TBones87

Ok guys. This is my first engine build. I have a 97 350 with vortec heads. I am buying the Eagle rotating 383 assembly from Summit. A machine shop is going to put my shortblock together and port the vortecs. For an intake, i am going with the Edelbrock RPM Air Gap for vortec heads. For a cam i am thinking of the Comp Cams K kit. The cam specs are int./exhst= 244*,244*...Lft= .501,.501. This kit comes with the High Energy cam, lifters, valve springs, steel retainers, valve locks, valve stem seals, high energy timing chain set and lube. I am also buying a set of the Summit 1.6 roller rockers. The carb will be a Speed Demon 750 with Vacuum Secondaries. I'm not sure what headers to get yet. I want some that look good and perform as well. But dont cost an arm and a leg.

Overall, how does this set up look? Any comments? Am i on the right track, and is everything going to work well together? Sorry for so many questions, but i am 16 and am working hard to pay for this stuff. Just want to be sure i do it right the first time. What can i expect with this combo?

RB83L69

Wrong cam....

You need a cam with 2 things different about it, from that one. The first is, it has too much lift for the heads; the bottom of the retainers will smash into the top of the valve guides. The second is, those heads have terrific intake flow, but typical crappy stock exhaust ports; so they need all the help on the exhaust side that you can give them. Namely, an assymetrical cam, with a bigger exhaust lobe than the intake.

I'd suggext a Comp XE262 instead; it's available in the same type of kit, for about the same price.

The carb & intake should be about right, as far as how it runs. However it won't fit under the hood of one of these cars; especially not a Bird. And the only way to have a chance of fitting it into a Camaro is to use a "drop base" air cleaner, that lowers the lid so low, it's sitting right on top of the carb. I think you'd get better results with less trouble, with the regular RPM.

For headers, look at Edelbrock TES; get them with the ceramic coating, or send them to Jet-Hot yourself and have them coated. It looks expensive, but it's worth every penny.

DigitalMonarch0

Save yourself the screwing around, and get hooker #2055 shorties and y-pipe.

Get em coated, but make sure not to break in the new engine with the coated headers on there. You'll take the coating right off of them until the thing is tuned correctly.

TBones87

Thanks guys. RB, the Air Gap will fit under my hood. Its a cervinis 3inch cowl. That should leave me plenty of room. Thanks for the advice on the cam. My idea was bigger is better. Will the XE262 cam have a rough idle? I really want the car to grunt. I'm new to all of it, and just trying to get it right. I've spent the last year and a half working on the body/interior of the car. So im finally ready to do some engine and drivetrain work. Any ideas what a machine shop would charge to assemble the shortblock? Whats the regular rate? I dont want to get over charged.
Thanks again,
Travis

Spectre

no ruff idle from that cam ...

That idle has a price ..

Higher stall converter
Lower gears
Less fuel efficient



:edit: Right.. you're building a 383, the XR276HR, and XR282HR
should do the trick, they come in either 110 or 112 Lobe seperation angle, the tigher the LSA, the narrower the powerband, and choppier sound.

youll need better springs, and have the heads prepped for the increase in lift.

ME Leigh

Those cams are a little big for Vortecs. Maybe an XR264HR or XR268R or XR269HR-12. Those cams are pushing it with Vortecs even if you have major machine work done. Vortecs stop flowing around .50" valve lift.

Spectre

The seats can be enlarged for bigger springs, and the valve guides cut down.

The XE269HR has .495 int / .503 exh
vs XE276HR .503 int / .510 exh

Not a big diffrence ..

Ive seen boad members with cams in those ranges with great results.

TBones87

The price for that idle is perfect. 4:10's and a T-56 are coming in springtime. So when i take my heads to the machine shop, i just tell them that i need the seats enlarged and the valve guides cut down? I was planning on having them ported anyway.

Spectre

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/howto/97458/

Big454blockchevy

I say if you really want to go fast buy some aluminum heads for your setup. May I suggest some dart pro 1s.

TBones87

I am seriously contemplating the aluminum edelbrock E-tec heads. Would this offer a big gain? Or will the stocker iron heads with a port job and machining be ok? What kind of difference is there? If i get the E-tec's they will be the ones with 200cc intake ports.

forums_suck

wow 200cc etecs now your talking potential.Ive seen a hot rod mag i think it was,they used those heads on a 350 with a retarded solid cam and pulled 560HP i think it was?
But there not cheap,ya might consider selling your heads on ebay and buying some of pro toplines vortecs which already flow better and are machined for big lift cams already.Ive seen stock bagged vortec heads on ebay selling in the 200 range,and the protopline vortecs i think run around 500 ready to run.If your on a budget its not a bad way to go.
Just stay away from anything over 200cc for the street