HOW TO: CHEAP SBC MODS THE $1000 QUESTION? WHAT MODS ARE WORTH THE MOST POWER AND WHAT DO THEY COST?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 เม.ย. 2023
- LOW BUCK SBC POWER MODS. CHEAP, JUNKYARD PERFORMANCE 350 UPGRADES. HOW TO MAKE MORE SBC POWER. HOW MUCH DO ALUMINUM HEADS COST? HOW MUCH POWER DO ALUMINUM HEADS MAKE? SHOULD I UPGRADE MY CAMSHAFT? WHAT IS THE BEST CAM FOR A SBC 350? HOW MUCH POWER CAN I MAKE WITH MY SBC 350. HOW TO MAKE GOOD TORQUE FROM YOUR SBC 350. CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO WHERE I RAN A STOCK 2-BARREL 350 SBC, THEN UPGRADED IT WITH ALL THE USUAL PERFORMANCE MODS, INCLUDING A 4-BARREL, MILD CAM, PORTED HEADS, ALUMINUM INTAKE, BIGGER CARB AND ALUMINUM HEADS. HOW MUCH POWER DO THEY ALL ADD AND HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
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Back in the 80's when i was a teenager, i had a 1976 Camaro 350 4-speed, The 1976 Camaro is known for having the worst 350 SBC ever produced. the 180HP LM1 (ironically mine also had 4 bolt main caps). I swapped the intake to an Edelbrock Performer but kept the Q-jet and bought a tuning kit for it, did a little cleanup porting on the heads and chambers in shop class, and added the old Comp Cams Magnum 270H and a set of hooker headers, a dual exhaust kit and got rid of the factory 2-1-2 exhaust with the catalytic converter. it was a night and day difference. all said and done it was under $600, but that is around $1200-1500 in today's dollars. my neighbors hated the cherry bombs glass packs i ran on it.
The L65 was 145 hp
@@richardholdener1727 I stand corrected. I Learn something new every day. I always thought the LM1 was the worst 350 ever made. I know it was 155 HP in some application.
They were so choked had a 1980s 302 a four barrel intake open Element air cleaner and some muffler shop 2 and quarter exhaust and some old stock 5.0 Shorty's. It felt like about 50 horsepower. It was night and day! The sound could have added a few horsepower, to teenage me! What are the can but my step dad wouldn't help me with that one he said I already drive like a dummy! 30 years later he was not wrong!
This is ultimately what everyone with a real world budget wants to know.
Hopefully we can eventually get this info on the majority of the engines you have covered
You are the man Richard!!
Agreed
If it's anything roller cam and efi it's headers , intake and tune . Unless tuning yourself good luck buying a full gasket set , billet roller cam , springs and pushrods for $1000 for anything modern lol.
Parts combo is where the real magic happens. For instance: The long tube headers didn't do much for the stock motor, now that the motor is modified replace them back to the ram horns and you see what they are really worth.
Yeah what ever you put on last will be worth much more. Take the last combo, put the stock cam in- could loose 50+ hp same with heads. But if you put that cam or heads on the the 2b&ramhorns it would be worth much less.
Camshaft is the big one here - the intake and exhaust setup are really dependant on the camshaft. Anything with a bit of overlap responds to those two mods quite well.
That’s proof that manifolds aren’t a big restriction for the stock engine…
@@georgemontgomery9422
Might give up a little torque with a stock engine, but otherwise yeah why not.
I also like to know wat the stock c4 Corvette manifolds would do with the 365hp combination (i own a 85 Corvette)
Heads are the most expensive part. Most people put a medium size cam in with the stock heads, a 4bbl intake and headers. It would be nice to see a test showing that combo, and then upgrade the heads with a budget option and see what the heads are worth with the same medium size cam.
Awesome work Richard, this video speaks to a lot of people👏🏽!!!!!
GREAT VIDEO RICHARD. I JUST LOVE LEARNING ABOUT THE SMALL-BLOCK CHEVY 350. GREAT FRO ANY DAILY DRIVER.
