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Old 05-06-2014, 11:31 PM   #61
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

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Originally Posted by Kirbystud
I have a 366 in my bus and it will run all day long at 3200 to 3500 RPMs at 65 mph. When going up a hill it will drop 5 mph or so....I have installed new daul exhaust 2 1/2 to the back tires. New carb I went with a Q Jet.... I would make sure all is work on your engine before changing out stuff......

If I can get my 366 up to where you are, I'd be a happy camper. I just bought my bus. Its been pretty dormant for the last 7 years. Gonna do a tune-up fix the leaks and hope for the best.

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Old 05-07-2014, 09:21 AM   #62
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

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Originally Posted by opus
2 engines I was fond of, the 366 and the Ford 377. You like the 454 better than the 366?

Yup it has more power the power to weight ratio is much better than the bus was, I regret not keeping the 366 engine and the allison trans but I had no use for it at the time so let it go to the crusher, I could have kept the engine trans for 500 bux, would have been great for a 1 ton pickup truck hauler project. My current RV weighs about 3-5k less than the bus did.
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Old 05-07-2014, 09:34 AM   #63
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

I was traffic manager at Ryder Truck Rental in the early 80's. I ended driving quite a few and boy did we drive them. They held up well and scooted right along. Then again, we're talking an empty 24' moving truck. First thing we'd do is unplug the gov. and go!
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Old 07-14-2014, 10:08 PM   #64
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

I read most of the posts on here conserning trying to get performance out of the 366. I have one in the bus I have now and the only thing I can add is this. Its a great engine for what it was designed for to be a work horse but it ain't no race horse and if you try and make it a race horse your beating a dead horse. It will run all day long or as long as you drive it, its like a ox slow but reliable. I'm leaning toward a diesel perhaps a Cummings or a 2 stroke D-roit. And thats because I've spent a little time with those two brands.But if your trying to pass every thing on the interstate you ain't gonna do sitting behind a 366. Thats all I gotta say about it.
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Old 07-17-2014, 11:38 AM   #65
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

I don't think anyone is going to build a race horse out of it…. as you said it won't happen.

For me I wam just wanting it to breathe a little I think a header and duals on it would do the trick.

I am all about tried and true engines so Im ok with it.

I will have a diesel in my next bus for sure.
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Old 07-17-2014, 12:04 PM   #66
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

Headers are hardly worth anything shy of full throttle racing applications. Run a good diameter dual and I bet you'll find you do better.
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Old 07-17-2014, 12:43 PM   #67
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

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Originally Posted by opus
Headers are hardly worth anything shy of full throttle racing applications. Run a good diameter dual and I bet you'll find you do better.

My 1987 366 came with GM factory headers installed.

I would NEVER install headers on ANY engine they are just not worth the gains.
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Old 07-17-2014, 11:31 PM   #68
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

Hoser…..

Explain. All the years I hot rodded and built motors…. I would have to disagree.
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Old 07-18-2014, 06:58 AM   #69
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

headers are great if they are of good quality, fit and are tuned correctly. most exhaust systems are not! i would think some good gains to be had with correct size/length headers and an x pipe for that midrange motor (366).
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Old 07-18-2014, 09:11 AM   #70
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

Its real simple I had a 76 Blazer had about 80k miles of documented use and MPG records buddy called and said he had a FREE set of aluminum coated headers for me a guy had bought them for his Blazer and never installed them at the time I needed a new exhaust so since the price was right took the FREE headers, installed they didnt fit for **** hit the starter had to remove the starter heat up all the tubes with a torch then put a 4x4 between the block and header bend it out to clear the header, install heat shields to prevent it from cooking the starter, then took it to custom muffler shop to have duals in stalled, the next 80k miles the MPG didnt change, no gains, just more noise and problems trying to keep spark plug wires from burning up dumbest thing I ever did was remove the factory single exhaust and manifolds and install FREE headers!

I have seen dozens of other owners with the same thing.

Psychologically their is a LOT OF GAINS problem is they are NEVER backed up by anything scientific unless your the MFG supplying the dyno results for the magazine your now advertising in thats writing a favorable review for you since your now paying him for the favorable review.

Do headers work YES in specific applications they can help go they work on every application NO they dont.

Save all your BS unless you want to come back with some technical documents like some SAE documents then I would be willing to listen and or read those documents, telling me all your lame BS engine building 150 years of drag racing crapola bla bla bla you can save I have heard it all before not one of you have ever drag races with factory manifolds so have no data to back up your seat of the pants psychological gains you brag about.

