Looking for some info on a 79 360 block

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DaBee859

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This might be my first post the forum, so howdy all. :) Been lurking trying to read up on all sorts of stuff, mainly small block info and keeping an eye out for a demon/duster that i can restomod.

but in the meantime, Ive been reading alot lately and i'm trying to find some info on a 79 360 block. Its in a Lil Red Express, and is the origional. I cant get to it to get casting numbers and whatnot at the moment, and i realize that limits specifics about it, but i was wondering if somebody could offer up some general info about blocks in that year. From what ive read thus far, i guess there was atleast 2 types (an X block and i guess a standard block?).

anyway, im looking for stock numbers like bore/stroke/etc. any info would be appreciated.

Im looking into maybe doing a stroker in it and i was curious how big of a stroke you can go without having to get into alot of heavy machine work (dont want to bore it or anything). Im trying to stay on a smaller budget, probably $2500~.

i realize theres alot to consider when doing a stroker (or anything to an engine really), but this is only the beginning of my research.

the LRE is my dads...

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i have an 04 Bee with a Crane 216 and a 125 shot of nitrious...

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thanks!
 
all 360s are 4.00 bore with 3.58 stroke....NO X blocks were in production cars....All X blocks are based on the 318/340 main bearing size which is smaller then a 360...

stroker...the most used is a 4 inch stroke....
 
Sorry, but the words budget and stroker should never be used in the same post.

To stroke your 360, you would have to change the pistons and crank at bare minimum. Every stroker piston that I've seen is .030 to .060 oversize, so your block would have to be bored. It just snow balls from there. I have budgeted $8k for my build, but I am reusing some parts off of my 340.

BTW, like your trucks. I had a 79 LRE during the early 80's and loved it!! Sold it to go to college. Someday, if I ever finish the Dart, that will be my next project.
 
so if its got to be machined and whatnot for a larger bore, say .030, im sure decking and leveling, with some other minor machine work for clearances and whatnot, what does machinework like that cost?

as far as kits go, pistons/crank/rods, i see them on summit for like 1200-1800~, depending on what the components are made of. im thinking i can stick with a 4in stroke and if we're at 3.58 + .030 bore size, im looking at a 390 stroker, which sounds good to me.

also, i was hoping to reuse the stock heads, atleast for the time being. would they require any needed work other then alittle cleanup(like new springs and whatnot)?
 
sorry thought you were putting engine in truck . delete post
 
the engine is going in the truck, the LRE, not the Bee :)

i dunno, i was hoping that somebody could do a shortblock for us and we'd assemble the rest. im also considering a rebuild of the 360, but if you're going to tear it apart...i mean..why not? :)
 
Great truck , had a ramcharger 4x4 years ago with a 360 , ut heads cam headers and it was quick , but really woke up with a BB 440 six pac block , 11:75.1 pistons , torker intake I picked up from a bankrupt race shop . For a truck a BB might end up cheaper than building up a 360 , more torque and hp per $$ spent
 
thing about doing a motor swap....its not going to happen. lol

we want to keep the original block, but were thinking to get some more HP out of it if we're going to tear into it anyway. trust me, its got NO problems getting going, that 360 is great :)

now if it was just a regular pickup...440 here we come :D
 
DaBee859 said:
thing about doing a motor swap....its not going to happen. lol

we want to keep the original block, but were thinking to get some more HP out of it if we're going to tear into it anyway. trust me, its got NO problems getting going, that 360 is great :)

now if it was just a regular pickup...440 here we come :D
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Yeah It is a Lil red express truck . I thought they came with w-2 heads ? I remember back then they were pretty quick right out of the factory , great trucks .
 
jerry6 said:
Yeah It is a Lil red express truck . I thought they came with w-2 heads ? I remember back then they were pretty quick right out of the factory , great trucks .
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that was going to one of my next questions actually...what heads were available and probably came on the 79 360. they are the stock heads, so thats about the best i can do rigt now (cant get to the truck).

also, what was the stock compression ratio? also, what would the cc of the chamber be based on the different heads that would have been available?
 
You need to call around to some machine shops in your area and get prices. I spent $2200 at my machine shop but that included $1000 worth of pistons plus block fill, girdle machining and crank balancing along with all the normal boring, decking, line honing, cam bearing install etc.

LRE's did not come with W2's. It was originally planned that way but it got nixxed at the last moment and regular 1.88/1.60 heads went on them.
 
Guitar Jones said:
You need to call around to some machine shops in your area and get prices. I spent $2200 at my machine shop but that included $1000 worth of pistons plus block fill, girdle machining and crank balancing along with all the normal boring, decking, line honing, cam bearing install etc.

LRE's did not come with W2's. It was originally planned that way but it got nixxed at the last moment and regular 1.88/1.60 heads went on them.
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im looking for some machine shops in the area, but im just trying to gather as much info as possible at the moment.

also, is there a name for those heads? or are they just "stock 360 heads"? maybe it sounds stupid, but i just dont know. is there a list of what heads Chrysler did make and their specs someplace?
 
the LRT had stock 1.88 valves - the motor was an E-58- same as volare's and such - but had upgraded valvesprings (dampners) and an earlier 340 camshaft, big block thermoquad and some other minor changes - it was called th EH1 hipo motor.

the prototypes had a trick holley intake and w-2's but unfortunately didnt make production
 
If you go with a Scat stroker kit with their I-beam rods then it will drop right onto your block with no special machining. You will want to go with ARP main studs and a line hone. My whole bottom end with parts and machining was just under $3,000. A 4" stroke will really get that heavy truck moving nicely. Now how much power you want to make will determine how much more you want to spend.

If that is a numbers matching engine I would put it aside and get a Magnum 360 roller cam engine and build that up. Also keep in mind a nicely built 360, even a mild one, can make some impressive power.
 
yes, its the origional engine. the truck is actually in pretty good shape, its been well taken care of had appropriate restorations along the way. The things that it needs are a engine and trans refresh, and some driveshaft help. Other then that, its in damn good shape :D

starting to think that a rebuild is in order rather then a stroker...

but, im looking for a demon/dart/rr.....so all this info wont go to waste :D
 
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