Winter 2020 (Now Summer 2022) 350 Fresh-Up Project

Ok, put 350 on hold.
455 it is.....

 

Hah! I'm going to try the 350 first. After all, it is the original engine. The block and crank are in really good shape but it was leaking from every mating surface. If the machine shop says it doesn't need boring and the crank doesn't need turning, I'm going to take their word for it. It held good oil pressure with worn lifters, a worn out cam and scored rocker arms shafts. It didn't burn any oil after 91K miles. Polish, honing and a fresh set of heads with new bearings, gaskets and a mild cam should do the trick without needing to get all spendy. The M23Z extra-wide ratio transmission should help make it much more fun to drive than it was with the close ratio M21. The M20 I swapped in was a huge improvement.

 

Yep, if it's never been apart after 91k, you can be sure those exh valves & head seats are pitted, burned and not sealing well anymore.

 

Looking at parts to put it all back together. I'm thinking gaskets, seals, bearings and rings.

Any reason not to use Sealed Power bearings and rings? Felpro gaskets for everything but the head gaskets? I'm planning on steel shim for those.

 

That’s fine

 

Just heard from the machine shop. It is scheduled to get the block decked this week. Next week he thinks he can get the rods resized with new ARP bolts, hone the block and the cam bearings installed. After that, it is all up to me!

 

Wow, fingers crossed. looking forward to hearing this thing growl.

 

Don't forget, you may need an oversized timing gearset if you align hone....

 

No align honing, just the cylinders. This is a budget rebuild that started as just a regasket until I found the worn cam/lifters and timing chain. Basically, new cam/lifters/bearings and rings. I'm debating having it balanced but it won't see north of 5,000.

 

Go for the balance.

 

And rev it to 6000 LOL

 

In that case, I'd skip the deck job, re-size with arp bolts, and hone it yourself.

 

if the engine is balanced and have 73 capscrew rods you can easily spin the engine to 6200 I have been doing it for 25+years.
before that I spun to 5500 with cam and headers all the time with all the old thit, did that for over 10 years too.
and before that I beat the hell out of it with a 2bbl carb that was the first 6 years I owned the car.
I don't think the 455 would have put up with all the abuse I gave this 350.

 

7000

 

and then some mr.

 

I gave my old 455 some abuse. It saw 6200 regularly and I ran a 125 shot of nitrous on it when I was street racing back in the day. I broke 2 turbo 400s. One blew the sprag, resulting in no second gear and the other time I spun the input shaft in the front drum. Both saw me bounce the tach past 6,000 since I didn't have a rev limiter back then.

Not cap screw rods. Factory 71 rods. Still deciding on balancing. If it takes more than a week, I'm out. I'm ready to get this thing together but not in such a hurry as to cut too many corners.

My boy-racer days are behind me. I just want it to be reliable and have a little more umph that it did when it was a tired, leaky 91K mile original 8.2:1 CR motor.

I still want it to be better than when I took it apart. The decking and better rod resizing/bolts will up compression and aid reliability. Honing the cylinders is just smart with new rings, bearings and cam. I'm leaning toward the TA212 cam now since I don't want a window rattler lumpy cam. My wife my drive it some once I get it back together. She can drive stick.

 

Having the shop do the honing is a good choice!
They have the equipment to make the bores true

 

455 and a 212 cam can't go wrong there I think is best cam for slightly warmed over engine. Not too much cam but you can tell one is there.
455 held up to the 125 shot more than I would have thought good deal. put a 75 shot on there with the 212 cam and that will be a killer.
That is what I use now, and I like it.

 

The old N20 455 was in my 70 Stage 1 car. That was for reference that I have had wilder setups but I don't need that now. The 455 was replaced with an aluminum headed, TA 212 cammed 462. The old 445 needs some gaskets after 30 years and sitting for 7 but that was my backup plan if they 350 doesn't get a parole from machine shop jail.

This thread is about my 4 speed 71 GS 350 and I'm thinking the TA 212 with a stick 350 should be pretty good. The rear is 3.08 but I have the M23Z (2.98 first gear) trans for it.