Would I see more power if I was going to install headers on my engine then run it 2000 RPM more than I normally do YES probably but this is not real world gains when I go back to the normal RPMs I gained nothing, so YES your right 'headers create more power' but are meaningless in the real world.

Same goes with motorcycles and ATVs the jedi mind tricks work on them also, cant count the thousands of dollars I have seen people spend on those exhaust that in real life give no measurable gains, those fools actually think the factory engineers left some undiscovered performance gains behind for some guy to discover then sell to you haha.

Anxiously waiting on SAE documents or equivalent to read.... Spare me all the articles written by people who also sell advertisements and call the internal combustion engine a "motor" haha = hacks and quacks call them a motor too stupid to realize the correct terminology ...
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Old 07-18-2014, 10:01 AM   #71
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Re: Chevy 366 hop up

hoser, i agree with every thing you said. as i said, most exhaust systems are not tuned correctly. if headers are built/tuned per the 2000 rpm area above the torque curve of a particular engine, there will be significant gains in efficiency. problem is, you cant get those from a magazine. no need to offer proof, as proof can be skewed. most manufactors show incomplete data on their dyno sheets, or alter the run conditions for favor in their direction of advertising.
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Old 07-26-2018, 05:08 PM   #72
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Thread update?

Has anyone actually modified a 366 and gotten positive power/mileage gains?

I have a 366 in a 1993 K3500 4x4 5speed that I will be running until I can find a suitable 8.1L BBC to replace it.

Currently it is stock (as far as I know) except for an eddlebrock intake manifold and carburetor, and a Mallory electronic distributor.

It runs okay for what it is, but that doesn't say much for it. It vibrates at about 2300rpm but does alright if you push it onward. I try to drive it below 2200rpm which gets me almost to 70mph in overdrive. I get somewhere between 6 and 8 mpg and it is not peppy.

I'm considering changing to the .470 or .476 cam (as mentioned earlier in this thread), but would like to hear if anyone has made that work or not.
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Old 10-29-2018, 06:42 PM   #73
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Basic pwr

Your 366 is an engine. Forget all the glory talk and the you need you need stuff.
Basics; a 366 is not a ribbon winner it's built to go work all day, take abuse and get home to go again tomorrow. It does it well. Just use basic knowledge to improve its airflow as with any other engine. Call a cam grinder, Racer Brown, Howard's, Comp, Crane or whoever. They will ask questions, you answer honestly and they'll grind you one or tell you what to buy. A Comp. "260" would be pretty close. You can buy or make manifold spacers and use a standard BBC style intake of your choice. The ignition is likely adequate all you need is more charge in the cylinders. Keep it simple and it stays reliable. A lot of things on the market and forums are for catching the fisherman not the fish. Simple works! Always has always will.
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Old 10-29-2018, 08:03 PM   #74
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrmikeemmo View Post
Your 366 is an engine. Forget all the glory talk and the you need you need stuff.
Basics; a 366 is not a ribbon winner it's built to go work all day, take abuse and get home to go again tomorrow. It does it well. Just use basic knowledge to improve its airflow as with any other engine. Call a cam grinder, Racer Brown, Howard's, Comp, Crane or whoever. They will ask questions, you answer honestly and they'll grind you one or tell you what to buy. A Comp. "260" would be pretty close. You can buy or make manifold spacers and use a standard BBC style intake of your choice. The ignition is likely adequate all you need is more charge in the cylinders. Keep it simple and it stays reliable. A lot of things on the market and forums are for catching the fisherman not the fish. Simple works! Always has always will.

Fuel inject it.. TBI isnt hard and it will ne a true feedback closed loop system and makes these engines run much better than the carb versions..
-Christopher
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Old 10-30-2018, 12:13 AM   #75
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interesting read.....

How to get more oommph with out taking it all apart....

peak torque = maximum air fuel mix into the cylinders.


Ignition, You can advance the ignition too much and not have detonation. A dyno would sure help to do this. However, in most cases, if you have a constant grade and a stop watch, we can use that for a dynometer.use the longest hill you can. = more time and better stop watch results.
I would consider the cost of low octane vs high octane in relation to miles per gallon and road speed.

