What is the best way to build a Chevy engine to ensure long life and reliability?

I am extremely hard on an engine. I have blown a few of them before.





But I'm an idiot. I don't know how to build engines.





In the future, I want to build a Chevy 305 or 350 that can take repeated, sustained abuse (like drag racing, etc).





What is the best way to build an engine and ensure that it will last?





I have heard of balancing and blueprinting. What else can be done?|||start with good quality parts for one thing the next thing is to make sure all the parts are compatible with each other if you are not buying a kit. also have your rotating assembly balanced this is one of the major things of keeping any engine alive for long term abuse. next is cleanliness. if you do not keep all the parts clean as you put it together then it wont last long at all this is probably one of the best tips anyone can give you.|||I don't know the answer, buddy. But I really think you should get the new Chevy Cruze, which will get 45 mpg on the highway.|||some engines can take abuse pretty well, and live a long life. chevy is one of them. the first priority is to make sure the block is checked by a machine shop (or you can do it with a minimal amount of clearance gauges) to be sure the block is within factory specs. you can get factory specs from your local library for reference. do research on the parts available for your intended use, ie...racing, reliability, etc. the key to sucess is to make sure the foundation (engine block) is solid. everything else from that, is a question of bolting on performance. reliability comes from the engine block and head combination. make sure they match what you want them to do. you can build a reliable, yet strong engine as long as you get the engine block correct.








hope this helps|||Building an engine is a kind of science. You might want to start by tearing apart one of the engines you have blown up, just to find out what part(s) failed. You should devote a lot of time to the details of rebuilding, so that you don't make the same mistake twice.


There are shops that specialize in rebuilding engines, and the prices are not too bad. You can also buy rebuilt engines from a Chevy dealer. The dealer items may cost more, but the final product may be more permanent and satisfying. Don't go for the balancing and blueprinting refinements until you have driven your engine at least through the break-in and warranty period.