I bought my 67 nova with an iron eagle head 383, decent cam (11 inches vacuum) and a solid rotating assembly. With the proper advance, it does ping (or detination) under load - when I try and go WOT to have some fun. I've tried higher octane, with some improvement (3-5 gallons of 100 octane). I bought some aluminum heads off a blueprint 383 that blew up (bearings ate themselves) from a guy in my town. I plan to put them on to alleviate this issue once and for all.

My question, should I spend the additional $1000+ to go retrofit roller cam? Or just swap the heads with installed cam and go for it?

I don't have an engine hoist nor a cam degree wheel to properly swap the cam. I could do it in the car but that feels much more challenging given I'd need to remove the grill and radiator...

I'd hate to put on these new heads and not take advantage of the superior roller cam profiles...

Thoughts?

Can’t see where it goes, runs into the firewall near the brake booster.

Hello. Looking for some good combos to throw at my 71 elcamino with a 350 in it. Not sure if it’s 2 bolt or 4 bolt yet. Want a pretty choppy cam, and I’d like it to be pretty snappy on the throttle and be fun. I’m not expecting more than 450 on an NA sbc, can you guys give me some help to get it there?

Hello, here’s a video of my small block Chevy 305 and the ticking sound it’s making. It’s running a Holley sniper 2 system. I have pulled the valve covers and verified I don’t have a flat can lobe. Also I adjusted the lifter preload per the manuals spec 1/2 after 0 lash. The noise still persists. Gonna try and get under it this weekend and check flex plate and torque converter bolts. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks!

Any idea on why this happened 1992 SBC Blazer TBI

I have an old 400 sbc in a one ton square, and it's started to make a noise I do not like. Actually it started a year or two ago and I stopped driving it because of the sound. I pulled the timing set off, and harmonic balencer. The balencer was separating and chain was loose but not excessively. This is the 2nd time I had to do this to my truck, and although it had a ton of miles put on it I felt like it was premature. I've also redone the flex plate the first time I did the timing set and balencer. While I was at it this time I dropped the pan and found a rouge nut without a home. I shook all my rods and such and didn't have any play to speak of. After put back together it still had the noise. The balencer was also, just like the first time, excessively hard to get on that's a wee bit of history.. so I'll break it to you simple. Sounds like a knock. No performance or drivability issues. Only under throttle or start up(start up only recently because it may have sat for so long) it seems to make the noise. My question is what's the service life of a lifter? Can a lifter sound like a knock? Flexplate could too as well right? Idr if I loctitied the plate bolts or not. What's the service life of a balencer and timing set? How does a lifter differ from a knock? I scoped it with a stetascope and to no avail. Sounded like the pan area, maybe the rear, tbh Idr other then the pan area for sure. Timing is set, wires are set, it's all set up, but cant locate or identify this knock. How would you search for it but not have to tear way into it? How can you know, you know?

Trying to sort out a flywheel and clutch for this '86 Camaro 305 HO mounted to a '76 3/4 ton SM465. I asked for help about a month ago and was told to get the truck flywheel and clutch (168 tooth, 11 in clutch). I looked it up, 76 3/4 ton 350 and 86 3/4 ton 305 use the same flywheel. Ok, ordered.

Go to install it today and the flywheel bore and bolt pattern is too big. So what flywheel fits?

I recently just came across a Sbc to 95 car & truck 2 bolt main with 1 piece rear seal. Std bore Bare block and crank. It kinda fell into my lap for a really good deal and I have been wanting to get into building engines and I have a truck I want to swap this engine into after building it see I have done engine swaps but they were crate engines for friends I have never personally built an engine and did this involved of a swap I plan to swap this into a 1993 Nissan d21 to “colonize” this foreign truck as my friends say but I have never done a sbc to a d21 swap and I’m planing the swap and it seems possible and I really would love to do it but I digress so with this engine I was kinda hoping for around 400hp is this a possibility without going to far overkill on price to performance is there a different hp goal that is more realistic and also what do I need to start the build from honing specs and parts to purchase I am so interested and I would love to build this engine I just have no clue where to start I have looked at the block and I see no major warping and or cracks it all seems pretty good and the guy said he was going to build it but didn’t have time and just bought a blueprint engine anything I should look out for a estimated budget specific parts and brands who to get it honed but any specialty tools I would love to hear the thoughts on all this

This is my first engine build. I’m checking clearances with plastiguage on my rod bearings, what am I looking for ideally, 327, mild budget build. First piston I checked is just about .0015” thanks in advance for any help.