Just built the same combo but with a slightly different cam. Thanks for the video.
Old video I know but thanks for the info Richard. I'll be doing a similar. 040 350 build for my 73 Camaro in the near future. Will use this a a guide line for 400 plus hp
Absolutely worth it. Great video.
Thank you for the time you put into this, very helpful.
great sb chevy stuff. i’m contemplating these exact upgrade choices on my late 70s smogger 350 so this is good clean fun! so far i’ve purchased an air gap intake and holley carb from good old fb marketplace….currently stuffing the piggy bank for a cylinder head upgrade. would be beyond thrilled with anything approaching 400 hp…
Your great on focusing on the big picture what gives the most.
Well that means the little sbc I just built prolly makes around 300hp 400tq not bad for an ole farm truck. Your like a free dyno. Keep up the good work man
Very cool,just what I needed to know before I spend my money!
Sorry I missed this... til now. GREAT video!!!!!
I love it Richard. Been waiting on a video like this. I'll be doing a post on sloppy with a write up on my SBC build just as soon as I get it on the dyno and get some real data. It's budget power all the way! Keep up the great videos I watch every one.
COOL
Need to strive for max power while maintaining vacuum and stock converter. Like a compcams 262 with 180 afr heads. That would probably save a lot of headaches for people who don’t realize how many problems you can run into as side affects from modifying the engine. 400 hp is achievable without ruining drivability.
Love ya work brother.
This is like a sign from the Heavens!
Just as soon as I'm tearing out the 350 in my 63 Impala
Great Video!
Good luck with it man 👍
These motors are coming back mark my words
A 4 bolt block is gonna be worth it's weight in gold in a few years
Real world, fun comparison project :)
As a new subscriber I appreciate your videos and I know you haven't tested every configuration. But I have a 94 350 tbi with the swirl port heads and I was told that the heads are good for making low end torque, but I would like to see some real numbers verifying that. And it would be interesting to know if those heads would respond well with a good porting and maybe just increasing the exhaust valve size and of course with long tube headers and intake change. Keep up the good work and thanks for the information that you provide!
Like seeing the price good going
Thank you Richard, once again great heart toughing topic ! The pricing the hp improvements is an awesome move! I'd love to see what does a bare L98 aluminum head swap do to the power / torque to the basic smog 350 sbc. 113 heads are pretty inexpensive and still readily available for most of us
they are a good upgrade over these stock 882 heads
Great content richard very curious to see this on a sbf :)
I HAVE LOTS OF FORD STUFF TOO
Richard did a previous video on a 350 SBC with virtually the same (if not the same engine) engine except he added a better cam and AFR heads for final tests, and I believe power went up to 523 HP.
Do you mean the "Gladiator 350" build from back in the day. Thats my favorite SBC combo.
@@dieseldan420ca The video started with a 2 barrel and ended with AFR heads with a single plane on it.
There's still a gajillion of these engines floating around even if the LS craze is everywhere.
This is all stuff that's not too bad to upgrade yourself and make your wheezy 350 breathe better. Any more probably better to get a set of Vortec heads and their accompanying intake if you're into buying a new intake though. This with a set of rear gears (at least in many vehicles of the malaise era) would transform nearly any of those cars.
I believe that small cam may be a version of an OEM offering for Mercruiser or similar. A very tame grind, probably really nice valve spring life. May even be useable with a stock valve train and not having to cut guides down. Almost anything will make more power than the stocker which was 179/195@.050.
A junkyard 5.7 Vortec is still the best starting point if you can find a decent one. Really, any factory roller cammed 5.7 is a great foundation for a street driven hot rod that might occasionally get a few passes at the track.
Close to 450 hp is very possible without breaking the bank.
Interesting to see, stock SBC head like a pre TBI head, vs the swirl port vs a vortec. Upgraded cam like 450 lift/ 110 and a iron Qjet intake and Qjet cab. Great content you put up here.
Vortec
No such thing as Vortex.
I had a similar set up only difference was with ported Camel Back heads holley 650cfm carb .
