My
opinion
As to option 3
The 408, is sortof a waste on the street, you can't even floor it until Third gear without tirespin. Well, I guess you could run 2-series gears.....
Option 2
looks like you want to pay for balancing twice...?
Option 1
looks good, but if it was mine, I'd like to check out the block real careful like, and make sure that is was Not a contributing factor to the death of your crank
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My recipe, for a streeter, which I guarantee will tickle your pickle, is as follows;
>360 base,
> looser than the KB spec, skirt clearance;
> larger than the KB spec top-gap.
>Alloy heads, 180psi CCP, tight-Q chambers
>for an automatic; a fast-rate hydro of 223/230/110 with a 2800TC, and 3.23s
> for a stick: a fast rate next bigger cam but on a 108LSA, any gears but likes a starter of 10/1
> at 180psi, she won't need any cam advance so run her at split overlap +/- 1 degree/ maybe 2.
>HV pump and o/s pick-up in an extra capacity pan, With a dropped-tray, and run at least 5.5 qts;
>all the usual bolt-ons.
>Make dead sure the oiling system plugs and separators are in, do the oiling mods except for the street you may skip the valley cross-over, Make sure the oil leaves the top-end in a timely fashion.
>My engine has Not been fussy as to oil type or viscosity, Nor as to fuel. It has run 87E10 since 1999, and any brand 10W30 with a half a can of Zinc that I buy at the local GM dealer. I run her at 207*F, exactly, lol.
>If you have ever lost one of the front two rods on the driver's side, you can bet the oil pump sucked air, so... you need more oil above the oil pick-up, a better hood, a faster drain-back, the valley cross-over, or a rev-limiter, lol.
>I feel for you Skep;
Crap like that is why I freshened my engine at least five winters in a row, and at least three times I found catastrophe just waiting to happen. Reuseable gaskets made it a lil more bearable. In those days she was my DD; so I couldn't afford to be down any longer than the weekend. So while the 367 came out, a 318 went straight back in for the winter.
Happy HotRodding
Btw;
That 223@050 combo went
[email protected];
on 245/60-14 street tires, with 3.55s, @3650 pounds;
shifting at 7200 (regular A833),
with a 60 ft somewhere in the 2.4s (2.42 I think; in any case slow!)