[Sneezer]

FWIW it really depends on how much money you have and are willing to spend on it. For me, I have had the same truck since new in 92. Gradually added stuff to it at 170k miles or so. Got a stinking good deal on a low mileage 360. Gradually bought parts to build it up as well as I could. Used set of ported heads, Comp Cams 604 cam, 1.6 Mopar rockers, etc. It is in the truck, but having some teething problems with the tranny. Waiting on warmer weather and time to pull it again and see what the problem is. For me this was the only way I could do it - if I bought new I would have 1/4 of the parts I have now. I will boost it next year, and I will probably leave it at that. I don't see myself ever having the coin to do a stroker, even on the cheap. I just want a strong running truck that will be a DD and something of a sleeper.

 

[bad360rt]

i want to get as much power as i possibly can out of this engine and it still be N/A......

.....i am planning to add a supercharger to it by the time i'm finished though, so i expect i should build it with that in mind.

That's the catch right there. You can get low 12's, even 11's n/a, but it's not gonna be a boost friendly setup. If you're gonna drop that kind of money, and you want boost, you need to build it for boost, period. Nothing wrong with staying n/a tho, but you'll take a very different route to get the most out of an n/a setup. Unless your cousin knows how to put together a shortblock, I would have a shop build it for you, then you guys can put the rest of it together and slap it in. Keep up the research, and talk to some engine builders that know their way around Mopars and then spend your money wisely, and you'll have a mean setup that'll stay together.

 

[03SXT]

ok guys, i'm startin to learn alot more than i did, and its great. i've almost got the engine down to the block but i have 4 quick questions...and instead of starting a new thread i figure i'll just bump this one since its dealing with the same topic. and i also got it on a stand....it looks better on a stand than the pallet it was on, lol.

1. how do you go about choosing a machine shop? like what should i look for and how should i judge who would do good work and all?

2. at this point i'm trying to get the cyclinder heads off....i cant budge the bolts on those mofo's! i'm going in the right order, but it's like a damn gorilla torqued those SOB's in there. they would not budge for me....i even broke an S&K wrench and got a nice bruise on my hip from hitting the block when it broke. hurt like hell, btw :cussing: . but yea, is there a trick to it or what?

3. once i get the cylinder heads off (if i can) should i just let the shop do the rest? they will be the last of the external parts, except for the oil pan. should i go ahead and get them to finish it up for me so i can start on the paint and parts? like remove the block internal like camshaft, crank, timing components, gears, etc? i want to get it bored .030 over, and then have it cleaned.

4. i have decided i want to go with boost when its finished. whats the difference in parts for a boost friendly setup, than with a N/A setup like i had originally planned. meaning, is everything forged or w/e? get what i'm saying? let me know if you need me to word it better, and i'll do my best. you can run boost on a 408 right?

thats it for now i suppose. really appreciate the help guys, i owe you all a beer.....or maybe two :beer: . thanks again. and btw, i would like to post pics of the progress but does anyone know a good site for photo hosting thats free? is photobucket free?

 

[meangreen]

ok guys, i'm startin to learn alot more than i did, and its great. i've almost got the engine down to the block but i have 4 quick questions...and instead of starting a new thread i figure i'll just bump this one since its dealing with the same topic. and i also got it on a stand....it looks better on a stand than the pallet it was on, lol.

1. how do you go about choosing a machine shop? like what should i look for and how should i judge who would do good work and all?

2. at this point i'm trying to get the cyclinder heads off....i cant budge the bolts on those mofo's! i'm going in the right order, but it's like a damn gorilla torqued those SOB's in there. they would not budge for me....i even broke an S&K wrench and got a nice bruise on my hip from hitting the block when it broke. hurt like hell, btw :cussing: . but yea, is there a trick to it or what?

3. once i get the cylinder heads off (if i can) should i just let the shop do the rest? they will be the last of the external parts, except for the oil pan. should i go ahead and get them to finish it up for me so i can start on the paint and parts? like remove the block internal like camshaft, crank, timing components, gears, etc? i want to get it bored .030 over, and then have it cleaned.

4. i have decided i want to go with boost when its finished. whats the difference in parts for a boost friendly setup, than with a N/A setup like i had originally planned. meaning, is everything forged or w/e? get what i'm saying? let me know if you need me to word it better, and i'll do my best. you can run boost on a 408 right?

thats it for now i suppose. really appreciate the help guys, i owe you all a beer.....or maybe two :beer: . thanks again. and btw, i would like to post pics of the progress but does anyone know a good site for photo hosting thats free? is photobucket free?

