Need some advice on components for my rebuild

bhays said:
Iron Heads.
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ok, so you're really starting with just a block....

heads are going to cost at least $1200...

heads are a big restriction...... especially 76cc iron heads.....

other than that you probably want a roller cam....

the 396ci rotating assembly that I like conmes with5cc dome pistons so CR is going to be high.....and it's only listed at .030" over, not .040"

at this point, I'd look for assembled short blocks, these are under $2000 and the 86+ will accept a OEM style roller cam .... 1pc RMS (rear main seal) is another "plus".....

basically the same I did .... short blcok is $2000, add roller cam and shipping and you're at $2800.....

still need heads....

I'm not going to sugarcoat it: this is not the most cost effective way to go but if you want your polished LT1 setup it is what it is.....
 
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If your looking for a new set of heads I have a customer that is up grading to a set of Dart Pro 1s

He has a brand new set of the Dart 180 SHP heads 72CC chamber and set up for roller springs for 900.00 if interested let me know.
 
64cc heads seem to be the most common, either way you need to figure out what pistons you're going to use and know the head cc so that you can choise a good deck height, there's .025" to play with .... (9.000" would be commonly called zero deck)
 
GTR1999 said:
One thing I would keep an eye on, since this is a street car that I assume you will drive and put some miles on, is the amount of end play in the axles. Straight track cars will not put a lot of miles on a diff but street strip cars will. As I have mentioned for a long time I have the axle faces hardened and tempered for street use. I never had a problem doing this and check our own axles during pm's with no wear showing. Again this is something I started doing and others followed - although Tom does not do this. Some have decided against it as well when they built their own diff and that is their choice so just be aware.
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Back in '95 when I bought this '72, the axles were loose as a goose, just a hair breath from failing totally....but back then the vendor recommended for the swap was Yogi Behr.....been a while, and sure enough the hardened tips are perfect to this day.... the net was new to me then....remember alt.auto.corvette on the UUnet?? :lol:
 
I think the first step is that YOU need to figure out and define what you want this engine to be.....

Good low end power, more at top ??? High rev, or low rev torque monster? Auto trans or manual ? Overdrive or not? Highway driving yes or no.... Etc....

Here's and example of what you DON'T want to do: mismatch parts because they seem to be a great deal.....

If you go with a forged rotating assembly and flat tops or -5cc pistons you end up with very high CR if you use 64 or 72cc heads ... You can bleed off compression by using a hot cam that closes the exh valves way past BDC (bottom dead center) , that means this engine performs great at 3-7000 rpm but the heads and the intake must be able to support that... All these parts have to play together .....usually this also means an engine like this does not like 3000 and lower rpm.....

I remember one of our Swedish members, Gbak..... He built a 11:1 cr 383 with a cast crank .... As far as I know the crank survived the 500hp that thing put out.... He used a very hot cam and good heads to support it... That engine was quiet impressive considering the cast crank.... He built it in his basement I think....

Then again, manual vs auto.... If you have a manual tranny you can go a little wilder on the cam......
I don't like automatics anyways so maybe I'm not the best person to comment on this part of the topic......


Like I said: tell us what you want this engine to be and we can steer you into the right direction....
 
It will be a manual, T56. 3:36 rear end.

I am not trying to build a crazy engine, streetability is VERY important. Yes, I do want to be able to drive it on the highway, a couple hours away for the weekend sometimes.

Low end torque is probably more important than top end because that's what will make it the most fun to drive.
 
All Over the Place!

First off, the search is your friend. Most forum members have their combo and it's performance results posted.
Second: This forum has spent big money for their combined experience, listen up.

Since you are already into this motor, and determined to get more performance. Here is my take.

Go for a stk budget rebuild, w/mild cam. Shave heads,thin gasket, bowl porting, good valve job.
1.6 RRs will help make up for small cam.
Good ex and mod dist, the usual Lars treatment.

You should be able to feel that, plus more mpg.

jmho

R
 
bhays said:
It will be a manual, T56. 3:36 rear end.

I am not trying to build a crazy engine, streetability is VERY important. Yes, I do want to be able to drive it on the highway, a couple hours away for the weekend sometimes.

Low end torque is probably more important than top end because that's what will make it the most fun to drive.
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Then go the stroker route.... You want a forged rotating assy so might as well go for the extra stroke and cubic inches.... 383 with 10:1CR : find some dished pistons and 64cc aluminum heads, a roller cam with duration of around 230 , and .500" lift.... You can play with the rocker ratio if you want to change the lift.... Pretty much exactly what I built..... Very very streetable and it pulls way past 6000 so I now want a rev limiter box.....
 
Thanks for the advice to all. I do appreciate the knowledge here of those who have gone before me. I know I am partially insane for wanting to stick with the TPI setup, but it's just the vision I have for the car. I checked on my paperwork and my rear end is actually 3.54 ratio.

I also appreciate any advice on my transmission choice as well. I posted a thread over in drivetrain.
 
nothing wrong with the TPI setup.... with the right parts it could be a really nice engine and 3.55 gears are not bad at all....
 
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