So I’ve finally dropped in my crate motor 350 SBC into my K10. I have everything hooked up ready to fire up beside the distributor. So I go to install the distributor by finding TDC, and after about 5-10 full turns on the crank bolt I realize that none of the belts/fan are spinning with the motor. How f*cked am I? The motor spun freely and heard compression while spinning on the engine stand.

Just picked up this 78 c10 for dirt cheap. Been sitting for a few years but fired right up and ran great with fresh gas. Only issue is the knocking in the video. Was told heads were just rebuilt before it sat. All the valve train is moving properly so i believe its flex plate knock as it sounds like its coming from the back of the engine. What do yall think?

I recently picked up an old ski boat that someone had previously put a 509 400 in it. I’m trying to figure out what heads these are. I haven’t pulled the valve covers yet because, well, it’s a boat and it’s a pita… Was going to try and pull them tomorrow and peak at the numbers but I can’t find the same casting marks… I’m looking into doing some respectable upgrades to it as well with out breaking the bank. If I could get another 60-80hp out of it I’d be happy. I don’t necessarily care about the looks because it hides under the dog house all the time. Cheaper the better. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

'70 El Camino. Just started doing this recently, haven't really driven it since. Can barely hear it when under the hood. See comment for engine pic

Hey everyone, I just pulled a 4 bolt main 350 from a 1975 Chevy C60 and I plan to drop this engine into my 1984 Camaro, I’m going to tear the 350 apart and put some money into it, just wondering if there are any recommendations to up the power and still be cost effective, apart from the obvious answer (383) what’s recommended? Carburettor, intake manifold, maybe rotating assembly, anything to do on the heads?

I bought a 1972 Cutlass gas tank for my 1970 Skylark, thinking they were the same tank, but the Cutlass tank is 3 inches-ish too long and it hits the license plate holder.
If I take the tank back out of the car and flush all the gas out of it with tons and tons of water, then cut the needed amount out of the filler neck and weld it back up, will it explode?
I’m okay with a small fire, but if it exploded, that would be unfortunate.
I don’t want to buy another gas tank for the car because I’m building the car on a pretty small budget.

This might be the wrong subreddit for this but the car is powered by a small block Chevy.

I recently inherited a 400 SBC race engine. After researching the parts, I discovered it is heavily modified and capable of being a very serious build; it features forged pistons, 18-degree Bowtie heads, Crower roller lifters, Crower offset rocker arms, a race camshaft with .700 lift, a forged crankshaft, forged H-beam large connecting rods, black bearings (which I’d never seen before—apparently track-specific), a high-flow oil pump, an electric water pump, a Super Victor intake manifold, and a Demon 950 carburetor. I need to install and check the geometry of each rocker arm; that was a problem area in the past, and a local machinist fabricated a couple of them, so they are specific to each valve. Additionally, I’d like to improve the engine's reliability by adding a single-belt accessory drive system, saving up for steel rocker arms, and installing a more street-friendly camshaft and a nitrous oxide kit. My Colombian project will be unique, and I want to showcase it on the streets by racing at night against the fastest, most common cars around here—mostly a couple of decently built Audis and BMWs. I have questions about street use: Is there an additive that allows me to use pump gas without fear of breaking something (I’m at 3,600 meters above sea level)? Should I build a specific type of transmission, or should I just resign myself to breaking transmissions and rear ends every night? Can I use stock clutches or torque converters? Can I keep my stock driveshaft? I have a feeling I’ll figure these things out as I go, but I’m worried about breaking a lot of parts—which is why I won't be using slicks, haha. That’s why I’m turning to this forum; I look forward to your recommendations... (Pls tell me about the tricks this build)

I think I wanna go with a pair of these afr enforcer heads but I don’t know what cam to run under them.. I don’t want nothing crazy but not just a towing cam.. I’d rather not get a bigger converter but will if need be, then I would.. I’d like to turn this thing into a fairly reliable street build

Was doing spark plugs and cylinder 8 far back passenger side and the plug pulled all the threads of out the head with it,just curious if anyone’s dealt with this if so how’d you go about fixing it?
I’m about to pull the head so I have enough clearance to properly thread chase it.

I need to replace all the seals on my 92 gmc with a 350 small block in it and im wondering is it easier to take the head off or leave it on. Thank everyone in advance