1. Find a shop that is known for doing good work on mopars ... not chevy's
2. The torque spec is around 100#, so they are on there! Longer the lever ... the greater the torque .... get a pipe and put it on the end of the wrench.
3. Wait for the response of others and/or read "how to _____ small block mopars". by ____ _______. If you are planning to reassemble the engine, I would take it apart yourself so you can do a little learning. The 318 needs to have the block notched when going to a 4" stroke .... i don't know about the 360. Also, I haven't shopped for pistons lately, but see what is available. If you don't need to take .03 off the bore, you may not want to. Also you may want to get the block properly surfaced to run cometics if you are going to run boost. You may also want to make some oiling modifications. You may also want to have the block/heads shaved a bit if you aren't going to run boost. Do more reading.
4. With boost you might want to run cometics.... best to have the deck surfaced to spec.. Forged internals will allow you to run insane boost! Go for it if you got the bread...

Things that you should decide on before you get the thing to the machine shop are:
1. Compression ratio
2. cam specs
3. Heads/intake manifold... you may want to have them machined too
4. Head gaskets

 

[addicted2blue00]

ok guys, i'm startin to learn alot more than i did, and its great. i've almost got the engine down to the block but i have 4 quick questions...and instead of starting a new thread i figure i'll just bump this one since its dealing with the same topic. and i also got it on a stand....it looks better on a stand than the pallet it was on, lol.

1. how do you go about choosing a machine shop? like what should i look for and how should i judge who would do good work and all?

2. at this point i'm trying to get the cyclinder heads off....i cant budge the bolts on those mofo's! i'm going in the right order, but it's like a damn gorilla torqued those SOB's in there. they would not budge for me....i even broke an S&K wrench and got a nice bruise on my hip from hitting the block when it broke. hurt like hell, btw :cussing: . but yea, is there a trick to it or what?

3. once i get the cylinder heads off (if i can) should i just let the shop do the rest? they will be the last of the external parts, except for the oil pan. should i go ahead and get them to finish it up for me so i can start on the paint and parts? like remove the block internal like camshaft, crank, timing components, gears, etc? i want to get it bored .030 over, and then have it cleaned.

4. i have decided i want to go with boost when its finished. whats the difference in parts for a boost friendly setup, than with a N/A setup like i had originally planned. meaning, is everything forged or w/e? get what i'm saying? let me know if you need me to word it better, and i'll do my best. you can run boost on a 408 right?

thats it for now i suppose. really appreciate the help guys, i owe you all a beer.....or maybe two :beer: . thanks again. and btw, i would like to post pics of the progress but does anyone know a good site for photo hosting thats free? is photobucket free?

around me its hard to find a machine shop, like findin someone that can rebuild a carb
1.get around some ppl or go to your local drag strip and find some ppl to who can tell ya where some are, you can ask the shop if they do borin, port and polish, multi angle valve job, etc
2.if ya break a 1/2 socket wrench move up, but you can use a cheater pipe, i thought the bolts on my stand holdin the motor was gonna break before the head bolts would, like they put damn loctite on the bolts.
3. if it was me i would just strip the top end off and leave the botton end as is and take it to them like that.
4. if ya gonna boost go forged, the difference is cam, heads, intake manifold, tb, and either way ya go, go with JM's new long tube header :banana2: yes you can boost a 408, the cam need to be built for boost, heads the exhaust or intake one needs to be some larger then the other for boosted, then ya dont wanna rstrict it on it breathing through the intake manifold or tb so 4bbl m1 and 58mm

 

[blk00rt]

ok guys, i'm startin to learn alot more than i did, and its great. i've almost got the engine down to the block but i have 4 quick questions...and instead of starting a new thread i figure i'll just bump this one since its dealing with the same topic. and i also got it on a stand....it looks better on a stand than the pallet it was on, lol.

1. how do you go about choosing a machine shop? like what should i look for and how should i judge who would do good work and all?

2. at this point i'm trying to get the cyclinder heads off....i cant budge the bolts on those mofo's! i'm going in the right order, but it's like a damn gorilla torqued those SOB's in there. they would not budge for me....i even broke an S&K wrench and got a nice bruise on my hip from hitting the block when it broke. hurt like hell, btw :cussing: . but yea, is there a trick to it or what?

