I am looking at getting a pretty cheap 350 built over the winter. Right now, I have

95 1/2 ton truck 2 bolt block
3.48" Eagle Cast Crank
5.7 Eagle Rods w/ ARP Cap Screws
CS X4 254H-11 Cam (.447 int .462ex) 254 int./262 exh. adv duration
981-16 Valve Springs

What kind of heads/intake/carb would help this thing out? Would Vortec heads be a good cheap head for this combo? Also, This engine would be running through a TH350 and a 2001 3.23 10 bolt.

Any help would be great!!!

 

I may have a used set of Vortec Heads for this engine if I play my cards right, come on guys I need some opinions, maybe a desktop dyno???

 

That isn't much cam. With that cam, you wouldn't have to do much to a set of vortec heads to make them work.
A vortec intake and a 600 -750 cfm carb with an HEI would have you making some good power up to 5000 rpm or so.

 

whats your plans for the exhaust?

vortec heads sound good to me. you going to have them worked over?

i'd stick w/ that cam w/ stock vortecs. if you can afford the machine work, or beehive springs, i'd step up to a 268 or 274xe.

 

Yeah, I may have a set of Stock Vortecs. I did a desktop dyno and:

750 CFM Carb
Dual Plane Manifold
Small Tube Headers and mufflers
10.1 CR

With the mentioned cam and stock Vortec heads, it made
353 FWHP @ 5500 RPM
403 FTLBS @ 4000 RPM

With a single plane intake & -4 degrees cam timing:
388HP @ 5500 RPM
408HP @ 4500 RPM

I know it is just some numbers but Im pretty sure it will be at least 300HP/350TQ.

 

300 hp at the crank, no sweat.
Stay away from the single plane intake though.
Just for a reference point, the factory 4bbl 350s from 1970 with a flat tappet peanut cam and 10.2:1 CR were rated @ 300hp. That's with the iron exh manifold.

 

sounds about right, with a good tune 350HP/400ft-lbs should be a breeze.

 

I hope to get some hooker 2055's and y pipe, Cat back exhaust w/ maybe a cut out in between. Im trying to get a pair of Vortec heads that have .010 milled off them, they are remanufactured. I'll probably shoot for the Performer RPM Air Gap intake. Not sure on that though, any suggestions?

 

hmmm see my sig. i wish i would of gone with more cam already. im saving up this year for some summer fun swap. but 350hp...is questionable, i think i might be that at the flywheel. i should trap around 104 i think on a good day now.

 

7plagues, Are you running a Limited Slip Axle?

Im shooting for high 13's not too fast, not too slow. Im going to run a th350 in mine w/ around a 2500 stall T/C. Im currently running a 2001 Trans Am 3.23 Limited Slip Rear end w/ Nitto 275/40/17's. That rear suspension got me a 2.04 60' in a 320 RWHP 99 Z28. I hope it gets similar numbers w/ a 3d gen.

 

sounds like a good combo, but yea, that cam is pretty small, what, the smallest one they make isn't it? That'd make it run like the stock truck pretty much.
You want to have fun in your sports car, with a 2500RPM stall, I think you can afford at least an xe262.

 

what springs would I need to use w/ the XE262 - XE 274 Cams? Would the 981-16 Comp Cam Valve Springs be ok?

 

yep.

 

I looked on Summit at the XE274 Cam and Im liking it, and Cam alone is $109. I may have to come up with the money but I'll have to also fork over the money for Head work on the Vortec's right. They only got a max lift of .470".

 

You can get a pair of ready-to-run, high-lift Vortecs with intake, bolts, rockers, and gaskets from sdpc2000.com for less than $1100. http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/2172...former-RPM.htm

 

If you like DIY, and you have the tools, you can prep a set of vortecs yourself. First you disassemble them, then grind off the tops of the guides, then deburr it, pin the studs, reassemble them with the right springs. Make sure to double check the clearances etc. Not that much to it.

 

Or use offset locks to get around the lift limit. The "max lift" of a set of heads a very poor excuse for undercamming a motor. It leads to humdrum performance, and a lack of black marks outside your driveway, which has been proven to be directly proportinate to the amount of "fun" a person has.

 

Yeah, I'll probably save for spring 2007 and get me some Vortec heads, and get them machined to handle the extra lift. I'm looking at the 274 Cam, Looks potent, and I'll probably get a Performer RPM Air Gap and a 750 Carb. That should get me in the 350HP+ Category even if it is @ the Flywheel only. If the heads I buy were milled .010"(block is stock, standard deck) what length of pushrod should I use?

 

It's always best to use the right length pushrod.



You find out what that is by using an adjustable length pushrod for checking.
There's a thread on that that was posted recently.

 

yea i have a posi rear end. for the xe262h cam that i have you dont need to upgrade the springs, although i would recommend the 274 it would be better imo. also my horrible 2.3 was horrible track finicky clutch and just spinning lol, funny thing is i cut a 2.2 60ft with the v6 in the car, so i know theirs alot left on the table.

overall, im happy with the vortec set-up, puts up a real good fight on the street because of the torque it produces.

 

The 981 springs are good up to .500" lift. they work fine on the XE284H (.510" lift.) They are all you need for the 274H.
Cut the guide bosses down (.200")
Don't just grind the top of the guide offcomp cams makes a guide boss cutter just for this. You can do it at hime with a electric drill.
. drill and pin the rocker studs, and use selfguided '87+ rocker arms.
if you want cheap, buy the Summit "stage 3" vortec intake or a Professional products crosswind vortec.

You'll make 400Bhp+ with the 274 and vortec heads..
Do not use a single plane manifold. The 284H needa 4.10's and a 3500stall.
Note* you have to remove the inner spring damper to install on a stock vortec head. (otherwise machine the inner spring seat dia. Install at 1.70" or higher for a .510" cam.

On my vortec 350 I used a generic 214-224 .442-.465" cam and ran 13 flat ets with a stock converter. This is a mild cam with good mileage and drivability.
Summit cam/lifter kit # SUM-K1103

hard to beat for $69. generaly no guide shortening is required. Your comp cam is very simular, should work good for ya as is. I'd try it first. You should be able to make 360 375hp, as I did.

 

yea, i've never really heard of anyone cutting down the guide boss with a grinder... I can't really think of a reason why not, not really a precision piece, but I can't remember anyone ever doing it that way....
Anyone know why you SHOULDN'T ?

Stock length pushrods are probably fine, you only go to a different length if you're doing something weird. You can try it with stock, and rotate the motor over by hand, and check the "witness mark". If it's off, then you get new pushrods (or a length checker, to find out what length you need).

 

I never knew comp cams sold a tool for doing that. How much $$ ?
I've seen it done with a grinder on a cycle head. Then after grinding, he took a countersink and chamfered the inside, then deburred the outside with a file so the seal would fit on better.
I guess it worked okay. I'd try it if I has a set of heads that needed clearancing. The comp tool prolly makes the job easier, maybe neater too.

 

the comp tool is like $65 for the cutter, and $35 for the arbor.

 

Think of all that money you'll have to count after all your friends and friends of friends come over to get their heads modfied by you. At say $30/ each, you'll soon be rich.

Buying the tooling and doing it your self is just slightly cheaper than machine shop labour.

I'll bet you could buy the tooling, use it and re-sell it as used, locally for more than you paid for it.

 

If shipping wasn't so much, a guy could start a career modifying vortecs for HP cams. You could do it on your workbench in your backyard.