New clapped out ‘87 350

[Jonathonmb357]

Recently I’ve purchased a 350 block and a set of heads that came out of a ‘87 C10. It originally had TBI, and was bored .030 over some time in it’s life according to the previous owner.
The only issue was that it spun a rod bearing on #7 and the engine overheated.
Assuming the block isn’t toast when it’s checked out by the machine shop, I plan on replacing the crank and trying my hand at rebuilding it for some mild performance.
If it’s junk, I could probably use the block and heads for honing my skills with a die grinder.
Any advice?

 

[justhorns]

Go for it. What will you put it in?

 

[Jonathonmb357]

@justhorns I don’t know, I’m not super knowledgeable yet. I know the absolute basics, but I’m not sure what parts are interchangeable with the block.

 

[justhorns]

Fort worth, Texas, Find yourself a good racing parts supplier that is local and have them help you finding parts. For our Squares, its easy...
I have searched for parts for classics of all countries and years and the Chevy trucks are easiest to find parts for. Good luck. Call if you need help

 

[RanchWelder]

You're going to probably want to select a camshaft FIRST, then decide on your crankshaft, heads, manifold, etc...

Find a machinist who you can talk to and get advice from, (not one who argues with you or is too busy to explain why he or she has a specific opinion). This relationship might last your engine's lifetime, so choose wisely.
If you don't know who to trust for good machine work, justthorns' advice is a great way to find out where to start.

How will you use your engine?
Work, weekend drives, car shows, part time bracket racing?
What is your target HP/Torque?
Is your engine too far gone?



Good luck!

 

[Ricko1966]

See at the bottom of ranch welders post? Figure that out as well as are you expecting any kind of gas milage and what your budget is. Once those questions have been answered and you have your goal in mind,then you can start picking out parts. And ranch welder is also correct in that the right or wrong cam,will make or break whether the engine does what you expect it to.

 

[Jonathonmb357]

Fort worth, Texas, Find yourself a good racing parts supplier that is local and have them help you finding parts. For our Squares, its easy...
I have searched for parts for classics of all countries and years and the Chevy trucks are easiest to find parts for. Good luck. Call if you need help

I appreciate the info! I’ll give it a whirl.

 

[Jonathonmb357]

You're going to probably want to select a camshaft FIRST, then decide on your crankshaft, heads, manifold, etc...

Find a machinist who you can talk to and get advice from, (not one who argues with you or is too busy to explain why he or she has a specific opinion). This relationship might last your engine's lifetime, so choose wisely.
If you don't know who to trust for good machine work, justthorns' advice is a great way to find out where to start.

How will you use your engine?
Work, weekend drives, car shows, part time bracket racing?
What is your target HP/Torque?
Is your engine too far gone?



Good luck!

I don’t think that I’m aiming for any crazy performance. Since I’ve always wanted to build engines, I’d like something to learn on starting off.
It’d be pretty neat if I could get 250 horse out of it.
i’m probably going to find out if the engine is too far gone when I take it to have it magnafluxed and measured up.
Thanks a bunch!

 

[Jonathonmb357]

See at the bottom of ranch welders post? Figure that out as well as are you expecting any kind of gas milage and what your budget is. Once those questions have been answered and you have your goal in mind,then you can start picking out parts. And ranch welder is also correct in that the right or wrong cam,will make or break whether the engine does what you expect it to.

I understand, thanks a bunch. I can’t wait to see what I can do with it if it’s usable.

 

[Ricko1966]

250 hp that can be done real cheap,reliable, and still good on gas. Headers and a mild cam will get you there.

 

[Jonathonmb357]

250 hp that can be done real cheap,reliable, and still good on gas. Headers and a mild cam will get you there.

Sounds awesome! Would the stock smog heads do okay, or should I upgrade to something better?

 

[Ricko1966]

This is stock tbi heads,a mild cam,exhaust,underdrive pulleys,and an electric fan. Pretty much a stock 350 tbi with bolt ons. More cam and better heads and you'll get more hp but you'll take a hit on gas milage. But the build below is dirt cheap.

 

[Jonathonmb357]

This is stock tbi heads,a mild cam,exhaust,underdrive pulleys,and an electric fan. Pretty much a stock 350 tbi with bolt ons. More cam and better heads and you'll get more hp but you'll take a hit on gas milage. But the build below is dirt cheap.

That’s pretty damn sweet!
I’m not too concerned about gas mileage. The motor I have didn’t come with the TBI or the manifold, so I’m planning on finding a 4-barrel intake that’ll bolt up.

 

[Ricko1966]

That’s pretty damn sweet!
I’m not too concerned about gas mileage. The motor I have didn’t come with the TBI or the manifold, so I’m planning on finding a 4-barrel intake that’ll bolt up.

Well,cool. How fast do you want to spend?Some aluminum heads from summit and more cam would go a long way.

 

[Jonathonmb357]

Well,cool. How fast do you want to spend?Some aluminum heads from summit and more cam would go a long way.

I have a budget of around $500 or so. I may have to get some heads second-hand or get the chinese knock offs from eBay.