Need help to evaluate a 350 "deal"

[bubbletop61]

Guys
I just got back from looking at an engine in pieces. Yup an early bird event. Block was standard bore 3970010. It has a set of forged pistons flat top and H beam rods. Crank is forged .005 undersize on rods, standard on mains. Heads are cool...3917291 (C 3 8) on one side, 3890482 (D 12 7) on other side. Heads have guide plates, screw in studs, double springs. Two cracked exhaust valves...? Comes with two harmonic balancers, aluminum intake, Holley 600 or 650 mechanical, and Holley600? vacuum. Cam is described as giving a smooth idle but good power curve?? Whatever that means. Guy is asking $1,000. What are the heads worth. I really only need the block. Appreciate the help if you have a minute.
Thanks
BBTP61

[Super(sport)Man]

What's he smokin? That's a bit "high" for a non-running SBC, that'll imediately need head work, and sounds like it's in pieces....unless you actually WANT the spare parts, that is.

Best bet would be to offer him $300 or less for just the bare block, and if he doesn't take it, keep looking.....They're out there; It'll just take some rock-turning to find the right one at the right price.

[Fran Preve]

BBT61: What Super said. If you can trust the block maybe a little more than $300, big IF!. Heads are next to worthless, figure on a full valve job at a minimum and not that good a casting (unless you NEED that version/date code). Rest is MAYBE $150 at a swap meet. Forged pistons and H rods (bottom end) sounds good, but you gotta trust it.

[bubbletop61]

Thanks Fran and SS Man
I thought the heads might be worth something. The block is good for sure, but I could buy a block on ebay that has already been tanked, mag. particled, peened,
align bored and honed, bored, with new cam bushings for $475. At this rate a block core is $200 max max! Crank is probably a $75 - 100 item. Forged pistons and rods are probably worth $150, but pistons are standard..what do you use them for? The rest is fluff. Now, the 1000 was Canadian, about $780 usd. To me its a maximum value of about 400 - 500 Cdn. ( 300-380 us)

I bought a complete running 350 to put in the boat for this season for $200 last night. Picking it up tonight. It puffs a little blue smoke on start up, then it clears, so I think the valve seals and guides are not great, but I have oil enough to last the summer. Sorry in advance to the fish! I'm gonna slide the marine cam and lifters in to it tomorrow, put the cam drive gears from marine engine on it & use my QJet intake.
Hope to drop it in the boat Sunday or Monday. It will only run for 20 or 30 hours this summer, meanwhile I'll collect the parts I need for a fall rebuild of a fresh engine which I'll pop in there in the Spring. Suits my budget and the kids need to water ski this summer, a win-win I think they call it. :clap
Thanks Again
Gar

[Fran Preve]

Good luck with the marime motor. I'd change the valve seals first, they go usually before guides. Why the maeine cam and timing gears?, unless it's for opposite rotation. My wife and I were just down prepping our cruiser for the water, my problem is I'm running two Merc 351 FORDS!, wish they were Chevy's. Water next week?. Hope, hope, hope..................................

[bubbletop61]

Fran
Opposite Rotation it is. LH Props 13 x 13 are getting tougher to find these days. I changed all the drive last year, and had the old 3 blade prop re-pitched from 12 to 13. Bored out the stuffing boxes and went .125 larger on the prop shaft and rudder shaft. Amazing all the vibration went away...what a difference :D . All the new tournament boats have been RH Screw for several years now, so used LHs are hard to find, even new 4 blades are rare.

Now lets see? 2 x 351 Fords = a fuel bill I don't even want to think about at current prices. I guess more mooring parties this year? ;) Its funny how we get worked up about the price of fuel, as it effects our mobility (or at least the cost of it) with our vehicles for trips and vacations...but when it comes to the boat... well its not so bad is it? :love
Cheers, and anchors away,
BBTP61

[Fran Preve]

Shame about the opp rotation, makes it a ***** I know!. Well ya, sitting at the dock, but now my dockmates will get to know me. I worked 2nd shift until last fall, took the boat out twice a year and was never on it after 4pm!. Of course gas prices were CHEAP back then!. Now I'm retired, all the time in the world, and gas prices are thru the moon. And being retired I'm on a limited budget. Two good things, one, it's a 30' Flybridge and rarely sees over 1500 RPM, usually 1200 (wide open it won't go over 3200 RPM, something I'll have to work on, finally. And two, I live on Grand Island, and Island in the middle of the Niagara river 2 miles above Niagara Falls. Because of the current I can motor up river and then shut her down and drift a couple of miles back, we call it a "West River Drift". Ya, filling two 50 gallon tanks gets to be expensive ($250 today), and I can burn that without much trouble. I've got a couple of MSD 5's, maybe that will help.

PS: Name of boat: X Racer (then a christmas tree), it's a 75 Trojan.