Lets talk Motor buildup

[silver00v6camaro]

I want to here some input from people that have build motors for your cars. I am needing some advice on a good street motor. As I have posted before I got the bad end of the stick with my motor build. I want a good hp/tq number I am thinking about 350-400 hp and 380-up tq. My motor in the car know has been bored over .30 and has 10.5:1 Compression. I am not going to pull this motor so i need head, intake, cam, and carb advice. I want something that is going to be a good daily diver with these numbers not requiring a high stall like i said i would like to use the factory stall coverter. Thanks in advnace

 

[silver00v6camaro]

i forgot to mention it is a 350

 

[AKRAY4PLAY]

looking back at your previous post, you have a very conservative cam of 213/219 @ 0.050" lift. correct me if i'm wrong, but you also have 882 heads?? thoses heads are horrible for performance, poor flow and weak castings that tend to crack. i would run some 180cc or 190cc AFR aluminum heads with your 10.5:1 comp ratio. running iron heads and that comp ratio will lead to serious detonation unless you run a very aggressive cam that bleeds pressure at low rpm. a big cam kills low rpm performance, not what you want. i would also get a cam with around 226 duration @ 0.50" lift and around 0.450"-0.500" lift and a dual plane intake. keeping your Q-jet carb is a good idea. they perform well on street motors if set-up right. plus they have the bonus of good economy from the small primaries and good performance from oversize secondaries. they are harder to get set-up, but well worth it once it's tuned.

 

[Mike Zarnock]

First off, is the car automatic or stick?
The cam sounds good, but don't forget long duration effects vacuum which effects power brakes.
Next make sure it all works together. How high are you going to wind the motor, what gear do you have in the rear? Make sure your intake is designed for whatever you are planning to do, ei. low end, mid range or high rpm. They all have to match in each others RPM range alond with the converter if you are building an automatic car.
For a good street motor, I have always used stock GM performance parts.
Dontov solid lifter .030/.030 cam, Z/28 intake with 780cfm carb, early small valve heads, 462 castings or even 283 or 307 heads. They have small combustion chambers and bring lots of compression to any early 350 block with flat head pistons. The small valve is perfect for quick revving on a 6,000 to 7,500 RPM street motor.
Make sure you have a good exhaust also to get all the stuff you're putting in the motor out of the motor.
But, like I first said, there is a big difference between an automatic motor and a stick motor.
Mike

 

[iron cross]

First off, is the car automatic or stick?
But, like I first said, there is a big difference between an automatic motor and a stick motor.
Mike

So what is the difference besides a converter and a clutch? :confused

 

[Mike Zarnock]

So what is the difference besides a converter and a clutch? :confused

There are large differences between automatic cars and stick cars.
Cam profiles, intake runner resign and length, ei, low cross ram for automatic, tall tunnel ram for stick.
The difference in launch is important also. The converter allows the engine to get to its "power curve" and then launches the car at that specified RPM while the cars is making its horsepower. Usually at low to mid RPM range.
The Clutch allows the car to launch when you want it, whether it be at idle or at 10,000 RPM. Stick cars usually make horsepower at higher RPM. Also the ratios in the transmissions are different.
Stick cars are always quicker (not faster) than automatic cars, usually around .5 to 1 full second in the quarter mile.
Each engine is designed for a specific torque range depending on the cars weight, rear gear ratio, first gear ratio in the transmission, whether or not the overdrive is used, and a few others. All those things are dependent on if the car will be street, highway, 1/8 mile, 1/4 mile. There are so many variables that are to be considered when building a car.
You can have all kinds of horsepower and not have the right rear gear and the car will go nowhere.
If you just want to have fun on the street with the car, get a set of older 283, 307 or 327 heads and bolt them on your stock 350. Get a good intake with vacuum secondary or even a newer Tuned Port injection. Good low to mid range hydraulic cam, 3500 RPM Stahl converter (if it's automatic) and a set of 4:10's or 4:11's whatever it ends up being.
You will have a blast with the car.

 

[iron cross]

Nothing you have stated impresses me to think a stick is quicker than a automatic. At least not in the real world. There the automatic rules. Stick shift cars are second best in drag racing. SS/SA is the top class in the NHRA stock classes.

 

[Mike Zarnock]

Nothing you have stated impresses me to think a stick is quicker than a automatic. At least not in the real world. There the automatic rules. Stick shift cars are second best in drag racing. SS/SA is the top class in the NHRA stock classes.

I stand corrected. It seems you are absolutly right. I guess I have been away way too long. It does show that the automatic cars are quicker than the stick cars these days. SS/C 9.14 @ 148.63 compaired to SS/CA 8.99 @ 148.24 both records held by Corvettes by the way.
Back when I ran my Altered, it was the other way around. I also used to run a C/SM car on the street. (68 Camaro). The stick cars were always quicker than the automatic cars.
It must be from the advent of the "Transbreak" and all the other high tech gadgets that have come about in the past few years. I am very oldschool and need to catch up....
Thanx for the lesson!

 

[iron cross]

Since you have been interested in drag racing Mike, and particularly the altereds and roadsters. I invite you to visit my web site at http://www.nitroalley.net

 

[Mike Zarnock]

Since you have been interested in drag racing Mike, and particularly the altereds and roadsters. I invite you to visit my web site at http://www.nitroalley.net

Great site! I have been there before! Is that your Topolino? Now that is "Old School". We had one like that around here back when I was running my Turtle Deck.
My chassis was originally Torensio Bros. Do you have any pic's of it from back in the day? I have only seen one pic of it and have tried to get in touch with Gene Torensio, but with no avail.