street truck set up????

[MIKECHEVY69]

i have a 69 chevy swb with an engine from 77-82 the engine is a 350 and runs decent i was wondering if this set up would work im planning on trying to get around 350-400 hp and around the same for torque. i have an msd streetfire hei dist. and i believe my carb is 1405 edelbrock might be a 1406 not 100% sure the rest of it is stock. im thinking of getting the vortec heads by gm up to .550" lift for camshaft 64cc 1.94" intake 1.50 exhaust 1.379" diameter springs and the valve guides are clearanced for up to .550" gross lift. PN NAL-VORTECzz5. the intake im looking to get is edelbrock performer rpm air gap PN 350-7516 the cam is a lunati voodoo lifer kit PN lun-60102lk. what else would i need like a cheap set of roller rockers and pushrods??? and will all this be a decent set up? this truck is not my daily driver and i just want enough performance to compete with some of these newer trucks to put them to shame hahaha

[MIKECHEVY69]

cheap roller rockers and pushrods but not crappy im willing to pay a little for decent ones.

[Rannos]

Not trying to discourage you here but IMO you wont see near 350-400hp with that setup. It would be a decent little street truck for sure but people arent realistic with the power they claim they are getting. Take my engine for example. It is a 383 with RHS Proaction 220 heads 10.4to1 compression just over .250 @ .050 and around .590 lift solid roller. Comp cams pro magnum rockers and all the lightest valve train I could afford at the time. Holley strp dominator intake and a Mighty Demon 850 carb. We think its some where in the 450-475 horse range.
The combo. you are looking at is more likely 275-290hp and with the right convertor and gear it would be plenty fun to drive. Spin the tires all ya wanted and still be ok for highway cruising. Just my $.02. I hope it works out good for you.
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[MIKECHEVY69]

so maybe i would be better off dropping a gm goodwrench claiming 260hp 350tq then building off of that with the performer rpm air gap intake? im just looking for my best option to put some performance in my engine and have it as a decent street truck.

[GASoline71]

The Air-gap will gain you nothing an a 260hp crate engine.

Vortec heads suck. You can put all the lift you want into a set of Vortecs... but unless you have port work done to them, they don't flow for crap past about .470 lift. However... for a "decent street truck" the Vortecs might be perfect.

The MSD Streetfire is the bottom of the barrel in the MSD line. You get what you pay for with ignition.

Also... cheap roller rockers are in the same ballpark... cheap = garbage.

Gary

[Rannos]

If you are looking for a decent running streetable fun ride dont worry about a number and just build what you can afford (better to buy quality then quantity). If you want to build something to take to the track on a regular basis thats different. There is nothing wrong with vortec heads for a mild 350. My old motor was a LT1 out of a 95 camaro converted to carb with mild cam and roller rockers and a MSD streetfire HEI. I loved it. Ran low 12's in a 64 swb and was very easy to drive. Vortec heads and LT1 heads have the same basic port design. With the right cam selectiona nd compression ratio it will run good. But one thing I always stress is one of the best single investments you can make in any thing for performance is the RIGHT torque convertor.

[Marv D]

Mike, put plain and simple,, HEADS are where the power is made. Pick a head that will exceed the power level your seeking, then build the combination to fit the fuel compression and HP level you want. Cubic inches are the easy way to make SBC power,, but cubic inches mean NOTHING here if the combination (and budget) is right.

Case in point,, I have a set of Bishcoff / Uratchko AllPro 245 raised runner 23° heads. I thought I was something making 800 normally aspirated small block horsepower with single carb and 436 cubic inches (4.165 bore and 4" stroke). Chris (the guy that developed the heads with Bischoff ) made just over 900HP with a 354 cubic inch motor (4.165 bore 3.25" stroke) with the sister set of these one-off heads. He had TWICE as much $'s in his motor as I and his had to spin 9500rpm,, mine made best power at 7400.

Point is,, heads, budget and combination and you can make pretty much anything you want. But if you start with a stock motor, and start throwing every part you see listed in Chevy HP magazine at it,, you will still have a stock motor with a few bolt-ons. I can almost promise you no matter what you throw at it, you wont increase HP more than about 40-50 HP at best. NOT untill you put a set of heads on it that will support the HP level your seeking.

