Hey guys,

I dropped a new 350 engine and 700R4 trans into my 1991 camaro this past summer and since I have been driving it, something is just not right. This is my fourth camaro I have owned and I know what a 350 is supposed to feel like, and this isn't it. I've got an edelbrock electric choke carb on it, the 1406 I think. I am not sure what is going on but it just has hardly any power. Just enough to spin the tires, but pathetic pickup. Any advice from the performance guys out there? This really sucks...

P.S. I tuned the carb according to the video that came with the carburetor

 

What is a 350 supposed to feel like? You can build one that only makes 100HP or you could build one that makes 1000HP. What are the specs of yours? Heads, cam, compression, ect?

 

I had a shop make it for me and I don't have that detailed information. It was rated at 325 hp, and it is getting nowhere near that right now.

Here is a link to the engine http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHEVY-350-32...item2a1aca2062

 

Post a video.Check the timing.

 

Being that the company selling it doesn't even list the actual specs, I strongly doubt they dyno their engines either. There is a very good chance that your engine simply doesn't make anywhere near the HP claimed. It could very well be a 8.5:1 350 with crappy heads and a tiny cam only outputting 150HP.

Seems they cater to the group of people that read the following words and think they mean something special "4 bolt", "balanced", "blueprinted", "high performance" rather than those that really want a 325HP engine.

 

Ok so I called and got these specs...

Cam- Competition Cam 454 lift and 268 duration

Compression- 9.5:1

GM cast iron heads machined for better air flow

Hope this helps...

 

882's don't flow worth a hoot even after being machined for better air flow.

 

What distributor are you running and how do you have it set up?
That can make or break the power output easily.

 

I think it was this one... http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...er=298449_0_0_

 

That is the older style non-CC distributor with mechanical and vacuum advance, so it's fully tunable.
It often helps to either get a re-curve kit, or at least springs & bushings to adjust the mechanical advance, and an adjustable vacuum advance unit if that one isn't adjustable.
You will want to use a dial-back style timing light to set up the advance curve.

there is info in links of my signature for setting up distributors.

 

Thank you. I appreciate you offering an actual practical response to my issue.

 

i hate to borrow your thread but i also have a 350 i would like some help with can anyone ball park an horsepower and torque estimate i got the specs also from machine shop. 350 with flat top 4 valve relief pistons, 601 heads from a 305 ho and a melling mtc1 cam 278/288 duration and .420/.443 lift with a 112 LSA, Headers and a 750 quadrajet on stock intake. thanks so much

 

chevyking if you give me a part number on that cam, tell me what intake and exhaust valves your running, what headers and intake you have and what head gaskets your running I could run a simulation on dyno 2000, the SBC numbers tend to be a little higher than actual tho

 

What he said time 2

 

Well, that may be the case but that has nothing to do with my initial question. I have supplied the requested specs and I have so far received only one helpful response. I am not concerned with that company's marketing strategy or who they cater to, I just wanted some help with this issue. I have decided on taking it to a speed shop this weekend to get the carb tuned, timing set and a general looking over. I'll post results for those interested. Sorry if I sound annoyed but I didn't post this to listen to elitist comments and then have my question ignored.

 

You've got a stock replacement intake, an old school, low lift, medium duration cam with lazy ramp rates, and probably 70s smogger heads. I'd be very dubious of that thing being 9.5:1 compression.

You have what is probably essentially a goodwrench 350, which is rated at 260 gross hp, which is gonna be closer to 150 rwhp.

Pull the valve covers and get a casting number. Chances are you have flat top pistons (good), but it'd be interesting to know how far in the hole they are, you may never be able to get a decent quench distance or compression ratio out of them if they're already .045 in the hole. But they may be just fine, and chances are some 083 heads, Performer RPM intake, and an xe268 cam swap all at the same time should get you some decent "feels like a 350" numbers without a huge cost investment.

 

Alright I'll check the casting number as soon as I get a chance, and thank you. I appreciate the in depth explanation as well. Yes, I was already considering swapping out the heads and intake for vortecs I found on summit, but I want to take things one step at a time before dropping loads of cash. I'll also have to look into that setup you just mentioned, especially if it will get me decent numbers without breaking the bank.

 

Cam part number is Melling MTC1, headers are patriot performance shorty's, dual 2-1/4" straight pipes, the heads from machine shop he said we stock 601's with new springs and retainers, the intake is just a factory 4BBL Quadrajet, and the head gasket im not sure they are just stock replacement for a 76 350. thanks so much

 

I sent you a PM.

 

Where are you located? I hope you find a good, competent, and trustworthy tuner to fix you up.

 

I am in Chicago. Had a hard time finding a place, but was recommended to a shop called Done Right. We'll see how it goes. Taking it there on Monday. The guys there apparently build cars for the track, so they are supposed to know their stuff.

 

Ok, so I figured out that the majority of the problem seems to lie with the detent cable to the trans. I had someone adjust it, but now it doesn't shift out of first until 4,500 rpm! So I followed the guide on here about resetting it, and it did nothing to help. It acted exactly the same after I pressed the button in, moved the adjustor back, and then moved the carb to WOT. It clicked once and then made a grating sound and I had to kind of force it open to WOT. Any advice?

 

im glad i read this before i decided to buy from them. i was gonna buy there TBI block rated at 375 hp, 400fptq to drop into my 1991 Chevy 1500 sport..

 

The engine is fine. My problem lies with my trans detent cable, now that it has been adjusted, the power is there but it is still not shifting at the correct times because the person who adjusted it obviously didn't know what he was doing.

 

okay thats good news. how do there engines sound??

 

Sounds great, haven't had any issues with it yet and the main guy at the shop there Chris is very helpful and nice.

 

i think i have talked to him before on the phone doing research etc. etc. this company seems to be the most resonable priced on there engines. ill most likely be giving them a try in the future once im back stateside

 

The auto adjuster on your TV cable may be faulty. I hope your cable's not stretched or otherwise damaged. The ideal adjustment of the cable is it should reach it's stop at WOT. Play with the adjustment til you get there. As far as shift points are concerned, at full throttle, a stock 700R4 should shift at 4,500-5,000 from first and second. Did you verify timing? The most important point of timing is to verify 29 degrees by 2,800 RPM with no vacuum to the vac advance. This is much more important than the idle setting. Be sure that your engine is broken in (1000 miles generally) before you do much above 3,000rpm.

 

Got it working! I followed Transfixleo's guide and it worked wonders! Probably isn't totally perfect but it's way better than it was! Actually has some power now and isn't shifting at crazy rpm's. Thanks everyone. Now I can start on taking care of some other things that need fixing.

 

Dont ever buy an engine for performance if they dont tell you what the specifications on the cam, heads, and intake manifold are. The most important part of the making power equation is the heads, and that's easiest part to scrimp.

Most of these types of places make money selling cheap 70s junk heads that hot rodders dont want. They take the old low compression heads that they get for free, clean them up, and then paint them red and put an Edelbrock (usually a stock replacement type Performer intake) intake on it along with an old school cam grind. Heads can easily be 1/3 the cost of an engine, and although they're not as voodoo as cams are, just because they're painted red on a rebuilt motor doesn't make them good. There's a reason 400+ cubic inch motors in the 70s were making less than 200hp, and there's a reason these ebay companies dont tell you what heads they're using. hint: it's because they're undesirable and cheap

If you're gonna buy a crate engine, buy one where they give you camshaft specifications and a cylinder head casting number. If they're good parts they would be very upfront about this from the start. Good cylinder heads and cams are A SELLING POINT! Think about why they would not volunteer this information. If they're crap parts (reliability may be fine, but power will not be) they will just talk about all the work they did to the heads, maybe they put in larger valves(202 heads!), or screw in studs. Look for an engine where they sellers tell you exactly what heads they're using up front, and tell you exactly what cam they're using. If they're not using a big name brand cam they're cutting corners. Cam brands to look for are Comp, Lunati, Crane, and Howards. Avoid edelbrock, Melling, sealed power, etc. They're not low quality, they're just outdated.

 

Ill relate an experience I had with a customer's crate engine. He thought he would save the money of having me or another quality local shop build an engine for him. So he went on the net and found Pheonix Engines. They sold him a "325HP 350", I don't remember the price. After he and a friend wasted alot of time and ruined parts trying to install it in his 66 El Camino, it came to me.

I got it in and running, went through the break in with him, which was touchy since Pheonix used a cheap flat tappet cam. One after another parts began dropping like flies. First the Edelbrock carb dropped a float, not typical for Edelbrock in my experience, just to give Edelbrock some forgiveness. Next, he lost one of the cheap stamped rocker arms that Pheonix used. I replaced the junk with Comp Cams Procomp Stainless rockers and polylocks. FWIW, the heads on the Pheonix engine were 882s. From what I could tell they'd had no upgrades done.

In the end, with all the headaches he went through, I had to say that this customer for all of his effort, didn't really end up saving much off the cost of having me build him a 325 HP 350 myself using quality parts, a reputable machinist, and a custom ground hydraulic roller cam.

 

And yours would have probably actually made the 325 HP as well.

I have been inside a couple of crate engines (ones sold from parts stores) and measured the clearances. They are indeed put together on the sloppy side. It's not that you can't run them like that, but I just would never do it myself. They are not very efficient.
And yeah, the cylinder heads are about as low-performance as it gets.

 

I believe in supporting our local shops. Not only do you get face to face customer support, but you get to see what you're getting as it comes together and select parts with the help of an expert. Most areas have at least one really good automotive machine shop. I don't mean the little shop in the back of the parts store, though some might be okay(look at the equipment, is it old or new?, is it quality?).

The shops I refer to are dedicated engine shops where high performance and race engines are the main focus. My machinist Archie Somers specializes in small block race engines for NASCAR. On any given day you'll find a row of little blue SBCs sitting by the loading dock, ready for pick up. The little cast iron head engines have dyno tags attached with numbers like "720HP at 7,300" written on them. Being there for a dyno session on one of these little beasts is a treat. What better person to do the measuring, machine work and preparation for a high performance small block. And he isn't as expensive as you might think.