Looking to buy/build 500-600 fwhp 360

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I don't know. I'm not going to be at that power level, so I haven't asked any engine builders about it.
I would not think that a stock block would support that kind of hp for very long especially in a racing application. A lot would depend on how much $money you spent on the rotating assembly and block mods like main caps and oiling.
 
I would not think that a stock block would support that kind of hp for very long especially in a racing application. A lot would depend on how much $money you spent on the rotating assembly and block mods like main caps and oiling.

I did ask the builder about 4 bolt mains. I think that helps more for high revving motors. I will be buying all forged stuff. It depends on what kind of racing you are doing. At 6000 RPM your crank will last 30 minutes. Occasional foray's up to 6000 for drag racing doesn't add up to much time at that RPM.

Small block chevys gen 1 will support max 600 hp. I am not sure how the LA small block will compare. And if I blow it up, it's not a total loss because I will know how much is too much! lol
 
I did ask the builder about 4 bolt mains. I think that helps more for high revving motors. I will be buying all forged stuff. It depends on what kind of racing you are doing. At 6000 RPM your crank will last 30 minutes. Occasional foray's up to 6000 for drag racing doesn't add up to much time at that RPM.

Small block chevys gen 1 will support max 600 hp. I am not sure how the LA small block will compare. And if I blow it up, it's not a total loss because I will know how much is too much! lol

4 bolt caps on a production block is a waste of money and it makes the block weaker.
 
4 bolt caps on a production block is a waste of money and it makes the block weaker.

My knowledge is limited in this area, but I agree, 4 bolt mains seem more like an ego thing. The 360 crank is bigger than the 340, or so I have read, and that should add some strength.
 
I did ask the builder about 4 bolt mains. I think that helps more for high revving motors. I will be buying all forged stuff. It depends on what kind of racing you are doing. At 6000 RPM your crank will last 30 minutes. Occasional foray's up to 6000 for drag racing doesn't add up to much time at that RPM.

Small block chevys gen 1 will support max 600 hp. I am not sure how the LA small block will compare. And if I blow it up, it's not a total loss because I will know how much is too much! lol
**** ,I regularly take my 340 past 6 grand with a balanced factory forged crank and stock rods.
 
How many broken 360 blocks have you seen. I beat on my old 360 (408) through 3 rebuilds and in need of its 4th when after I pulled it to rebuild it my son asked to borrow it. We knew better or at least I did but my son needed an engine so dad being dad I let him borrow it. 6 months of racing later it spun a bearing and broke a rod. It ran 9.74 in the summer heat at keystone at 2880 pounds in my car and 10.0’s at keystone in his car at 3200 pounds. That block took a beating through all those years.
 
**** ,I regularly take my 340 past 6 grand with a balanced factory forged crank and stock rods.
The source was David Vicherys (sp?) book on building a SBC for 600 hp on nitrous. I should have stated I have no data for the dodge 360. Maybe the crank is bigger for the LA 360 vs SBC 350. I am happy to be wrong, but apparently it is the harmonic vibrations that eventually break a crank. Obviously metallurgy and overall size of the journals make a difference.
 
How many broken 360 blocks have you seen. I beat on my old 360 (408) through 3 rebuilds and in need of its 4th when after I pulled it to rebuild it my son asked to borrow it. We knew better or at least I did but my son needed an engine so dad being dad I let him borrow it. 6 months of racing later it spun a bearing and broke a rod. It ran 9.74 in the summer heat at keystone at 2880 pounds in my car and 10.0’s at keystone in his car at 3200 pounds. That block took a beating through all those years.
It seems most here think 600 hp is the limit for these blocks. It's kind of a mute point for me as I am staying between 500-600 hp. Thanks for your comment.
 
It seems most here think 600 hp is the limit for these blocks. It's kind of a mute point for me as I am staying between 500-600 hp. Thanks for your comment.


When I rebuilt that block the third time I usually just hone my blocks with a dingle berry hone. That block was so bad I wore out two sets of stones on my stone hone. Then I got out my dingle berry hone. When the rod broke it put a small divot on the bottom of the one cylinder so o threw it on my scrap pile. I don’t run them past .040 and I don’t think that block would have clean up at .040. So on the scrap pile it went. One of our members wanted it and I said he could have it but he never showed up. It was tubed for the oiling system and everything. Oh well it’s scraped.
 
When I rebuilt that block the third time I usually just hone my blocks with a dingle berry hone. That block was so bad I wore out two sets of stones on my stone hone. Then I got out my dingle berry hone. When the rod broke it put a small divot on the bottom of the one cylinder so o threw it on my scrap pile. I don’t run them past .040 and I don’t think that block would have clean up at .040. So on the scrap pile it went. One of our members wanted it and I said he could have it but he never showed up. It was tubed for the oiling system and everything. Oh well it’s scraped.
Could you not have sleeved that cylinder?
 
