i have a 350 small block 4 bolt main that i am trying to refresh.

i want to put new aluminum heads and a little bit bigger cam in it.

i was thinking of going with trick flow heads and a trick flow hydraulic
roller cam.

what do most members think of trick flow heads?? are they any good?

i noticed that AFR heads seem to be pretty expensive compared to
trick flow?? why is this??

i am trying to make around 500 HP and about 450 torque?

my present cam is a hydraulic roller comp cam. it is a pretty good
cam but no enough rumpity rump for me?? i want a little bit more
cam but not something too radical for the street. any help or
suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks

 

WOW 500 HP out of a SB 350.. Those are awful lofty goals for a Trickflow headed motor. Good luck with that. I would have to say with what you have described you will have to be happy with about 400 horses... Not to bash only to post a rebuttal...

Dave

 

I have a 350 too...

 

In August, HRM published a test with a ZZ4 short block, AFR heads and 5 different Comp Cams. Best HP was 457. What was really amazing to me was that the AFR heads were worth up to 70 hp over cast iron Vortec heads. I was surprised. Makes me wonder now who may have the best flowing aftermarket heads?

By the way, they got comparable peak results with both flat tappet and roller cams, although the roller worked better at lower rpm. So I'd think, if you have the cash, roller is the way to go.

Harry

 

From what I understand AFR heads flow higher numbers than other heads with smaller runners. That is a good thing. The smaller runners help torque at low rpms, high flow for top end. Torque is what you want on the street. That is what snaps your head back when you goose it. High hp is cool to talk about but is more useful in race cars. Unless you plan to have your foot on the floor most of the time, stay with small runner heads. I have a 350 and AFR 180s are what I am saving for. JMHO

 

Also remember when selecting a cam. More cam in general is more horsepower on the top end. Also your low end power will be lacking with a cam that has a lot of overlap even though it will be better from 3-3500 rpm or so.

 

I thought a ZZ4 was a 383 or do they make more than one???

Shows you what I know, 350 is the base motor with vortec heads.

 

The ZZ4 is the successor to the ZZ3, both 350 cu in. There is a ZZ383 SB.

larry

 

And there is also a Fastburn 385. 350 c.i., 385 h.p., 385 torque.

- Pat

 

A guy was running a crate short block with Edelbrock heads and intake at the 1/8 strip a few weeks back. Sounded great with the headers "uncorked" and he said it would run in the 7's in the 1/8th. It was in a Chevy II with 4:56 gears (which I know helps).

I've been looking into the Edelbrock top-end packages - heads, cam, gaskets, and intake matched set. I have a Mckinnon cast early 70's 350 block. I think its the one with the high nickel content. So I may keep it and just refresh the top-end vs. buying a crate short block...

I'd be interested in hearing anyone with input on the Edelbrock kits.

 

I'm running a 355 4bolt with edelbrock 64 cc aluminum heads and the performer RPM hydraulic cam with my Rochester Fuel Injection. I'm running it with 65 vacuum advance distributor, wide ratio muncie and 3:55 rear posi. It works for me. Pulls very strong from 1500 rpms up to 6500, nice rumpity idle and good street manners. Bonus, I get 20 mpg with this setup.

 

to the OP, and astrdokk ( astrdokk told me about this post today while we were messing with his engine):

here is a primmer about what i know of engines:

there is no free lunch, what you gain in horsepower you will lose in torque.
max. horsepower is developed at high RPMs, torque is developed in the mid-range. you can look at numerous builds that will say:
max torque 400 FT/LBs at 3500 RPMs, max HP 420 at 6200 RPMs (or whatever numbers you want plug in).
now if you are driving your car around on the street are you more likely to be driving around 3500 RPMs or 6200 RPMs???
max torque is developed when the most air is pumped into each cylinder, max. HP is produced when the total airflow through it is produced at high speed.
forget horsepower, build your engine to be a torque monster, that is in the RPM range you will driving around on.

torque is what moves your car, not horsepower, it took me a long time to get over the horsepower game and build engines for torque.

i bought some high quality CHEAP aluminum heads off ebay from a guy who builds them himself ($599 +48.50 shipping), astrodokk came over and took a look and said "i have to get a pair of these", we where on the phone tonight until he found the power seller selling them, he was so impressed looking at my new heads he pulled the trigger on buying them instantly.

as a side note, i have a 60s gasser (yes astrodokk that is my "limey taxy") it has a modified 365 HP engine. i built the engine for max HP, what do i need mid range torque for, i dump the the clutch at 5000 RPMs and row through the gears shifting at about 7000 RPM on the muncie. best time--10.78, top speed-128 MPH.


guys, PM me if you want the scoop on these heads, i hope this doesn,t get me sent to banned camp!!.

LATER, or if not if i get banned....

 

Lets rework your sentence "I have a 350 small block 4 bolt main that i am trying to refresh and end up with 500 hp".

You can't get there from here on a refresh budget.

 

supercharger?
nitrous?

 

the easiest way to get 500 hp and 450 torque thats reliable is to buy a crate big block...it's cheaper too...jmho..good luck

 

I built a 350 420hp motor with mostly all Edelbrock performance parts. I would not recommend 500hp with a stock 350 block and crank. Like others have mentioned, you can buy one already done with a guarantee. Now if you are willing to stay just under 450hp, go for it!