355 ?'s

[Driveway Dreams]

I am picking up a 91 355 from another member. But I have a few questions about it. It has center bolt heads.
1) I need an intake for it. Do all SBC intakes fit it? (excluding vortec of course)
2) Same questions for headers
3) Is that motor considered a Gen 1 or Gen 2 SBC? (trying to shop Summit by motor for pricing)
Sorry, I am not much for mechanical work. I stay with body & paint usually. Thanks for any help you offer.

[PhilaTruck]

1. 87-95: like this

2. Headers, ok

3. Gen II

BTW: Careful with the headers and emissions equipment.

[bwood]

Originally Posted by Driveway Dreams

I am picking up a 91 355 from another member. But I have a few questions about it. It has center bolt heads.
1) I need an intake for it. Do all SBC intakes fit it? (excluding vortec of course)
2) Same questions for headers
3) Is that motor considered a Gen 1 or Gen 2 SBC? (trying to shop Summit by motor for pricing)
Sorry, I am not much for mechanical work. I stay with body & paint usually. Thanks for any help you offer.

1. The center 2 intake bolts on both sides of the intake are angled differently than the perimeter bolts heads. I would just order an intake for a 87-95 truck and you should be fine.
2. Header should fit anything small block up into the 5.0/5.7 Vortec, just make sure it fits your vehicle and any emission requirements.
3. Those heads are still concidered Gen I.

Gen I-All small blocks from the first one till 02 excluding the LTx and the LSx, but does include the 5.0/5.7L Truck engines.
Gen II- LTx engines found in mid 90's F-body cars, Caprice, Impalla, Corvette
Gen III/IIII-LSx engines found in late 90's-up Corvettes/F-Body Cars, 99-up 1/2 ton and 00-up 3/4-1 ton trucks (4.8, 5.3, 6.0, 6.2L)

[Driveway Dreams]

Thanks guys. I have no emissions here, so that should be easy. Now, I just need to get the money together to get a decent intake and carb set up. It is all going in my 86 SWB C-10 when I get everything together for it. I may have more motor related questions as I go.

[Driveway Dreams]

What do you guys think of the Summit branded intakes? And what size carb should I be looking for? I live around 4800-5000 ft. I have no real idea of how the motor is built. But I know that it is fairly mild.

[bwood]

Originally Posted by Driveway Dreams

What do you guys think of the Summit branded intakes? And what size carb should I be looking for? I live around 4800-5000 ft. I have no real idea of how the motor is built. But I know that it is fairly mild.

Summit branded parts are usually rebranded name brands. I don't know who they use though.

[BossHogg69]

Originally Posted by bwood

Summit branded parts are usually rebranded name brands. I don't know who they use though.

Last I heard Holley (a guy I worked with at Cloyes Gear with was the Nat'l Sales Mgr @ Holley) was doing their intakes, and Holley owns Weiand.

[wheatlandbrawler]

Originally Posted by Driveway Dreams

What do you guys think of the Summit branded intakes? And what size carb should I be looking for? I live around 4800-5000 ft. I have no real idea of how the motor is built. But I know that it is fairly mild.

generally speaking unless your trying to really squeeze horsepower an intake is a intake, is this thing your average daily driver/ weekend warrior on the streets? or is it going to see track time? dose the cam card come with the engine? the point in wich a large portion of D.I.Y. engine builders have problems is the intake head cam matching selection, you want them to come "in" at the same or closest to the same rpm and quit making power at the same rpm. for instance your came may be rated to start making hp at 2,200rpm and stop making power at 5,800 or what ever the case may be, with that you will want your intake so come in and go out at the same numbers.

the carb depends on what you are doing with the vehicle, just a daily driver i would recomend a 600 vacuum secondary. maybe a 650 if you plan on doing a little towing. and wouldnt venture to far from the 650 even if your hot rodding it.

the easiest thing to remember for me is this, a engine is a big vacuum pump, the more air you can get in and the faster you can get it out the better it will perform, if you have one part needing air at a different point the engine will struggle to get the air out in wich case you will not be able to make a steady range of power.

hope this helps.

[Driveway Dreams]

Originally Posted by wheatlandbrawler

generally speaking unless your trying to really squeeze horsepower an intake is a intake, is this thing your average daily driver/ weekend warrior on the streets?...you want them to come "in" at the same or closest to the same rpm and quit making power at the same rpm...the carb depends on what you are doing with the vehicle, just a daily driver i would recomend a 600...hope this helps.