I had the same cam xe 268h 477-480 lift and 224-230dur @50 a summit racing noisy gear drive and same air gap intake and used Doug's headers on my 72 C10 didn't like the cam it was like running a solid lifter cam always having to adjust valves with out the advantage of quicker reving ability of a solid lifter cam.
I had the engine redone punched it out to 383 sbc stroker with 11:1 compression sealed power pistons and comp cams Magnum 480h cam 480 -480 lift 230-230 dur @50 and the same summit racing noisy gear drive and my Ported Camel Back Heads and air gap intake and 650 carb.
Right on
THANKS! love budget SBC stuff (thinkin' 400hp give or take with my 350--10 to 1 4-bolt main short block, 280H magnum CompCam, headers, wacky dual quad (pair of Edels), cleaned up 2.02 Camel humps) maybe 400hp?
Vroom vroom sbc powah!
Oooooh yeah, I'm pissed😉 lol. I'm just kidding. It would be nice to see it the gains seperate though.
Thanks for the video. I really like seeing this basic stuff compared to a stock motor.
Thanks
Would be cool to see the final results but keep the Quadrajet.
Id like to see a E40 vs E85 power comparison, to see if all that extra fuel past 40% ethanol gives marginal power gains.
Thanks for doing a video for us budget minded guys. really wish you would have used the Feullie type heads with the 268 cam. I'd like to see what to do with my totally stock looking engine in my old school vehicle.
Subtract 50hp fuellie heads aren’t that good they were till vortec came out and the aluminum heads used here are way better then vortec
@@utahcountypicazospage5412 plus when you shell out more money to have hardened valve seats put in for unlead gas those old heads just ain't worth it.
I was lucky enough to buy a comp cams that exact one 268H grind, and a set of small valve fuelie heads. Pulled 400 hp like
Richard this one is an excellent doable example for the work class guy!! This is the way I wish you would have done the 305 video!! Do the same exact format with the 305
see the 305 vids
@@richardholdener1727 yeah I did I just think that this 350 video was more on par with the budget builder.. the 305 video seemed much higher budget builds.. as always appreciate all the content and great job..
I'm surprised that boost wasn't the first mod. But I would like to have seen how far you could have gone with the two barrel carb and intake. Then add a cam and then headers.
I like the results and analysis. I like the approach it’s not likely you have a 246xe in a 350 with afr’s showing results more for what a likely upgrade would be rather than singling down a single final upgrade or something (look a 90hp cam😅). 👍🤩😎
a 90-hp cam swap shows how important the cam can be to the rest of the combo-actually very helpful info
Glad you are including prices. Any chance of a comparison test of generic parts (Summit, Speedmaster) cam, heads, intake, carb, etc. vs name brand (AFR, Comp, Edelbrock, Holley) on a SBC or SBF. How much HP does the extra expense buy?
He's got multiple cheap head shoot outs on SBC and I think some ford ones too.
Cheap stuff usually does quite well within about 5-10hp or so for an intake or exhaust setup. The problem is if you go cheap on everything then those number stack up. 20hp for heads, 10hp for the intake, 5hp for the cam despite a similar grind... before you know it you could've thrown a good set of heads alone at it and been better off.
Good evening!
So,,, a junkyard LS and a Chinieeseum turbo!
1,200 hp on $432!!!
Id go, long tubes, stock intake, the cam and heads and the 650 carb. For average street rpm range that will be best bang for buck
You would be choking the cam and could not rev as high as this head and cam combo want to go
@@utahcountypicazospage5412 i am referring to the ported stock heads and the small cam. As said ,
" for average st rpm range " and "bang for buck " , no mention of high rpm 👍
882 are busted through and cracked so new setup planned edited from 10 months ago
Promaxx Project X215 improved
370 c.i. 4.040" bore with notch to unshroud 2.10" intake valve
10.75:1 static compression
XR288HR10 hydraulic roller cam on 108* LSA and 4/7 swap
Edelbrock performer EPS intake port matched little blending porting (smaller than could use)
1-3/4" headers
HP? Torque?
