Technical > Matt Shaff's Engine Shop

Basic 355 combo

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Roger:
As you can see, a lot of different ideas and views here. That's good because it exposes you to all the ins and outs of making your car work. Once you get it running, I'm sure you'll be just like the rest of us and will make it go quicker & faster! Because you have so many parts already, just consider putting a cam in the block you have now, bolting the top end on you own, putting some gas in the tank and make some passes. You can always go alky later if you choose. Just be sure and take 10 or 15 gallons of water with you for cooling when using gas. Back in the late 70's my altered and feds all ran on gas and the cooling was a bit of a pain in the ass but it worked. After a run I'd pick up the chute and open the water drain petcocks on the block and then let it drain. Let it finish draining in the pits and then let it sit and cool for 20 minutes. Then filled it with warm water from 5 gallon containers setting in the sun on the roof of the trailer to avoid shocking the iron. Took about 30 minutes turn-around time as I recall. That was with an all iron big block but it worked for us. BTW The custom radiator built for my current altered, the water pump, the hoses and fitting along with the water fill manifold came to a little over $1k. It's worked very well so far, we'll see how it works in a couple of months when I double the horsepower and the additional heat that goes along with it.

225digger:
if you dont have a carb/fuel pump yet, look into a basic alky carb, you can even get away with a cheap edelbrock mechanical pump.

one of the best setups i ran yrs ago was a 250.00 alky carb i got from a circle tracker, i had to put jet extensions on it, i used an edelbrock pump that was good for alky, and a barry grant barrel valve. it was on a mutt of a 350 sbc with 12.1 cast pistons, iron eagle heads and a solid flat tappet cam, ran very consistent 10.6's in a door car but it was very easy to use. i had a limited budget and it worked well for not alot of money. an alky carb is a great intro into running alky without all the extra cost involved of buying an injection system obviously if buying good used stuff.... buying new is going to cost some

opa1:
I haven't bought the fuel system parts yet. If I were to buy a alky carb and run meth, would I need a cooling system? Just the costs of a cooling system would offset the costs in other areas.

Also want to say thanks for all the suggestions. I'll give it all some thought. There are some pics of the car in the build section. I'll update there as I go.

retroboy:
It will run cool on meth so the cooling system is surplus. Also very consistent even as temp changes. I saw a second hand Rons system offered for $800 the other day - don't kniw where maybe on For A Bodies only forum

jeff/21:
we ran a ron's pump with the alky carb ran water in the block and heads no cool down routine no water pump no rad no fan when I ran a C/SM IN THE 70'S  had 45gal of warm water hoses an pump on the trailer for the the cooling routine

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