Hi I have a 71 Camaro that I pulled the original 350 engine out to clean up, replace gaskets, freeze plugs and put a street level cam in and 4 bbl carb.
the engine was originally a 2 bbl and it's the orginal engine so I want to preserve it yet beef it up a little.
the problem is now that i know it is a 2 bolt main is it advisable to put a street level cam and 4bbl ??
I have headers and plan to replace tiiming chain, fuel pump oil pump etc..
Is it worth it ?? How far is it worth going when rebuilding a 2 bolt mane??

 

I ran a stock 350 in a 79 Z-28 on a 1/2 mi. asphalt circle track for 3 years, turned 6700 rpm, just reconditioned in the off season. It was a 2 bolt main. No problems.

 

The 2 bolt holds it's own just as well as the 4 bolts.
The 2 bolts can hold from 450 Hp up to 600 hp with no problem. After 1986 the 2 bolt mains had some problems with knocking in the bottom end, but 1955-85 SBC rarely have this problem. My advice would be to pick up a set of good main bearing studs, you wont have any problems with a street cam or the 4 barrel, or for that matter nitrous or a supercharger...

 

For a street warior, you won't have any problems. It's a 2 bolt main b.t.w.

 

Thanks for the input. I felt the same but got mixed reviews.

 

ive never had 1 problem with mine so far, you should be fine.

 

We are working on the same thing right now we went through the costing of splayed caps or 2 bolt billit caps..... in our case I dont think either is worth the cost the two machine shops I spoke to both felt 400 hp on a street engine with stock 2 bolt caps is ok, really if you go further on the hp scale you will need to be looking at other stronger components anyhow. The machinest at the one shop mentioned to me the biggest problem with failure of the mains is poor tune (ie detonation) and is transfered adversly to a 2 bolt easier than a 4 bolt because of the reduced holding/contact area of the mains.

 

For the mods you want to do, the two bolt main is dandy.

 

For the kind of power your motor is putting out 2 bolt mains are fine.