Identifying heads

[Tmwoodall]

I bought my truck from a guy who was building it to play with it/track it. That being said the engine looked amazing when I picked it up (Though that was 8 years ago). I have fired it up a few times once it was on the chasis.

Since it sat for so long without being worked on I am taking some steps backwards to do some things better, and do others for the first time. THe paint on the block has begun flaking off, really bad. It seems it was "painted to sell." That isn't the end of the world since I took it back down to the frame and have a rolling chasis. I can easily pull the engine, tranny and touch it up with some Eastwood Chevy orange.

My question is this, not knowing what heads are on it, how can I identify if they are of a high quality/suited to the rest of the build? I am next to 100% ignorant when it comes to engine building/tuning but am looking to learn as I go with this project.

I will have to dig out my file folder tonight to pull up the rest of the specs on engine components, IIRC it was built up quite nicely, but to my VERY untrained eye, looks to potentially be stock heads. Though I noticed there is a bit of overhang on the backside of the block as in the heads stick out about 1/4-1/2 inch from the block face....

I'll post up some pictures later on.

[1low]

U can pop the valve covers and run the numbers but thats just what they were born as the could have been hogged out u will have to pull a head and mic the valves to no what u really got.

[Slick67]

Here ya go, these will help maybe even without pulling the valve covers.

Casting numbers ----- http://www.kendrick-auto.com/chevrol..._number_re.htm

Casting guides ----- http://www.fastnuf.com/Headguide.html

[Tmwoodall]

Ok so once I identify them, if they are in fact a stock cast head, does that mean I likely have not great performing heads?

[Slick67]

Not necessarily. Go to the bottom of the second link I sent you and it gives the pros and cons on the heads.

[Tmwoodall]

So it turns out the engine build isn't quite what I had in my head.

4 Bolt, Steel Crank, 882 Heads, 282 Crane Came, 30 Over TRW Pistons, Dimple Rods.

Whole thing is bored over .30

Anyone care to venture a guess as to HP it will put out?

[BIGBLU 72]

350

[Tmwoodall]

Lastly, anyone identify this intake?

[Red68]

Looks like your manifold is a stock chevy that was polished like Slick67 says.

[Tmwoodall]

Originally Posted by Red68

Looks like your manifold is a stock chevy that was polished like Slick67 says.

Ha. Ok. Thanks a ton guys, this has been a very disappointing thread for me.

At least I truly know what I am working with now.

[todd99]

I checked my heads against those websites and they aren't on there, what gives?

Cast # 3978487

[Slick67]

Originally Posted by todd99

I checked my heads against those websites and they aren't on there, what gives?

Cast # 3978487

I think the 1st 8 is a 3.

3973487 350, LT1, 75cc, 161-165cc intake port

[Slick67]

That was quick.

[Slick67]

Cannot tell what the manifold is. There are no markings anywhere? If not, it could be a custom grind and polish job.

[Tmwoodall]

Originally Posted by Slick67

Cannot tell what the manifold is. There are no markings anywhere? If not, it could be a custom grind and polish job.

Not that I noticed. I'll have to scour it a bit more and see if I can find any. If it was a custom grind&polish they did a damn good job. Which would surprise me given some of the other slightly sloppy work on the engine.

[Tmwoodall]

My Casting mold profile was on there, but the head # itself wasn't I had to use Google to find mine.

[todd99]

Nevermind, I answered my own question. http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/sbc-head-id-163581.html

[manimal]

cant be a stock intake, it has bosses on the runners.It could be a professional products intake.

[406 Q-ship]

By all the infomation you wrote there, I would say you have a rebuilt Goodwrench 350. 882 are a standard replacement head (not great but not bad). The engine has a ID pad like a later engine, does it have a dipstick on the right side of the engine or the left? Is there a provision for a dipstick on both sides of the engine (definatly a Goodwrench then)? The intake is either a Edelbrock performer 2101 with the name ground and polished off or the offshore intake that is a Performer knock off (Performance "something"), the carb is definatly a Edelbrock. There is no really bad small block rods except the powdered metal ones, before the powdered metal ones all small blocks use forged steel rods. In my opinion the cam is way to big for the heads unless they have been ported and the compression ratio has been raised to 9:1. You will need a torque converter that is 2500 stall for it to work well.

[Tmwoodall]

Originally Posted by 406 Q-ship

By all the infomation you wrote there, I would say you have a rebuilt Goodwrench 350. 882 are a standard replacement head (not great but not bad). The engine has a ID pad like a later engine, does it have a dipstick on the right side of the engine or the left? Is there a provision for a dipstick on both sides of the engine (definatly a Goodwrench then)? The intake is either a Edelbrock performer 2101 with the name ground and polished off or the offshore intake that is a Performer knock off (Performance "something"), the carb is definatly a Edelbrock. There is no really bad small block rods except the powdered metal ones, before the powdered metal ones all small blocks use forged steel rods. In my opinion the cam is way to big for the heads unless they have been ported and the compression ratio has been raised to 9:1. You will need a torque converter that is 2500 stall for it to work well.

I can't recall from memory which side the dipstick is on, or what TConverter it has mated up. I'll have to check that, it was "whatever came with the pile or parts"

You are correct on the Carb, that is the one item i put on the engine myself. I have the spec sheet on the cams and springs at home. Given the oil-ly hand prints on the install manual, and end user registration on the camshaft I think the PO built this engine up himself.

Hopefully the info on the cam registration card will shed some light on my compression ratio. I know it has Comp springs on there as well (not that, that says much)....

So if this was your engine, what would you do with it? I don't have the budget to dismantle and start anew but if I can "fix" it with some mild teardown then I am game for that. The times it has been running, it purrs beautifully but that was under zero load just open throttle, not in drive.

I attached images of the engine from behind, and all the stampings on the block. This mystery keeps getting deeper, just when I think I am done learning about it. I truly appreciate all the info/help figuring this out.

[Tmwoodall]

Definitely a GM Crate from a quick googling of the casting number. But seems he just bought the block, given the cams, .30 bored over, etc?

[406 Q-ship]

Yeap that is a GM Goodwrench engine that now GM offers through the crate engine program now as the 260 HP. If it were me I would try to get it fired to see how radical the cam is, then I would make an accessment from there. If the cam is really big and kills engine vacuum then the only solution is to change the cam out.

[Tmwoodall]

Originally Posted by 406 Q-ship

Yeap that is a GM Goodwrench engine that now GM offers through the crate engine program now as the 260 HP. If it were me I would try to get it fired to see how radical the cam is, then I would make an accessment from there. If the cam is really big and kills engine vacuum then the only solution is to change the cam out.

I've had it running a few times, it actually runs really well. The Cam is pretty mild

I think my plan is to get headers and exhaust routed, and keep working on the truck (Has lots else to do). As I go I will start slowly acquiring parts for the Vortec change so I can get this thing at or above 350HP.

Will the head bolts on my 882s work with the vortec heads?