[19nova72]

i am looking to buy a 350 chevy engine from a junkyard. i would like to know what the best casting numbers for heads and the block are and which casting numbers i shouldn't bother with. -thanks

 

[DoubleVision]

There honestly isn`t a small block chevy that was bad from the factory, the more desireable blocks have 10 20 under the timing covers. As for heads the camel humps and vortecs are the sought after jobs, but it`s not likely you`ll find any at the junk yard. However as far as blocks go, if you find one look at it closely on the bell housing by the casting numbers, if it says "hencho in mexico" then leave it where it lays. The 79 and up blocks are cast thinner than the older blocks, and the 1987 blocks tended to be somewhat crack prone, but if you can find a block from the years 88 - up with a factory roller cam then that`s what I would use.
You can go here to find more info:
www.mortec.com/castnum.htm

 

[19nova72]

thanks for that info. i have read a little about the vortec heads and have heard from friends that just by switching to them they can increase power over the older 202 heads. my uncle told me that the junkyard by his house has a bunch of older chevy trucks in it with 350s with four bolt mains so i know i will be looking through mostly pre 1987 engines. i would like to pick the best 350 out of these or if they have any 327 engines i may go for one of those. but with the 327s, how do you know if it is a small journal or large journal? and were there any 327s produced with 4 bolt mains? More than likely i wont be able to find a 327 but if i do is it a better buy compared to the 350? i know there were some high horsepower versions of the 327. a friend of mine has a bunch of 327s and is going to put one in his 39 chevy. also i plan on drag racing the car next year. i would like to get a motor that i could eventually build up to 350-400 horsepower. ideally i would like to get a 350 block and heads and have the block bored .030 over and build a 383 but i do not think i will be able to afford a rebuild like that by next year. so with either a 350 or a 327 would i be able to reach a goal of 350-400 horse without a total rebuild or would this be too much to ask for from a junkyard truck motor?
also i plan on changing the cam and investing money in either porting the heads or buying some decent aftermarket heads
i already have a few holley four barrels, an edelbrock performer intake, headers, and a petronix ignition system (these parts are currently on the 305 that is in the car now which i am eager to replace)
so with these bolt ons and modifications would i have any chance of hitting my horsepower goal without totally rebuilding the engine?

 

[DoubleVision]

You can tell the difference in the large and small journal engines by the crankshaft flange, the sj flange is shaped like a mushroom, the LG flange is shaped like a mushroom with a counterweight on the top, you can also take the casting numbers with you. how to reach 400 horses the easiest? cubic inches. You won`t find a LG 327 in the yard being they were only made 2 years of 1968 and 69, and no GM never made a 4 bolt 327, but you can build one by using a 307 crank in a 350 block. the high horsepower small blocks are also gone, all you`ll likely find are low compression smogger engines. 350`s are cheap and plentiful, and with the right parts it will reach your power goal, what you need is a complete parts layout on your budget, horsepower costs money, how fast do you want to go? Your budget will speak on what power you`ll make.

 

[19nova72]

thanks again for the information. i have a blown up 307 motor that came original in my car and thought about building a 327 with it but my friend told me that i shouldn't bother putting a tired old cast crank in if i went through the rebuilding process.
so i guess im just going to go for the best 4 bolt 350 they have.
im not sure how many of the engines they have still run but hopefully ill be able to find one.

this is kind of out of category but with a 350 with 350-400 horsepower, a th 350, and a non posi 9 inch ford with 3.70s, what kind of e.t. do you think i could run?
(this will hopefully be my setup when i bring the car out in the sping. the 350 engine is the last big cost step that i have to do to get to this point. most of the other parts i already have. im going to fit the biggest stickiest street tires i can fit under the car that i can, i only will gain 3/4 of an inch on each side because the bronco 9 inch i got is 58 1/2 inches drum to drum while the 10 bolt in the car now is 60 inches drum to drum. right now i have 235 60R15 BFGoodrichs T/As on the back. they have about a 9 inch tread footprint and are on 7 inch wide rallys. i already have a pair of slapper bars and i am going to make my own rear crossmember and put competion enginneering adjustable drag shocks in the car front and rear and trick springs up front. i have already started to lighten the car by stripping the interior, mounting the battery in the trunk, removing the rear seat, and removing the heater core. i have new fiberglass bumpers for the front and rear and i am going to buy a fiberglass hood. when all this is said an done along with as many other modifications i can do to lighten the car, the car should way under 3000 lbs. taking all this into account is it possible to hit a 13 second or even a 12 second e.t.?)

also does anyone know where i can get tubular A-arms for a 68-72 nova subframe? (all i can find are camaro ones and i dont think they have the same geometry) -thanks

i have just found a pair of tubular A-arms for my subframe that are made by Fatman but they are $749 for the two tops and two bottoms! i have seen tubular camaro arms for around $100 so if anyone knows of any for a nova around this price please let me know

 

[jimfulco]

A-frames from a '68-'72 Nova are the same as ones from a '67-'69 Camaro, as are the subframes, rear ends, & generally everything regarding the suspension except the rear shocks, which mount differently on top.