Hey guys just picked up a 350 for 100$ to add a bit more hp to the parisienne and was wondering if there's some gurus out there. It's a 2 bolt main tbi I got it in boxes which is fine. Looks like it needs new crank bearings and the cam bearings are fine, no visible cracking that I can see.
Everything looks pretty much brand new except the marring on the bearings I think the crank tried to eat itself alive.
So what I'm planning on doing is running the stock refreshed crank that came with it. And I've got my eye out for some vortec heads and will order a manifold and holley in the future. This isn't a build that will happen over night. It's for when the car is saftied and I need more oomf.
Does anyone have any recommendations on budget hp parts or junkyard parts I can keep an eye out for? And new part recommendations? I like to try and stay in the traditions of hotrod and make things go fast on the cheap.
You want Votec heads which by all accounts is easy bolt on performance in a small block. The salvage yards are full of these GMC and Chevy Trucks with 5.7 Vortec engines but why stop at the heads, grab the entire engine, these have decent power and good torque, factory rated at 255HP/330 Lbs. ft. -add cam, headers, Performance MAF to get into the 300+ HP world. A decade ago I got a C30 Dually 454 and dropped it my LeMans to create a terrifying car. My 99 Suburban has a 5.7 Vortec and it pulls darn near as hard as the big block. Put it a car and I bet it would.
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Ray White, Toronto ON
Formerly - The one and only 1973 LeMans 454 "Astro-Jet"
On a budget build, I dont think you can beat the vortec heads. Great flow numbers and 64cc chambers (IIRC) make 9.5 to 10 to 1 compression easy with standard pistons. The downside is the need for the special intake manifold, which were more money when Imlast looked. Also - watch your cam selection. The vortecs are pretty limited for valve lift unless you machine the guides (less than 0.500, again, IIRC). It should be pretty easy to get 350 to 400 HP and more than 400 ft-lb on a budget. More than that and Id be looking for a 4 bolt block, but thats just my opinion/comfort level.
Id recommend adding a 200-4R (if you are going with an automatic) and 3.73 rear. Those two additions will make it feel like youve got another 100 HP.
If you do go with the 200-4R, look for BQ, OZ, CZF, KZF or BRF transmission codes. Theyre the ones from Grand Nationals, Monte Carlo SS and olds 442s. Theyre built to take more torque
The early TBI blocks were known to crack above the lifter bores, leaking anti freeze into the oil. Check it carefully there. A friend rebuilt one years ago from a 1988 truck. The block was hot tanked and new cam bearings installed by a machine shop. He built the engine himself and installed it in his truck. At 500 kilometres he changed the oil and there was anti freeze in the oil filter. He pulled the intake manifold thinking that the intake gasket was leaking and saw the crack above the lifters. He wasnt happy.
So some show and tell time the block I have is 638, and 193 heads and pile of junk off to the side. Looks like it will need bearings all around and the crank has already been refurbished. .010 same with connecting rods.
I think unfortunately the vortec manifolds are still 200-400 Cad.
