Thread: 500 350

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Hello my name is Tim i am new to this site. I need some help building a 350. My goal is a 500 hp 350 using nitrous. My family has been into Mopars their whole life and now i am trying a chevy. Right now i have a 1988 s-10 with a 305 in it just to get me around, but is also is very disappointing. As i said i am trying to build a 500 hp 350. I have no clue where to start. I am 17 years old so money is hard coming in. I do work to jobs with all the money going right to this motor. If anyone has any information that will help me that will be great. Thank you..... Tim

Tim, I suspect you don't have a clue how much money it takes to make 500 hp in a small block Chevy. Take a look at this crate motor wish list....
http://www.musclecarengines.com/Chevy_Price.htm

Well I cannot give you all the details you need but I would expect you need to find a 350 block with 4-bolt mains and better-than-stock rods (Eagle), as far as I know the first weak point in the SBC over 500 HP are the rods. Then I would think you would need forged pistons to take the extra beating of nitrous. A high lift cam, possibly a roller cam, for over 0.500" valve lift and a torque converter with a raised stall rpm. Then you will need some aftermarket heads or maybe better Vortec heads and some basic rebuilding machine shop work. While you can do a basic rebuild with mild improvements up to about 300 HP for about $1800, I would think you would need at least $3000 to build up a nitrous burning engine, maybe more. First study Ryan's site and see what combinations give about 400 HP on the motor alone and then figure you can get another 100 HP briefly with NO as long as the rods and bearings hold up. I am only answering to keep this thread going until someone else can tell you specific details, but first look at:

http://www.ryanscarpage.50megs.com/combos1.html

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Right now i got aout $4000 no problem. I do work 2 jobs, making about $2500 a month, but i am also independend from my parents. Lots of that money goes towards bills and food and insurance and gas..... so it will take me a little longer to save money. I also went to school for automotive, in 9th grade i built a perfect running 403. So i i will save money in not having the ening assembled for me. Thank you for the information guys. More will always help...... Tim

* oops i forgot to add, i already have a 4 bolt 350 bare block, that i picked up for $50 and my buddy Andys dad owns a machine shop and he said he will really help me....

Very easy to do and one of the best ways to have a streetable motor and still make the 500 horse goal when needed. Build a good strong bottom end with forged pistons. Then build the top end to the 350-400horse level with one of the many SBC combos. Dont let the static compression get too high. 9 to 9.5:1 would be good for a nitrous motor. The right combo wont require a high stall converter. Get a good 250 horse nitrous system and set it up per there instuctions. As a rule I like for anything above the 150 horse lever to have a separate fuel supply to the gas solenoid. The main thing is to monitor the fuel pressure at the nitrous fuel supply and the carburator closely. The W.O.T. top RPM fuel pressure should not get below 5-7 psi on both the carb and the nitrous.

If the system is set up right a nitrous motor will last for many years. Many of my freinds and I have done have done it thoughout the years and had zero problems with the motor. The problems you have will be with the rest of the drive train. Transmissions have to be built for sure. Nitrous makes alot of torque and torque breaks parts if you are getting traction.

I would consider first setting up the truck to handle that HP a little better before I spent all of my money on the motor, if not you wont be able to keep it on the road and will most likely break more than a few things. Just something to consider.

Good Luck

My opinion doesn't count for much because I am in my rookie season of hotrodding myself. However, I'll put my thoughts in anyways.

500 HP is nothing if your truck won't hook...Yea, its good for sound and burnouts but if thats all you can do, you'll get spanked by a hooptie

My opinion would be to build a nice 350 HP engine and spend the rest of your cash on things like traction bars, good tires, maybe some safetly precautions like a cage and harnesses...

One of the most true things i've ever heard was "It doesn't matter so much as how much power you can have...What matters is that you can APPLY the power than you HAVE"

In other words, there is no reason for 500 HP if you can't apply all 500 of it to the street. Especially in something as light as an S10...They don't need hardly anything to fly.

$4K might build the motor, then at least that much more to get the rest of the drive train and suspension to handle the power. Read again what the other guys have posted, it takes more than horsepower to make it work right and go fast.

I already have it all set up for applying the power. My buddy owns a Performance Shop "Street Lethal Performance, home of the first centrifugally blown 5.4 SOHC sn95 Mustang in the world when he was 18. Which is also the fastest 2 valve in the country. Also one of the best SCT tuners on the east coast. Hes a genuis. Hes helping me with A LOT. Still any information is needed to help me out. Hes a busy guy so i dont bother him to much only when i start major work.... Thanks guys..... Tim

Basically, build a NA motor with a stout bottom end that will make around 400 hp. Then, and a 100 shot of nitrous and you'll have the cheapest 500 hp you can get. You can build a strong 400 hp motor for around $3000 using forged pistons, a stock forged crank, and aftermarket forged rods. Summit has really improved their brand of forged rod in the last year, their stage 1 bushed rods should be good for 500 hp on nos and only cost $230 for a set of 8. Once you've got your 400 hp naturally aspirated established, add a 150 shot of nos or something and you'll be at your mark or above.