Opinions?
 

Ok, as the situation stands, my 66 is in need of a new mill, and under ideal circumstances I would want to drop in a 408 stroker witha t-5/tko conversion. Unfortunatly right now, I cant do that :mad:
Anyway, heres what I want opinions on:
I'm thinking about going for a 302 block,unknown year (still planning after all) stroked out to 347, using the pro power kit (anyone have it? Opinions?), with home ported 351 heads, the Shelby high rise intake and 600 cfm holley and hooker long tubes I already have, and keeping the c-4, (at least until I could get ahold of a built AOD)
I'm looking for mainly street performance, lots of grunt on the low-mid range, without wimping out higher.
What kind of cam would be best for this setup? I've been considering going in for a custom grind. Roller or non roller (affects block choice, but if I can, I want a roller block, I like low maintenance), will it make decent power? what am I missing?
Sorry for the vagueness, but I'm still in the planning stage, and your feedback will help me plan out what i'm going to go for.

J

No one? Bueller?

well if ur wallet provides, the 347 is the way to go IMO. as far as trannys, c-4's are good for racing an some street use as long as ur gear ratio isnt to steep otherwise it will be buzzzin :cool: . i would reccomen better flowing heads but if not ur heads will work ok until u could get a better set. As far as cams are concerned roller or solid roller is the way to go if ur lookin for the most out of ur combo because of the more agressive ramp rates. Carbration all depends on your heads, cam, compression ect. hope that helped a little:p

Thats why I'm looking at the pro power kit, Here
Its only $775 but they're a new(ish) company so I was wondering iif anyone else had used their kit. According to them with a 60 cc head it'll make 10.2 compression. As to the cam, I was thinking roller too, but I dont know enough about cams to just choose a grind off the shelf.
The car wont see much time on the interstate, and currently only has a 3.25 in the rear, no thats not a big worry.
Thanks
J

I agree with fiveohguy... The 347 is the way to go.. and your fall out is in the heads.

I'm assuming by "fall out" you mean the 351 heads will limit the combo? I thought they flowed ok with a decent porting job? Not in the AFR etc league, but decent/better than stock. This is going to be a gradual build, and I can live with some restriction, until I can get a good set of aftermarkets. What kind of difference would you guys say between a set of ported 351's and a good set of aftermarkets ?
Thanks,
J

u would notice the most gain on an engine with awsome flowing heads. i would recommend aluminum because they run a lot cooler an u save weight over the irons. some good companys as u prolly already know is AFR, trickflow, edelbrock, canfeild.. just to name a few. once u know what heads ur gonna run with pick the cam size according to how the heads flow.

351W heads
 

I used 351W pocket poted / gasket matched 1.85/1.55 valves for a few years and they worked very well. I changed to pocket ported / gasket matched TFTW Al. heads and maybe picked up 30-35 HP. Cost was about $2000 including 1.7 RR's, new push rods, gaskets, supplies, etc.

3.25 / 1 axle ratio is about right for the C-4 (no O.D.) on a street driven car . I turn 3000 rpm at 70 mph on the freeway and don't want to buzz more. Good low end torque and a moderate stall convertor (2500-2800) will still launch O.K. with the C-4.

A roller conversion hydraulic cam is best for all round use. I use a CC 268 flat tappet for my car, but would use an Extreme Energy dual profile hydraulic roller if doing it all again. Don't get too wild on the duration if you want good low end and street performance.

OK, I'll shut up now.

Rev

since u r doing this gradually...I vote u use the 351 heads if u already have them or have a line on some at a decent price. The guys r just saying they are going to hold u back...which I think u already knew. The car is still going to make power, but to Maximize ur potential....the heads will need upgraded in the future.
I also vote for a roller cam block...maybe with a main support.

Ryan

Thanks guys, this is the kind of info I was looking for. I know that the heads are gonna be a restriction if the stockers are used, but I'm looking at this as a process of stages. Right now, I'm looking at getting her rolling again with a decent engine that will allow for improvement in time. Next phase is getting the suspension/drivetrain up to handling the power that the engine will be producing after "stage three" which will be the expensive stuff, i.e. good heads etc.
After that the process will start again, *cough*stroked 408 *\cough*:D
On a side note, Rev: You mentioned that a 2.5k-2.8k converter will launch "ok" with the c-4. Would a different speed (higher?) conv. work better for the application without sacrificing streetability too much? Like I said, the car wont spend much time on the interstate, just around town and maybe once in a blue moon going to the track .

Thanks again for the ideas/info,
J

I personally would not go much higher on the stall....but a lot of it depends on if this T.C. will be going in the 408 or not. Too much higher and u may be looking at driveability issues. I get away with a 2800 stall nicely.
Ryan

Stall
 

With a 408 and a moderate roller cam you will probably have a torque monster anyway. The problem with too high stall is that in normal usage, the convertor never "couples" and so is always slipping and generating a lot of heat, Heat kills trannies. I think for a street driven car, 2500-2800 is probably all the stall you really need. High torque raises the stall rpm anyway.

Rev

wont he want a bigger carb than a 600cfm, especially when it turns into a 408, or whatever size it was??

I agree
 

I agree. I think at least a 750 will be in order if he strokes to 408.

Rev