This all makes sense to me. I had figured that the intakes were all pretty much the same (within reason). The truck is really just a toy for the occasional weekend that I have time to drive it. I got a chance to get the 355 and thought it was well worth replacing the tired, leaky, old 350. I like some power but don't need a race truck...yet. Eventually I have the dream of turbos, but that's a ways out.

[Tx Firefighter]

I usually just enlongate the center 4 bolt holes and use the earlier intake manifold. It works well and I usually have earlier intakes from swap meets laying around. It's all about saving the money to me.

[Driveway Dreams]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I usually just enlongate the center 4 bolt holes and use the earlier intake manifold. It works well and I usually have earlier intakes from swap meets laying around. It's all about saving the money to me.

Kevin, can you elaborate this for me a little? I don't have the motor in front of me to see what you mean. I am all about cheap but good too. Thanks!

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by Driveway Dreams

Kevin, can you elaborate this for me a little? I don't have the motor in front of me to see what you mean. I am all about cheap but good too. Thanks!

The only difference on the intakes for earlier heads and the center bolt valve cover heads is the angle of the 4 middle manifold bolts. They are in the same place, just more vertical on later heads and more laydown on earlier heads.

All you have to do is use a grinder the slot the 2 middle holes on each side of the intake. Here is one I did the lazy way and just slotted them. You don't have to go to the edge of the manifold like I did here. Just but a grinder burr in each hole and hog the holes more vertically. It takes maybe 5 minutes total. After that the intake is bolt on. Be sure and use a good washer under the bolt heads since 4 of them will be sitting slightly crooked now.

[Driveway Dreams]

And you don't have any problems seating it like that?

[Tx Firefighter]

Never a problem and I have done it a bunch of times. Back about 94, I worked in a Chevy dealership as a mechanic. I used to get warranty core engines and go through them and put them in older vehicles doing exactly this thing.

[Driveway Dreams]

Awesome! Then I guess I am on the look out for an intake. Got $50 for some parts today so that will help. Thanks again for the help.

[PhilaTruck]

Hey, Gerald:

Here's a pretty good history of the SBC from "Chevy Hi Perf."

Also:

If you really want to play with an older (80-85) non-perf oriented intake (SN 14057053), you can have mine, gratis. Lemme know if you really want it & I'll send it out ground & cheap, just happy to get it out of the basement. It needs to be cleaned out, was painted black (partially wire-brushed), needs to have the oil splash pan re-attached (not a big deal), but it is free to your door.

-Todd

[Driveway Dreams]

Todd,
That link was great, thank you. The intake you have is just a stock one? I appreciate the offer a lot! I don't know...would it be any different than the stock one I have on my current 350? But, If it would be a decent intake for me I will take you up on that. And then I think I will save to get a nice Edelbrock to help get a little more out of the motor down the road. At least I think that would be a pretty good help.

[PhilaTruck]

Originally Posted by Driveway Dreams

I don't know...would it be any different than the stock one I have on my current 350?

No, it's a stock intake. I didn't know what you had or didn't have, just saw an opportunity to clean up a bit.

[Driveway Dreams]

I think I might have stumbled across an intake here local. A fellow board member has a Holley Street Dominator hi rise. Would a high rise like this be overkill for this 355?
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i2...3/IMG00467.jpg

[Driveway Dreams]

From what I can tell a single plane high rise intake is not going to have a good power band for my little motor. Looks like its power is way up in the RPMs. Is that true?

[cableguy0]

wayyy too much intake for a stock motor or even close to stock. You want to look at a performer or performer rpm at the most.theres lots of similar intakes from other brands as well. i have seen them selling on craigslist as cheap as 50 bucks lately.

[Driveway Dreams]

Thank you! That is what I thought. Another forum member has a Weiand 8004 model intake and a Carter 600 carb that I think would work great for my application. I am looking into that further.

[Driveway Dreams]

Thank you again. The offer was very gracious. I plan to sell my current 350 as a complete motor when I gather the parts for this 355. Thus, I wont pull the stock intake off for the new one, so if I do not get the Weiand I am looking at I will take you up on the offer. I should know within the weekend about that one. And again, thank you a ton! It really made me realize why I have enjoyed this place so much.