Early 84 engine restoration

[madmoon]

Hi guys, I would value a bit of advice on my really old 84 vette engine that i am restoring here in the uk. I have the motor stripped down as she was very tired and worn. She is a very early 84 and has had the crossfire and corresponding electrical and emission controls removed long before i got her. she had a basic old rochester carb fitted and very little else apart from the cat had been removed. I am rebuilding her with the aim to get a little bit of the old power and magic back before they became a sluggish smog motor. I have had a crank regrind up to now and am going to re bore to + 30 thou and fit flat top pistons. i have purchased an edlebrock performer cam and 1.6 ratio rockers + a nice new holley to fit on a performer inlet with headman headers. I don,t want to have a car that is overtuned but am just trying to get that bit of wooomph factor back into her if you know what i mean. can i do much with the heads? they are cast originals and i understand milling is not an option but the comp ratio seems adequate anyway. any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks guys and girls and a happy new year to you all from phil and all in the uk.

 

[Toms007]

Phil, it's been a good many years since I have done any engine work like you are going through, but I would think that you could have the heads smoothed out a bit (ported) and port matched to the intake manifold, this would help out the flow of the air/fuel mixture in and the burnt fuel going out. How much will you gain? I don't know but it will make some difference. Good luck and keep us posted on the progress.

Happy New Year to you and yours.

 

[Hib Halverson]

How much did you have the crankshaft ground?

Which Holley?

 

[madmoon]

major discovery about my engine!

How much did you have the cranshaft ground?

Which Holley?

Thanks very much to toms94 and hib for your help but i have been shocked to find that on closer examination of my supposed 84 engine it has become obvious by the casting numbers and dates that some previous owner has replaced the engine totally at some point and the block and heads are dated 1972 ! this will explain the crossfire missing and the electronics side all disconnected. i am not sure yet if i am pleased as i think it would be a better engine to rebuild anyway and the cam etc that i have already bought should still be ok. i am really needing to know what the engine was originally for when manufactured as now i have no idea what figures to reference ie: crank, pistons and cc etc. I believe it is a 72 350 sbc but which one? here are the no,s for head and block casts and the suffix engine code if anyone could please help. block casting no:3970014, head cast no: 3998993, engine suffix no: T1214CKL. any info would be much appreciated as i will now trawl the net and any ref books i can find! once again thanks, phil, uk