Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Smooth stock or Rumbling fun, this is the question

Thanks for your patience with all my posts...

The situation: For very cheap, I can put together a 250 engine stock. Risks are a little corrosion in the cylinders (steel wool is your friend), the CAM is questionable (I pulled a lifter and saw questionable wear), it will burn some oil. I can lap the valves, replace the seals and be on my way.

Result: Smooth, stock 250 performance at a cheap price. (160-170 HP)

The alternative: Have my 230 block bored to 0.040", acid cleaned, new CAM bearings installed, block flattened by a machinist. Convert to 250 with a reconditioned crank from rockauto, put in forged aluminum pistons, a new CAM (0.484, think 0.495 is too much), lump port head (1.84" intake, 1.6" exhaust). I have a lot of city driving, hence the smaller intake and CAM. Have tools, will travel, so assemble it all myself learning along the way. Risk is that I miss something in the assembly and the engine blows up.

Result: Rumbling rocking engine, ready for fun. (225-250 HP)

I figure it's about $300 vs. $3000.

What would you do?
PS Anybody need a 250 shortblock?

Why go full out when you can do an in between build and wind up where I will be in about 2 days?

Do a cam swap, intake, headers, 4bbl, and HEI.

Depends what floats your boat. If you are after a quick turn and getting to the end result the quick recondition is the likely choice. If instead you enjoy the process and the journey of rebuilding every aspect of the engine (and you've got the 3 grand) then go for it . . .

Heck, 3 grand is cheap. lol My 292 was 6 grand, but I went just a little crazier. If your happy with the performance of the stock 250 then keep it stock. If you want more umph and fun then hop it up a bit. Personally I wouldn't put a higher lift cam in as all your doing is making small valves open further. Unless you at least put a bigger intake valve in and lump port the head then you can get some better flow to justify the higher lift. These stock heads were made for low end power....unless you open them up a bit when you add more lift to the cam your not going to see the full advantage of more flow. If you were going to put a new cam in that 250 with a stock head I'd stay at .450 or under. Keeps the duration lower as well. But the plan you have for the 230 sounds really good as well. If it was me...I'd be doing the 230. lol

Thanks everyone for your input!

My question is basically cheap/stock, expensive/performance. If I really wanted a ton of performance, I'd have thrown the engine out last year and put in a nice new turn-key 350 crate engine. 335 HP and it comes with power steering pump, alternator and A/C. :-)

I'm going to take the road less traveled.

I will have the machine shop do the work that I cannot do at home. I'll assemble it myself.

DOES ANYBODY NEED A CHEAP 250? I am planning on using the crank from this engine, but really, it could be put back together and combined with my existing head to get a running engine. wire brush the snot out of it and slap on some paint and you're good to go. I'm not big on shipping.

I'm going to continue dismantling this engine to get to the crank, but I can always buy a crank.

Of course, provided my existing block is good and I don't need this one.

Mark

Build a 250, mild cam, Langdon headers, take the head in for TLC (bigger valves, lumps, cleaning), Offy or Clifford intake, and a 500 CFM 4bbl.

Just do it. You know you want to.

If that's not enough turbo charge it or add juice.

Mark, I would be interested in the 250, depending on where you are located up there in Washington. I am in Salem, Oregon....you can message me if you want.

Hi, PM sent. Always good to put an engine to use.

Mark: definitely go more aggressive on the cam than I did. You can go level or two higher.

Also get the umbrella seals Tom recommended in my cam thread. And don't go cheap on the lifters or springs.

....but it's worth the effort.

How much torque/hp would that put out approximately? I'm planning on rebuilding a 250 for a 1974 Chevy nova and I'm curious