This is a great video why you LS swap everything hahaha
Great video but what should we start with if we have a bone stock 350 in a truck thats got who knows how many miles on it? It looks like youre already starting out with better pistons and cam.
you can start with a stock motor-heads, cam and intake help every short block
I found a high rise intake for nothing, maybe a big port job and the biggest camshaft the stock heads can handle, cant go with headers because its going in a boat
IMO at this time the lowest cost hot rod SBC would be based on a roller cam block with Vortec heads.
an l31 is a good start
Hey @Richard Holdener. Any chance we could get a a header test on a small block chevy engine like this? 1 1/2 vs 1 5/8 vs 1 3/4 primary tube diameter? I would love to see it.
Richard- you do hundreds of flat tappet can swaps, and in light of ALL THE FAILURES HAPPENING, can you PLEASE do a segment just on how your breaking in the cams, and if you’ve had ANY failures, and/ or the products you use for success!!!! This is a HUGE ISSUE TO US HOBBYIST AND WE NEED TO KNOW MORE, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think hundreds of flat tappet cams is over stating it, but here you go: moly assembly lube on all cam lobes and the bottom of lifters, high zice break in oi and treatment, I remove the inner spring on dual spring applications. I have also run 1.3 ratio break in roller rockers. 2 10-15 minute break in cycles and its ready to rock after checking lash.
@@richardholdener1727 I have the LS beehive springs on my Vortec heads, and 1.5 roller tip rockers….. should I find a set of 1.3 rockers, and or find lighter springs? I have the GMPP factory flat tappet lifters with the hardened foot, and a parkerized Elgin 292 cam, and it measures approx 1.5-2 thousandths taper on the cam lobes, and of course the lifters have a slight crown….. would you chance it?
stock ls beehives?
@@richardholdener1727 no. I did the LS beehive spring upgrade with .050 offset keepers and comp retainers, to allow over 500 lift, even though I won’t be going over .495 lift. The Beehive springs are a single spring, so can’t remove an inner, and trying to give my flat tappet cam the absolute best chance to live, so would love your input!!! Your vids and dyno info is some of the best out there!!!! Absolutely LOVE your channel!!! Have been subscribed for over a year, and STILL go back to watch your older vids!!!! That’s why I was hoping you could do a “cam break in vid” since you seem to NOT HAVE PROBLEMS! Thank you, Richard! You’re the best!
I'm new to the channel, and I'm finding these videos and info from Richard amazing. It's a lot of data. So, I'm looking for some advice. I have an 87 IROC with an L98 TPI in it. I watched this video about SBC's and modification that are based around carbs. How would this differ for a TPI setup. I know heads are a big restrictor, and so is the stock TPI. If I wanted to get my car up to say 320-350 HP. What should I be looking to do? The car is fairly stock. I have 1-3/4" SLP headers, no cat, magnaflow exhaust. I guess I'm looking for advice on Cam selection, induction selection, and heads if necessary. Thanks so much. I've owned the car for 31 years, and now want to work on it with my 15 year old son as a project.
Take a look at the TPI videos, but a mild cam and heads help, but the factory TPI is really limiting
I'd be really curious about when a roller cam retrofit would make sense... Eg. Maybe go for some vortec heads instead of $$ aluminum and do a roller cam instead...
Of course it would be easier to find a roller motor to begin with I guess
yep-start with an l31
MSD distributor and wires not priced ??? One of the best low buck mod is an igntion system tune-up including a curved HEI. Showing increasing power levels could start with a plug wire pulled at the beginning and at final configuration. Using an old competive shooting phrase -- you can not miss fast enough to win.
1.26-1.28ft lbs per cubic inch dam that's getting up there
Sbc stuff is still cheap but is it cheaper price for power compared to a LS. Idk let's check the junkyards and summit catalog.
What are your thoughts on the edelbrock avs2 650? I bought my truck and it’s got one already on it. Are they decent?
