396???
 

I need help! I just bought a big block and i don't know what to do with it. I think i'm leaning on more of a street and strip engine. My 68Chevelle is a daily driver with a 350sbc. I would love to drop the big block in her and still be able to drive her on pump gas and at least 4 times a week without breaking the bank. So should i keep the engine stock or will it be better to build the engine street and strip? Thanks for the help.

Build it stock low compression, good rods and pistons. 3 stages of nitrous! Thats just me. HAHA Have fun.

Just a side note: i do have between 2000 and 5000 to spend.

I never ran nitrous before. How much would that run me? Besides I'm an all motor type of guy.

First thing I would do is tear the motor down to make sure everything is in good working order. Thats if it was used.

The rest of the parts and work would depend on what you want to achieve. Do you have a HP or ET you are shooting for ?

By the way, welcome aboard.

Dave

Daily driver? I'd put the money into an overdrive transmission first...

i have a Th350, so i guess that has to go. I'm taking the block to a machine shop so they could take a look at it for me. And for HP I'm not sure. But i do like a lot of horsepower. What does ET stand for? And thanks Dave i like the forum. It's a great way to meet people and ask for advice about my chevelle. By the way my name is Oscar.

A wet nitrous system would run you about $700.00 and would produce 50-500 horsepower depending on your jets.

I just took the block to the shop. Hope they have good news for me. I was told i should just get a wild cam. But if i do that wouldn't i have to change the rods and pistons?

Something like this may be better suited http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/EDELB...Q5fAccessories

So i take it that a 396 BBC has a great bottom end, so i need top end? sorry for all the lame questions. i just don't know much about engins. just simple bolt on stuff.

I think the most important thing is to find out what what you have. Is the 396 completely stock or ?

Your machine shop would be your best guidance. Your going to get every opinion under the sun posting a question on a open forum.
You go "radical" cam your going to have other things to deal with. If your not going to assemble it. Get the advice of the actual builder of your motor based on your requirements and budget.

...... sheesh!

Elapsed Time.

Thanks. Yeah i know Rank i'm not that smart...lol But the block came back clean. it needs referbishing but it's all standered bore and no cracks :) Now all i'm waiting on is my tax returns then i'm in business. i still don't know what i'm going to do but i still have time.

Oh no mercy, I would not say you are stupid but i do find it quizzical that you ask what the term "ET" means and on your very first post you open by saying say, "I just bought a big block and i don't know what to do with it. I think i'm leaning on more of a street and strip engine". You do know why those cars are scooting down the "strip" dont you?

Can you see the conondrum? LOL

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hahaha now looking back on it i guess i can see the conundrum. i never been to a track but i just love fast muscle cars. and i was thinking of taking my car to the track and i just didn't want to get laughed at when i show up with a BBC with no real HP (A paper weight...lol). And i say no real HP cause i'm not sure of the HP a stock BBC has (I guess i have to do my homework). Again this is my first BBC and i really don't have any knowledge on them. My SBC chevelle is a daily driver, so i'm more concerned with MPG then power. Knowing i could get a lot more HP out of my stock SBC if i wanted to.

Find out which heads are on it. They are most likely closed chamber and if it is a 396 there is a good chance you might have to have hardened valve seats installed. Gasket matching does a lot more than you'd imagine. A little bowl blending and unshroud the valves or go with aftermarket heads. Big blocks work on how much air/fuel they can move in and out. Slapping in a big bumpstick isn't going to be much help if the engine isn't built to handle it. The only thing you'd get out of it is horrible road manners and a sore wallet with a nice exhaust note. It is very possible to make 450hp out of it even without the 2.19/1.88 valves. I wouldn't do a thing to it until you sit down and figure out what you want on paper. There should be no reason you can't run the stock connecting rods with 3/8" bolts. A stock bottom end should be good till 500hp with no issues if all the machine work is done correctly. I'd stay away from nitrous unless you just wanted a 150 shot or so to play around with. Just remember if you are going to be beating it with nitrous you are going to want to stay away from cast pistons. Find out the combustion chamber CC's and valve size and find out of your pistons are flat tops, domed, or dished. You aren't going to want to go over a 9:1 compression ratio if you want to stay on pump gas. If it is a little on the high side you can always pull some timing out. If weight is a concern you could run aluminum heads with an aluminum intake manifold. People think i'm nuts but i swear by Quadrajet carburetors on a daily driver. I got a truck with over 400k on a Q-Jet that has never been apart. They rarely need to be tuned and if you stay out of the secondaries for normal driving you will probably still get about the same MPG as your smallblock. They flow up to 795cfm and the jets and metering rods can be custom tailored to your liking. I'm not knocking Holley but the Rochester carbs seem to be a lot more consistent. Just be sure to take lots of pictures and mark everything down the first time you do take one apart. You should be able to build this thing for around $2000 or so and that would still leave you some room to buy accessory brackets, a new water pump, crank pulley and motor mounts. Don't forget to put in a nice radiator with new hoses too. if your car has power steering you can reuse your pump and pulley but need a new set of brackets for that too. Also, you probably won't be happy with a cheap $100 set of headers as they seem to be a headache to fit in and end up leaking anyway. I had some good luck with the Hooker Super Competition headers. You didn't mention what gears you are running out back. I'm going to assume if you are going to be building this engine you are going to want at least a 3.55 set but not over 3.73's. I don't know about the condition of your transmission but I wouldn't empty the bank just in case... Ohh and remember a built up TH2004R will almost bolt in place of the Th350 with a shift linkage mod and a TV cable added and the vacuum line plugged.