HELP, Need engine advice, does this look okay?

[Old Iron]

If you can go see this before ya throw down the change and it's what is in the picture ???? Hell yeow !!!!!!
You ain't gone yet ???? cause, I know you're reading this post.

 

[WickedFast1]

unless the bottom end looks like this![cl

Stuffed with a Howards crank, Callies Rods, JE pistons and a healthy lunati retro roller cam and splayed main caps.

 

[jmlcolorado]

If you can go see this before ya throw down the change and it's what is in the picture ???? Hell yeow !!!!!!
You ain't gone yet ???? cause, I know you're reading this post.

I'm on my way to look at this now. He says he had all documentation for the entire build. He never started it since the build, never even adjusted the valves.

If it looks good, ill grab it and me and my pops will go through the whole thing.


Even though buying a CL motor is completly against the advice everyone on this thread has given me

 

[oldracer22]

The DIY long block 383 from ebay doesn't have the good stuff in it to warrant that price. Cast pistons, 2pc. RMS, 1.250" valve springs with a flat tappet cam, etc. A lot of people complain about Eagle rotating assembly. I have a 383 from Skip White Performance. It has alum heads, roller cam, forged pistons, scat 9000 crank and 4340 rods. 440 hp. It was $3400 assembled and test ran. Runs great and great service. It was delivered 10 days after ordering. I don't have any connection with Skip White Performance, just know I am happy with the product, service and pricing. Check them out at www.skipwhiteperformance.com

 

[jmlcolorado]

Well guys, here's the stats on this olds 350:
Block is .30 bored
Performer RPM intake,
Predator 6000, 930 CFM auto adjusting carb
Performer 6051 heads, 66cc.
New msd pro billet distributor
Aluminum rocker arms,
New fuel pump
Line bored, honed, new cam bearings,
Comp ratio 8 to 1
Ptov exhaust .270
Ptov intake .240
Port matched heads and intake


Guy says he put $5275 into the whole build in '98 including machine work and assembally.

I think the heads alone are worth $900.

 

[WickedFast1]

he should pull the oil pan no problem! if it's never been started it wont even hurt the gaskets. I would never and I mean NEVER buy a performance motor without pulling the tins! If it's the way he says it is, you'll buy it, if not walk away!

ask how long or short the timing set is? brand? on a line bored block mine is .005 short. ask about length on the push rods? when you change camshafts you have to measure to keep the valve train right. camshaft degree? he should know all this who did it? oh dont want to ruffel feathers but plan on tossing the carb.
oh and scat 9000 series crank is cast not forged.

 

[jmlcolorado]

he should pull the oil pan no problem! if it's never been started it wont even hurt the gaskets. I would never and I mean NEVER buy a performance motor without pulling the tins! If it's the way he says it is, you'll buy it, if not walk away!

ask how long or short the timing set is? brand? on a line bored block mine is .005 short. ask about length on the push rods? when you change camshafts you have to measure to keep the valve train right. camshaft degree? he should know all this who did it? oh dont want to ruffel feathers but plan on tossing the carb.
oh and scat 9000 series crank is cast not forged.

He did pull the pan for me. Here are the results:
Clean oil while draining

Oil pump clean with no debris:

Under side of the pistons

Inside the exhaust, evidence of assembally lube everywhere.

Crank is factory regrind. Each piston has signs of assembally lube.

2 bolt mains, with more lube.

 

[WickedFast1]

SBC 383 Short Block, Forged Internals, Roller Cam - $1600 (Morrison)
383 Stroker (350 with Stroker Kit)

Block: studded 4 bolt 350 block , fresh t/p bored and honed, align honed,durabond cam bearings and brass freeze plugs

Crank: New scat 9000 series hi per stroker crank

Rods: SCAT 4340 I BEAM 5.7

Pistons: Forged ARIAS.10.:1 cc

Timing components : TRUE ROLLER DEGREED TO SPEC

Oil System: Factory oil pan, . New m 55 Hv pump and steel rod/ with welded pick up

Cam Shaft: CROWER Hyd Roller
New Comp Retro Hyd Roller Lifters

Misc. engine parts: Arias file fit rings, Clevite 77 tri metal bearingss,
all components , and timing cover , oil pan studded for custom appearance.

Balancing: All work performed on Sunnen digital equipment

$1600.00
Went back and looked at the ad-
First Not a studded 4 bolt block
Not a Scat Crank
Not forged rods- just new rod bolts
Not forged pistons -cast
Not a true roller timing set-looks stock
was the block line bored maybe not, just saying if this is wrong what else is?
By the looks of the pan rails i'm not even sure it's a SBC. use good judgement, maybe he really don't know what it is.
just saying the ad don't match the motor thats all.

