chevy 350 rebuild..... lets talk parts!

Jono FD3 · Post by **Jono FD3** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:21 pm

Right guys, I know a few of you are probably thinking "oh f**k sake just get on with the build!" so apologies!
Basically I've stripped the 4bolt chevy that was supposed to have been a fresh build set upfor a blower... But this was far from the truth!!! Opened the engine up and found high compression pistons (about 11:1 on a +30 rebore) cam was a standard unit, 4 cracked rings, and a few other things, so I've been buying parts as I've been saving.....
So far I've got this retro fit roller cam: http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/cam- ... d=304&sb=2 a team g inlet manifold (same style as victor Jr with air gap), holly 650 double pumper, noisy gear drive for the cam, set of tubular headers with 3" exit and a set of comp cams 1.6 roller rockers to step up the cam a little.

So with the parts I've got so far I need to get an ignition system that will work with everything (also need to know if I need a different dizzy drive??), valve springs valve guides, flywheel, clutch, rocker boxes, waterpump, rocker stud mounts and push rod guides...... Probably a few more bits!

So..... Recommend me some parts guys, budget is tight so can't spend 100's on each part! Also a rough bhp expectancy if that's possible?

Cheers
Jono

Blown v8 · Post by **Blown v8** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:25 pm

Are you building this for a blower ?
Or normally aspirated ?
Need more info what you want from it, before we can"redo" your shopping list

Jono FD3 · Post by **Jono FD3** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 6:17 pm

Staying n/a with this as I haven't got blower money or a tank big enough to feed it!! Want it to be fairly unstressed as I want it reliable for my drifting! The rover lump has shut a lot of people up as it just keeps on going and starts every time, but doesn't push enough power for the big track!
Also forgot to say it's running ported fueli heads (camel hump).
Jono

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 8:20 pm

Hi
OK nothing drastic then, if you are getting new pistons and rods then I would go for 6" forged rods and matching pistons, probably flat top or a slight raised crown to give about 10 to 10.5:1 cr with 35 thou of head gasket and the pistons decked flush at the squish area. A decent ignition box that lets you map the ignition curve when used with a crank trigger with a locked dizzy. I think you could re use your pistons with new rings if they are not damaged, but you may not want to. Consider a rev kit, they can save your engine if a component fails in the valve train. Really from your description you are 90% there with what you have.
best regards
Mike

Jono FD3 · Post by **Jono FD3** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 10:41 pm

Excellent. Mike, that's what I wanted to hear, I'm going to be using the pistons and rods that are there as they are in good nick and are forged aswell all be it stock chevy itsms. And a rev kit is something.I'm looking at getting my hands on!

Any sujestions on ignition system, so I can keep an eye out.
Jono

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 4:35 pm

Hi
I have an MSDigital 7 (7530T) in the dragster, it lets you map a curve for each gear and for each cylinder if you want. It has 3 rev limiters and will put in about 6 different retards for the ignition, complete overkill, however it is simplicity itself to programme, two ignition curves for the 2 gears, a retard for launch and a different one for top gear and 3 of the rev limiters set up all done from scratch including loading the software onto the PC in 45 minutes. you would need a different coil to me but apart from that it is a doddle to set up and get working. It is aimed at dragster use, but some of the features, like the retard of the ignition as you select a gear might be a good thing to save drive-shafts. . . . the 7531 looks more of a general race car unit and includes data logging http://www.msdperformance.com/Products/ ... _Plus.aspx
best regards
Mike

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 5:38 pm

I'm sure that the MSD 7 series stuff is the absolute dogs danglies but if you are building a road motor or even a less 5hit hot drag engine then the MSD 6530 is also a great bit of kit. It runs with a locked out dizzy, basically you program in the timing curve that you wish to run. What it can't do is time up each cylinder indervidually. It has several retard features, launch control and other useful stuff!

