First engine build question

dartfreak75 said

I'm still learning so I appreciate all these drown out threads. I want to understand the whole process. I know alot of you guys have been there done that a million times it it's annoying to answer the same questions over and over but for the guys like me who havent build 100 engines and don't know we are still learning and need answers to the little question. There are 2 types of car ppl.
1) the ones that drop there engines and cars off at a shop and let someone else do the work
2)the diy that does all that he can himself
I fall into 2 I'm trying to learn all I can I know alot of the learning process is trial and error. But with all the wealth of knowledge here alot of error can be avoided.

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I get what your saying and understand. My point is, the "experts" will conflict/contradict each other on something that really isn't a deal breaker at all for the OP's build. Tell me, do you feel "more wiser" when somebody says "static of no more than 8.1" and the next says "naw, I run 8.8 all the time and no issues". You can read this and you know which one is right? Look, the OP wants to throw some freshened 360 heads on a 318 with a mild cam, 4bbl, and some street pistons. Put it together, and if she's a little fussy on todays gas (i'm betting not), pull a few degrees of timing out. If she is doing great, pull the timing up till it's happy! this isn't that difficult. When some of the "experts" get done, it don't seem safe to build an engine. You think Chrysler cc'd every head, measured every piston in the hole and every deck height? I'm not saying these things aren't good, i'm saying don't spend 1189 dollars and 27 cents to go from a 7.9 to ones "opinion" of a desired 8.2... LOL.