"tight" and 'hard to turn" are relative terms, so what I think is tough to turn could be easy for someone else, you need to measure. With no pushrods in the motor you should be able to put a tq wrench set at 30 ft lbs on the crank and not feel the click. File fit rings are tough and I would check each cylinder as it goes together, it sucks to get it in a score a wall or start breaking rings...
I leave my motor building up to the pros now, I will throw together a sbc on occasion because I have done so many and crates are so cheap building them yourself is the only way to make it make sense, plus they go together super easy,
I also use the same recipe every time, you want to get sick look at this...
$525 for a balanced scat 383 rotating assembly with rings and b-rings,
$520 for roller rockers, roller cam, and lifters (488/495)
$625 for aluminum heads complete everything from springs to guides.
$160 for the double roller set, gasket set, oil pump, push rods, fuel pump, pump rod, etc, all good stuff...
Distributor I run rebuilt late model HEI's, I have tons of aluminum intakes, and carbs...
I have at least 9 good 350 single rear main/roller motors in my shed (I collect them), I have 1 of them motors sitting in my garage on the stand all done, waiting and I have built 7 of them not including that one...
The machine work costs me $350 for the crank clear, clean, mag, bore, hone, and line (I do a lot of them)...
SO TOTAL I am always under $2500 for a 440hp small block!! I had one in a 91 corvette (actually sold the car to my neighbors son last year) and I put 15K miles on that car, I bought the car hit in the front, they ripped the motor out at a junk yard, I had a nose in my yard, put it all together, but the surprise was it had a 6 speed tremec in it, I built my cookie cutter stroker motor, tossed it in with a carb (tpi was long gone), and WHAT a FUN car to drive, I drove it with a white nose (black car) for a solid year, lol, then right before I sold it I painted it all black.. He still has it and I see him blowing it around town all the time, not sure of the miles but has to be another 15K by now, so its a proven recipe for sure...
ANYWAY, I got off track, do your self a favor and check the energy it takes to turn that motor, you may not like the results, but fixing it now is a lot better than later...
PS I paint the **** out of my motors before I assemble them, its weird seeing one put together and not painted, I know machine shops that build engines do them after BUT I HATE painted bolts, gaskets, etc.. To me it just looks better when you paint them before, and with the older motors, I always prime/seal the galley...
