I recall seeing a magazine test at the strip, and the car worked best with 5.13 gears, just buzzin' the snot outta the motor


fun, but not-realistic

 

 

I did not have the crossram, but I did have a new 69 Z/28, 3.73s
with the M21 I drove it for 36,000 miles, other then recurve the dist.and add headers to it thats all I ever done to it. It would have needed 4.56s to do anything at the drag strip.

All the 302s that were running around unless someone ordered the car had 3.73s a few I saw had 4.11s. this was just the way cars on the dealers lot were.

There was no problem driving the car around and at the time I was in little rock ark. where you could pull up to a hill at a stop light.
but make no mistake with the 254/254 .050 cam there was no power till it hit 4,000

I knew several people that had 69 Z/28s and it was common for someone even though they only had 3.73 ,4.11 gearing to pull the cam use the 257/269 .050 Irst design off road cam.

When I bought my 66 vert in 75 it had 4.11 rear but the original 427/425 and trans was gone it had a weak small block in it.
First engine I built for it was a 331 it had the standard stuff for the time 12.5 trw pistons the 257/269 off road cam, later on I pulled the SB built a 396.

One of my friends had a 71 Z/28, chevy had went to a 10 bolt rear in 71 he tore the 3.73 out one night street racing, I helped him put in a 12bolt with 4.88s this was his only car he drove it to work. I had two other friends at the time they had 5.13s the one with the nova it was his only car the other was an impala he had something else to drive.

Today if someones car is not turning 2200 rpm at 80 mph they are crying lol.

There is no way to win really with small cube engines if you use
a small cam where you have some lower revs torque then theres no HP. If you spend at least a $1000.00 for a rollor cam it will widen the powerband help out but its still not going to fix mid 240s duration in a 350. nice thing about today 3.75 or longer stroke costs no more then a 3.48 stroke crank.

I would rather if I could not afford everthing I would like to have
spend $1000.00 trying to get into a 5 speed trans then spend it on a roller cam. Or even use lower gearing in the rearend

 

It is a change to drive the vette at 3000rpm down the highway when your used to the truck cruising at 2K.

But I have had enough 4 cyl cars that cruise in and around 3K that it doesnt bother me much.

 

I think you will like the 355.

 

one of the sweetest sounds is being on the fwy crusing along and an old schooler slowly runs by with their engine buzzing, you can hear it go on for some distance. Man that sounds good.

 

I run a 69 302 in my vette w/65 461 heads,and a Edelbrock X1.Until it gets to around.....33/3400 RPM...the car has no pull hardly w/3.55s,and M21.Once I get it into it's power band then it is a ROCKET.I am also,running 1500 cfm progressive(500/1000).
I have a set of brodix aluminum heads being redone right now,and have a Comp.278s coming.I still need the gears,but like to road trip in the car,so.....leaning t'wards the TKO 500,but hate to pull the polished M21 that works fine......Hmmmmmm.....
I also,like RPMs,and like your build.I will say this tho'.....it's not very streetable,and hates the lower side.If I come off a light....it's stalling some unless I am on the pedal hard,then......I have had court supervision in all the surrounding counties,and getting ready to get it in THIS county.Officers don't understand RPMs,and gearing....
You only live it once...go fast while you are here.

 

Got my cam today. Looks like a cam.

 

Is it a little lumpy looking

 

like moms mashed potatoes. Very.

 

 

I like crowers 220 series flat tappit cams. there designed for high ratio rockers 1.8 ratio intake with there trunion set back stainless roller rocker, fairley tight lash .018/020. lobes must be fairley aggressive not a lot of difference between .050 and adv. dur.
they come with pro 55 or you can get 8620.

 

Is there anything particularily wrong with federal mogul/sealed power lifters?

 

I don't have the answer but you did not scrimp at $177 for a flat tappit get good lifters.

what does cam motion have ?

 

$120 for regular 170 for edm lifters didnt really elaborate. Probably OEing something similiar to Isky based upon the price.

You have a good point about that. I figured sealed power was a quality brand that makes no nonsense parts, without all the bells and whistles.

 

Ive used sealed power for pistons, they may well be good lifters.
you have a very good oil pump sounds very adjustable
maybe some of the drilled lifters would be a good asset not just hype.

federal mogul is a big company they may well be supplying the cam companies with there stuff.

 

Guru
The ferrea valves you have how much do they weigh ? what are they hollow stem, sodium. You going with a light gram weight valve spring, retainer.

Ferra has a lightweight lifter probably pricey not a big need for it.

 

Regular ferrea 6000 2.02 and 1.6 valves. nothing fancy at all.

I am probably going to get the 170 buck edm lifters from cammotion, and some heavy duty 5/16" pushrods.

I was thinking about the sdparts heavy duty z/28 spring and retainers.

 

the 1.250 dia factory Z springs naw don't do that, without looking it up
the 200 runner darts most likely you could get them with the small spring dia pocket but go with a bigger pocket, if for no other reason you don't know what your future want might be for your heads you may decide a roller cam is in your heads future

besides these modern quicker ramp cams it would be good to just let cam motion recomend a spring for there cam.

Stiff pushrods are always a plus worth the money even with mild spring pressure of a solid cam.

Crower has some 75 gram lightweight edm cool face lifters but they are non chamfer lifters. You know where you want things light, valves retainers even the springs.

 

gm also makes the 330585 spring with matching 330586 retainers. supposedly for their racing cams. I would be maxxing the recommended lift though.

I believe in economies of scale.

yeah Its another thing i will have to get from them.