Ok, I have a question about small blocks in general, now that the RS has it's 350, its time to yank the engine out of the 72 cutlass. Instead of just rebuilding it I am gonna build it up. The desktop dyno says with the headwork and cam I plan to use, power will peak at 6500+rpms, and it makes strong power to 7. Other than balancing, what must I do to keep it together? Keep in mind, I race all night friday and saturdays, so it will see a lot of time under WOT keeping up with the pack on the highway.

You'll want good springs to avoid valve float.

Solid lifter roller cam.

Cross-drilled chamfered oil holes on the crank.

A very good oil pump.

Best rods you can find, with the best rod bolts you can find.

Oh, is this an Olds 350 or 455? 400?

------------------
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).

My 91 Formula spins that high. I shift around 7200 at the track but it is a street car.

Break down of parts goes like this:

Bowtie block 4-bolt
Lunati forged crank with chamfered holes
Lunati Pro-Mod rods
Solid roller cam
World PRoducts heads (ported to the max)
TPIS mini ram
3500 stall
4.11 gears

The rotating assembly is very very very important if you want to spin that high.

Also you have to have heads that can feed the motor that much air.

Hope that helped.

------------------
1991 Formula, 406, miniram. Best run to date (9/30/01) 60' 1.63, ET 12.28, MPH 110.48

2002 Sunset Orange Metallic Z-28. Track time to come in Spring

Use ARP rod and main bolts if you work on the lower end. http://home.twcny.rr.com/mcss/SBCinfo.html I agree with the method of using RPMs over Hp levels to determine the main cap needs. It isn't hard to build a motor to turn 7s, but I wouldn't go out of my powerband. If you peak HP at 6500, your peak torque will probably be around 4500. Peak torque will be max acceleration running through max HP. I'd plan on turning 6800 RPMs and use a rev limiter ignition box. Hope you aren't wanting any mileage out of that motor!

Mileage? the thing gets a solid 6 MPG now. For 460hp@6000 and 440ft # from 4500 to almost 5500, i'll put up with the economy. Oh, its a 350, well 355 after the rebuild. I run 3.42 gears, and my goal is a car I can take to the street races, sandbag, and get the fastest import guy out there to race me, and then yank the fronts and blow him away. He runs 12.9, i think the cutty will tear it up. Oh, btw, Is it safe to put MT ET streets on a car and run it around on the highway? I know its probably a stretch...

As for longevity, Its my daily driver during the dry part of the year, and someday i would love to get like a gear vendors splitter/overdrive, even though they don't really impress me. are they even worth the money? the only person I ever talked to sold them for rv's, and he said "Everyone seems to like em ok, but no one gets them on their next rv." which makes me think they suck. any differing opinions?

If it was in my car, I'd want a clutch disc, pressure plate, flex plate, and/or torque converter that wouldn't shatter and cut my legs off; or a blanket; or a steel bell housing. I enjoy walking sometimes.

------------------
"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

I don't know about the cutlass, but with the camaro its important to get a lot more air into it. I can run my setup all day at 7000 rpm, but its choking at that level.