3. once i get the cylinder heads off (if i can) should i just let the shop do the rest? they will be the last of the external parts, except for the oil pan. should i go ahead and get them to finish it up for me so i can start on the paint and parts? like remove the block internal like camshaft, crank, timing components, gears, etc? i want to get it bored .030 over, and then have it cleaned.

4. i have decided i want to go with boost when its finished. whats the difference in parts for a boost friendly setup, than with a N/A setup like i had originally planned. meaning, is everything forged or w/e? get what i'm saying? let me know if you need me to word it better, and i'll do my best. you can run boost on a 408 right?

thats it for now i suppose. really appreciate the help guys, i owe you all a beer.....or maybe two :beer: . thanks again. and btw, i would like to post pics of the progress but does anyone know a good site for photo hosting thats free? is photobucket free?

2 impact gun is your friend use it.

 

[03SXT]

ok, a little update for you guys, with pics included. i just took the engine to the machine shop today....total for getting it disassembled (the block internals...couldnt get them myself), bored .030 over, hot-tanked, and new freeze plugs installed will total at $220. i should have it back at the beginning of next week. anyway, i've attached a few photos of it throughout my tear-down. i got it all the way down to the block except for the camshaft, connecting rods, crank, harmonic balancer, and timing assembly. machine shop will handle the rest.

my concern now will be getting it painted, which i can do that myself, no problem.....but for the parts.....where do i start? i need some good sources to order from. i've got a jegs catalog, but i'd like to know if there are better sources out there. also, i'm planning major boost for this engine, so i know everything going in is gonna be forged.....but what brands should i look for? like for pistons, rods, crank, cam, etc? and the specs on those too? just need a little direction to get me goin. thanks again for all the help guys, couldnt have made it this far without ya :mullet: :beer:

btw, please excuse the shop, its a mess right now, i gotta clean it up soon before i get the engine back, lol.

 

[slammedR/T]

Forged eagle rotating assembly with L19 rod bolts and H-beam rods,main and head studs,SCE Titan ICS mor Cometic headgaskets,hughes main stud girdle,and for extra insurance half fill the block while at the machine shop and get BCR billet main caps and alighnbore the mains and caps.I would go ross or diamond forged pistons in my opinion.



DEPUTY

 

[03SXT]

Forged eagle rotating assembly with L19 rod bolts and H-beam rods,main and head studs,SCE Titan ICS mor Cometic headgaskets,hughes main stud girdle,and for extra insurance half fill the block while at the machine shop and get BCR billet main caps and alighnbore the mains and caps.I would go ross or diamond forged pistons in my opinion.



DEPUTY

cool. thanks. i'll probably get the eagle crank, bolts, and h-beams. also the cometic headgaskets, and ross pistons. but can you explain what a main stud girdle is, main and head studs, and what do you mean by half filling the block? i assume that means block filler and only run half coolant? also, whats involved with alignbore mains and caps? i'm trying to get it completely prepped before i start ordering parts, so i want to make sure i get all the machining that might be needed out of the way. havent heard back from the shop yet, probably going to be monday or tuesday. anyway, thanks again for your help, really appreciate it.

 

[slammedR/T]

Main stud girdle

Main studs and head studs replace the bolts that hold the main caps to the block and the heads to the block.They give stronger hold,more even torque across the heads/main caps.Half filling a block adds strength to the bottom end,it dose this by adding strenth to the main webbing of the block so the mains won't deflect under hard load and spin a bearing(under boost or spray at high rpm).If you are gonna boost the motor a half fill is a good idea while the block is in the machine shop,it can be purchased from summit or prolly the machine shop.Also it dosen't affect cooling(I know first hand).The machine shop alighnbore the main caps as they will shift alighnment from normal machining tolerances and block shift.Kinda like when you fill a hole and after a few days the sand settles and it isn't a flat surface anymore.Well bblocks do the same thing when they are first machine/built the main caps and main webbing will "settle" into place this is called "seasoning of the block" the cylinders will actually move alittle to(thats why racers will build with a "seasond" block because it won't move and change there tight tolerances of there motors)Read that book I told you to get and it will explain all this to you in better detail and with pictures :biggthump got anymore questions feel free to ask me,later


DPEUTY

 

