Like i said,take magazine builds with a grain of salt when it comes to dyno numbers.

 

it would be the same exact thing as if someone on one of these forums builds a motor.

 

Sure it would be...

 

how is it so much different? some use off the shelf parts. if you use the same exact crap you should get the same results granted you have a good tuner or you know what you are doing.it would be pretty much exactly like reading what or how people do a build on one of these forums. they will pretty much be nearly close to each other granted people know what they are doing and don't cheap out on parts. the only thing a magazine has is probably better conditions than most people building out of their garage.

 

I am just saying they inflate numbers for the articles man.

 

vortecs are known for low-midrange tq primarily. anything over .500 lift cam wise is pointless in a stock casting. I wouldn't put them on anything larger than a 383, and the only way I would put them on a 383 is if I was building it for a 4x4 truck or something and was putting a low-mid range cam in it. They weren't designed for a high peak hp motor.

FYI, to the original poster, pro-comp heads are not high quality heads. Several people have had push rod alignment problems, head gasket and intake gasket sealing problems. I honestly don't think it is possible to build a reliable 500 hp engine with those heads, especially a 500 hp 350. I don't think it could be done with a 383.

I would run a Brodix IK 200 or an AFR 195 Eliminator head, along with a solid roller cam, and bump up the compression to around 11.5-12:1. Install a matching single plane intake and a mechanical secondary carb, and you should have a 500 hp 350. You'll probably have to spin it to 7,000 or 8,000 rpm to do so, but you'll have a 500 hp engine. Now, spinning it that high, you'll have to be sure that you have a well prepped short block that will withstand that kind of rpm. If you put a 3.75 stroke crank in and go to a 383, you could get away with lowering the compression down to pump gas levels and stick a hydraulic roller in it and make close to, if not over 500 hp, and have more torque too, without having to spin it so high. Personally, if I were going for a 500 hp small block, I would start with a 2 bolt 400 block and go from there. The extra cubes are going to help you out tremendously, especially in the torque department.

The 406 in my sig was built with AFR 195 heads, 10.5:1 static/8.1:1 dynamic compression, XE 284 comp cams hydraulic flat tappet cam, 1.6 pro magnums, super victor intake, 750 holley street hp mechanical secondary carb, eagle h-beams, 4340 eagle internal balance crank, and a mallory hei. The motor made 510 hp and 506 ft lbs of torque, and it accomplished this by 5500 rpm. IMHO, you couldn't ask for more for a 93 octane pump gas small block.

 

I am not at 500hp with my stock short block L98...but I am close (1/4 mile speed of 118 in a 3500lb car with driver). I have 10.1:1 compression, AFR 195 heads, 236/242, .600", 109LSA hydraulic roller cam, 1 7/8 headers into a single 3" exhaust and my intake is a mini ram. Replace the intake with a Victor Jr., an 850HP carb and bump the compression to 11:1 (the cam definitely wants more compression) and you should be real close. I shift at 6600RPM. More cubic inches will make all of this easier.

 

You're right on, I'm sure. I am doing a similar build, collecting what I can based purely on value (bang for buck). My goal is a low cost, high quality build.

I think the OP is painting himself into a very tight corner, however. I believe that if your build is based upon a power goal, and that goal is relatively high, then really the power goal dictates that you are going to need to pick your parts pretty carefully. You can't just use whatever you can find cheap or whatever you have on hand and expect to hit a high power goal. The two ideas are not compatible.

I had a power goal with my budget build, but the goal was so moderate that it allowed me some leeway in parts selection. That allowed me to consider a wide range of parts that would still get me to my goal. It just so happened that I scored a set of extreme performance heads at a very low price, but my original goals didn't make that a requirement - just a nice bonus.

Anyway, you can't have it both ways IMHO. You can use what you have/whatever is cheap and get what you get for power, or you can set a high power goal and then choose very specific parts to achieve that goal.

David

 

in a perfect world we could all afford dart blocks and big *** afr heads and make 700 horse on pump gas for cheap


look for deals and build what you can