Six of one, or half a dozen of the other?

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pharmboy

pharmboy

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Well, I've received most of the parts for my new intake setup. But now I'm wondering if I should just build a 225 to drop in, ready to go, or soup up the 170 that's in the car? The 225 route would allow me to make sure the bottom end of the engine is ready to last another lifetime, but I've never had a hand in an engine swap before. I'm very open to suggestions.

Thanks.
 
If the existing 170 is in good shape, add your performance parts to it and run with it. You can always start with a spare 225 (people give them away) and swap it all over later. The 170 has the advantage of a smaller stroke, which gives it a little less displacement, but it makes it a better engine in terms of RPM. When a stock 225 is running out of breath at 4000-4500 RPM the 170 will wind higher, plus the modifications you intend to make, presuming Intake, Headers, and ?
 
Well, the new intake/carbs. Some sort of higher-flowing exhaust arrangement, either headers, dutra duals, or some other split-manifold arrangment, electronic ignition and a hot street cam. All of these could be done with the engine in the car(well, the cam isn't easily done, but do-able). As well, I'd like to get ahold of an aluminum valve cover. I've also considered getting the head worked over a bit(milled for little compression increase, mild porting, new valves/springs), although if I were going to keep that head for a 225 swap down the road, I'd want to get larger valves installed. Totalling up everything, if I did the work, and started with a 'donated' 225, I'd have maybe $1200 in the engine, not counting the intake package I'm building as soon as all the parts get into one location.
 
My opinion, get a 225 and build that while still driving the car. The added rpms of a 170 do not equal the additional power of the extra displacement. If you were going to either a turbo or nitrus I'd say use the 170 but as they say "there is no substitute for cubic inches".
 
70Valiant said:
My opinion, get a 225 and build that while still driving the car. The added rpms of a 170 do not equal the additional power of the extra displacement. If you were going to either a turbo or nitrus I'd say use the 170 but as they say "there is no substitute for cubic inches".
Click to expand...

the saying is no replacement for displacement
 
You could always do what I did. Drive the 170 until one night you and your buddies jump the car at 70 miles an hour and bust out the oil pan. :p

(I seriously don't recommend doing this. It's murder on your suspension.)
 
Whatever you do to a streetable 170 it will still be a pig unless you give it a butt full of nitrous.
 
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