 

[WickedFast1]

Sorry

Went back and read the thread again, I got lost somewhere along and I think we were talking about 2 diff motors. Don't know how I done that. Sometimes I feel so stupid!

 

[Old Iron]

He got taken advantage of at $5275.00 however, you will not get hurt by giving $900 for it.
My vote is; I'd do it.

 

[jmlcolorado]

He got taken advantage of at $5275.00 however, you will not get hurt by giving $900 for it.
My vote is; I'd do it.

I agree that $5275 seems awfully high for this engine, but in reality, who cares what he paid for this engine in 1998?! Its only worth what someone is willing to pay for it
He seemed quite obliged to let me look at anything I asked to see and I dont feel he is hiding anything.
I have a deposit into him to hold the engine till later today after I get done calling around and talking to a few peole about it.
I had asked him if he knew what cam was in it and what grind was used, but it was so long ago, he doesn't remember and the receipts dont show this info.

My thinking is to pick up the engine from him, then take it to a shop and let them tear it down and go through it to make sure everything is good, and identify all the parts and pieces inside.


With 8:1 Compression ratio, it seems low, but he has heads made for a 440 (?) on this block and they have been milled down to try to bump that up but 8:1 was the best they could get. He think it has dished pistons in it, so I think I could opt for a different piston (flat top?) to gain a bot more.
Then again, 8:1 seems like a good place for a supercharger

 

[jmlcolorado]

Well I bit the bullet and brought the engine home.
First thing I did was pull off a head to see inside and get info on the parts. Here's what I found:


Olds engine info
68-76 nodular iron crank, 3.385" stroke (standard). Casting number 393654

Crank has some writing on it- "M.010 R.010". <--- have no idea what this means.

Pistons are cast aluminum .030 over. Markings are "332 NP" From What I can tell, these are Sealed Power pistons. This model is no longer made.

Rods have no markings that I can find without getting further into the bottom end. They look to be factory cast.

Heads are edelbrock 6051's with 77 cc chambers. Intake 2.072" Exhaust 1.68"

Rocker arms are Competition Cams 1.6 ratio rollers

Elgin Industries PR307 pushrods

Hydraulic lifters, unknown brand

Intake is edelbrock performer hi rise 7111.


The only thing I can't figure out is the cam. I can see some casting numbers on it but are hard to read within the block with everything together still.

Would these casting numbers tell me what this cam is? Is there any other way to identify the cam and grind without a bunch of fancy equipment?

I wanted to take off the heads to get a look at the cylinder walls and was pleasantly surprised once I opened it up. Zero rust (owner thought there might be surface rust from sitting for so long) and the honing is clearly visible. Valves sparkely clean.


As far as I can tell, the owner wasn't full of it and told me everything accurately.

I'm not sure how they tested compression cause the rockers were fairly loose. Just barely snug.
Everything on the bottom end seems tight though.

 

[bob w]

Jim, the stamping on the crank indicates the Main journals (M) are ground .010" and the Rod journals (R) are ground .010".

Some cam companies stamp information on the front or rear of the cam. I doubt the casting number will reveal much. You can measure gross cam lift fairly easy, even with a steel rule on a lifter. It will give you an idea of how radical or mild the cam is.

Compression ratio is a calculated number. Actual cylinder compression is measured while turning the engine over using a compression gauge and gives you a psi reading not a ratio. The 8 to 1 figure you were given is based on the volume of the cylinder, combustion chamber, etc. at bottom dead center compared to top dead center.

The pistons must have a fair size dish or be set down in the cylinder quite a ways at top dead center to have that low of a compression ratio.

Nice to have an Olds engine. Enjoy it.

 

[WickedFast1]

most cam grind numbers is on the end that the timing set mounts to.[P

 

[jmlcolorado]

Jim, the stamping on the crank indicates the Main journals (M) are ground .010" and the Rod journals (R) are ground .010".

Some cam companies stamp information on the front or rear of the cam. I doubt the casting number will reveal much. You can measure gross cam lift fairly easy, even with a steel rule on a lifter. It will give you an idea of how radical or mild the cam is.

Compression ratio is a calculated number. Actual cylinder compression is measured while turning the engine over using a compression gauge and gives you a psi reading not a ratio. The 8 to 1 figure you were given is based on the volume of the cylinder, combustion chamber, etc. at bottom dead center compared to top dead center.

The pistons must have a fair size dish or be set down in the cylinder quite a ways at top dead center to have that low of a compression ratio.

Nice to have an Olds engine. Enjoy it.

Thanks for the info!

These pistons are damn close ot the top of the cylinder walls. The heads aren't not quite ment for this block, so they have machined to their tolerances.
Ill snap a photo of the top of the pistons at the t of the block.

 

[jmlcolorado]

most cam grind numbers is on the end that the timing set mounts to.[P

Awesome! Think I might look into this. I would love to know the cam in this thing.