Looking for this type of info for your Chrysler 2.2. Also, would really like to see emissions changes...is it heresy to consider environment along with performance?
lots of Chrysler 2.2 coming, but emissions outputs are for idle and cruise-not wot power
@@richardholdener1727 Agreed although wot in a street motor is not typical. If I make mods, I'd like to know how they affect emissions.
What size cc chamber was u running on the last test in the aluminum heads.
Ported 882 heads alone?
Plus 10-15 hp? Over stock 882?
Wouldn’t mind seeing a small block Chevy made for torque to stick into a pickup
build a tpi 350 or 383
882's: ~165cc runners [before porting] and 75cc chambers. Holley? These appear to be [systemax] 12111 heads: runners are about 20cc larger, plus chambers are 68cc. That's a big enough difference heads and cam should be done at the same time anyway, so no harm done.
Been a while since I ran 882's: the step in the exhaust runner is both horrile and incurable on account of water jacket location - a little better rounding of radius as it transitions to the runner roof is about as much help as it can get. Intake side? Has to be opened up to match a 1204, and no further. Its not quite apples vs oranges, but the heads tested here are more like cousins than brothers. I think the 12111 were good for a 1205 intake gasket?
upgrading the heads from ported stock to aluminum was not done to match port volumes-that would just be silly
assuming you aren't hot rodding around what do those upgrades do to your fuel mileage? you've basically made the engine more efficient does mileage go up as well? and I'm talking freeway mileage. say 75 mph down the highway. would gas mileage increase? thanks!
it would be less
Hey Richard,at what lift does one go to screw in rocker arm studs .? I had a .480 that started pushing stock studs out
it's not lift-it's spring pressure
@@richardholdener1727 doesn't spring pressure increase with lift?
Can you do a video of power gains vs mpg- I want some power gains right now it's just a 350 bored .30 over with a 700r4 transmission with a Transgo shift kit, and I would like more power and launch, but don't want to sacrifice my mpg-ideas welcome! Basically want more power and launch without affecting my mpg too harshly.
UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T TEST REAL-WORLD MPG ON THE DYNO
Hey Richard I couldn't tell, but did you use roller rockers on this build? If so were they 1.5 or 1.6 ratio? Thanks.
yes on holley heads, 1.5 to start
Real world info, for real world wrenches, WITH prices! This will be a series
Best set of heads you can get from a junkyard that will bolt on - Vortecs should do it. Now a four barrel and a 220@50 duration camshaft. Should be fine with the standard springs so long as lift is under .500" or so. If you can fit headers into the budget get the cheapest set of long tubes you can find - they really bring out the midrange. Altogether you should be easily 350 to 400hp for not a whole lot of money.
you want 420 lift to make vortech heads not near 500 unless you pay for screw in studs that is the down fall
Simple wet nitrous system would run quicker than all those.
Richard - Great video......I think it appeals to everyone from highschool gearhead to mid-life crisis grocery getter upgrade.
With the LS craze, I would still love to see a big bang oldschool 355,377,383,406 with catalog parts......that we midlife gear heads can piece together from summit or jegs with minimal trips to the machine shop. Maybe Dart SHP, Scat 4340 bottom end, decent forged pistons, 220ish heads, roller cam 240-250 range and power adder of your choice. Just a well thought out stout build with no exotic hardcore race stuff. I have yet to see one pushed to its limits on a dyno. This would be really cool to see compared to the LS.......maybe the architecture of the oldschool is not as bad as we have been led to believe in recent years. I know it will be trashing a perfectly good and expensive engine........but do it for the fans. Maybe you can build the motor than pick a high horsepower number to quit at if it reaches it.......I would be fine with that.
What XE 268H cam did you use the12-258-4 or the 12-242-2 one has a 114deg. the other a 110.
110
How does a bog-standard vortec head compare to a ported 882 head? I have a set of vortec heads and a matching air gap RPM manifold sitting on a shelf waiting for a rainy day… the engine is a .060 over ‘78 truck block (4-bolt mains) and it has a mild RV cam in it.
I feel like the 882’s and factory 4-barrel manifold are choking it.
