Stop thinking about redline(s). And start thinking about what you want the engine to be doing.
If you're building a fun streeter, a high redline helps you nothing, as you will be speeding at the top of 1st gear. For a fun streeter, you should be thinking about bumping up the SBM low-speed torque,and building a broad torque band, and let the HP fall where it may. Building a SBM to a high,bragging-rights,power level for a streeter is a recipe for dissappointment.
If you're building a fun weekend warrior, then you can shift the torque peak a little higher, with its associated higher rpm HP.
If you're building a dedicated, trailer-it-to-the-track,car;well then Rev it til she blows,fix it, rev it a little less.
So, what are you wanting from your SBM?
I think you're a "fun-streeter" kind of guy.And it sounds like you're new to this.And probably on a small budget.
The OEM 360 suffers from a rather low factory compression ratio. This somewhat limits what you can do with it as a streeter. As soon as you put a performance cam into it, which is the way to horsepower,The low speed performance drops off. This requires bandaid fixes like bigger rear gears and hi-stall TCs.Now you are moving away from "fun-streeter" and into "weekend warrior".And the budget is moving into the several thousands of dollars now.
A better idea,IMO, is to improve the C/R and get the heads working early, then a modest cam, to bring the best out of the heads. This will let you keep your factory TC, and run smaller gears such as 2.94s to 3.55s.
For me, this means bringing the piston tops up to the top of the decks, and going to a closed chamber head. Then carefully manipulating the chamber size and Dcr to arrive at numbers that will work for your available gas and altitude.This also requires several thousands of dollars, but has the advantage of not costing you as much on a day-to-day basis at the pumps and in broken parts.This is more science than just throwing parts at it in the hope that something sticks.
If your budget is quite small. A small 4bbl, a set of valve springs, and a free-flowing exhaust will perk up that 360 pretty nicely,in the low speed and midrange. It will do very little for the redline tho. This budget is from several hundred dollars to perhaps a couple of thousand, if new top-of-the-line parts are sourced.
We have an engine builder/vendor on FABO. MRL. He is doing amazing things with the SBM. Perhaps a call to him, if you are serious, will get you a clearer picture.
Be prepared to talk budget, and be honest about your desires.
All the best to you