Could you not have sleeved that cylinder?


I couldn’t but my local machine shop could have. My thinking is I beat on it for all those years and it served me well. It was time to put it to sleep as far as I was concerned. It was going to be past where I like to take them and I wasn’t going to spend the same amount of money that I could doing a fresh block. I must have 10 or so 360 blocks.
 
I couldn’t but my local machine shop could have. My thinking is I beat on it for all those years and it served me well. It was time to put it to sleep as far as I was concerned. It was going to be past where I like to take them and I wasn’t going to spend the same amount of money that I could doing a fresh block. I must have 10 or so 360 blocks.

I agree, 360 blocks are cheap around here, no point wasting money on a used up one.
 
My guess is how you make the 600 hp is pretty important. I haven’t broken any yet, but cringe a bit at numbers like that.
 
use to be a big long thread bout 8 pages trying to find any body that has had a catastrophic engine failure with a LA small bock where the block failed but cant find it! there plenty of blowed up 5 an 600 hp engines, but none could be blamed on the block!! lest outta 8ish pages of post! most agreed that 600ish was the limit for a stock block....DWB
 
You’re not really getting a reliable 600 hp cheaply. The problem is the aftermarket blocks are not cheap and difficult to find. You will get better ring seal and the fifth head bolt.
 
When I rebuilt that block the third time I usually just hone my blocks with a dingle berry hone. That block was so bad I wore out two sets of stones on my stone hone. Then I got out my dingle berry hone. When the rod broke it put a small divot on the bottom of the one cylinder so o threw it on my scrap pile. I don’t run them past .040 and I don’t think that block would have clean up at .040. So on the scrap pile it went. One of our members wanted it and I said he could have it but he never showed up. It was tubed for the oiling system and everything. Oh well it’s scraped.

Once he found out you had your dingle berry all over the block, he didn't want anything to do with it. :lol:
 
You’re not really getting a reliable 600 hp cheaply. The problem is the aftermarket blocks are not cheap and difficult to find. You will get better ring seal and the fifth head bolt.

Yes, it looks like over 4 grand for a strong after market block. However, I doubt I will do more than a couple of days a year at the track. The rest of the time I will be cruising around town at 400 hp without nitrous.
 
Once he found out you had your dingle berry all over the block, he didn't want anything to do with it. :lol:



it think some guys get scared if they wonder 50 miles from home. Hell I got a phone call a couple weeks ago about a valve seat machine in Youngstown Ohio and headed out from my house in Pa at 5:15pm to buy it. And I’m 65. Lol
 
don't know about the 360 , but I've seen at least 5 440's with 600hp plus get cracks spewing water out the block . I don't take chances i buy the best I can afford have it well balanced I even used a girdle on my 360/426 stroker it has seen 7000 a few times because I shifted late , put a rev limiter on it now set at 6300 so far 8 000 miles and it has held together .
Good luck with your build
 
I think I'm going to end up about 550 hp as my elevation is 3300 feet. It looks like a cast crank will hold up at this level especially is everything is well balanced. I remember reading the 360 cast crank is larger than the 340 crank and the chevy 350 crank. Crowers website talks about their forged cranks being used in very high horsepower applications.
So, any reports of broken cast cranks at this horsepower level? I'm talking about keeping the RPMs under 6500.
 
Ok, I'm at the point where we are measuring tire clearance. It looks like we might get 295's under the rear wheelwell. I spoke with my engine builder today and we are getting close to being able to put a stroker engine together. He doesn't like the strength of the rest of the drivetrain combo at this power level. Now, my wife tells me she would rather drive an automatic. Hmmm. How hard is it to put a 727 in a 65 Barracuda? This will make everything last longer!
 
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i thought 400 hp from a 360 was a mild build,...easy as falling off a truck!!
It is. It's been done with smog motors using only factory parts and under a 9.0:1 cr. I think that it was mopar muscle magazine that had article's on how to get big power from 360 smog motors, cam, heads, etc have to be as from the factory
 
One day it will come apart like a grenade
I dont believe so.
I know some NHRA Stock Eliminator racers that spin their 340's past 7000 rpm every time they hit the track and that after the launch the cars hard at 5000+ rpm
 
I bet my 340 has seen 7000 rpm a couple hundred times. Stock oiling, unbalanced, heavy trw pistons, stock crank and rods with arp bolts. Still doing it. All engines will come apart someday.
 
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