Well its been a long time since i added an update.
The phrase "Project Creep" comes to mind. My dream of low bucking this engine went out the window when i found how deep the rust was in the cylinders, and on the crank.
I used some emery cloth to clean up the crank some, But it would have needed to be ground.
I had a 360 package designed, and was more or less ordering the parts. When my parts guy and i started comparing prices of a cast crank 408 kit, to the list of parts i had.
By the time i added up a set of pistons, rods, rings, bearings, and machine work to the crank. I was nearly at the Scatt 408 kit with the cast crank, and 20.5 dish Icon pistons.
Machine work is quite expensive in Alberta.
So i ordered it up. It was going to take 3 weeks to show up. Its been 2 now.
In the mean time, i was working on some of the other things. Originally i was just going to run my J heads for a while, and update to some aftermarket heads in a while. Now with that much more displacement, I thought that the heads were really going to be restrictive.
what the hell, I have a few weeks to wait for parts.
I disassembled the heads, and did some work on the bowls, and gasket matching. I intend to have some 2.02 inlet valves installed, as well as the new springs, that come with the cam. I still went with the Comp XE268H cam. It might turn out to be a bit small, But I designed this engine to be a great daily driver. I only get to the track a couple of times a year, so it was more important to me to be a great daily. I hope to be able to ride the long, flat torque curve.
So some head work, A new Edelbrock performer RPM, and torque converter should make this a nice ride. Comp recommends a min 2000 torque in the write up for this cam. I was thinking of ordering a Hughes 24-25. The write up there says 2200-2500, and their numbers are based on a big block. Small blocks will likely be a couple of hundred RPM lower. the 408 is something in between.....
Seeing as the truck is around 3800-4000 lbs, im hoping the converter will be in the right range. I emailed them for their recommendations, but i have yet to receive an answer.
I know i could knock the weight off of the stock converter, But it was flashing for me at around 1200 RPM with that 230/242 cam. Way too low for any kind of performance.
The other make work project, while i wait for parts, was i welded some baffles in the oil pan. Its doubtful that this mild of an engine will require anything like that, But i thought i couldn't hurt anything.
Once i get my rotating group together. I will see if anything needs to be don't to fit the factory windage tray. I was thinking about cutting some windows on the one side, and fit some perforated plate in the windows, and allowing a small slot for oil to drain from. Sort of acting like a crank scraper, with a window to drain through.
I found the stamping on the block, It seems to be a factory HP engine. But i have no idea of its origins.
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