What Engine Should We Build Next?

What ever you do don't use T and L engines for the build, they are scammers. Ask me how I know. I can't believe they are still allowed to advertise on your website and in your magazine. Horrible experience, police and BBB involved.  

I think you need to do comparisons.  Pistons with coatings vs. without coatings .  What is the horspower and torque advantages.  Do they increase gas milage.  Compare heads vs. ported heads.  long rods vs. standard rods.  Higher compression vs. regular compression (10 to 1 vs. 11 to 1 or whatever).  Rings are the metric rings worth it?.  Are gapless rings worth it.  They have a lot of comparisons we would like to know about.  Engines we can build but choosing parts based on advertisments or what your buddy is doing is not the best way.  Even if your buddy has the same motor as you, it may not the best choice.  I personnaly like a 351w with 400 horsepower and the best milage possable.  I still have to drive it and gas prices will never be cheap again.    

HotRod magazine, years back, tried to compare big blocks to small blocks.  But, one has canted valves, the other does not. I really wish they had gotten a stroked diesel 350 block stroked out to a big block size, then grabbed an Olds big block, and used the same big block heads for both blocks.  Its expensive, but it could make a more of an "apples to apples" comparison, and see if the block size really makes a different other than weight.

Or, maybe compare a 351C stroked to 427 cid, to a 429 big block Ford.  Similiar valve angles and oiling systems, similar cid, but the bigger block may have longer intake manifold runners, port lengths, etc.  Would there be a noticable difference in power made with these differances?

For certain, don't waste time on the Chevy small block.  Someone who wants a cheap CSB can just buy a used Targetmaster. No one needs to build a CSB if they just want 300-350hp for their street machine.  


You want oddball?  Do an Olds 403, some trans am fans have questions.  OR, grab a 429 or 368 Cadillac engine..can the 8-6-4 heads really offer anything in an age of rising gas prices?

Its not 1950's anymore.  The REAL reason people work w/ CSB's is that's all you read about in magazines--so its what they copy. If someone wants a toy, but doesn't know exactly what, they don't pick up a Mustang mag.  So, the chances they'll find out an article on building a 400M is.....small.  Or maybe they have a free 318...where on the news stand will they find an article on how Magnum heads will work on that?  Even the Mopar mags barely cover it, focusing on bigblocks.

Or maybe the 5.7 Hemi...they're in the junkyards now, who wouldn't want to dump one in their hand-me-down car they just got for free?  Is there an article explaining the ups-and-downs of how to hop it up?  

If you want to try a 4 cylinder engine, you can check turboford.org for the old 2.3 liter, or there's the newer Duratec etc.

Chevy had a 2.0 liter in Cadillac Cimerons, etc that used Chevy smallblock lifters (Variable duration, anyone?), CSB rocker arms (tho you'd need the narrow ones for one of the cylinders), and Pontiac Sunbird GT's offered a turbo version.  Could a stop at a NAPA store create a Detroit Honda killer?

Or the old Oldsmobile Quad 4...and of course, Dodge had its 2.2, and there's whatever squirrel-cage engine the Neons now use.

for those of us living up north, a FWD beater car is useful.  An x-11 citation clone would be fun, but even these 4 bangers could be a fun way to vacuum up Hyudnai Tirbirons, Subuaru WRX's, and other kids who think they are super fast.

But would it sell issues? um....no.  Then again, what if gas prices go up again?  would an issue telling you how to buy old junk that outruns imports and gets good gas mileage sell then, if you could just pull it off the shelf and run it on the front cover?  

A 289 with Chevy C'rods? Hmm...I think a 302 with 289 rods, like Ford built with the Boss 302, would have a better spread of power over the RPM range.  But Reher Morrison says long connecting rods don't do anything like Smokey Yunick thought.

As for a Pontiac 301 used for anything...I thought it was a tiny sized block too weak to hold power.  I'm going to have to read further how to make it a 383, b/c I think its a block different from the usual 326-350-389-400-421-455.

Speaking of Pontiac, ever notice their 350 comes close to the GM Gen3 5.7 liter in stroke and bore, valve angle and tall, narrow ports?  

Not to hog the blog, and this is probably more for a Mustang-oriented mag, but...I'd love to see someone compare a Ford 5.4 liter "tall deck" verses a 4.6 stroked out to 5.1 liters...see if that raised deck really is worth the need to swap hoods, etc, or if just stroking a 4.6 that came with the Ford is a better investment in cash.

Also, that person who  posted about a 425 Olds crank in a 403...tell us more about this.  What machine work has to be done to the reciprocating assembly?  I have a 425 shortblock with '66 4-4-2 heads just sitting around, so now I'm interested...