[03SXT]

well i got it back from the machine shop today.....turned out great! looks brand new, and everything is disassembled now so i'm working with a bare block finally. anyway, i asked about block filler and they said they didnt sell it there, which kinda surprised me since they've been there like 20 years....but w/e....so i guess i'll have to find it somewhere and order it. i still have to get the align bore done too. i decided to wait on all this becuase i just dont have the time to get it all done right now, so in the meantime i'm just going to very carefully select parts and order them till i have enough to put the short block back together with, then i'll get everything else that needs to be done all at once. i also got it painted....did it myself so i still have a few places to touch up on, but i'm very pleased with the result so far. there's the pics at the bottom of the post. i sprayed everything down with deep creep and put a 55 gal bag over it and zip tied closed.....hopefully that should keep it in condition.

anyway, about the block filler....i've seen two different kinds....one just said block filler and the other said it was block filler, but cement type....what should i look for? and is it something i can do myself or should a shop do it? does it come in the right or pre-measured amount for half filling? thanks for the help.

btw, i bought a book called "engine builders handbook" by bill monroe at books a million. they had all the "how to build ___ big inch small block ___" books except the one for mopars....but they're on order and should be there this week so i'm gonna check back then....i might find it at another store though, so i'm gonna check into it tomorrow.

 

[slammedR/T]

block filler



DEPUTY

 

[03SXT]

well, i ordered some block filler today and also finally found the jim szilagyi book at a local book store. now, i need to figure out two things:

1. inside the water jackets and in the passages has a bit of rust in them....whats a good way to get rid of it? i know it needs to be clean before the filler goes into the block. its just inside the passages and the jackets, the rest of the block is fine.

2. should i do the block filler myself or have someone do it for me? my cousin builds race engines so i know he is familiar with it, but if i can do it on my own that would be best....i know it cant be undone though, so i definitly dont want to screw it up....opinions?

thanks.

 

[slammedR/T]

Reach what you can with engine brushes,then have the block hot tanked it will get most of it out.
Have the machine shop do the block filler,there is a touch to doing it right.


DEPUTY

 

[Danno]

Like Deputy said, you gotta figure out where you want to get to first. If you know you're going with boost, then you need to build it for boost. The actual choice of parts will depend on your budget, get the best parts you can afford, starting with the rods and pistons. The stock crank can stand up to a good amount of abuse, but go forged if you can afford it. How much power you want to make will also dictate what parts you need. A standalone will let you get the most out of your setup, but will also cost you. There are some more affordable options out there, like the Megasquirt. If I could do it all over again, I would build a kickass shortblock first, and then build on that, you can always add topend parts later. So answer these two questions and we can look further into what you need to do:

How much power do you want to make? How much do you want to spend? (keep in mind that the two are directly proportional )

Eh,

What the hell do you know anyway..

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

Danno

 

[cloknem]

i read through this thread and all i can say is, what a good read. good fortune on your engine build. nethumb:

i found this 408 link;

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/enginemasters/articles/mopar/smallblock/0506em_410/

they also got 412hp on a 318 cheap buildup;

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/enginemasters/articles/mopar/0667em_mopar_318_engine/index.html

 

[Danno]

Hey chill Meangreen just busting your balls,your not stupid just going about it differently.I don't have the money to waste on a shotgun motor to just turn around and buil it again but better than the last.Just seems crazy to me,build right the first time so you won't have to build it again.Well when talking about file fit moly rings it is worth having them put the short block together because that is ALOT of work.Having to file,put it in the hole,use the feeler gauge,see how much more filing you need do that till it is in specs.Then do that for 15 more rings :rant: FU<K THAT SH!T.Also I doubt he has a ring filer or even knows how to use one.And before you say it,using a stock spec ring isn't a good idea with high HP or boost/nitrous.Also gapped rings can vary as much as .005"-.010" from ring to ring.Dosen't sound like much but it can be huge under heat,pressure and load of boost and nitrous abuse.



DEPUTY

Dremel mounted in a vice with a really thin wheel on it works pretty good too. Makes the gapping go alot faster!

Danno

 

[slammedR/T]

Dremel mounted in a vice with a really thin wheel on it works pretty good too. Makes the gapping go alot faster!

Danno

True but when the machine shop has your block and rotating assembly its worth the extra $150.00 to let them do it nethumb:


DEPUTY

 

[TurboBlew]

slammed.... me think you sexy in atlantic blue regular cab dakota nethumb:

 

[Danno]

True but when the machine shop has your block and rotating assembly its worth the extra $150.00 to let them do it nethumb:


DEPUTY

True, If you trust someone to build your motors! I always do my own.... so its no big deal to me. Ill save the $$ on the labor for more parts ... hehe

hey man, I got THREE trucks to hotrod.. hahaha Gotta do as much as I can myself nethumb:

Danno :drive: