The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Yet another 350 question!

I've been offered a 350 out of a '77 or so big car. Caprice or something. This is the smog/gas shortage years. Is this thing going to be a big dog.. or does it have possibilities? I'm thinking this is not the best era for 350's.
What do you think?
It's simply going to be hauled out of the land yacht, cleaned up, and stuff into the '63. No rebuilding.
Thanks in advance.

Unless its got something special: Woof Woof

No rebuilding? You like the smell of burning oil?

It has been my experience that any motor worth installing is worth rebuilding. As for the year of motor, a stock 350 is a stock 350. The motor has changed so little in the last 30 years that it really doesn't matter. I am doing a similar swap in my 63, but I am using a TH375 tranny because I know that the stock 4 speed would melt under that load, same goes for the stock 3 speed.

Chiphead.. gotta love your upbeat responses!

Freedo, run a compression check, check the coolant passages for any signs of oil and the oil for any signs of coolant. If all looks well - drop in in the truck and go. I have gotten many good miles from $200 junk yard motors when I was going to college and first few years of life with a new wife and little kids.

Thanks Ken.... I still have to go and do the checks. I'm trading work for the motor, if I go ahead and do this.

Sooo.. if Tek is right.. a 350 is a 350.. no major issues with certain years, except maybe 2 or 4 bolt mains.. no biggy there for me.

Freedo, some had different HP ratings and may have had different size valves in the heads, but the basice engines were all the same.

77 version out of a sedan has 170 HP rating with a 4bbl.They ran ok and didn't eat cams as fast as the 79-81 350 engines.Check the numbers to be sure its a 350, most cars had 305's

Teck & Tommy & Tony etc are right, but there was more to it.

The 350 block has been basically the same since it was introduced in '69. It started out as a 327 with a longer stroke. The 327's 3.25" stroke was increased to 3.48" stroke, the 4" bore stayed the same as the 327. But several mods and improvements were done over the years: Different water pumps, piston choices, balancers, serpentine belts, 2 or 4 bolt mains, "pink" rods or weaker cast rods, flat tappet cams or roller cams, small valve heads, large valve heads, small combustion chambers, large combustion chambers, points ignition, HEI, 2 or 4 bbl carb, TBI, TPI, MPFI, rams horn manifolds, bla bla bla. A 350 may be a 350, but there are massive differances in the power and efficency over the years.

I'm guessing here, but based on the many late-'70s early 80s GM full size cars I've worked on, a '77 350 in a large car will likely have the following gizmos: HEI ignition with a very lazy spark curve, a Quadrajet 4bbl tuned for anemia, maybe even with the dreaded electric power valve. A wheezy low-rise iron intake with EGR. Low compression 8.5:1 CR heads w/ small valves and push-in studs. A flat-tappet hydraulic cam with pathetic lift and duration. Pistons with 4 valve reliefs and the chamfer on the outside diameter which lowers compression more. Cast rods. Stock exhaust manifolds with the heat riser flappy thing,(rusted shut)and a plugged up catalytic coverter and single exhaust. Don't forget the 20 miles of pointless vacuum lines and water temperature controlled vacuum switches.

The motor is 26 years old and likely worn and will likely burn oil due to worn guides and rings.

Look at it this way: In 1977, the Corvette made 180-210 HP with a smogged-out 350. Woof.

A '77 350, set up like above will dance slower than George Burns. After he died.

I'm not trying to be condecending or anything, just trying to relay my experiences into real world results, so you'll know what you're dealing with.

best of luck

chip

Chip. thanks for the technical info.. it's appreciated. That's the kind of stuff I was looking for.
I'll have to track down the block number and then look up what I can about it.

Hey, my smogged-out base engine '77 Corvette still moves nicely. Gotta remember, a 'Vette doesn't weigh much. Not like a truck or anything.

Anyway, 350s are very much the same. Parts can mix-and-match all over the place (with a few exceptions), so the most important thing is to make sure that your block, etc. is in good shape. After that, you can hang any parts on it that you like.

GMC- I agree totally, any 350 can be rebuilt with parts better than stock. However, if he is not going to rebuild, he's stuck with the stock internals.

But the tip about the 305s is worth following, as my old Motors manuals showed more 305 apps than 350s in '77. Block code in behind driver's head, on top of bellhousing flange.

best of luck

chip