OK your stock 350 TPI engines got a ton of miles on it and needs replacing but you still want a dependable daily driver with zero head aches...but still a bunch more hp would be nice!!
if your not changing the cam or heads the rear gear swap to a (3.73:1 ideally) will be far more beneficial than the higher stall converter alone but both a 2700 stall and the rear gear will do amazing things with good slicks,on a stock engine,and adding a low restriction exhaust on decent headers, sure helps especially if you upgrade the cam and heads later.but think it thru carefully, if you intend on using better heads and a larger cam in the future, your effectively raising the power band the engines intended to operate in,and in most cases a larger cam requires increased compression to provide its full potential power,if your going to increase the compression the best way is thru a stroker kit so you also gain displacement, select the cam and converter to match and the heads to match the displacement and intended rpm /power band,
yes its a bottomless money pit if you just keep wanting more and more!
Think it thru carefully ,set a goal, and buy/install what you need to slightly exceed that goal. but don,t compromise the cars drive ability or durability if its used as transportation,
, (383 0r maybe a 406?) remember to select the cam and converter stall to match and the heads to match the displacement and intended rpm /power band
OK to keep things simple you'll want an engine as close to the basic stock physical type as the original engine, now that rules out the lt1-lt4
but you can have huge increases in hp/tq with the basic sbc l98 design parameters
If you do build a second performance engine rather than modify your single existing original cars engine,theres some advantages, that us older geezers have come to appreciate at times.
as a general rule, its best to take your time and build a separate performance engine that you can swap into the car over a weekend, this has several advantages
(1) you will not be tying up the car, in an un-driveable condition waiting for weeks on parts to arrive or waiting on machine work to be done,
and you can always swap the original engine back into the car,
to have the car as dependable transportation while the performance engines being built or worked on.
(2) you can sell either engine separately from the car itself and still have a drive-able car.
(3)having your performance engine out on an engine stand certainly makes it far easier to work on.
(4) having a second engine available allows you to drive the car while you make repairs on the original engine
(5) if you screw something up, your not effectively stuck with a non-driveable car for long.
(6) with some experience you,ll find an engine swap between two similar engines can be done in a day , or at most a weekend by yourself, with a skilled and experienced local buddy, a long afternoon!
lets keep things simple
this short block
http://www.ohiocrank.com/chev_sb_shortb.html
406 SBC Shortblock with new Dart SHP block
Price
5140 steel crankshaft
6" Steel Rods w/ ARP bolts
SRP forged pistons
Race rings and bearings
Internally balanced
Dart SHP block
$3095
assembled
these heads
http://www.jegs.com/i/Brodix/158/1021004/10002/-1#
$1,025.99
http://www.jegs.com/i/Comp+Cams/249/1302-16/10002/-1
$285.99 these roller rockers
this semi-mild cam (FLAT TAPPET HYDRAULIC)if you want it to run as a basically stock engine
http://www.crower.com/misc/cam_spec/cam ... &x=26&y=10
obviously if you up the converter stall speed, rear gear ratio, displacement and compression ratio a larger cam can also be used to gain a good deal more hp, so talk with both the engine builder and several cam company's about your options
oil pan
$290
http://www.cantonracingproducts.com/cgi ... key=15-240
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetai ... toview=sku
the rest is reused stock components, and new gaskets
you can very easily assemble and install that combo yourself and easily exceed an extra 100 more hp plus over the stock engine with noticeably more tq and no bad traffic manors, the idea is no bad manors no problems and a noticeable improvement without needing computer changes or new injectors etc.
if your not changing the cam or heads the rear gear swap to a (3.73:1 ideally) will be far more beneficial than the higher stall converter alone but both a 2700 stall and the rear gear will do amazing things with good slicks,on a stock engine,and adding a low restriction exhaust on decent headers, sure helps especially if you upgrade the cam and heads later.but think it thru carefully, if you intend on using better heads and a larger cam in the future, your effectively raising the power band the engines intended to operate in,and in most cases a larger cam requires increased compression to provide its full potential power,if your going to increase the compression the best way is thru a stroker kit so you also gain displacement, select the cam and converter to match and the heads to match the displacement and intended rpm /power band,
yes its a bottomless money pit if you just keep wanting more and more!
Think it thru carefully ,set a goal, and buy/install what you need to slightly exceed that goal. but don,t compromise the cars drive ability or durability if its used as transportation,
, (383 0r maybe a 406?) remember to select the cam and converter stall to match and the heads to match the displacement and intended rpm /power band
OK to keep things simple you'll want an engine as close to the basic stock physical type as the original engine, now that rules out the lt1-lt4
but you can have huge increases in hp/tq with the basic sbc l98 design parameters
If you do build a second performance engine rather than modify your single existing original cars engine,theres some advantages, that us older geezers have come to appreciate at times.
as a general rule, its best to take your time and build a separate performance engine that you can swap into the car over a weekend, this has several advantages
(1) you will not be tying up the car, in an un-driveable condition waiting for weeks on parts to arrive or waiting on machine work to be done,
and you can always swap the original engine back into the car,
to have the car as dependable transportation while the performance engines being built or worked on.
(2) you can sell either engine separately from the car itself and still have a drive-able car.
(3)having your performance engine out on an engine stand certainly makes it far easier to work on.
(4) having a second engine available allows you to drive the car while you make repairs on the original engine
(5) if you screw something up, your not effectively stuck with a non-driveable car for long.
(6) with some experience you,ll find an engine swap between two similar engines can be done in a day , or at most a weekend by yourself, with a skilled and experienced local buddy, a long afternoon!
lets keep things simple
this short block
http://www.ohiocrank.com/chev_sb_shortb.html
406 SBC Shortblock with new Dart SHP block
Price
5140 steel crankshaft
6" Steel Rods w/ ARP bolts
SRP forged pistons
Race rings and bearings
Internally balanced
Dart SHP block
$3095
assembled
these heads
http://www.jegs.com/i/Brodix/158/1021004/10002/-1#
$1,025.99
http://www.jegs.com/i/Comp+Cams/249/1302-16/10002/-1
$285.99 these roller rockers
this semi-mild cam (FLAT TAPPET HYDRAULIC)if you want it to run as a basically stock engine
http://www.crower.com/misc/cam_spec/cam ... &x=26&y=10
obviously if you up the converter stall speed, rear gear ratio, displacement and compression ratio a larger cam can also be used to gain a good deal more hp, so talk with both the engine builder and several cam company's about your options
383 Stealthram
My 383 motor for my 88 trans am is Scat Stroker with AFR 195 Eliminator 72 cc heads, flat pistons. The càm is Comp Cams Nitrous cam 227/236, .502/.520 lift, 113 lsa. I have Stealthram and TRI-y jet hot coated headers. I will get a Crane Gm small cap distributor and Crane Gold Race narrow body...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
$290
http://www.cantonracingproducts.com/cgi ... key=15-240
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetai ... toview=sku
the rest is reused stock components, and new gaskets
you can very easily assemble and install that combo yourself and easily exceed an extra 100 more hp plus over the stock engine with noticeably more tq and no bad traffic manors, the idea is no bad manors no problems and a noticeable improvement without needing computer changes or new injectors etc.
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