I do have equal length shorty headers and full 3” exhaust already installed with high-flow cats. Also equipped with Edelbroken AVS2 650 carb.
I can’t seem to find any direct comparison dyno graphs comparing the vortec heads to 882’s.
check with Stan Weiss
@@richardholdener1727 will do, thanks Rich. 👍👍
Vortecs are good for 40 to 50 hp increase over stock open chamber heads. Definitely worth the trouble.
I have an edlebrock intake and carb on my 69 dodge d100 318.
I want put a qjet on it.
Is there an adapter for this application? I'm just assuming it's a squarebore intake.
yes there should be
Maybe flip a QJet to square bore carb adapter upside down?
Speed costs money, how fast can you afford to go? That has been the hotrodder's question for generations.
Try a solid lifter cam with 224/228@.050, 106 lsa, installed @ 102 degree advance. 😂
Do you think the weiand left power on the table? Smooth bottom and no crossover, would it have made much of a difference?
WEIAND 8004 WAS NOT AS GOOD AS EDEL
GIBBLESS
What did the compression ration with the Holley heads come in at?
they were 68 cc if memory serves
419hp445tq is 319hp 345tq wheel and vortec heads stock less power seem to be good with a power adder not NA
Batteries out in Microphone?
Now overlay this graph against a stock lq4
See I want to make this 99 tahoe a tad bit quicker she's bone stock with the mighty 350 I want to put 33s on her and squeeze 300 out of her what's the best way to do this without sinking 1500 in her
tune, headers, cam
I love old school gen 1 mods! Putting a ls in my corvette requires some chassis mods, but the gen 1 can still make 500+hp easily so for me, why trade up?
To make 600 hp😂
@@ufarkingicehole sometimes it pays to be grateful for what we have and not want more all the time. (Easy done)
Too much power ruins a street driver. 500hp is already alot of power and maybe even too much for some cars/people
@@Harrybowles1969 to each their own... Some want more and Richard gives a lot of people the knowledge to do it with out spending an arm and leg
@@ufarkingicehole you can make 600hp with a SBC, and still spend less money then with an LS.
Yup I love them all. You got to do what you love or there would be no point. Just saying most people including myself want 1000 hp on the street then when you get there preferred the days of 500 hp. No right answers here though obviously
Hello
That motor made 240 bone stock damn near i watched a powernation video they put a full top end kit and headers on a 350 and made 230 and made 300 with a hundred shit of nitrous isk how they messed up that bad but they did
1.4 turbo bulid would be interesting.
Although parts for this are pretty expensive. Between my front mount intercooler with pipes & ported intake, 1 in spacer at intake & head ,
aluminum radiator & pcv fix kit & Mamba wastegate updat.
Was about 1,300 $ over all.
I should have done a chassis dyno 1st to see what my gains were.
But going from 8 psi of boost sometimes to a positive 11 to 12 pound of boost at 3500 to 4200 rpms all the time is nice. Running lean, most likely now my next step is a tune. Thanks for your videos.
do not run your turbo motor lean
@Richard Holdener I know I'm waiting a bit for tune .
Budgets, lol 😆.
🇺🇲
S B C ya later! 😆
To bad u put them aluminum heads on. Everything would have been real world & relevant with the ported oem heads. The aluminum heads just takes all the valuable data & dismisses the tests. Way to go Richard Holder! U managed to separate urself from the common blue coller man again. Go eat ur Grey pupon!
Now you are just being silly. Cheap alum heads are the best way to make blue collar power
@@richardholdener1727 I've never been able to afford a performance aluminum head in my life! We ain't all California grey pupon mustard eaters!
This is why you buy an LS 5.3 and cam it. Less money, more power
First like and comment
Can you do the 400 sbc
where is the 396 build
Man I miss ol sbc's. Had a 82 swb with a 355 with unknown cam and some mild Goodwrench heads(got the engine for free and had no idea it had a cam lol) and it was a lot of fun. Traded it for a fox body, then traded that for a 'camino with a 396 stuffed into it. Man, the good old days