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 6:01 pm

Hi
I don't know the MSD 6 series, but if it drives a locked dizzy then it is ideal, go with that, as I said the 7 is overkill and I think the 6 series are far more road/circuit orientated. The launch control would be handy, I just have the ramped ignition retards but they are still very effective for controlling launch.
best regards
Mike

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 6:24 pm

kiwicar wrote:Hi
I don't know the MSD 6 series, but if it drives a locked dizzy then it is ideal, go with that, as I said the 7 is overkill and I think the 6 series are far more road/circuit orientated. The launch control would be handy, I just have the ramped ignition retards but they are still very effective for controlling launch.
best regards
Mike

The only 6 series that will work with a locked out dizzy is the MSD 6530 'Programable'. I have installed about 4 or 5 now on Rover V8's I've pulled all of the guts out of the standard Rover/Lucas dizzy, made a new base plate and fitted an MSD pickup which is triggered by the Lucas trigger wheel. This setup runs really well and knocks the spots off any Lucas setup that I've come across. The tricky thing with my setup is getting the pickup fitted in the right place on the base plate so that the rotor arm is always 'overlapping the correct HT post during the whole of the 'mechanical' timing sweep. From memory the 6530 has a range of 30 degrees of sweep which is 15 at the dizzy. I set the pickup up so that the rotor arm is never more than 7.5 degrees out of alignment with the HT post, there is always some overlap. The dizzies that MSD sell can be locked up and will work with an MSD 6530 without any issues!

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 6:54 pm

I really can't see the point in a locked dizzy and mapped ignition. Given how little extra it costs to do the job properly with a crank sensor and wasted spark. No timing chain slop and gear chatter to corrupt the firing point. And more to the point, no rotor arm and dizzy cap to give trouble.

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:35 pm

DaveEFI wrote:I really can't see the point in a locked dizzy and mapped ignition. Given how little extra it costs to do the job properly with a crank sensor and wasted spark. No timing chain slop and gear chatter to corrupt the firing point. And more to the point, no rotor arm and dizzy cap to give trouble.

I've only had trouble with one cheap nasty rotor arm that I purchased from Real Steel, the Lucas ones are fine, I've never had any trouble with a dizzy cap!

The timing chain is the same chain that is messing up your cam timing! I guess a gear driven cam would fix that, but then again it would also fix the corrupt firing point!

Edit...LOL just spotted that the engine question does have a gear driven cam!

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:41 pm

hi
having used both MSD and MSQ, the MSD is streets ahead of trying to use a MSQ, as I said 45 minutes to get the MSD mapped, 4 -5 hours to get the crank sensor and distributor fitted (front mounted dizzy conversion) and it works. With the MSQ I put in well over 150 hours trying to get it to work and the rest of my back up team (4 of them) put in another 30 to 40 hours each and we never got it to work properly, turns out it had the wrong crank trigger input components (shaping circuit) but regardless it just never worked. the other issue is that the MSQ just doesn't do what the MSD kit does, you can't put in a launch retard, no burn out rev limiter, you can't put in a different curve for each cylinder, you only have 2 maps with MSQ so although you could do a power-glide set up a TH350 is not possible, all the triggers for NOs and external kit are there and working and it can drive a tachometer properly as it has a proper tach drive output, not a primary tach input buffered and bodged to look like a tach drive oh and the whole thing is tested professionally and it has a warranty and support.
best regards
Mike

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:45 pm

Er, yep

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 10:06 am

I fitted a Mallory Unilite to replace the original Lucas dizzy on my RV8.
It burnt out the rotor arm and dizzy cap - twice.

Blown v8 · Post by **Blown v8** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 4:07 pm

DaveEFI wrote:I fitted a Mallory Unilite to replace the original Lucas dizzy on my RV8.
It burnt out the rotor arm and dizzy cap - twice.

My Mallory/unilite is the same one that has been on all my RV8's
the 3.5's,4.6 and still going strong on the 5:0L !
Rough estimate,well over 15 years,(had the car,all with RV8's for nearly 30 years)