Been tinkering with fox bodies for a few years but now I am kinda lost . I am getting a 1986 T.A. with a carbed 305. I want to put a 350 in it for starters. I am under the impression that a 1990+ 350 block is the way to go. People have said that 305 heads on a 350 make more Hp than the stock 350 heads. I would assume that the T.A. has the 416 heads. So are they junk on a 350? Do I need to save up for these Vortec heads everybody keeps telling me about? And with either heads, how would they get along with a 383 stroker kit? Thinking about buying a forged stroker kit too. I don't have money to throw around. This would be a daily driver on pump gas.....but.......I want a beast Lol.

 

Welcome aboard thirdgen.org. And, welcome back from the Dark Side.

Not having money to throw around, daily driver, and wanting a beast aren't the best things to use in the same sentence. It's kind of a "pick the two you really want" kind of thing. Pump gas isn't a problem, that's just a matter of controlling compression ratio.

Now, yes, you have 416 heads. Yes, they are probably one of the best factory production heads they made. But, for a 350, then need to have port clean-up work done, and 1.94" intake (and possibly 1.60" exhaust) valves installed.

You can get a set of Vortec heads from sdparts.com in a kit that includes everything you need for about $1000, give or take $100 depending upon the level of modification and intake manifold you get. For a DD, you don't need a lot of cam or manifold, so the Performer intake would be fine. It's a pretty good deal, and spending less on 416 upgrades (depending upon how much of the port work you do yourself) is going to be difficult to beat for the results you'll get with the Vortecs.

'87-up 350 blocks are almost all the same - no difference '87-up or '90-up. The things you're looking for are one-piece rear main seal (which is '86-up), and roller lifters. The casting are basically the same '87-up, but some truck blocks weren't machined for the roller lifter provisions. The only way to know is to pull the intake manifold and look.

The main thing is to put the "package" together properly - cam, intake, compression ratio, quench, etc.

What plans did you have for exhaust?

 

Okay, I am pretty confident I can polish and port the heads on my own. I am a student mechanic and have plenty of pro help along with some guides I have found. If those heads are that decent I guess I will put the effort in them and get the new valves. At least if I ugrade in a few years, I could sell them already ported and with bigger valves. I want to get a forged 383 kit but not sure what I need to do to the block to use it. Um cam.....no idea right now. I will search for the roller motor though, however long it takes. I can put a mabye 3 grand into it but over time, preferably less though. I plan to buy used off ebay for the intake, and carb. I had plans to find a pretty mean cam and add a vacuum ball for better brakes. Im really just in the planning stages, I gotta pick up the car in two weeks, and probably can just afford that and a 350 for now. It will be a loving project that will sit for about two years as it is going together. Got some interior and paint that will need done as well.