Ok I know that this has been brought up over and over again but using the search function has just got me more confused. I have a 72 chevelle with
468 BB
049 stock ovals
unknown cam/hydraulic
850 demon
I am wanting to do a rebuild but I do not know what combo to go with. I currently have kb203 pistons in it but want the compression up around 10.5. I am looking for proven combos using the 049 heads,

What's your intended usage? How much street vs how much strip? How much maintence are you willing to do? What is the rest of the driveline? trans, converter, gear, tire type & size? Suspension mods?

You have the makings of a great street/strip engine, but the whole car has to work as a balanced package.

If you do a search under the performance forum for either BSE or racer1320, you'll find a ton of threads to give you details on a basic 454 to run 10 or 11 second ET's and still keep relatively mild street manors.

72 chevelle ss
468
currently kb203's
summit cam 218/228 500/500
049 stock heads
th400 w/3000 stall
4.10 12bolt 29x10.5 slicks
no suspension mods currently
I drag race frequently and I am looking for a solid drag car that I can drive on the street. I am willing to get the valves opened up in the heads and change the cam and pistons as well. With this combo I was running 8.90's in the eighth mile and would like to drop down into the low seven's if possible. A solid cam is a possibility but really can't afford a roller.

I raced half the season this year and pulled the 468 and put a 427 in the car. The 427 had oval 063 big valves/port work, brodix single plain, solid roller cam and 950hp and used a 4000 stall. This got the car down to 7.90's with a 1.7 sixty foot time but with the stall and the high lift numbers on the cam I didnt like driving it on the street. With that combo I was able to leave the line at about 3800 and stay full throttle. I would like a combo that would out perform this and still be able to cruise to work(15 miles) or just around town if I want to.

Thanks Dustynn

It going to be hard for someone to recomend a combo for you, It dosent sound like you can live with anything radical at all.
I say leave the converter in it. Get your compressin up to 10.1 put a solid cam in it. comp cams xs-282 would work good Its something like 236/242 @ 50. Performer RPM intake. Put 2.19 1.88 valves in the heads just mild bowl work and gasket match. That will run better than 7.90s If you really want it to run low 7s YOur going to loose some drivabilty. My malibu ran 7.09 but i had about 11.1 compressin and a big hydraulic cam and it was lite.

Originally posted by TX-Gearhead:
72 chevelle ss
468
currently kb203's
summit cam 218/228 500/500
049 stock heads
th400 w/3000 stall
4.10 12bolt 29x10.5 slicks
no suspension mods currently
I drag race frequently and I am looking for a solid drag car that I can drive on the street. I am willing to get the valves opened up in the heads and change the cam and pistons as well. With this combo I was running 8.90's in the eighth mile and would like to drop down into the low seven's if possible. A solid cam is a possibility but really can't afford a roller. Well, with those heads / converter I would look at the Ultradyne 288/296 hydraulic which is 231 / 239 @ .050 and lift is 550 / 575 on a 110. This should make a low 12 to high 11 second bracket car with some tuning. It would also be quite streetable IMHO.

I run the solid version of that cam with ported 049's, 3500 stall, 4.10 and have run a best of 11.30 and drive it 180 miles round trip to and from the track. It has great street manners!


Of course there are thousands of ways to do skin a RAT.
Good luck!

I am ok with radical I just don't want to make it undriveable. I really would like the added power of a roller it just has to be solid. I have a good idea of what I want to do but I know that you guys here at the chevelle site have a knack for the oval port head combo's. I was looking and searching for the pistons that I need and everyone is refering to the 10.25 to 1 pistons as if that is the part number. I went to SRP's website and had no luck. I have also emailed Harold at holley requesting advise on a cam. I just don't want to be one of the guys that has to pull the motor immediatly after install because I wasn't happy with what "I" decided to put in it.

Thanks Dustynn

i know you said you were looking for combos with 049 heads, but that combo sounds like it would be a candidate for closed chamber heads. your combo suffers from a really low dynamic compression ratio.

i looked at flatlanderracing.com and it looks as if those KB203 pistons will work with closed chamber heads. that alone would allow you to get 10.5:1 compression and not even touch the rotating assembly.

in my opinion a set of 063,215,etc. oval heads with 2.19/1.88 valves and a 288/296 UDLunati cam would work very well.

K/B 257s, zero deck and 049 heads should put you at 10.3:1 compression. I run those pistons,with a set of 781s opened up for 2.19/1.88 valves and milled to 116cc chambers. They are hyperteutics. I don't know what your preference is on that. Mine runs just fine on pump gas, no detonation.

Thanks Bob, that is what I am looking for. I have a good idea of what I want out of the car and how to get it but since so many people run the oval ports here I figured I could get an idea of what pistons people are running and what the CR is on their engines.

Bob's combo sounds stout. The 049s are excellent heads I here, but have HUGE chambers. Big chambers need piston domes to get compression. A better way to get compression is to use smaller chambers and less dome, but....I'd keep the heads, have them opened up, and then milled to get your chambers down to 118cc or less.

I wouldn't do a solid roller for a street car myself, I use a UD/Lunati 276/284 solid flat tappet cam, and I'm here to tell you, as long as your shift point is around 6200, you'll love the power and durability a cam like that gives. ( in a big port 440 ci, it runs to 6700 )

Its a bit smaller than Chris's cam. 'd use it for a moderate stall combination. Opening the lash, the tighter the converter.