hey guys,
i just got a 350 for free, it's all torn apart and sitting in my garage. so it just makes it easier to buy all the performance parts before i have it put together. everything was in good condition and running before it was taken out. so now im wondering what kind of cam combo i should go with, i might be able to get some decent heads cheap or get some stock heads fully reworked (port jobs, big valves, angle jobs..ect...) and was wondering what it takes to get about 350-400 hp out of it. I would like to get enough power to run 13.0- 12.5s with the power. So what does it take for a carbed 350 to run that kind of times...? more interested in some cam / head combos and such. plus what is a good idea to replace, the pistons, rods and such all look good. should i worry to replace any of that or do you think it'll be good?

 

Replace the rod bolts. If you only do one thing to the short block to improve it from stock, that should be it.

Use flat-top pistons and the best heads you can afford. Power lives in the heads. If the heads don't flow, the engine will not make power, and nothing else can "compensate" for that. No flow = no power. Period. You can't work around it with cams, exhaust, intake, or anything else. It's like a string of pieces of hose; if you hook up a bunch of pieces of hose in series, and one of them is restricted, then it doesn't matter how big you make the others, it still won't flow.

Decent heads aren't cheap. Period. Good head work costs money. It takes time to grind out ports, and it takes an experienced (read: expensive) person spending his time, to get the best results. Many hours at a high $$$ rate per hour.

Don't delude yourself; you're not going to scrape up a bunch of crap off your garage floor and go out and kick everybody else's tail with it.

Then there's the matter of a "free" 350.... what kind of condition is it in? Does it need boring? Is it already .060" over and has wall damage, and that's why it was free? You may find that somebody has merely unloaded their disposal problem onto you, once you get to checking it out.

I don't mean to sound pessimistic, only realistic. Very few stock heads will take a 350 in a 3400 lb car even into the low 13s, let alone the 12s, and you're not likely to get a set of those for free. To crack into the 12s at that weight, you need right about 400 crank HP with the engine installed in the car, I'm not talking about Desktop Dyno here; and some traction.

Post some casting numbers. They tell all where heads are concerned.

 

the engine was running in good condition, think the person was ditching the van for a small truck and my buddy wanted the engine. My buddy took the engine apart at school with the shop teacher and it's been sitting around in is garage all summer, i was going to buy it but didnt have the money and he just left for the army so his dad just gave it to me. as far as i know it's completly stock the head casting numbers are both different, one is newer but i'll have to go look at them later on to give the numbers.

i have a few friends who might have some decent heads sitting around, but if not i'll get a set of some what performance heads somewhere. if anything i can get them at summit. i wasnt expecting to get the car into the 12's with this engine, esp since i know the heads would never make enough power. i was looking for more of a "proven power combo". This is kinda a budget engine in the fact that i wont spend a ton of money on it because i know im building a different engine later on down the road when i get some money. this will just hold me off for a while and somthing to get my car to move at a faster pace.


of all the stock chevy heads, which are the best with flow numbers. i might go to my uncles junkyard and see if i can pick up a set and send them to AFR to get all the work done to them. ( i know how expensive this stuff is, haha i just wish i didnt have to go to college and just work 2 full time jobs to pay for a "hobby") since i dont have the 2grand i need for the heads i want to get.

anyone have an idea of the amount of power a point of compression will make? say im going from a 8.0:1 up to a 9.0:1 cr how much more hp and torque will that net me?