LA 360 Engine refresh?

[Captainkirk]

I decided to slowly build an engine. I’m waiting on a shipping quote for a (Hasn’t been run since machined) bored .40 over LA360 from ‘75 with 974 heads and original crank. All in excellent condition, the block is ready to get a couple final cleanings and for the bottom end assembly. Hopefully the shipping doesn’t kill me and I go ahead with the purchase. This is the same combo I have in my car, other than my current block is a 4006830-360-9 and his a 360-2. It won’t let me download the pictures of the block for some reason. I’m going to start a build thread once I actually take possession of an engine... Hopefully it’s this one. I thought I had a line on a great deal for .40 over pistons, but it turned out to be around the actual retail cost and not a set I’d choose based on compression specs, but not a bad choice if my budget was shoe string(it’s not much more though. Lol). I would’ve started with a stock short block and been happy, but since this one will need pistons, I’m going to go a step up... Not by much, but a good step and money well spent, easily worth the extra $200 over the Sealed Power 405CP’s, which would’ve been an upgrade from stock compression at just under 9:1 with the .40 over, but I can get around 10:1 from Keith Black or Speed Pro, depending on which way I go on the build. I’m learning every day and looking forward to starting a build, now that I’ve decided on a direction. Thank you CaptsonKirk and the rest of you! Side note, randomness. I was was Shatners driver on a movie for a few days. I was driving the Electric 10ton tractor truck, but got pulled to drive him around for the few days he was shooting with us. He was hilarious and a stand up guy.

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Sounds like a plan, John.
FWIW, I chose the Speed Pro forged 10:1 pistons (against many here's better judgement)...most felt the Keith Black Hypers are a better choice due to the weight...which I can't dispute; they are heavy sons-of-guns. I weighed one of them at 727 grams. BUT...I wanted forged pistons rather than hypers; the KBs have their shortcomings as well. I am well-impressed with the SP's. Coupled with the forged crank and the new Eagle forged rods, the bottom end oughta be solid as an ox and pretty much bulletproof. FWIW, while the SP's are heavier, the Eagle rods are lighter than the stock forged 340 rods. Every little bit helps...
Always thought Bill Shatner was a pretty cool dude...

EDIT: I had already had the block honed std a few years back. The only SP slugs I could get were + .030 so I had to have the block bored .030 over. Then I had to have the crank re-balanced because of the new rods. So it pays to plan well ahead or you'll end up doing things twice...

 

[John Collins]

Sounds like a plan, John.
FWIW, I chose the Speed Pro forged 10:1 pistons (against many here's better judgement)...most felt the Keith Black Hypers are a better choice due to the weight...which I can't dispute; they are heavy sons-of-guns. I weighed one of them at 727 grams. BUT...I wanted forged pistons rather than hypers; the KBs have their shortcomings as well. I am well-impressed with the SP's. Coupled with the forged crank and the new Eagle forged rods, the bottom end oughta be solid as an ox and pretty much bulletproof. FWIW, while the SP's are heavier, the Eagle rods are lighter than the stock forged 340 rods. Every little bit helps...
Always thought Bill Shatner was a pretty cool dude...

EDIT: I had already had the block honed std a few years back. The only SP slugs I could get were + .030 so I had to have the block bored .030 over. Then I had to have the crank re-balanced because of the new rods. So it pays to plan well ahead or you'll end up doing things twice...

I definitely don’t have the budget to do things twice, but I’ve always been very eager to pull the trigger. Things are a little different this year due to Covid and I don’t have the disposable funds I normally have, so I won’t have a choice but to do it once and correctly. I’m sure I’ll burn a few hundred on this path, but I’m going to do my best to research properly and get a combo in place on paper that I can afford and live with. In the end, this whole project was started to keep me occupied while being a stay at home dad and to build a car that’s fun to drive for a while and sellable at or around what I’ll have into it. The engine build has turned into a side journey I didn’t expect and I’m totally stoked about, but a side journey with a purpose. My next build is hopefully going to be a 2nd gen D100 or possibly a 69 Road Runner if I can find one that’s not $15k for a basket case. The 360 in my current car will get swapped out, broken down and rebuilt stroked and then put in the next project... We’ll see though. First things first is to get a block and some parts to get this party started.

 

[John Collins]

Well, it’s happening. The block, crank and heads are getting picked up tomorrow by a friend who is randomly in the same town the guy is in selling the short block. The engine was thoroughly looked over by a machine shop and is 100% and ready for a build, or so the seller says. From the pics, it’s as clean as a whistle. The stock crank has already been regrinded and the heads look immaculate. $300 for the engine parts and I’m paying my buddy $400 to deliver it to my garage door step... The same as a freight delivery requiring a loading dock, which I was having a hard time finding. He would’ve done it for free, but I know he’s broke and he would’ve come out of pocket on gas otherwise. My buddy is in a small town in Wisconsin filming a documentary and is driving back to LA on Friday in his minivan for a gig. Such welcomed randomness! I bought a series of books that are on their way as well. Next step is to read read and read some more and to start a build page.

 

[Captainkirk]

Well, it’s happening. The block, crank and heads are getting picked up tomorrow by a friend who is randomly in the same town the guy is in selling the short block. The engine was thoroughly looked over by a machine shop and is 100% and ready for a build, or so the seller says. From the pics, it’s as clean as a whistle. The stock crank has already been regrinded and the heads look immaculate. $300 for the engine parts and I’m paying my buddy $400 to deliver it to my garage door step... The same as a freight delivery requiring a loading dock, which I was having a hard time finding. He would’ve done it for free, but I know he’s broke and he would’ve come out of pocket on gas otherwise. My buddy is in a small town in Wisconsin filming a documentary and is driving back to LA on Friday in his minivan for a gig. Such welcomed randomness! I bought a series of books that are on their way as well. Next step is to read read and read some more and to start a build page.

Congrats! Looking forward to your build. I'll be subscribed!