360 Small Block build

[Nitrocide595]

Dad found an old 360 block he forgot he had at work. it's got a crank and pistons (I'm assuming factory spec). I won't know for sure what I'm dealing with until he breaks it down and brings it home when he gets the time.

I know I need it machined and cleaned up, so I'm thinking ahead for bore and stroke. It'll take a while for me to get money tod o all this, but I'd like to have a plain and simple list of parts and stuff to buy at some point down the road.

First, a few questions:

1) what's the max bore and stroke for a 360? I made an excel program to calculate cubic inch and stuff, I just gotta know what the max bore and stroke is. I've heard the absolute max cubic inch after a bore is 418 but that's right on the wall, so I'm not goin' all the way. I told my friends as a joke I'm going 393 just to get a single cubic inch over the new dodge 392 lol I don't know how practical that is if I'm paying for machine work, but we'll see. I'm not looking to race or anything, so cost, cubic inch number, and workability of the bore are really the only things I can think of that matter that much. I've never built a motor so I'm new to this stuff. I'm sure there's much more to it

2) I know I can't get Hemi heads or anything, so I'm sticking with flats.

3)any other good parts or kits to look into are welcome. I'm gonna post some stuff I find here and opinions are always welcome as well.

Looking forward to starting this project as soon as I get some cash flow. My main goal is to build a cruiser. Something with nice torque, but I don't need something that will go 200 mph because I'm not gonna be driving like that. Thanks!

 

[Nitrocide595]

started looking at a few rotating assemblies yesterday. Not quite sure what I'm going for yet though

 

[Juan Veldez]

Before buying anything for it, have the block checked out thoroughly by a professional to make sure it is usable and what needs to be done to it. Money and intended use should should be the deciding factors. Since your not racing it and want a cruiser, my suggestion is to never bore it out any more than it needs to be. If 10 over is all it needs, stick with it. That way if you have some kind of failure inside the motor down the road and it messes up a cylinder, you still could get another bore out of it. Price out what it would take to recondition your existing crank, rods and pistons (assuming no new bore) vs. a new rotating assembly kit vs. just new pistons (assuming it needs boring) and then look inside your wallet.
Answers to your questions:
1. I believe the recommendation is maximum 40 over.
2. If the stock heads need a lot of work, sometimes it's more cost effective to buy a set ready to bolt on. Steel heads are fine, but aluminum heads are better if you run higher compression with pump gas. "Gasket match" the ports for cheap HP gain!
3.Summit (and others) have nice "kits" and the more "assembly" you buy, the more cost effective it becomes.

It sounds like you are doing all the research first which is the right way to do it.

 

[Nitrocide595]

alright, good stuff! thanks. Dad says the block should be alright because he didn't use it for long, but we do plan on getting it checked out by the speed shop guys (S&K Speed) when the money surfaces.

Good call on the idea of minimum bore to save some metal for potential repair, I hadn't thought of that.

As far as I know the current crank, rods, and pistons are just "alright" factory stuff (original parts), so we'll see about those once we get it taken apart and then I can make the call on those.

And as far as what i want to put it into, I really love the challengers and 'cudas having grown up around an E body, but I think I might try for a '68 dart or a '70 GTX. I like the idea of something not everyone can name right off the bat like with a Challenger. In the end, I'll take what i can find though on a college-kid budget lol



EDIT: note, I don't have old heads, or any heads at all for that matter, so links to some good ones would be great! thanks

 

[moparleo]

Ditto to JV 's advice. Good stuff. One more thing that is really important is to decide what you are going to put it in before you build it. The weight you are trying to move has lot to do with the torque curve and horsepower that you are after. as well as gear ratio. Nothing makes more difference in seat of the pants feel than a high gear ratio.

 

[Rob C]

First, a few questions:

1) what's the max bore and stroke for a 360?

Less the better. At .060, it will probably be thin.

I just gotta know what the max]bore and stroke is.

A pprox. .060 is max. More is dicey.
Max stroke I have seen used is 4.25. I do not know of any larger strokes OOTB. Custom work/machining may be possible for more stroke.

I've heard the absolute max cubic inch after a bore is 418

You have heard wrong. IF you go with a "RACE BLOCK" with a bore of 4.125 and a 4.25 stroke.......

2) I know I can't get Hemi heads or anything, so I'm sticking with flats.

You can get HEMI heads for a small block, however, @ the asking price, you could have a complete HEMI in a stroker version.
"FLATS?"

A good cruiser with nice power starts with a 360 and stoke it from there.
OR
A 340 with a 360 crank installed for approx 372 cubes @ .030 overbore. (Ol'tyme stroker combo we did.)
OR
a 4 inch arm in either block.

Mild cam and carb on a dual plane with worked iron heads or mildly worked over Edelbrock heads. Headers at 1-3/4 into 2-1/2 exhaust piping.

If your good with carbs, try a TQ.

 

[Nitrocide595]

I'm pretty good with carbs. thinking about doing a fourbarrel holly like dad has. it works pretty nice, but I'll worry more about that after I get the heads and such.

Dad took it apart at work today. he says the tag indicates it was cast in April of 1979. It had been in an old truck they had at work and they pulled the motor before sending it out for scrap, so I'm gonna need a different oil pan for the low clearance of a car, but again, something to worry about later. He turned it over by hand and he said it's really low compression with domed pistons on it.

I'm going to go to some machine shops this week and ask around about jobs. I don't care if I get a job sweeping floors, I gotta be around the environment to learn AND I need money to live off of and fuel my project, so it's a win/win situation if it works out. I applied at autozone last night (again) too.

Btw I have a blog page set up on Blogger.com that I'm gonna use to basically take notes on the build. this way in the future, maybe it could help someone else in my position. I'll be posting basically vital information I have run across, some history of the motor, and above all, final choices on parts and options. Postings will be few and far between (because of not having money to fuel the project), but it will be done.

Thanks again for all the help I've gotten so far. Keep the ideas coming! any set-ups you guys have used or have heard good things about, links to good products I've mentioned needing replacements for (Oil pans or carbs for instance)

 

[Rob C]

There is no depth difference between car and truck pans. Just rear and center sump. Also, a 360's oil pan will not fit any other small blocks.

No such thing as low compression domed pistons.

As far as set ups for the engine is concerned, what is it you want to do with the car, how do you want it to perform?

 

[Nitrocide595]

yeah, had a few things mixed up, but I think I got it all straightened out now. Never built a motor before, so I'm new to it all.

I'm basically looking for something I can run on the streets. Not looking for any quarter mile monster, just a cruiser I can bang some gears with. Looking for Torque more than top speed. not really any place around here I can GO more than 65/70 in anyway other than the parkway. I don't need a drag race motor, but something I wouldn't be ashamed to open up electric exhaust cut-outs with once in a while

 

[Nitrocide595]

Got the thing home yesterday and took it apart. gonna try and sell the old parts on craigslist for cheap to get some money for new ones. Dad's got some other parts laying around that he never used but are 20 years old. look like they're right out of the box (some old rockers and rods) so we'll see what happens.