Thread: 350 mods

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I've been checkin out sbc threads, and I get the feelin' that 383 may not be what I want to build for my 89 sillverado w/ 700r4. Back in the late 80's, I put together a .030 over 350 using an isky cam, (memory fails me) that had a dual grind, just under .500 lift, slightly more than 220 degee duration (@.050), with 12 degrees of overlap. I used springs and lifters supplied with the kit, and had access to a valve spring test tool, so I shimmed to get the spring pressure equal at full compression, 10.5:1 flat tops, floated pins, matched ports, torquer intake with a quadrajet that i tweaked, ground the choke horn off and polished the top for smooth airflow, and of course a good set of equal length hedmans, 2 1/4" exausted through corvair mufflers. I dont know what it was, but for some reason this small block, in a 78 nova hooked to a borg/warner T-10 was almost scary powerful. Took me a while to figure out how to get it to hook up, but when I did it fragged two of those T-10's before I realized clutches were cheaper to replace. Never dynoed it, HEI wouldn't let it go much over 5500, just wanted to shame a few 5.0's, which it definetly did. My question is this... will a 383 out tourque that 350? Being I will have limited options if I want to keep my efi/esc setup which is stock now, use a (I hate this) RV cam, and the ecm which has a 300 hp chip in it already. Truck has headers (shorties) flowmasters, and 2 1/4" exhaust, as well as K&N on the inhaler. Is there torque to be gained with a plenum type intake, or some other aftermarket intake? The truck runs decent as is, just needs to be a little more of a thrill. Lookin' at prices, it'll be about the same either way. Just wish there were some way to get a good lope into the engine at idle. I figure that I won't ever twist up past 5000 r's ; the O.D. keeps it doin 70 mph @just under 2000 r's.

Might want to look at some of the top end packages marketed now....Heads, cam, & intake all matched to each other for optimizing their performance. I've built a couple with the Edelbrock packages, and one Ford with the Trick Flow package.... They come fairly complete with hard parts, gaskets, and in some of them even new head and intake bolts and normally sell for far less then the total of buying individual components...

Originally Posted by JoelGrimes

I've been checkin out sbc threads, and I get the feelin' that 383 may not be what I want to build for my 89 sillverado w/ 700r4. Back in the late 80's, I put together a .030 over 350 using an isky cam, (memory fails me) that had a dual grind, just under .500 lift, slightly more than 220 degee duration (@.050), with 12 degrees of overlap. I used springs and lifters supplied with the kit, and had access to a valve spring test tool, so I shimmed to get the spring pressure equal at full compression, 10.5:1 flat tops, floated pins, matched ports, torquer intake with a quadrajet that i tweaked, ground the choke horn off and polished the top for smooth airflow, and of course a good set of equal length hedmans, 2 1/4" exausted through corvair mufflers. I dont know what it was, but for some reason this small block, in a 78 nova hooked to a borg/warner T-10 was almost scary powerful. Took me a while to figure out how to get it to hook up, but when I did it fragged two of those T-10's before I realized clutches were cheaper to replace. Never dynoed it, HEI wouldn't let it go much over 5500, just wanted to shame a few 5.0's, which it definetly did. My question is this... will a 383 out tourque that 350? Being I will have limited options if I want to keep my efi/esc setup which is stock now, use a (I hate this) RV cam, and the ecm which has a 300 hp chip in it already. Truck has headers (shorties) flowmasters, and 2 1/4" exhaust, as well as K&N on the inhaler. Is there torque to be gained with a plenum type intake, or some other aftermarket intake? The truck runs decent as is, just needs to be a little more of a thrill. Lookin' at prices, it'll be about the same either way. Just wish there were some way to get a good lope into the engine at idle. I figure that I won't ever twist up past 5000 r's ; the O.D. keeps it doin 70 mph @just under 2000 r's.

That 350 sounds like a real beast! Can't beat a chevy! As i say, before i start the ford vs war again!
Although i'm in a simular situation to you and from what i know and have been told a 383 will turn out more torque than a 350 will (on a like for like basis) I'd build a 383 as the cost is not much more and you'll have a nice motor at the end. I'm having my dilemma with compression ratios and heads! Good job i like playin with cars and motors or i'd be real stressed out by now!