|
|
|
|
Original Message
|
| I like the 352 a lot. |
| By Dave Shoe - 03/04/2001 11:58:33 PM; IP 12.2.11.131 |
Especially the 1965-67 years of the 352, as they got all the late-style block upgrades, such as 4-bosses for motor mounts, alternator boss cast into the front-passenger side of the block, and the positive-retention cam plate.
A 352 has 82% of the displacement of a 428, so if it's easy to pull 550HP from a 428, then 450HP shouldn't break a sweat with a 352.
Also, when it comes time for a bore-out, .050-over allows using nice "used" pistons from a 360, should you wanna have fun, but not wanna spend a bunch of money. The 390 upgrade is also a cheap 'n' easy alternative, but it's also an easy cop-out. Frankly, I'd like to see more hairy (and economical) 352s on the road.
Most 352's from the "emissions years" of 1966-1967 also seem to have very often gotten the desirable large-runner C6AE-R heads, and less often the emissions-type C6AE-U or C7AE-A heads. Still, the emissions-era heads may have smaller runners and not flow as much, but I think they are better engineered and either the emissions or pre-emissions design would be great on a 352/360, depending on how wild you want to go.
I want very much to build up a 352/360 to see what kinda power it can make. The 352 did great back in the early '60s when intake manifold technology was crude by today's standards (camshaft technology, too).
Granted, the special 352HP engine got beefy connecting rods - a rod styled much like the 1964-later 390, but a tatch longer - but I'm studying the plain 352/360 rod a bit more and it's sorta growing on me as a nice forged street-performance item, especially since I'm studying rods from other '50s era engines and recognize the skinny FE rods were comparatively meaty by 1958 standards.
The 360 rodcap is identical to the 390, 410, 428, and even the PI/CJ cap, and this (in my opinion) is a very critical area, as far as making rod bearings live. Also, I think the 352 rodcap is the same as the 360, so by extension, theplain 352 rodcap is a performance piece. The 3/8" rodbolt is a great performance size, and ARP bolts drop right in, though I suspect I'd run stock rodbolts and cast pistons with a 360 I eventually build, because I'd be aiming at 425HP or so, and a redline around 6500RPM (just to see if it'll really live there for a long time - I'm betting the short stroke will let it go forever, just as long as detonation isn't allowed to strain things).
The 352 crank is just plain strong and stiff, but you'll want to get a '68-later style crankshaft damper because these damp much better when the revs climb past 5000 RPM, especially with the stiff 352 crank.
I dunno what your compression ratio is, but Mr.Fs specs suggest it's likely 9.3:1. This is probably good, as you want to avoid detonation, but if you put a wilder cam into the motor, you can handle a bit more compression, up to maybe 10.0:1 without detonating. An easy way to raise compression a half point is to stick emissions heads on, but this changes the tube-header model you need, as emissions heads have relocated exhaust runners.
Good intake manifolds for a 352 in a hot truck include the CJ iron piece, the PI, and the Ed Performer RPM. Trucks anf Galaxies can deal with the heavy iron CJ intake better than a Fairlane or Mustang can. These'll all work with large runner (pre-emissions) or small runner (emissions) heads without port matching.
I guess I've been in the process of formulating a cheap 352/360 performance build for myself for a long time, and am just mouthing off what's going on inside my head.
Maybe I'll have something ready by this summer's Car Craft Nationals, so I can participate with a 352 Galaxie in the burnout contest. That'd be kinda fun, as last year I saw a rather lamo "advertised as big-buck" 5.0 that spit and coughed after 15 seconds, and the Chevy motors never get me excited, even though they make O.K. power. Nothing sounded really mean last year.
At any rate, it'll be fun to see if I can someday make a 352/360 into a long-lived street terror.
Shoe. |
|
|
This thread, so far...
|
|
|
|
Post A Response
|
|
|
|
|
|