Cheap-ish 360 mods

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74Scamp

74Scamp

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Hey guys I'm trying to figure out some ideas I want to do with the 360 I'll be swapping into my Scamp this spring. It's a 91' truck 360 and still in the truck and runs. I don't remember the mileage of it but I'll do a tune up on the engine before it goes in and I'd like to do a double roller timing chain so I don't have to worry about that anymore.
I have a pair of longtubes coming for the engine as well. Being budget minded on this as I'm rebuilding a 904 as well, would you guys recommend getting a different intake and carb and calling it good? Would you rather do a small cam instead of an intake? Ignition upgrade maybe? It's just gunna be a street car so not looking to spend a large amount of cash but would like it to be fun before I swap the engine into the car too, so I'm just looking for some opinions right now.
 
74Scamp said:
Hey guys I'm trying to figure out some ideas I want to do with the 360 I'll be swapping into my Scamp this spring. It's a 91' truck 360 and still in the truck and runs. I don't remember the mileage of it but I'll do a tune up on the engine before it goes in and I'd like to do a double roller timing chain so I don't have to worry about that anymore.
I have a pair of longtubes coming for the engine as well. Being budget minded on this as I'm rebuilding a 904 as well, would you guys recommend getting a different intake and carb and calling it good? Would you rather do a small cam instead of an intake? Ignition upgrade maybe? It's just gunna be a street car so not looking to spend a large amount of cash but would like it to be fun before I swap the engine into the car too, so I'm just looking for some opinions right now.
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Do a search for Rusty Rat Rod and cheap hot rod, lots of good advice. I cant remember if it has been stickeyed.

Also 318willrun and his super long thread on the $500 318 hop up. That one is really good too.
 
If that 360 is actually a 1991 model year, it may have a factory hydraulic camshaft and good heads. If so, keep the factory lifters, get the camshaft reground to match your build specs, and put a nice dual plane intake on it. Still budget minded but plenty of street power with the rest of your plans.
Keep the factory intake to help the budget if it's already a four barrel carburetor intake.
 
You will need a different oil pan and matching pickup. if you do any type of spirited driving I would recommend the Kevco pan. If you already have a stock car pan weld in a baffle.
 
Already have the pan and pickup plus 360 mounts. Is the baffle necessary? Just curious, never heard that come up yet in my searches. Explain a little more on the baffle please?
 
I’d put s 4bbl intake and carb on it.

Recurve the dist. Can make a big improvement for next to nothing.
 
Just going by my basic build. mild 360 stock pump and pan 5qt of oil press at idle hot was 35psi but when I hit the brakes fairly hard to stop my oil light would come on. the oil was sloshing to the front of the pan and losing oil pressure. to stop this I pulled the pan and made a baffle plate and welded it in the sump of the pan to keep the oil in the sump during hard stops and acceleration. I dont have a picture handy but others have done the same. most "performance" engines had some form of oil control so if your pan dosent have any baffels its a easy upgrade.
 
mod5v said:
Just going by my basic build. mild 360 stock pump and pan 5qt of oil press at idle hot was 35psi but when I hit the brakes fairly hard to stop my oil light would come on. the oil was sloshing to the front of the pan and losing oil pressure. to stop this I pulled the pan and made a baffle plate and welded it in the sump of the pan to keep the oil in the sump during hard stops and acceleration. I dont have a picture handy but others have done the same. most "performance" engines had some form of oil control so if your pan dosent have any baffels its a easy upgrade.
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Gotcha, learned something new. I’ll look up some pics then and make myself a baffle.
 
74Scamp said:
Hey guys I'm trying to figure out some ideas I want to do with the 360 I'll be swapping into my Scamp this spring. It's a 91' truck 360 and still in the truck and runs. I don't remember the mileage of it but I'll do a tune up on the engine before it goes in and I'd like to do a double roller timing chain so I don't have to worry about that anymore.
I have a pair of longtubes coming for the engine as well. Being budget minded on this as I'm rebuilding a 904 as well, would you guys recommend getting a different intake and carb and calling it good? Would you rather do a small cam instead of an intake? Ignition upgrade maybe? It's just gunna be a street car so not looking to spend a large amount of cash but would like it to be fun before I swap the engine into the car too, so I'm just looking for some opinions right now.
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This is what I have done;

Intake, carb, air cleaner and chrome box ignition with a dual exhaust off the exhaust manifolds. Of course Substituting headers and a Summit/Jegs exhaust is an excellent bang for the buck that I liked a lot.

My engine was running well and I didn’t do a cam swap as that entails a lot more than just a cam and lifter set because it should be bought with springs, new timing chain and gaskets for the whole job.

As far as an ignition goes, I very much like my Pace Performance ready to run MSD clone. Excellent unit!

That was the order in which it was done. After “engine upgrades,” minus the cam, the next parts work in conjunction with the cam. A converter and shift kit. Then rear end gears with wider rubber.

Search the classified section for inexpensive used parts. I have gotten many excellent intake, carbs, headers and air cleaners inexpensivly here. Cam/valve train are always new, never used. Heads I have purchased here have been bare @ good prices.

