im not building a stroker, i just needed it bored .030 over and all the machine work on the block done that is needed for the rebuild and i think he said that includes putting it together like the pistons and rods and all and installing the cam, if i can save a lot of money by doing that myself i will, but i think i may be in over my head with that because im very unexperienced.
Glad to see your gonna try a t5.Trash those 2.79 gears & get some 3.80 or 4.11.With the overdrive it'll still be a good highway car and gears give a good bank for the buck.I like E7 heads too,look around & you can probably find a usable set that doesn't need rebuilt,just put in new valvesprings to match your cam & go.
E7 heads are a good buy for the money. You really should shop around and see if you can pick up a set of these already ported. Also, shop for GT40 heads. I find these everywhere on the 'net. I have also found used Dart heads that are in good shape for $600. The price the machinist quoted you can either be good or outlandish. It all depends on what he is going to use in the engine and what services he offers for that price. RegL404 brought up something that I don't see very often. Hypereutectic pistons. In an everyday street/strip engine these are an excellent buy. Most of the Sealed Power/Speed Pro versions come with anti-scuff coating on the skirts and you can run them with much tighter piston to wall clearances than a forged piston. They have excellent longevity and are pretty damned tough! I really don't see where an engine of this type should cost over $2000 to build from carb to pan. I've built so many of these low-buck street engines that I can do it in my sleep. I like your idea of using the T5 transmission. As Tim Keck stated, with the overdrive you can easily use a 4.11 gear. Overdrives are wonderful. My son has a Fairmont Futura with a 4R70W automatic and 4.30 gears. Car runs 11.30's and he can knock down 20 mpg on the highway. If some of you are having trouble finding a decent cylinder head porter shoot me a pm. I've got some spare time on my hands this summer and I'll be glad to help you with these iron heads.
unless you're building a stroker engine, which will cost a lot more... Machine work for a stroker doesn't cost any more than any other rebuild. The only extra step is notching the cylinders and that takes less than an hour. The T5 is a good idea. I have 3.89:1 gears and I got 22 mpg coming home from Roundup last year doing 75 mph all the way. 'Course the 347 might change that some this year.
check out these sources for ready to bolt on iron heads that flow as well as aluminum. In my opinion, cast iron is more durable than aluminum and is less likely to warp and strip! Impressive numbers for iron heads at 697 dollars. http://www.powerheads.com/products.html http://www.procylinderheads.com/f2204000180.htm
Newest issue, July 2005. ON NEWSSTANDS NOW!!! It is in the questions and answers "Pit Stop" section toward the end. Pretty specific about what are suggested parts (at least suggested by the advertisers...)
The mailbox is that roundish box 1/4 mile down the driveway, right where it meets with the main road.....
Engine is almost fully disassembled only thing left is tappets and cam, but I'm not sure how to take either out, any thoughts?
well engine is now fully disassembled to bare block, i had to make about 3 or 4 homemade tools to finish but it got the job done. I'm hoping to find my machinist soon and get started, took me whole weekend to get it all disassembled but i did it.
That's a fun learning experience in itself. Keep us posted on what all he's gonna do for his cost. It sounds like he was quoting what it will cost for all the machining and the parts, which sounds reasonable to me.