360 rebuild-low budget good power recommendations

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john27pa

john27pa

74 360/904 Duster
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
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Location
DuBois PA
I am planning on rebuilding my 1978 360 motor in the spring. Looking for a good setup now so I can start buying parts.
I had a decent 360 that my dad built 20 years ago. The one I have now is stock. The one my dad built was bored 30 over, had 8.8 piston-stock was 8.4 cr, original steel 340 4 bbl intake, mild cam-(Cam Dynamics part #150052 grind # 272 H10- 272 duration lift- intake @cam= 3027 at valve 454, exhaust @ cam same. 1.5 rocker ratio), set of hedman headers and the smaller 750??cfm thermoquad. I had then and now a stock 904 trans with lock up TQ and the rear is a 3.23 axle. I have front disc with large bolt rally wheels all around-15" rims in back with 14" up front.

Anyway-not looking for anything radical. That engine I had before was enough to kill 99% of the Mustangs then-early 90's. What I am looking for now is something that I can run on pump gas-works on 91 octane. Looking for 9:1-9.5:1 CR. I dont want a cam that will make me look like my car is bouncing at a stop light lol. Smooth idle to slight shake for cam. Basically a good sleeper car-looks nice, wont shake the car, but when you shove that gas pedal into the floor boards-all you see is my tail lights kind of car.

Needs to keep costs down but still want it done right. Mildly warm 360.
Give me some ideas. I also want to possibly add 150 shot of laughing gas sometime down the road.
 
Hi John. There are many mild combos, but i'd look at pistons first. With 91 pump gas and with a mild cam choice, plus the possibility of a 150 shot, i think i'd stay closer to the 9.0 to 1. Probably a flat top somewhere near zero deck height. Personally with the spray involved, i think i'd be alot more comfortable with a forged slug while your in there, although they wouldn't be as budget friendly.
 
My 2 cents on the rest of the combo,

Headers
Perfomer RPM intake
650 Eddy Thunder or 670 Holley Avenger carb
Sm. Lunati Voodoo cam....http://www.summitracing.com/parts/lun-10200702lk/overview/make/dodge

Should easily make 300hp and have enough torque for the stock trans and 3.23 gear. With 9.0 to 1, i think you can run a reasonably aggresive timing curve to keep the low end peppy and then pull it back when you go to use the spray. Just one of many possibilities? I'm sure more options will be forth coming......good luck on the build.
 
i would definitely go with at least a 2500-2800 converter with that set-up.
im using a similar grind 284/480 and the converter really made the difference.
 
73AbodEE said:
i would definitely go with at least a 2500-2800 converter with that set-up.
im using a similar grind 284/480 and the converter really made the difference.
Click to expand...

You may very well be right and it surely would make a difference. I believe your cam is [email protected] int. This Lunati is only [email protected] int. duration, so that was my reasoning on the stock converter. :icon_smi:
 
OldmanRick said:
You may very well be right and it surely would make a difference. I believe your cam is [email protected] int. This Lunati is only [email protected] int. duration, so that was my reasoning on the stock converter. :icon_smi:
Click to expand...

one could probably get away with a 2200 and it would still work decent. most factory converters are in the 1800 range which would not really be taking full advantage of that particular cam. of course with everything else being matched :D
 
73AbodEE said:
one could probably get away with a 2200 and it would still work decent. most factory converters are in the 1800 range which would not really be taking full advantage of that particular cam. of course with everything else being matched :D
Click to expand...

He's also running a lockup now, so how that plays into it....idk. I've never driven one behind a performance build.
 
Zero decked flat tops with 0.040" gasket and 72cc heads will give you 9.75:1 CR, you probably need zero decked dish with thin gasket an some head milling on the head to get 9:1.
 
Plus with the dish you can always up grade to EQ, Indy or Eddy and have 10:1 with 0.040" quench and more cam later if you want more power.
 
Have some real nice decent combos here. Im wanting to keep the stock or lower rpm torque converter. think I will go with the crane cam 272 H10 or next one- the H-272-2. Then 9.0-1 pistons-try for forged for the nitrous shot set up in future. Cylinders bored out to .030- .045. Would a stock crank be good in this setup? Its from a -78 360 2 barrell from a cordoba. Cant afford the eddy heads with 2.02's so hopefully can get my heads ground to that valve for atleast half the price of the eddy heads which are about 750 each right now. Maybe keep the 340 intake I have and get the dremel out to match the head ports to the intake port size. I have a 600 edlebrock on it now, yes- that will be upgraded to a 750 TQ like what originally came on our cars-love when those secondaries kicked in on those. I already have headers-hedman I think- goes back to a 3" collector then 2 1/2 duals the rest of the way back.
 
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