How much HP will a stock 360 Block take?

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aengineguy

aengineguy

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Well you know how it goes....you start building an engine and then you want more and more. Anyway, I have had extensive work done to my 1991 360 Block. I may be in the 600 to 630 HP range by the time all said and done. Am I courting the grenade effect? The rotating parts will be all good stuff, but I did not do anything about 4 bolts for the mains yet. The crank will be a good forged arm, H beam rods and forged pistons.

Appreciate any comments.

Thanks...........
 
From all the posts I've read on here, you are very close to the limits of a stock 360 block. I'm sure Moper or someone else has more info for you.
 
You say extensive work? Please post your combination with heads used & Flow numbers, compression, camshaft used with lift and duration etc.
Is it Naturally Aspirated or Boosted in some way? I am curious to see WHY you believe you can hit those numbers. Reason being is that I tried to come close to 600hp on my build and I only hit around 507hp & same Tq. I used every part imaginable except going with W-2 or Indy 360 Heads. If you are basing your build off of INTERNET numbers like I did you may be in for a shock if and when you have it on a dyno.

Thanks in advance.
 
Hughes Engines and maybe others has a "Girdle" for the small block. Good steel main caps is a good investment at that power level also. For sure quality main studs are a must.
 
Mad Dart...I am still working on details, but here is close..All motor, no adders, Heads could end up being Edlebrock Stage III by Hughes with 2.08's, benched in the 295 cfm arena, but I may still opt for the Indy goodies, Compression will be in the 11.0 range. Cam somewhere in the .600 with duration pushing 260 @ .050. I have since read some info in the forum concerning main caps and gleaned a lot of info on HP capacity.

Thanks...
 
I should be around the same with my engine when I stroke it. I plan on using Hughes's main girdle and filling the block with Hard Block about 1/2 way. Of course main studs have always been in my engines. I'm looking at steel caps too but I doubt I'll go with 4 bolt caps. The general thinking here is that they just weaken the main webs unless you have an R, X, or T/A block.
 
A 426 stroker will cost you some large $$$.Is this going in your avatar car?Your gonna have to spend alot more for a 426 stroker to perform properly in a stock form car.My 2 cents.
 
Petty Blue....too bad the car doesn't look like that now. It has been getting worked over to handle all the ponies...frame connections, cage, Caltracs, mini tubs, Wilwoods, some glass parts, etc.
 
Yeah, I did that on my Duster and while yes it works most of the time, it just wasn't consistently dependable, even at 485 HP. And my car was all race car too. The basic problem is even with a mini tub there isn't enough room for a good size tire. That's why I built the Scamp so I could four link it, stretch the wheel opening and install tubs. With the 14.5x32's and the 4 link traction is not a problem even in less than ideal conditions. With the CalTracs (and I had the whole set up, springs, shocks and all) it was always a crap shoot. Maybe it would hook, maybe it wouldn't.
 
aengineguy said:
Well you know how it goes....you start building an engine and then you want more and more. Anyway, I have had extensive work done to my 1991 360 Block. I may be in the 600 to 630 HP range by the time all said and done. Am I courting the grenade effect? The rotating parts will be all good stuff, but I did not do anything about 4 bolts for the mains yet. The crank will be a good forged arm, H beam rods and forged pistons.

Appreciate any comments.

Thanks...........
Click to expand...

Here's my old motor combination for the Super Gas Charger

340 block, O ringed and bored .020 over
340 crank clearanced and polished
BRC Aluminum Rods
Light weight Forge True pistons with 84 gram pins
Hamburger aluminum pan
W2 heads by Mullen 2.02/1.60
Victor W2 intake
Cam Dynamics 620/640 lift cam from the Super Stocker
1 7/8 x 34 Race adjustable header ... home built
and to top it off a Thermoquad (just to keep the Holley boys happy) :toothy10:

This motor had 2 bolt caps that were register checked for tightness, Milodon studs and was line honed.

In the 5 seasons that this engine ran there was absolutely no issues with cap walking or any issues with the main caps.

Best time off the throttle stop ... 9.4 at 1.38 with a 1.27 60 foot time.
 
91 360 close to 630hp. i think i would go for the aftermarket block? did you have the bores sonic checked?
 
Yeah I did, but don't remember the thickness, but that was when I was planning on 500 hp. I do need to go back and get this info and post it. and just for some piece of mind, I may stick to more around the 580 mark. Good blocks are righteous bucks.
 
skip the eddys and get W2's [or W series] if you wanna make over 580hp.
You'll also want a roller cam, 11.5 comp min, 1.6 rockers, 1050 carb, custom headers, just to make it a lil easier. jmo

and MADDART, if you stuck a roller in yours you'd have 550hp easy,
the main thing with yer combo is the cross sectional area is pinchy for the cid you have.
 
I'd skip the Eddy's too and go for at least W5's or the Indy's. Maybe more like 12.5 to 13:1 I would think would be more on the order, especially if it's going to be a 360 and not a stroker. You are going to need 300+ cfm on the intakes to support 600 HP.
 
I doubt you can get to 600hp with the initial parts you listed. You start to breach 575hp or so and a different block is a better move. The parts combo you have listed would probably make in the 520-530 range is my guess. More cubic inches doesn't mean more HP if the heads can't feed it.

Build the car the way you want. If you want a small tire car, go that way. If you want a steamroller, big tire car, go that way. I know some cars that run cal track and 9.0 tires going deep in the 9's. It's more work than the big tire cars. Everyone has their personal preference for an approach.
 
This is the reason I am part of this forum. You get everyone "IMO" take them into the kitchen, put them in a pot and boil it all down.....Lots of good info

Thanks!
 
I must have missed that. OK.

As for CalTrac cars running 9's, sure they are out there. They are scienced out sophisticated race only cars though. And like I said, under good to ideal conditions, yeah they work. A marginal track or late at night in the late rounds and it's a crap shoot. Of course heavier cars work better too, I had a 3800 pound Charger with 9 inch slicks and SS springs that would hook in the dirt, the Duster at 3000 pounds with a lot of gear was totally different.
 
Your engine combination sounds just about identical to mine. All Forged internals H beam Rods, Line Honed with Girdle etc. The only difference would be the Eddy heads which might squeek just a little more than the RHS X Heads on mine. I honestly to not think you will hit the numbers you are thinking.

W series Heads or Indy 360-1 with somewhere in the 320-340 CFM Range should do the trick. Partial Hard Block would help but I would talk to someone who knows how to make POWER with the mopar small block like Brian at IMM ENGINES. He has been there and done that.

ou812 is his user name.
 
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