Rebuilding my 350

[eightyfive]

Hey guys, im planning on rebuilding my 350 and i wanted to know what you guys did and how hard it was and how long it took.

I really want to get a new cam with a choppier idle, maybe gets some new heads, intake and headers. If at all possible i want to get about 400 horse out of it.

So tell me your story and what you have done to your trucks to squeeze out those extra horses.

Thanks

[PRattenbury]

GM Performance crate engine FTW. R&R in a weekend. $2300.

[xrcr]

It's hard to beat the cost effectiveness of a crate motor. Maybe if you have a lot of parts laying around and a buddy with a machine shop, you might cut the cost in half

[nbpro]

crate motor

[Buick455]

For that HP get a Big Block it will save you money in the long run.

[PRattenbury]

https://store.gmperformanceparts.com...do?prodId=7665

[eightyfive]

thanks but i allready got the three fifty at school and tearin er down. whats the best thing to do to a 350 to get the most power out of it with out having to do any major rebuilding (boring out cylinders, or planeing heads)

[Ticker]

Originally Posted by eightyfive

whats the best thing to do to a 350 to get the most power out of it with out having to do any major rebuilding (boring out cylinders, or planeing heads)

I'm not sure if you're saying you don't want to do this work on a used engine, or if you've got a solid shortblock that's in good shape that you want to build from. Where are you starting from - what do you have right now and what kind of shape is it in? If it's an old 350 and you're tearing it down...you will need to overhaul it, you can't just put it back together and expect it to run - no less make 400 HP!

A basic overhaul is going to cost around $2K, and will make less than 1 HP/CID, or around 300 HP in a 350 CID GEN I. There are a lot of assumptions in that number

The shortest, cheapest route to make 400HP from a GEN I is to build a 383; that's about a $3500-$5000 build.

The best starting point for a low-buck performance GEN I build is with a clean later-model roller-cam Vortec engine. Even if it's high milage, these engines are typically in great shape with little bore wear and excellent heads for a medium power build.

There's a bunch of generalities - the more specific information you give, the easier it is to get more specific

[3r!c84]

what kind of money are you willing on spending? you have to be realistic on what you want to spend and what kind of power you want to get out of it.

remember: horsepower ain't cheap

[79gmcc15]

Might help if this was moved to engine / drivetrain section. Also I really hate saying this but use search. As there was a post not to long ago with similar question. But be prepared to answer lots of questions. With the main one being how much you want to spend. And saying "as little as possible" is not going to cut it. Be specific. also getting the book "how to hotrod a small block chevy" is not a bad idea. Next is what is your use? But be prepared to spend upwards of $5,000+.
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[Psycho71]

Yep, 400hp ain't cheap. And depending on it's intended use, you might not fully enjoy it. 400hp from a small block will have the usable torque in the higher rpm range. That's where the above mentioned BBC will shine. You'll get all the torque, and more, of that 400hp sbc, but it will be at a MUCH lower rpm range, and be much more usable with closer to stock components like torque converter and such. If you are dead set on a sbc though, I'd be looking real hard at the genII vortec motors. Hyd roller set-up and vortec heads already, and results in a much more friendly streetable motor for less money spent.

[nd72c10]

Is this a 2 or 4 wheel drive truck? Auto?