Best 360

Edit, I mis typed that. There are some old school combos around people would use the low comp CH pistons and intermix 3.31 and 3.58 strokes and it really never caught on and isnt too practical today.
 
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Xfbodyx, I built my 77 360 back in the early to mid 90s.... it's .030 over with 9.5:1 compression, designed to run on basically ExxonMobil 93 octane.... it's basically a 340 but with the bigger main crank journal in a360.... still running 1.88/1.60 valves (don't ask lol) but with the heads fully ported and polished to 80% of the values... yes I need a bigger cam but..............

I drove it all the time and even drove it on a 200 mile each way trip and it has never overheated....

I did however, after lots of research, took it to a machine shop for total prep before I built it.... the machine shop built promod engines, and overall bad ass engines .....
I did install ARP rod bolts in the resized oe rods......
 
ch1ll said:
plain and simple, he is looking for best of the bunch he has. that would be the block with the thickest cylinder walls hands down. more structure promotes better ring sealing and minimizes out of round condition under any duress. what can be more simple than that? the only way to check is sonic testing with qualified equipment and some one who knows how to use it.

just because you built a engine way back when, bored and honed and checked nothing and it ran well for you doesn't mean it ran as good as one could of if you took the time and spent the money to find a block that was the best of what was truly available.
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You can't possibly know what the intent was behind the op's question. He's only posted once in this thread with minimal detail and I seem to be the only person who has asked what his plans are for the build. He could be building a street cruiser, a quarter mile machine or decorative lawn art.
 
ch1ll said:
it doesn't matter what type of engine or its purpose is. structural building blocks are structural building blocks, if your building a house or an engine. apparently you are not getting out of the conversation what I do.

you bet, thanks Al.
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Oh no, I most certainly see where you're trying to go with this. Our argument though revolves around the perceived benefits of the older blocks with thicker walls vs the newer ones with slightly less thicker walls. Where your stance fails to hold water is when diminishing returns is taken into account. I mean, why stop there? Why not a siamese block for a daily driver? Or if more is always better why not make your own tooling and cast a block with 4" walls?

People in this thread have given first hand accounts of building these motors using blocks cast through the entire production run and have stated for most scenarios they're absolutely fine, but you want to send this guy on a fishing expedition for a block that hasn't been produced for 45 years for benefits you would need an electron microscope to measure on anything outside of balls out racing....and this is still without knowing the intended usage of the op's car.

Now I'm done...
 
I'm beginning to think this is about beating a dead horse, standing it up so you can have at it again. :)
 
Thank You Al Gore For Inventing The Internet.

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ch1ll said:
are you telling me you would have a block machined without having checked out?
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Honestly, it entirely depends on what he's building. We don't know, and nobody bothered to ask the question. If it was a total rebuild with a modest budget, sure. If he is looking for 400HP on the cheap reusing the factory heads and rotating assembly, then none of the options he has are good. Core shift just wasn't a prolific issue with these castings so a $200 sonic check might not be worth it. Checking the block for cracks? Sure, that has more to do with how the motor was maintained than issues from the factory.

Once again, it all depends on the build and intended usage. Without anymore input from the op hashing out the best path for the build is moot.
 
I'm just looking for a street decent on gas 360. My 318 has a blown head gasket and if I'm gonna mess with that I figure might as well just put a 360 in.
 
Then you are better off finding something simular in year to what you have but pan on going completely threw, clean and Magnafluxe heads and block. If you're looking for a motor that is complete and running it depends on what you find. You may only find magnums or mid 80s motors or even 70s 360s.
Good luck in your search.
 
HectorVenezula said:
I'm just looking for a street decent on gas 360. My 318 has a blown head gasket and if I'm gonna mess with that I figure might as well just put a 360 in.
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Sounds like what you should be looking for is a Magnum 318. You'll gain 70 HP over stock without even adding any speed parts to it. There are minor differences, but it will bolt it. Would make for a far, far better driving car. Don't even touch smog era LA stuff if what you're looking for is a mileage and power increase without replacing internal parts in the motor.
 
AJ/FormS said:
Heck man, changing a headgasket only takes an afternoon. GetRdun before the snow comes.
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I debated that lol. I just dont understand the logistics of the magnums aren't we talking about needing electric fuel pumps. I already took out all that smog crap it's legal here pretty much got it to the specs of a 1969 318
 
My father and I did the rebuild it was our project when he got cancer and he spent his whole life working on Chevys so he did the best with what he knew and I don't know much about it at all his response was take all that smog crap off and make it a real car again. When it comes to anything beyond the carburetor days were both like‍♂️
 
HectorVenezula said:
I debated that lol. I just dont understand the logistics of the magnums aren't we talking about needing electric fuel pumps. I already took out all that smog crap it's legal here pretty much got it to the specs of a 1969 318
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Nah, you can put a fuel pump eccentric on the snout of the cam in a Magnum and use an LA timing cover to drive a mechanical fuel pump. Magnum is the best route to take if you're after power and mileage while keeping the motor internals all factory. If you planned on replacing pistons and other internal components anyhow then the advantages start to fade. Going off of memory to swap a Mag motor in:

  • Center sump oil pan for a car as the motor will be coming out of a truck or van
  • LA timing cover (which you already have)
  • Fuel pump eccentric
  • Balanced B&M flexplate
  • 4bbl intake manifold

This is addition to whatever you may need to freshen the motor up that you get. If you can find a low mileage unit it might just be gaskets. The exhaust manifolds you have now will bolt right to it. I'd just run dual 2.25" pipes off them.

If you use a 5.2L you're looking at 230+ HP and a 5.9L will probably bring in somewhere shy of 300.
 
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