Hey guys, looking for some input on what block would be better to use for an upcoming winter build. I have an old chevy pickup currently with a GM goodwrench replacement 350 engine. (4-bolt mains, flat tappet cam).

I purchased a used Procharger D1SC kit for small block chevy and going to be using a blow thru carb with meth injection. Shooting for 500 horses to the wheels on somewhere between 8-12 PSI. Already have fresh ported vortec cylinder heads w/ 64cc chambers and upgraded valvesprings good to .550 lift. Engine will probably be between 9:1 and 9.5:1 compression.

My original plan was to use the current 4 bolt main goodwrench engine put have a machine shop put in ARP bolts and forged pistons and rods and have a custom cam ordered. I got to reading up a little bit on camshafts and wondered if it would be worth while to start with a later model vortec roller block so I could run a hydraulic roller camshaft instead of a flat tappet?

I can find the 350 roller vortec blocks pretty cheap around on craigslist but most, if not all, are only 2 bolt mains...

What would you guys do in this situation? Keep the 4-bolt flat tappet motor or look for a 2-bolt roller block? I wish I could afford a dart or motown block but thats not in the cards right now.

 

2 bolt mains can be upgraded to 4 bolt. From what I have heard they are even stronger than a stock 4 bolt. Of course the upgrade my cost more than finding a stock 4 bolt il unless you have a buddy with a machine shop.

 

A number of manufacturers are now selling what are referred to as "retrofit roller cams" which simply means any 2 piece rear main seal SBC can be equipped with a roller cam with either solid or hydraulic lifters. That said, if you are only shooting for 500hp why complicate matters with a blower? With a little machine work a 383 stroker kit can be installed into your 4 bolt 350 block add a good set of high flow aluminum heads and the motor can easily make 500hp.

 

Looks like I need to re-think my ultimate goal and do some more research before I buy anything else lol. Too many decisions to make. I wanted to do the procharger because I already have the complete kit minus a blow through carb, plus I've honestly just always wanted something with a big noisy blower on it.

I guess I don't really have an ultimate goal horsepower wise. I just said 500 because I thought that would be a realistic goal with the procharger, and there would be room for more power with a more boost through a pulley swap.

Thanks for the info guys, Ill have to look into those retro-fit roller cams and also adding 4-bolt splayed main caps to a stock roller block. Figure out what would be the best bang for the buck here....

 

You can easily add a refrofit hyd roller in the engine you have, add the blower and buy a carb and you'll have a very nice and powerful combination. If you need a copy of the ProCharger installation instructions, send me an e-mail (not a pm) asking for them, and I'll e-mail them back to you. Bob

 

Thanks for the reply. I sent you an email, let me know if you got it or not.

 

Got it and replied back to you. Thanks. Bob