Chevy 355 Small Block Engine Build - Cheap Skate!

...but its effectiveness was marginal to nonexistent. The baffles in the 7-quart Moroso pan used on the 355 perform far better.

The Comp solid flat tappet cam measures 255/263 at 0.050. Since the flat tappets limit lift to 0.540/0.534 inch, the School of Automotive Machinists (SAM) says a solid roller cam with similar duration figures would yield an additional 15-20 hp. However, the flat tappets are less expensive and provide excellent durability. To keep rpm from exceeding 7,000 with a budget short-block, the lobes were ground on a relatively tight 106-degree LSA.

Getting the job done up top is a set of World Products 220cc iron heads. They feature 2.08/1.60-inch valves and can support upwards of 500 hp.

After a quick fluff-and-buff job that involved gasket-matching the ports and radiusing the bowls, SAM coaxed an impressive 280 cfm out of the intake ports. Despite their large cross-section, the ports maintain excellent low- and midlift velocity, as proven by the 355's average torque output of nearly 400 lb-ft.

On the exhaust side, minor massaging bumped flow to 220 cfm.

The World Products heads come fully assembled with beefy 1.55-inch springs compatible with solid lifter cams.

The 62cc combustion chambers boast an extremely large quench pad. Its effectiveness is evidenced by the fact that the 355 required just 35 degrees of ignition advance despite relying on iron head castings.

What did Victor Jr. intakes look like back in 1969? A lot like this. The relic was gasket-matched and still proved plenty capable of supporting the flow demands from today's cylinder heads.

On the dyno, maximum power was achieved with a 1-inch open-plenum phenolic carb spacer.

What was considered trick technology back in the '60s is the norm nowadays, but these 1.5:1 Crane roller rockers still perform flawlessly after sitting in an attic for more than 30 years.

Original DZ-style Z/28 carburetors such as this one fetch $1,000 on eBay. It makes you wonder how many are actually still in use at the track. We now know of at least one.