CC 360 build

[Andre K Jacobs <akjamc@xxxxxxxx>]

The 360 build in CC is decent enough and about what you would get from them 
on any build, and I would say they cover the AMC well. I would not necessarily 
call this a high dollar engine, and in fact there are hundreds of $$s missing 
from the total ( might be as high as $1,000)on parts and machine work, etc, that 
I can see. Welding the rods and off grinding the crank, are also not too exotic, 
and well within the scope of most machine shops. I do question the necessity of 
welding the rods up. I have not compared all the measurements, but with most 
bearings loosing the oil hole to oil the cylinders and cam ( AMCs), you really 
need to do one of two things. 
Put the oil hole back in the bearing, or increase side clearance. I have not 
run the new no oil hole bearings yet ( I have been cutting the oil hole in the
 bearings), A.018 side clearance is what you want, more, too much oil, less, 
not enough. The reason I cut the oil holes, is that I have not run the extra 
side clearance yet, and until I do, I won't build a customers engine with it.
It is true that AMCs have an oil issue. I have folks ask for high volume oil 
pumps all the time, the AMC pump is HV, just pumps the oil in the wrong 
direction and fills the valve covers with oil, the oil drain backs are poor, so 
oil does not make it back to the pan quick enough to keep any usable oil in it
at high RPMs.You will suck all the oil out of the pan, and then you get air, and 
you now have done some damage to your mains and rods to some degree. More oil 
capacity helps this out. You don't have to have a RACE engine to do this, as the 
oil pump is the same in a stock engine. Enough RPMS and sustained high speed 
driving can drain the stock pan in a stock engine. Seams I remember that it was 
the drag racers that came up with the internal oil line, but I could be wrong 
here. For most street guys, a deep pan is what you need, not necessarily the oil 
lines. Remember an oil line full of AIR does you no good either. As for what the 
stock AMC parts will take, well, I'm a forged internals kind of guy. The uses of 
the steel rod in the AMC is just a GOOD thing. With that set up, you are at least 
as strong as the Chevy. Also using a smaller bearing slows the bearing speeds, 
and there are other benefits to this as well. Also the longer rod and the stroke 
ad torque and HP, by adding dwell, and reducing loads. This means more free HP, 
you would have to do something else to get the power this added to the 360. 
I agree that a little better info would be nice, seams they have some AMC 
knowledgeable folks, but sometimes not.
There are two rods available for the 360 ( 290-304-343 too). The Scatt "H" beam 
with floating pin only ( readily available, I have  sets in stock)and the just out 
"I" beam rod ( sold out, all bought buy the "NEW" to AMC crowd, waiting for 
more rods now). Both could have been used in this build and would have run less 
dollars ( about $200-250) then the set up they used. 
Just that the Chevy rod added length and slight smaller rod bearing which aided 
in the off grind on the crank.
 I was contacted about this build by CC , because of other things going on, I 
could not contribute to this build. I think they could have gotten a car cheaper, 
but $2K is not bad. I would have shown how the car ran bone stock with the 6. 
Then I would have built it with say a 4L and 5spd out of a Jeep with all the 
electronics ( Frank would have been the guy for the wire in job). Put it together 
to show what you car REALLY do on a budget and still get a decent Performance car 
with good gas mileage ( I'm use to 10mpg). Run this comb and test it, show the 
results, then go for a junk yard RUNNING 360, then the build they are doing now. 
Just to show where you can start and where you can go, how much each cost and your
 $ to fun return. I like the fact that they use the 360, something I have been 
saying for over 10 years now. The AMC 360 IS the Chevy 350 for the AMC and Jeep 
guys. If you run the Milodon set up you MIGHT have a problem with your headers. 
CC did not.In 84 when I put my Milodon kit in, My headers hit. I had to build 
spacers at the head to push the headers out to clear.There are other facts that 
aren't clear, or wrong, but over all its a good article, and give those Chevy and
 Ford guys something to look at( read "DAM that thing can run"). What you can get
 out of an AMC and about what it will run you. How about looking at the Ford and 
Chevy builds and see how they compare to the AMC in power and price ( same kind 
of work and parts used)?

Andre " A.J." Jacobs, 
web page http://southtexasamc.tripod.com
 (830)-980-3165 , akjamc@xxxxxxxx 
Owner & Proprietor, South Texas AMC

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