cost effective way.

What Ive researched:

All you need is a 400 SBC Crank, Good Rods, and some block Modifications.

What do you think of THIS Crank?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GM-cr...spagenameZWDVW

Questions:

What Exactly, Do I need to do, In order to make it a 383? I Know the 400 Crank, but what exactly needs to be done? What Block Mods? Got a Link to a ''How-to'' ?

Will the piston /rod combo hold up? What HP Range am I looking at, If I use a 600cfm edelbrock, and a torker manifold, and a Semi-stock cam?

I Dont want to spend too much money on the heads, are there any good STOCK heads I can look for?

Thanks sooo much for any and all info, and if your selling anything I need, Please let me know!

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

You don't want a 400 crank, you want a 383 crank. A 400 crank will require machining to fit the block.

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

I Thought all you'd have to do is clearence it to the block? I thought thats how it was always done, with a 400 crank. Can I Use 5.7 rods? what else needs to be done?

Factory 400 cranks had larger main bearings than 350 cranks. Same size rod journals.

As the listing itself says:

350 ROD JOURNAL/BEARINGS

400 MAIN JOURNAL/BEARINGS

Currently available "383" aftermarket cranks have 350 main journals. Like the Jegs kits you linked.

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

No, it's always done with a 383 crank. Back in the day, before those were made, they used a 400 crank, and then spent money turning it down, so the journals would fit in a 350 block.
Save the cash and buy one made for what you're doing eh?

And yes, you still have to clearance the block.
Yep, 5.7" rods will work fine. Get pistons meant for a 383 with 5.7" rods eh?

Why are you asking about/linking pistons & rods? The Jegs section you linked has 383 kits with crank, rods, pistons, rings, bearings, already balanced. Such as http://www.jegs.com/i/Eagle/356/B13404E/10002/-1# .

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

I know that would be the best and easiest way to achieve this, but there is one flaw. Price. Thats $750 +Shipping.

I can get those Pistons / Rings / Rod combo for about $130. Than all I got to do is get the machine work done, then buy, apparently a 383 crank (Learned a 400 wont work, thanks guys!) then assemble.

My current question is, will those pistons, be good enough for a 383, street driven, not too hard? Will the rods hold up (Says up to 500HP)?

Will These Crank Shafts work?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GM-cr...spagenameZWDVW
or
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Sbc-S...spagenameZWDVW

Which one is better?

Thanks guys, you really are helping me out on this!

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

No... buy, balance (another operation for the machine shop) and assemble. A good chunk of that $750 price tag is the balancing.

One will work, the other one won't. Which is which depends on what block they're going into.

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

Okay, you said that the parts will need balancing, Whats the difference between internal and external balancing?
Ive bee looking at kits, and some say they include balanced dampener, and flex plate, If this is so, Cant I assemble the motor, and just get a dampener and flex plate? What does it cost to have that done?

Thanks!

Re: I want to build a 350, Need others Wisdom
 

Balancing involves weight-matching all the pistons and rods, spinning the crank up in a balancer with bobweights attached to simulate the reciprocating and rotating masses, and adding or removing material from the crank counterweights until it spins without vibration. You can't just throw a random assemblage of parts together and expect they'll all play together nicely. Balancing will probably cost about $300, but it varies. Call your local shops and ask.

Shipping is their standard $10-something per-order S&H, plus $8.99 oversize fee. Still less than $800.

This would be everything you need, new, balanced. Buying piece-meal, some parts used, will probably end up costing you more in the long run.