another question rocketeers

[silent rick]

you guys helped idenitify a 324 for me earlier. the indecisive mother fucker strung me along for months before deciding to sell to someone else.
i'm looking at a 59 dynamic 88 and a 60 olds, both have 2 bbl carbs. does that mean they're 371's and not a 394? is there anyway to tell the diff between the two motors?
i'd rather have a 394, the torque they produce rivals a nailhead.

second question is: can the 371 be bored the .125 and built to 394 specs? ya gotta love the hamb, just so much knowledge floating around here.
thanks

[Deyomatic]

Sounds like the bottom end might be different.
The Ultimate American V8 Engine Data Book 1949-1974 by Peter C. Sessler says this about the 394:

"This was the largest displacement of the original Rocket V-8, with its bore and stroke of 4.125 x 3.688 in. Besides redesigned cylinder heads, the engine also used a larger journal crankshaft, with mains measuring 3.000 in and rods 2.500 in. It was available in two and four barrel versions, and the highest output rating on the engine, 345 hp, was available from 1962-1964."

[Blownolds]

'59-60 371's (not the '57-8 371's) have about the "same exact" bottom end as the '59-60 394's.

Obviously, the pistons are different due to CR and bore size differences.

The rods actually listed as being different, but I have never figured out what that difference might be, and as far as I'm concerned, they should be interchangeable.

I have never sonic checked one of these blocks, so I do not know what max bore would be for either the 371 or 394 block.

[silent rick]

thanks a bunch for the info so far. so if the 394 came in both 2 and 4 bbl versions, how do i tell a 394 from a 371?

both are still in the cars, with trannies and rearends, hell, i can take the whole car. both have the 5 or whatever perimeter bolt valve covers. is there an ID plate in the door jamb or somewheres? if so, what's the code for the 394?

blownolds, the info in my book says the stroke is the same so that is why i was curious about the over bore. anymore info would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

[DON_WOW]

No worries boring any 371 out to 394 4.125 size. Max over bore if you read code on vally pan rail is 4.25 in most cases.

[silent rick]

thank you mr. wow, anybody care to second it?

ok, so now i need a source for pistons and gaskets and other parts needed in a rebuild.

thanks again everybody

[silent rick]

one more question, are the heads the same? any difference in valve sizes?

thanks

[Paul]

don't underestimate the 371,

still gobs of good usable power there.

and it may be easier to find go fast parts for compared to the '94.

Paul

[Blownolds]

Paul-- you are thinking of the '57-8 371.

The '59-60 371 will take the exact same speed parts as the 394. It's just a small-bore 394, and happens to have the same bore and stroke as the '57-8 371 (hence the same displacement).