355 or 347?
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 3
From: NE Texas
355 or 347?
This Winter I will be building an engine to haul around my 3,700 pound 64 Galaxie with a 3 speed transmission and 3.00 gears. The donor car might have 3.25's or 3.50's and if so, those gears will be used instead.
I have been planning on building a low RPM 347. The reason not a 351W is that it wouldn't look stock.
Okay, now that I'm doing my research, I'm finding that I can build a 355 for the same price that I can build a 347. The ring package is already compromised in a 347 piston and I can only assume that it will be worse in a 355.
All that said, the engine will be a Saturday night cruiser and will be driven once a year to the Ford Galaxie Club Nationals, which means about 1300 miles one way next fall.
Does anyone have any experience with these radical piston/ring package designs. If it ends up using a little oil, I don't mind too much. I don't, however, want reliability compromised.
Your thoughts?
I have been planning on building a low RPM 347. The reason not a 351W is that it wouldn't look stock.
Okay, now that I'm doing my research, I'm finding that I can build a 355 for the same price that I can build a 347. The ring package is already compromised in a 347 piston and I can only assume that it will be worse in a 355.
All that said, the engine will be a Saturday night cruiser and will be driven once a year to the Ford Galaxie Club Nationals, which means about 1300 miles one way next fall.
Does anyone have any experience with these radical piston/ring package designs. If it ends up using a little oil, I don't mind too much. I don't, however, want reliability compromised.
Your thoughts?
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 3
From: NE Texas
That part of it is all worked out and I'm not worried about it EXCEPT.... related to what you're saying, the pin ends up into the oil ring causing the use of a special oil ring package.
My quetion, or doubt, or whatever you want to call it, is: will this provide enough oil control? It is obvious that there is some untold decrease in engine life, but I'm not worried about that as long as it's not drastic. I will probably not put 20,000 miles on this car during the rest of my life. I just want to know if oil control is adequate.
The 347's have a reputation for oil control problems. It stands to reason that the 355 could be worse, but how much worse? Is it manageable?
My quetion, or doubt, or whatever you want to call it, is: will this provide enough oil control? It is obvious that there is some untold decrease in engine life, but I'm not worried about that as long as it's not drastic. I will probably not put 20,000 miles on this car during the rest of my life. I just want to know if oil control is adequate.
The 347's have a reputation for oil control problems. It stands to reason that the 355 could be worse, but how much worse? Is it manageable?
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,512
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From: Cook Forest and Irwin PA
low rpm is the wrong way to go - you alleviate thrust side wear problems by keeping rpms up in a motor with a poor rod/stroke length ratio.
btw 331's with the 5.290 rod do not intersect the oil ring.
btw 331's with the 5.290 rod do not intersect the oil ring.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: NE Texas
Yes, I'm aware of the steep rod ratio. The only reason I will be doing this is that I probably won't put 20,000 or 30,000 miles on this car for the rest of my life.
The low rod ratio will indeed pose serious thrust side loads, but it doesn't have to spin to 7 grand. In fact, I believe that the only time that the excessive thrust is a serious problem is when the engine is lugged.
I drove a short rod 383 Chevy(blasphemy here I guess) about 80,000 miles with a stick shift and pretty tall gears. It has almost the same rod ratio as Ford 355, actually it is fractionally lower, and it was still very strong when I sold the truck.
My question revolves around the ring package in the 355 piston. I'm wondering if anyone has ever run one.
The low rod ratio will indeed pose serious thrust side loads, but it doesn't have to spin to 7 grand. In fact, I believe that the only time that the excessive thrust is a serious problem is when the engine is lugged.
I drove a short rod 383 Chevy(blasphemy here I guess) about 80,000 miles with a stick shift and pretty tall gears. It has almost the same rod ratio as Ford 355, actually it is fractionally lower, and it was still very strong when I sold the truck.
My question revolves around the ring package in the 355 piston. I'm wondering if anyone has ever run one.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,512
Likes: 8
From: Cook Forest and Irwin PA
wel I have never even heard of the 355 piston for the 302 block - 347 yes, got 8 of them waiting for some heat.
I thoiught long and hard 347 vs 331 but since I have a truck with an auto and a 3.55 rear, my rpms would be up enuf and the oil consumption is no worse than that of a 302 anyways
I thoiught long and hard 347 vs 331 but since I have a truck with an auto and a 3.55 rear, my rpms would be up enuf and the oil consumption is no worse than that of a 302 anyways
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 3
From: NE Texas
Yes, the 347 is so popular that I hadn't heard of the 355 either. Then I started getting books on SBF's and saw several builds and such. I then started paying more attention.
If I were building the engine for a truck I wouldn't fool with either one, I would build a 351W. For my use, however, I don't have the hood clearance and I want it to look like a stock engine when I open the hood.
Since I had never heard of one and many others haven't heard of one, while the 347 is almost a household term, it makes me think that there must be a reason. That's why I question it.
If I were building the engine for a truck I wouldn't fool with either one, I would build a 351W. For my use, however, I don't have the hood clearance and I want it to look like a stock engine when I open the hood.
Since I had never heard of one and many others haven't heard of one, while the 347 is almost a household term, it makes me think that there must be a reason. That's why I question it.
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Posting Guru
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custom machining is required and the engine will have a shorter life and that is why you wouldn't see it unless a race application.
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Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 3
From: NE Texas
Outside of a little work with a hand grinder in spots to allow rotating room for a few of the rod bolts there is no custom machining required at all. You simply bore the block as you would for a normal rebuild, relieve the cylinder bottoms in a few places for the stroker assembly and assemble it as normal.
My question revolves around the idea of using the 355 piston available from the stroker kit people and the associated parts as opposed to the 347 piston. The 347's used to have oil control problems but it seems that those are now fixed. The 355 has the pin higher in the piston interrupting the bottom of the bottom ring groove. I am wondering if anyone knows if this poses any serious oil control problems.
Thanks a bunch for the responses.
My question revolves around the idea of using the 355 piston available from the stroker kit people and the associated parts as opposed to the 347 piston. The 347's used to have oil control problems but it seems that those are now fixed. The 355 has the pin higher in the piston interrupting the bottom of the bottom ring groove. I am wondering if anyone knows if this poses any serious oil control problems.
Thanks a bunch for the responses.