Now it was time to turn our short-block into a full-fledged engine. First up was bolting on the Racing Head Service (RHS) aluminum 180 heads (PN 12022-0, $747 each). These Pro-Action 23-degree heads feature a 64cc chamber and come fully assembled. RHS advertises that the peak airflow at .700-inch lift is 270 cfm on the intake and 195 cfm on the exhaust. If you need to save a few bucks and don't mind the extra weight, RHS also offers these heads in an iron version (PN 12317-01, $561.38 each). For head bolts we went with a kit from ARP (PN 134-3601, $61.95). At that price, why wouldn't we?
For an ignition system, we went with MSD's new Street Fire billet HEI distributor (PN 8362, $159.99) and matching plug wires. Since the wires were only $40, it meant our entire ignition system came in at only $200. It's hard to argue with MSD quality at such a wallet-friendly price. Topping off our Weiand intake is Holley's new 650hp street-version carb. To keep things running cool and knock off some weight, we also sourced Weiand for one of its aluminum water pumps. We started this build with a bare block and didn't have any fasteners. Rather than hunt around for all the various intake, water pump, header, and other bolts, we just picked up an accessory bolt kit from ARP (PN 534-9801, $79.95). This saved us a ton of hassles, and as a bonus, they look great. Other parts used in the build came from Summit and include the water neck (PN SUM-G1581, $13.95), distributor clamp (PN SUM-400500, $4.95), and these sweet chromed valve covers (PN HLY-241-80, $57.69).
In addition to the roller cam, we installed a set of comp roller lifters and the necessary retention kit. Since our '86 block was already set for roller parts, the swap was a snap. We also needed to change to a shorter 7.200 pushrod, but we were able to use the same rockers. Steve Brule of Westech Performance Group also installed the stiffer springs that come on the RHS heads if we would have ordered them for a roller application (PN 1-2022-02, $803.25 each).
With the much smaller and more street-friendly hydraulic roller cam, our 350 put down 387 hp and 416 lb-ft of torque than the lumpier flat-tappet cam. More importantly, the roller cam has much better street manners, with over 17 inches of vacuum at 1,000 rpm compared to under 11 inches on the flat-tappet engine. This equates to an improved idle quality and a more reliable engine for a ride that sees lots of street time. We will also never have to worry about the roller cam going flat. The downside is cost $500 more to go the roller route, with a lot of that being spent on the lifters. Still, the total cost of our engine with the roller cam was an affordable $4,200.
After bolting on the oil pan, we flipped the engine over and dropped in the Comp High-Energy hydraulic lifters (PN 812-16, $72.95). Again, we used lots of assembly lube. Notice that late-model block is all set up to run roller parks (red arrows). | 
We also pieced up an oil pump from Summit (PN SES-3-60-08-005, $44.95). The pump included the pickup and driveshaft, so it was a pretty good deal. For a little added a insurance we put a half bottle of Torco lube in the oil pump. Again, lubrication is life for a flat-tapped valvetrain, We ditched the multi-piece oil pan gasket that came in the Fel-Pro set (PN FPP-2802, $109.95). | 
Tim then set the Weiand Stealth Air-Strike intake in place. The dual-plane aluminum intake is perfect for the street and only set us back $200. The manifold features a high-rise isolated runner design that helps keep the intake charge cooler. |
These Comp Magnum roller-tip rockers (PN 1416-16, $157.95) are a good balance between budget and performance. Their 1.6 ratio will give us a bit more lift, and the roller tip will let the valvetrain work more efficiently. With the rockers in place, we were able to check what pushrod length we needed, which turned out to be 7.800 inches. | 
Lastly, we bolted on this 6.25-inch TCI Rattler balancer using an ARP fastener (PN 134-2501, $19.95). The rattler is a pendulum absorber that helps control vibration and crankshaft twist. The design doesn't rely on being filled with fluid and is pretty much maintenance free. We also picked up the matching TCI timing pointer. | 
With the flat-tappet engine assembled, we took it over to Westech Performance Group for some time on its Superflow dyno. After breaking in the cam and setting the timing, we made a few pulls and managed to get 375 hp at 5,500 rpm and 409 pounds of torque at 3,800 rpm from the little 350. The cam profile was lumpy and had less than 11 inches of vacuum at 1,000 rpm. |
Then we pulled the flat-tappet parts out of the engine and slid in a roller cam. The cam was one we had in the shop, and at 218/224 with .570 lift and an LSA of 113, it was pretty tame. | | |