There"s a sweet spot in the horsepower-per-dollar equation, and this 355 has its works with firmly locked onto the juicy territory. Scoff, if you will, at its mediocre 467hp output, yet printing a large number top top the dyno sheet with utter ignore for fiscal obligation isn"t what this motor"s about.
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With the caliber the cylinder heads, stroker rotating assemblies, and valvetrain contents on the sector today, cracking 550 hp through a small-block is cake. Eclipsing the 600hp note requires simply a smidgen more effort. However, with those incremental profit in power comes one alarmingly disproportional hit to the checkbook. When this 355 was built for much less than $4,000, a 550hp Mouse could easily cost twice together much. Sure, speed costs money, yet what if girlfriend don"t have actually the greenbacks come play with the big boys?
Enter terry Shallington"s low-buck 355. Like many working stiffs, Terry had a real-world budget, which intended that safety $10,000 on a engine was the end of the question. The formula because that the buildup was quite simple: buy what you have the right to afford, even if it method leaving part power on the table. The final product is a ridiculously straightforward 355 mill that uses a factory four-bolt block, a stock GM stole crank, Eagle I-beam rods, forged Speed-Pro pistons, world Products steel heads, and a 255/263-at-0.050 Comp solid flat tappet cam. With a price tag appropriate at $4,000, the 355"s 467hp output works out at around $8 every horse.
Assuming because that the sake of argument that a 625hp small-block would ring increase a $10,000 tab, the math works out come $16 per horse. In various other words, that would certainly be 100 percent more money for just 22 percent more power. Favor we said, this 355"s target is recognize the sweet spot-and gloriously exploiting it.
From Attic to DynoIn an interesting backstory come this engine buildup, some of the antique parts came straight out of the attic. Terrycloth is the initial owner of an all-original "69 Z/28, and after the factory 302 went poof! decades ago, that went on prolonged hiatus from traction racing. Currently that the kids are every grown up, he"s hitting the neighborhood bracket racing step again and also is even considering competing in stock Eliminator. Prior to that could happen, that enlisted the aid of the institution of Automotive Machinists in Houston to construct a long lasting powerplant. Many of the components are new, yet to assist keep prices down, terrycloth dug up some 30-year-old parts from his street racing days. Not just are the battle-proven Crane roller rockers, Victor Jr. Intake, stock Z/28 carb, and Stahl headers interesting pieces the nostalgia, but they still execute exceptionally fine by today"s standards.
Quick NotesThe BuildA stupid-easy pump-gas 355 clip motor
Bottom LineNothing an intricate here, just an $8-per-horse formula
Price (Approx)$4,000


The RecipeSince you most likely don"t have a bunch the 30-year-old parts lying around for your following engine build, we recognize that your price for this 355 could be a little higher. Come calculate her probable price to replicate this combination, substitute contemporary equivalents the the recycle parts used in this build. By tacking on $180 for a collection of Crane Energizer rockers (PN 11744-16), $200 for an Edelbrock Victor Jr. Entry (PN 2975), and $340 because that a Holley 650 double-pumper (PN 0-4777C), your expense to duplicate this 355 could concerned $4,651. Either way, it"s still dirt-cheap. See more: Poulan 2150 Chainsaw Fuel Line Diagram, Poulan 2150 Fuel Line Diagram Recipes | |||
MFG | ITEM | PN | PRICE |
ARP | Head bolts | 134-3601 | $60 |
Clevite | Main bearings | MS909P | 24 |
Rod bearings | CB663H | 24 | |
Cam bearings | SH2905 | 18 | |
Cloyes | Timing chain | 9-1100 | 32 |
Cometic | Head gaskets | C5877-040 | 86 |
Comp Cams | Camshaft | Custom | 166 |
Lifters | 833-16 | 90 | |
Pushrods | 7993-16 | 130 | |
Crane | Rockers | N/A | 0 |
Eagle | Connecting rods | 5700BPLW | 236 |
Edelbrock | Intake manifold | N/A | 0 |
Fel-Pro | Intake gasket | 1405 | 19 |
Oil pan gasket | 1818 | 15 | |
Melling | Oil pump | M55HV | 28 |
Moroso | Oil pan | 20191 | 196 |
Professional assets | Harmonic balancer | 8000 | 40 |
Proform | Timing cover | 66666 | 60 |
Speed-Pro | Pistons | L2256F30 | 280 |
Rings | R9343.035 | 116 | |
World Products | Heads | 014150-3 | 1,171 |
Factory | Block | N/A | 50 |
Production steel crank | N/A | 100 | |
Z/28 carburetor | N/A | On hand | |
Parts Total | $2,941 | ||
MACHINE job-related BY SAM | |||
OPERATION | PRICE | OPERATION | PRICE |
Bore/hone | $225 | Deck resurface | $100 |
Align hone | 125 | Balancing | 75 |
Turn crank | 65 | Head/intake porting | 400 |
Machine work-related Total | $990 | ||
GRAND TOTAL | $3,931 |
BUILD SHEET | |
All dimensions are offered in inches uneven otherwise noted. | |
Block | Junkyard GM four-bolt |
Bore x Stroke | 4.030 x 3.480 |
Displacement | 355 ci |
Rod length | 5.700 |
Deck height | 0 |
Head gasket thickness | 0.040 |
Main bearing clearance | 0.0023-0.0026 |
Rod bearing clearance | 0.0020-0.0024 |
Piston-to-wall clearance | 0.004 |
Piston dome volume | -6.1 cc |
Piston compression height | 1.56 |
Top ring gap | 0.017 |
Second ring gap | 0.025 |
Compression ratio | 10.5:1 |
Camshaft | 255/263 at 0.050; 0.540/0.534; 106 LSA |
Installed centerline | 102 degrees |
Rocker ratio | 1.5:1 |
Valves | 2.08/1.60, intake/exhaust |
Valvespring diameter | 1.55 |
Valvespring chair pressure | 135 pounds |
Valvespring open up pressure | 360 pounds |
Carburetor | Factory Z/28 DZ |
Fuel | 93-octane unleaded |
Ignition advance | 35 degrees |
DYNO DATA | ||
RPM | LB-FT | HP |
4,000 | 378 | 288 |
4,100 | 378 | 294 |
4,200 | 378 | 303 |
4,300 | 407 | 333 |
4,400 | 414 | 347 |
4,500 | 417 | 357 |
4,600 | 421 | 369 |
4,700 | 424 | 380 |
4,800 | 426 | 390 |
4,900 | 428 | 400 |
5,000 | 429 | 409 |
5,100 | 428 | 416 |
5,200 | 425 | 421 |
5,300 | 422 | 425 |
5,400 | 418 | 430 |
5,500 | 416 | 435 |
5,600 | 413 | 441 |
5,700 | 411 | 446 |
5,800 | 408 | 450 |
5,900 | 404 | 454 |
6,000 | 401 | 458 |
6,100 | 397 | 461 |
6,200 | 393 | 464 |
6,300 | 389 | 467 |
6,400 | 383 | 467 |
6,500 | 375 | 464 |
6,600 | 366 | 460 |
6,700 | 358 | 457 |
6,800 | 351 | 454 |
6,900 | 346 | 454 |
7,000 | 341 | 454 |
AVG | 398 | 414 |