Good idea on the cheap stuff. And if the PO responds ask him what cam he went with. That could tell us a lot.

The GM dizzy requires a very good connection to power. Many guys have tried to use the stock wiring but that won't work due to the ballast resistor that's hidden in it. So make sure you have a large wire going to a good source of power, such as a relay near the battery.

 

The PO doesn't remember doing anything to the block and he said he doesn't recall which cam is in it. It sounds pretty chunky through open headers though. He did mention a carb rebuild is a good starting point and the valves need adjustment. I was thinking of taking this carb off for a holley truck avenger anyway.

 

I think that's your problem - too much cam on too little compression. One approach would be to pull the goodies and put them on a 351W - with compression. The cam will act smaller on the bigger engine and the heads will make it pull well.

 

I have my eyes peeled for a 351 block on Craigslist. I've always wanted to build a motor anyway. Here's my chance.

Edit: I'm assuming a stock bore 351 won't suffice? What would be a magic number to have it punched out to?

 

Be aware that aluminum heads can run between .5 and 1.0 more compression than cast iron heads can without pinging. Or, to put it another way, aluminum heads wick heat away so rapidly that you have to run more compression to get the same power. In any event, you need to think about your target compression ratio as you plan the engine.

 

Give me an idea of what I should be looking for in terms of a good CR. I want low end power that will rev as high as I can get it to safely. Truck will primarily be used in the mud.

 

Your best find would be a stock block that would not need re-boring. The next best would be one that needed .030 bore to clean it up. Try to keep the cylinder walls as thick as possible.

If you want to do any hot rodding to it, stroking it would be the best bang for the buck if you have the money. That will naturally raise your compression too.

Lots to think about when building a engine like this.

 

I just plugged in "351w stroker kit" in a google search, and got a lot of hits. Lots of reading to do. They even make a 427 kit, but I would read about how reliable it is first.

 

I'm building a 400 that will be running Trick Flow heads. The target CR is 10.5:1 and it is supposed to run fine on 87 octane, although I won't go to the bank with that quite yet. And it is expected to put out over 500 ft-lbs at low RPM. In fact, the 550 HP is at 5500 RPM so it won't need to wind up to give power.

And that's the key for a truck or something going off-road - torque at low rev's. Which is why a 302 isn't a good as a 351W because the stroke is so short that it can't give the low-rev grunt.

 

351w long block bored .040 over

Just found this while browsing. Seems like a cheap starting point and I can use all my go fast stuff on it.

 

Maybe not. That's as far as a W should be bored. So if the bores aren't ready to use then I would pass.

 

So it would be better to start with a fresh stock block? I'm trying to keep this truck as cheap as possible, so I don't plan on building a high dollar stroker kit right away.

 

As the saying goes, stroke it dont poke it.

I cant provide any advice on a engine build as I cant even deside how I want to go about my 302. I could upgrade to a 351W and bolt the C6 up to it, but then I am stuck with finding a 351W preferably a roller or sticking with the 302 I have.

 

If you're going to go with a stroker, a 408W would be a good choice for a truck.

 

Why stop there, they sell 427W stroker kits for the 351W.

Might not last that long but go big or go home.