440HP from a 350?

[strongboy2005]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=7906627833

I saw this on ebay. This is one of the seller's most powerful engines and it comes from a 350. Too good to be true? Also, if it is true, how do you go about getting so much HP out of so little displacement (relative to the same seller's 454s that only slightly beat this motor) without forced induction?

[strongboy2005]

Oh, and I guess this may be a stupid question... but which engines are "big blocks" and which are "small blocks". I know the 454 is a big block and a 283 is a small block, but where do the small blocks become big blocks. Is a 350 a small block?

[68chevelle]

440HP from a 350 is almost every day numbers. its not hard at all especaily sence it lookes like they did everyhting right and used what they should have. and if you thing 350ci is "so little displacement", dont ever look at the size of engines in most new cars, sutch as hondas and imports.

and you cant say just bcause an engine is a 454 its going to have more power than a 350, thats just not right.

the smallest big block is a 396. the bigest FACTORY engine is a 400. you can get bigger small blocks or smaller big blocks by stroking them. the CI doesnt have anything to do with wether its a big block or a small block. they are what the name implys, big blocks are bigger in size and weight and small blocks are smaller is size and weight.

[BleedDodge]

The biggest factory engine is a 400? Not so. What do you call a Pontiac 455?

A Mopar 340 has put to shame many a big block. I like the sound of a 440 and everything, but a 340 will waste just about anything.

"But the LS6 has so much power!" Yeah I know, these are formidable engines, but a 340 will still put one down...

Back to topic, yes 440 horsepower is quite possible from a 350 Chevy, if you build it right, and supercharge it, I've seen even more...

[68chevelle]

humm, well we were talking about chevy engines so thats what i told him about. aside from that then sure.
and if your supercharg something you better get more than 440hp but anyways that had nothing to do with it cuz he said without forced induction.

also, you asked how he gets that much power. its mostly, in that case, the heads and cam.

[strongboy2005]

so what would be better - a 350 with 440hp or a 454 with 440hp?

[68chevelle]

a 350. the 350 is goingto seem like a more wild engine probably. but auming they make the same power in the same place, RPM wise, i would take the 350. cuz it weighs less and parts for it are usualy cheeper incase you would need to buy anything later.

[strongboy2005]

would it be cheaper to upgrade a stock 350 to reach that kind of power or buy the crate 350, and sell the stock 350?

[68chevelle]

umm, its depends. can you do the work yourself or would you be paying someone to do everything?
the price on the engine thats on ebay seems like a really good price. seeing as how the dart heads usualy run about a grand thats a third of the price of the engine. you might want to email the seller and as for a copy of the dyno sheet though. or atleast to find out what the torque was. it depends on how much you would want to cut corners. you could probably build a engine to make that much power for less but it might be without some of the extras. if you were going to duplicate that engine though i think it would take more than 3 grand so your probably better off just buying that one and selling your old one, especaily if your old one is a 2 bolt block.

[BleedDodge]

How about those LT-1's? Those things have some power don't they?

[strongboy2005]

what would it take to buy that engine and turn it into a 383 stroker? would there be a significant power increase?

[68chevelle]

umm probably i dunno, and im sure somone else would be able to guess better than me, but peobably like 50HP maybe. provididng thats the only change you make. but honestly, if i bought that engine i wouldnt do it. you already have a perfectly good engine making lots of power. and not to mention it would vild the warranty cuz i think they said it comes with one.
all you would have to do is get a crank out of a sbc 400 and have the main jernals turned down to the size of the 350's. thats like $200 usualy. and then have everything rebalanced. or you could but a crank that is already the right size and stuff btu you still need balancing and stuff. like i siad i would just leaving it as a 350. if you rebuild your old 350 then i would say defenetly go for it is you have the $$.

[jonnyboy9012]

I have a question/statment 68chevelle, I was always told that the cut off for a small block is 395 and when you hit 396 i turns into a big block. So with this is mind CI would matter but also you are correct that a big block is bigger and heavier, and a small block is smaller and lighter. I say CI matter because you cant squezze 396 CI out of a small block you would blow the side of the block open boring it out. So CI do matter in determining wether it is a big block or a small block.

[68chevelle]

lol. no. sorry. what about a 400 then. thats a small block. your forgetting one small thing. the stroke. you can make a 454 small block. it has been done. there are two things the determin the CI. bore and stroke. you can have the same bore and just stoke it and then you have more CI. example. whats the difference between a 30 over 350 and a 383 that is made into a 383 with the crank. the crank is the only diff. its the crank out of a 400. it has a longer stroke. giving it more CI. if you want look at sights like chevy high performance and super chevy and look for stocked engines. i would give you the sights and pages spacificaly but i dont have time. i am leaving tomarrow and wont be back till next thuresday but im sure if you still need more explanation someone else will be more than willing to explane it. you might want to try the camaro forum if you need more help.

[jonnyboy9012]

Yes i know and understand what both bore and stroke are, and i understand that you can both increase and decrease the CI by giving a smaller or larger stroke, so i see where youre coming from. That is one big ass stroke to get a 454 small block.