Spark gap, I think the 0.035 is pretty conservative. An hei system you should be able to move into the 0.045 range pretty easy. Push more gap and you will be replacing that HEI ignition rotor more often....They seem to burn through in the center. Use a soft center electrode on the plug and be pointed, you can open the gap a little, but that means pulling the plugs every 5,000 miles to regap, carry ignition rotor, and Hei module with you.
I wonder what kind of advance curve you need for the 1000 rpm to 3500 rpm range? Never worked on that aspect of that rpm range. I have more experience with 3000 to 8000

Use a soft center electrode spark plug, NGK or champion, not a fine tip -- not of for use with carburetors or tbi injection.

pull that air from right in front, 14 degree temperature supposedly = 1% better power, The shape of the lower air cleaner plate can help or kill air flow into the carb. The lid seems to make a difference too. go look up work on velocity stacks and shape on things like weber carbs, and tall stacks on 4bbl carbs. yea big open dual intake air cleaner tubes, but get the air from right in front.

run hotter on water temp if you can control it. the temperature differential, the lower temp incoming air, and how hot you can make it after it is trapped in the cylinder, you can gain more work. Notice in the 50's and 60's water temps were 175, 180 degrees, now most gasoline engines are in the 200 range. IF YOU CAN CONTROL IT.

lets see, cooler air, volume, shape of intake/air cleaner on carb, ignition timing, type and shape of center electrode on the plug, gap.

plug wires - not carbon filament - spiral wound metal conductor - NGK are my favorite, Keep wires separated 1/2 inch from each other if you can, help to prevent inductive signals from one wire to the next.

I am a fan of synthetic oils, use the lightest oil you can, AND still protect the engine.

This is all I can think of for stuff to do with out getting inside the engine.
I base a lot of this work on a truck I spent a lot of time tuning, about a year. Many of the old timers called bullshit on me. but I got a 1970 3/4 chevy with 4.11 gears and 350 cu to 16 mpg. tuned . and all stock parts. most of the gains were spark gap and carb tuning, some gains with temperature, oil weight, and dual exhaust and mufflers.

william
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Old 10-30-2018, 06:52 AM   #76
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Careful tuning is missed by so many. You really need to do this.

I do like fuel injection, have done a number of them with TBI. Always a jump in fuel milage, and a bit more power. Will have to say that fuel injection vs carb, if all things are equal power really should be the same. However most truck engines have rather small carbs, and going to a larger TBI and working on the manifold to fit it properly will let more air in as well as fuel.
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Old 10-30-2018, 07:46 AM   #77
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Quote:
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Careful tuning is missed by so many. You really need to do this.

I do like fuel injection, have done a number of them with TBI. Always a jump in fuel milage, and a bit more power. Will have to say that fuel injection vs carb, if all things are equal power really should be the same. However most truck engines have rather small carbs, and going to a larger TBI and working on the manifold to fit it properly will let more air in as well as fuel.

other thing is a TBI will make up for slight deficiencies in tuning.. esp if you can locate knock sensors correctly and enable them.. it will run the timing out as far as it can.. O2 sensors allow the TBI to fuel to an efficient state.. MAP and BARO sensors allow it to auto adjust for altitude..



carbs are mostly static.. timing is only done on a spring curve.. timing is related to fuel.. run it richer you can run out the timing fiurther and not detonate.. run lean and its going to detonate because the springs dont care that you are running lean.



if the bus is a classic and you are restoring it for originality then I keep the carb .. but if its a conversion and not treated as a classic, then i say update it.
-Christopher
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Old 11-15-2018, 08:13 PM   #78
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366 Bus owner here.. Honestly I was surprised how strong that motor actually is!! Granted I do have a fresh crate motor... Also be wary of carburetors... The previous owner had installed an 850 Holley.. Which is way to big.. I swapped it out for an Edelbrock 1406.. Its 600cfm with Electric Auto choke.. And a 1" Spacer... That engine screams now.
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Old 11-16-2018, 02:54 AM   #79
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The 1405 and 1406 are great carbs for these abs the international 345/392. Do bexaware the 1405 is tuned a tad better than the 1406 for these motors. You can match the desired AF ratio chart to what many recommend online. I’m installing a re jetted 1405 on my 392 international.

These carbs are some of the easiest on the market to tune abs it’s worth spending the time to do it, your butt Dyno abs gas budget will thank you
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Old 11-16-2018, 05:32 AM   #80
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abs? is this a typo that should be "and"?

I have done well with Holley's projection fuel injection system , usually about a 20-25 percent improvement on fuel mileage. Has anyone tried the newer "self" learning fuel injection systems? These look like a carb.
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