I'm gathering parts for a 1963 225 rebuild with oversize valves, hydraulic lifters, appropriate Oregon cam, conversion to MPFI, and mild turbocharging through Gil Welding's kit.

The goal is a modest increase in power with extreme durability in a car that will not be raced.

The block is unmolested from a low mileage car, so I doubt the head or block has been shaved, but I will not know until the engine is examined by the machine shop that will remanufacture the head and block.

Is there an off-the-shelf forged piston/rod combination that will still allow the use of regular gas? Or must I stay with the stock rods and pistons to achieve that goal?

TIA

--Walt Jackson

Sounds like a nice goal! If your engine runs fine and does not smoke, then I would suggest leaving the bottom end alone and maybe just getting the head ported and possibly with bigger valves.

You can run 6-8 psi just fine on pump premium with stock engine parts, assuming you tune the ignition timing curve and fuel mixture properly. With MPFI, this is MUCH easier to do than with a carb and distributor.

If it were me, I would run the engine I have and put all the mods on it and tune/test it first. If the engine needs rebuilding after that, then you can do that part. Adding the turbo and EFI will be a much bigger project than rebuilding the engine.

My 2 cents (so far),
Lou

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