Projects plain ole black & white 265 chevy re-build

There was a guy at Portia Ark that had a 400 that was rumored to have a 283 crank. It sounded like a chainsaw on the short dirt track.I have several small journal 283,s and 327,s. The crank could be offset ground to destroke a engine. it would require a different pin height piston or a longer connecting rod. short stroke engines dont make a lot of torque. You just use a very heavy flywheel . Rev it up and sidestep the clutch. They are best with a stick trans. Shorten the stroke and the cam duration increases. Because duration is measured in crankshaft degrees. A 350 or 305,s cam will seem bigger in a 283.Because the valves are open for more of the cycle. My middle son Chris installed a 351 W cam in his 64 289. He used solid lifters on a Hyd camshaft. had it in a 64 fairlane, borg warner T 10 wide ratio four speed and 355 rear gears. We still have it .That engine turns 8 grand. And blows oil out everyplace doing it.

 

Tell Chris that I said a PCV valve is not going to work he needs a vacuum pump.

I am sure that if I juggled rods and pistons around enough I could get close to the proper compression height, but it is way easier to get a set made with the proper pin location. There is a place near here that builds pulling tractor motors and they weld up and grind cranks all the time. Believe it or not they are not extremely pricey and weld and offset from them is within pennies of what a common crank grind is. The difference is only about .09-.10 which really isn't a ton, just enough to change the way that it runs. I guess that one could probably just call scat or callies and get a crank from them but welding up a stock crank is the way to go. LOL A Duntov grind may be the easy way to go with it.

The main thing that keeps me from building something like that for myself is the same as it has always been, money. But that has never stopped me from having what I want before.

Well we have taken this thread right down the rabbit hole my friend, I doubt that anyone besides you and me are even reading it any more. Damn us.

 

Our son Chris is no longer with us . He died in a car crash when he was 17 . That was 23 years ago. We now have a new grandson that is two years old. Named Chris after his uncle. And he already is just ate up with the car bug. Im babysetting him and his 11 month old little brother Grayson today. grayson has the chicken pox. Little Chris love,s to watch drag race videos. My wife is at work so its just us men. We kept thinking a windage tray might of helped with the oil blowing out. It even came out the dipstick tube.

 

Whose thread is this?

 

Damn, I am sorry to bring that up man. I have lost a lot in my time never a child.

Grandkids are cool, raised my oldest. She has been car nutz as long as I can remember.

 

one thing to remember is there needs to be a flat spot on the rear bearing of the cam for oiling purposes. you can file one or whatever makes you happy!

 

We had a house burn down and lots of other set backs. Compared to the loss of a child They where all little things. Its something you would not wish on you worst enemy. After all these years we have pretty much learned to deal with it. You get past it but not over it.You learn something new every day. I read on another forum that the road draft tube on a 55 265 came out the back of the block and was inside the bellhousing.

 

the holes at the rear of the block can be drilled to connect them and the flat spot not needed. I dont think Hyd lifters worked as good using the flat on the rear cam journal?

 

Well now hat's a new one on me, guess I never paid attention on the older mills or never enough attention.

 

Old Wolf>>>road draft tube on a 55 265 >>> inside the bellhousing>>>

Yup. A big one. 1-1/4" diameter. I just measured it 8^)

Jack E/NJ.

 

"welfare motors"? Weellllll now, looky here. Somebody done went and got all hifalutin and uppity rightchere on this here HAMB.

 

I've put together plenty of "welfare motors" myself, just not quite to the extent that a couple of the guys here are doing. Not meant to be "hifalutin and uppity", just resourceful. The engine we put in the 51 Bus Coupe was a 350, 2 bolt short block I bought for $75.00; it probably could have been used "as is", but it got torn down, everything cleaned, dingle-ball honed, new rings and bearings (those are essential), a used RV cam with new lifters, and a set of heads (305 swirl ports of all things, for $50.00) that came off a Camaro with 14 K miles on it. Engine ran well, would rev to 6K plus (who says swirl ports stop around 4500 RPM?), and was my truest definition of a "welfare motor". Even the carburetor was a collage of THREE different carbs; we started with a Carter AFB Competition series with a scored up accelerator pump well, so the base got replaced with a Weber badged AFB carburetor base, the original Carter carburetor top got reused, and the electric choke assembly came from an Edelbrock badged AFB carburetor. Worked fine; I guess it was a "welfare carburetor". Used Weiand intake, used HEI distributor, used fuel pump, L-99 Caprice Cop Car exhaust manifolds, and a cheap gasket set from E-Bay. Then the nephew got "hifalutin and uppity", and bought a chrome dress-up kit for it (his car at the time-a gift from me). I bought a new wiring harness for a 47 Chevrolet truck off E-Bay for $25.00 we used to rewired the car, one of my built Powerglides with a rare Hurst Auto-Stick -Shifter, a 56 rear end with 4.88 Positraction, and traction bars for a Tri-Five Chevrolet. The whole car was virtually a "welfare build". When he gave the car back a few weeks ago, I decided to sell it; just too many projects and stuff going on. I sold it a couple of weeks ago to a friends son, but I kept the big and little Cragar S/S wheels/tires. Maybe those will go on the next "welfare build". I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

wow..........lots of thoughts..........
So, i'm keeping the 265 crank/rods .030 pistons. (but I have another 265 block and when find a cheap 327 crank i'm going to try and fit with only modifying block (not crank). also i'm having shop measure cylinder wall thickness. (still considering boring .125 for 283 pistons) and i'm seriously considering using these heads...... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...s-on-a-265-w-lots-pics.1012834/#post-11440502

so I decide to go with this COMP Cams Xtreme Energy Cam and Lifter Kit K12-234-2

modified the camshaft (plan is to install correct rear bearing and run stock distributor..)

 

so I noticed my block had wrong part number freeze plug, so I pulled out and checked bearing.... it's the wrong one for 265......... i'll post a pic when I get time to install correct bearing.

EDIT; the correct rear bearing was installed. the 2 oil holes are at 12 o'clock and I didn't know

 

well i'm ordered some 305 cu head gaskets after searching for ever....
FEL-PRO 8510PT
to use with these heads;



I don't have anyway to verify, but this is some info I have on them.
Casting number is 3947040 date code C158 (March 15, 1968)
They have 64cc combustion chambers with 1.94 intake and 1.50 exhaust valves. Very rare head as it was only produced in the first few months of 1968. It is the only mid & high performance head without accessory holes that is the same as a double hump but does not have double humps on the end. Instead it has a right hand triangle identifier.

 

installed camshaft, timing gears/chain, decided to go with these 305 head gaskets and torques heads, lifters and started with rocker.......

 

I dunno about the roller timing chain? Ive seen lots of them get really loose in a very short time. I just use a stock link belt timing chain. In 1975 I was driving a single axle Chevy truck tractor. pulling a gravel bucket. And the engine was supposed to be low miles on a new 427 long block. And there was a older 366 truck tractor that could eat its lunch. Always seemed sluggish. I finally convinced the boss to let me replace the timing chain. And it was a roller chain loose and plenty of slack. We replaced it with a nylon gear link belt set. And it would then eat the 366 trucks lunch.

 

I stayed with the timing gear and chain from Comp Cams..... Hope it don't stretch as Old Wolf describes.

getting a few parts installed.... should had intake and carb ready next week that use for initial startup and 1st year shakedown.