You can build a car out of the classifieds here.
 
74Scamp said:
Hey guys I'm trying to figure out some ideas I want to do with the 360 I'll be swapping into my Scamp this spring. It's a 91' truck 360 and still in the truck and runs. I don't remember the mileage of it but I'll do a tune up on the engine before it goes in and I'd like to do a double roller timing chain so I don't have to worry about that anymore.
I have a pair of longtubes coming for the engine as well. Being budget minded on this as I'm rebuilding a 904 as well, would you guys recommend getting a different intake and carb and calling it good? Would you rather do a small cam instead of an intake? Ignition upgrade maybe? It's just gunna be a street car so not looking to spend a large amount of cash but would like it to be fun before I swap the engine into the car too, so I'm just looking for some opinions right now.
Click to expand...
This is what I have done;

Intake, carb, air cleaner and chrome box ignition with a dual exhaust off the exhaust manifolds. Of course Substituting headers and a Summit/Jegs exhaust is an excellent bang for the buck that I liked a lot.

If your engine is in good running shape, before you install it in the car, order the headers and exhaust from above where I mentioned and be done with that ASAP. This makes the rest easier later.

My engine was running well and I didn’t do a cam swap as that entails a lot more than just a cam and lifter set because it should be bought with springs, new timing chain and gaskets for the whole job.

As far as an ignition goes, I very much like my Pace Performance ready to run MSD clone. Excellent unit!

That was the order in which it was done. After “engine upgrades,” minus the cam, the next parts work in conjunction with the cam. A converter and shift kit. Then rear end gears with wider rubber.

Search the classified section for inexpensive used parts. I have gotten many excellent intake, carbs, headers and air cleaners inexpensivly here. Cam/valve train are always new, never used. Heads I have purchased here have been bare @ good prices.

You can build a car out of the classifieds here.
 
Good advice
and read RRR's advice over a few times
factory 4 bbl and TQ is hard to beat and cheap or look for an aftermarket aluminum 4bbl at swap meets, etc NO TQ use an AVS
ask Mike Jones about regrinding your roller IMHO his inverse radius rollers can't be beat- give him your compression spec gears, converter and driving goals pricy but worth it and he will nail your requirements any questions on his cams PM Krooser
RE RRR about stock duration with more lift/ area under the curve is going to work- with headers you DO NOT WANT lots of exhaust duration over the intake
with a regrind you reduce the base circle so longer pushrods are required- remember you can oil the rocker cups through the pushrods
roller tip rockers will require B3's lit to work right- go to his site and read all 4 parts of his tech help- you do not need roller tip rockers and the expense
long exhausts duration were from the low flow pre 85 LA exhaust and iron manifolds (longer may still be needed for extended high rpm range- not our consideration here)
1 5/8 headers 1 3/4 max
BVVC about Chinese electronic knock offs
 
Wyrmrider said:
Good advice
and read RRR's advice over a few times
factory 4 bbl and TQ is hard to beat and cheap or look for an aftermarket aluminum 4bbl at swap meets, etc NO TQ use an AVS
Click to expand...
Good advice except for the TQ. There are caveats with a TQ that can be overcome very easy. The biggest issue is getting an old one working right. The less emissions equipment or ports on it the better. There larger and more flexible than an AVS or AFB with more cfm. I personally wouldn’t use a TQ on a square bore with intake.

ask Mike Jones about regrinding your roller IMHO his inverse radius rollers can't be beat- give him your compression spec gears, converter and driving goals pricy but worth it and he will nail your requirements any questions on his cams PM Krooser
Click to expand...
Inverse roller is a overkill in most applications

BVVC about Chinese electronic knock offs
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I don’t know what “BVVC” is but what you don’t know is;

The Pace Performance MSD Knick off is made
By the same manufacturer.

Where is the MSD manufacturer located...????
 
Thanks rumblefish for all the info you always give me. I knew if I did a cam I would have to swap springs and I don’t think my budget is there nor is a cam thats worth putting in that would work w/ stock springs. I’m gunna keep my eye open for parts that come through, that’s where I picked up the headers ;) I may ask later tho about a carb, but I won’t worry about that for now.
 
That is the same engine I have and it has a 410/410 lift roller cam if I remember right. That engine also comes with a windage tray and reusable pan gasket.
 
If it is still a stock 91 truck it will have throttle body injection, not a carb. The stock distributor also is much different than the ones used on carbs.
 
jas0162 said:
If it is still a stock 91 truck it will have throttle body injection, not a carb. The stock distributor also is much different than the ones used on carbs.
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Yep I agree, I’ll adress that when I swap to a carb setup.
 
jas0162 said:
If it is still a stock 91 truck it will have throttle body injection, not a carb. The stock distributor also is much different than the ones used on carbs.
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I threw away that manifold, cast iron and weighrd a ton. I also threw out the dizzy since when the previous owner pulled the engine, it got a little smashed.
 
Sedanman said:
Yep,mine was in a church van with 77,000 miles
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How’d that oil pan work on the car? I’d assume it had a rear pickup style, so did you swap out the windage tray to the new pan or was it a windage tray that bolted to the main caps?
 
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