Like Gary I am not a vortec fan,, not in the sense of the GM production vortecs. The Edelbrock E-tech's and RHS vortec head could built into a 400-450HP small block for sure. But the stock caliber vortecs typically make the proverbial "about 400 HP" that has never seen a dyno nor a scale and drag strip to back it up,, the "about 400HP " 400+ claim is relative only to the weight of the $100 bills flying out of their pocketbook.

[hotrod 80]

The problem with the crate motors is the pistons . They are dish tops not to mention older 2 pc rear mainseal block and flat tappet & probably late 80's early 90's 76cc caprice cop car head . 8.2-8.5 to 1 compression

You would be better off buying a camaro LT1 that is in good shape and a TBI truck block and starting from there . The Camaro Lt1's have a flat top with just valve reliefs so anything 64 cc and above head wise will put you in the ball park compression wise plus you get the better factory crankshaft , powdered metal rods and all the factory hydraulic roller cam hardware . Combine this with a decent head and a aftermarket hydraulic roller cam ( or factory GMPP grind ) and youll have alot better combo in my opinion .

I have done several of these motor and they always seem to do well . You'd be hard pressed not to make 300-325 Hp on a budget . Drag strip test would prove the power , but id guess 250-260 at the wheels realistically .

I am a fan of the Vortecs . As stated they have limitations and most used one are prone to being cracked IMO . A "convientional" head imo is stronger . World products make a head . I think the torquer that combines all the strong points of the best GM heads over the years .I bought a set at a swap meet for $200 and had $360 in them after a valve job . RHS also make a good head . As stated buy a head you can "grow into" power wise .

[MIKECHEVY69]

so ive been doing a lot of research and for my budget i was thinking of going with some dart heads these are the 2 that ive been looking at.
http://www.jegs.com/i/Dart/301/127121/10002/-1
http://www.jegs.com/i/Dart/301/127322/10002/-1
then i will still stick with the lunati camshaft with lifters the pushrods im thinking are crane chromemoly heat-treated they are 81.00 with summitracing and the rockers harland sharp 1.6 ratio pn csp-s1002

[Rannos]

Either of those heads will work. I would step up to a much more aggressive cam if your lookinh for 350-400hp. Something like the compcams xe274h or xe284h depending on howmuch stall and compression you want to run.
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[MIKECHEVY69]

i think im actually going to get a new engine and drop it in these are the ones im looking at theyre local so hopefully they give me a good deal what do you guys think???

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHEVY-350-32...item2ec79462d6

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHEVY-350-32...item19dbb2f182

[GASoline71]

One thing to remember... the term CRATE ENGINE referes to a brand new engine delivered in a crate from the factory. Meaning a BRAND NEW casting for the block and heads and crankshaft. Also new rods, and not resized old stockers. CRATE ENGINE does not mean a rebuild or a remanufacture of an old block and heads and crank.

Too many shops throw around the term CRATE ENGINE and have no clue as to what they are selling. Just cuz it comes to you in a "crate" doesn't make it a CRATE ENGINE.

Gary

[T Smith]

Whatever you do go with a roller cam, you couldn't pay me to build another flat tappet engine.

[Captainfab]

I agree

The term 'Crate Engine' is being grossly over-used, and used to refer to engines that are not new engines.

Originally Posted by GASoline71

One thing to remember... the term CRATE ENGINE referes to a brand new engine delivered in a crate from the factory. Meaning a BRAND NEW casting for the block and heads and crankshaft. Also new rods, and not resized old stockers. CRATE ENGINE does not mean a rebuild or a remanufacture of an old block and heads and crank.

Too many shops throw around the term CRATE ENGINE and have no clue as to what they are selling. Just cuz it comes to you in a "crate" doesn't make it a CRATE ENGINE.

Gary

Very good advise!

Originally Posted by T Smith

Whatever you do go with a roller cam, you couldn't pay me to build another flat tappet engine.