Engine Building - V-8 Power Trends And Best-Selling Engine Combos

Late-model horsepower swapped... 

   

  read full caption

Late-model horsepower swapped into an early musclecar just got a bunch easier with the Turn Key 510hp LS2 conversion.

SMALL-BLOCK GEN IV LS2 364 CI
The big trick to bolting a Gen III or Gen IV engine into a '60s or '70s musclecar is attention to the details. This is where Turn Key Engine Supply has it on most of the aftermarket Gen III/IV engine suppliers. Hook up the five wires to the Delphi MEFI-4 controller, install the fuel pump (which is supplied), connect the exhaust and cooling system, set up a throttle linkage, and you're ready to run! Turn Key offers two normally aspirated horsepower packages with the entry-level system at 510 hp along with a hotter 550hp version going for about $2,600 more. We've also included a couple of 5.7L LS1, Gen III-based packages as well, but you'll notice that the LS2 510hp package makes more power for $500 less! Starting with the pretuned Delphi computer, Turn Key adds wiring and injectors, coils, an alternator, and a water pump with the serpentine-belt package, a K&N air filter, a starter, a flexplate, a fuel-pump kit, and block-hugger headers. The engine is essentially ready to plug into an early musclecar, but those shorty headers may not bolt up to an early Camaro, so Turn Key also offers a set of Hooker long-tube headers for that application. Since Turn Key has done all the tuning for you, it will start and run great from the first twist of the ignition key.

Turbos and blowers are the... 

   

  read full caption

Turbos and blowers are the only way to make big power with a Buick 350. This one belongs to CC reader Mark Burton. It has 8.5:1 compression and two Garrettt TO4B turbos. All the tubes were made at his personal shop, Burton Machine.

Small-Block Buick 350 Ci
Hey, a lot of Buicks came with a 350-inch engine between 1968 and 1980, so finding one in a Buick Special, Skylark, Regal, or LeSabre should be a snap. The 3.800-inch bore and long 3.850 stroke limits the size of the intake and exhaust valves, and therefore the ultimate power, but properly assembled, the 350 makesa killer low-buck cruisin' engine.

We spoke to Mike Tomaszewskis at TA Performance about the 350s that were moving out the door, and he told us that most guys were using the stock rotator with some mild oiling and induction tricks to make a reliable 350-plus horsepower. The typical combination uses a cast-dished piston that yields 9.5-10.0:1 compression with an iron 350 head from virtually any year that has been rebuilt with the stock valves or upgraded to oversized 1.920 intake and 1.550 exhaust valves. All of this will work with a 0.040-inch gasket, a stock-throw crank, and rods upgraded with ARP bolts. Just be sure not to mill the head or the block deck beyond just a clean-up.

Tomaszewskis also told us that it is easier just to replace the entire front cover with a high-performance oil-pump assembly that includes a new timing cover, pump cover, gearset, booster plate, and adjustable regulator. Other oiling mods include using a 91/416x12-inch drill bit to open up the oil galley on the suction side and installing a 51/48-inch pickup tube to increase oil volume to the pump. There is also a gasket available to eliminate the stock rope seal on the rear main bearing.

A hydraulic flat-tappet is the common cam with 223/230 duration at 0.050 and 0.475/0.475 lift on a 110-degree lobe center. The cam will pull 13 inches and can be run with a stock converter. Tomaszewski tops the combo with a TA dual-plane intake and an Edelbrock 600-cfm carb with an electric choke. TA also has 151/48-inch headers with a 3-inch collector that will fit the Buick Skylark and most A-bodies.