This will throw a wrench in the works. Guys were using 1/2 stroker cranks, wanna guess what the displacement came out to? 350 cubic inches....DOH!
A 307 is just a large journal 283 with a large journal cast 327 crank. You can make any 350 into a 327 by using a 307 crank in a 350 block. I built it because I had all the part laying around as cast offs from my racer friends. I think I bought the pistons on ebay for $30 brand new. Maybe had $250 into the entire engines.
098 is the early Duntov, 30/30 the late. There are modern cams that will sound the same and run a lot better. They were pretty light in the lift dept at 394/400, the late ones are 485/485
I'm putting together a '56 265 that has been bored .125 to make it a 283, and I'm thinking about running the 097 Duntov copy that Lunati makes. You're right about the lift being a little on the short side, but the duration is pretty far up there at 287 adv., and I'm thinking I'll just run 1.6 rockers to get the lift to about .425. I'd run a roller if I could find one small enough that I could afford, but all the rollers I've been looking at are ridiculously expensive. I just had a pair of '57 Fuelie/Powerpack heads rebuilt for my motor, and I scored a set of STD 283 Jahns pistons for it on ebay last week. Should be a neat little motor...and I'll be more than happy if it makes 283 horsepower. Back on topic: if you want it to be period correct, than build a 283, 292, or 301...and don't put late model heads on it either. My 265 essentially won't have anything newer on it than 1958.
We're doing a 283 for my dad's Model A. Its a '64 220hp block out of a Chevelle bored .030" over. Rods are rebuilt 283 stockers with ARP bolts. We're using Keith Black KB166 hyperutectic pistions (4cc pop-ups). All of our motors are done with precision balanced rotating ***emblies. The heads are '68 462 castings with stainless valves 1.94/1.60 valves and a little bit of touch-up under the valves and in the bowls. With a GM performance parts gasket (4.00" bore/.028" thickness) at zero deck we should around the 10:1 mark according to the CR calculator on the KB site. We havn't mocked the short block up yet to see how far down the hole the pistons are and I havn't had the chance to verify KB's dome volume claim....we may leave them down the hole a smidge or go with a thicker gasket if I decide to drop the compression a little bit if the heads come up a bit on the tight size (once I cc them). The old Duntov cams have a sound like no other but there's just too much to gain from modern cam designs to p*** up. I decided the cam needs to be a solid flat tappet but there's a good chance I'm gonna have to use the powerglide I have laying around so the cam is gonna be on the mild side to keep the low-end/mid-range manageable......we're probably going with a Comp Extreme Energy XS256 with .465/.477 lift and 218/224 duration @.050" lift. With the small cube motor and decent heads I should still be able to spin it into the 6000RPM range...which is enough for a cruiser. If I think it'll tolerate more cam or I need to bleed off some low speed cylinder pressure I'll drop in a XS262 or XS268. We're probably going with three 2G's on an Edelbrock intake. Even though it'll make more power with more carbs or a single 4 barrel I like the idea of squeezing a little more mileage out of it over the dual quads....also no hood=multiple carbs, injection or blowers only in my book. I'd be happy if the thing got decent mileage in the A and made a reliable 275-300hp. It should be able to make it. -Bigchief.
This is a neat thread and thought Id post on my 283 build. I like the idea of a nostalgic 283 build up. Kinda like the jr. stockers of the day. My build is a 40 over 65 block with corvette TRW fuelie 11.00:1 pistons and Im using 520 castings for the heads that I ported myself and went with larger 1.94s. Almost everyone thought you couldnt enlarge to 1.94s or 2.02s but it can be done. The 520 power pack castings are very thick and after a good bowl port job they came out as healthy as a ported set of camel hump 461 or 462 heads. To stay nostalgic Im using a 65-67 ported cast iron 300 horse corvette intake and ported cast iron exhaust manifolds. Heres a link to some of that chevy stuff. http://tri5chevyg***er.blogspot.com/
herdez, i have similar motor out of old junior fueler and was wondering what cam you will run. mine is 292", trw's 3/8 dome, .510/292 engle hyd, 327 rods, steel crank,roller rockers. have same int/ex as yours but may run headers because of cam or smaller cam and manifolds. like the rumpity-rump factor though. running larger chamber heads to lower comp. (Gosh i hate that!) w/1.94/1.6. 500-600cfm afb w/327 valve covers and nos 283 stickers. motor is really just all the junk i have left over from jr fuel and circle track. is going in my 56 ford mild custom mainline while i go through buick motor thats in it. anyone running 283 instead of caving to the 350/350 nonsence is ok in my book. good luck the guy that posted this thread and you. vaya con Dios
It seems that an early 283 (road draft tube, old bolt pattern heads) escapes much of the stigma that other Chevy small blocks have. I just installed a freshly built .60 over 283 in my pickup, and (as many posted here on this thread) I ran dual quads as it seemed the most period-correct compliment to the motor. And, as far as I know, unless you punch a 283 out to a 4 inch bore, 2.02 heads wont work, although it seems that several here disagree. I've always thought that 1.94s were as big as you could go. Best of luck -
for speedyjones, i think your right. if my motor was a 350-383 etc sbc i wouldnt think of putting it in my 56 ford. the fact its 283 makes it ok. it isnt that i dont like chevies i just dont understand putting sbc crate motors in everthing when there are so many others. i know we used to do it because parts were cheaper for the same hp. not true today. i like to think maybe some folks just like the darn things. for me its practical, i'll love it and i can sell it running in car and then buick will bolt back in. a friend and i are building a 56 chev g***er and it wouldnt be right without an 8,000 rpm 283 with a 4 speed! nothing sounds better to me!
Interesting thread. I'm also building a .030 over 283, 461 heads, KB166 pistons, comp 280H cam, three stromberg 48s. CAUTION! I found that I had to machine a small notch in the piston dome to clear the spark plug electrode.
Put a modern cam in it. I'm running a comp cam 270h. Great revs, power and decent mileage. Those old cams (30-30 or 97s) are sloppy. If you have to run a factory cam, 350hp 327 is a good balance for a small motor. Also don't run a dump tube. Put a pcv back there where no body can see it. I've got a 283 with screw in front freeze plugs. Whats up with that? Early? Hi Po?
Everytime someone ask's for 283-327 build up's, the 'why not build a stroked 350' crowd come's in. What the ****?
I remember buying a magazine in '68 or '69 that had a tech article on the Z-28 motor, in which they pulled a factory stock engine from a '69 Z-28 and bolted it on the dyno with no other changes but the set of headers they had in the dyno room, it made 412 horses. For those that aren't familiar with it, that was a 302(factory always rounded up, hot rodders round there numbers down) 4"bore X 3"stroke, with large journal crank(the '67 motor used a small journal 327 block/steel 283 crank), solid lifter 30-30, 11.00:1 compression, 2.02 heads, high-rise intake and a 775cfm Holley dual line, dual points, rated from the factory at 290 horses at a ridiculasly low rpm. Doing the math, it looks like 375 horses from a 292 should be doable. It was my experience that the motor didn't come up on the cam till 4500, then HOLD ON!!!
Thanks for the heads up. All the machien work is done and all thats left is the final ***embly. I might get around to it next month. We'll be claying the motor before final ***embly but its always good to get a heads-up before hand. -Thanks! -Bigchief.
##### We had that problem too. Researched the sparkplug books and I found a Champion # J4C real short reach. Made for a motor boat 2 stroke engine hell if they'll fire 2 stroke fuel mix I thought they'd for damn sure work in a hot rod. It's a fairly cold plug but it worked for me >>>>.
The J8C that many early SBC motors ran is also the same for the older Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engines.....coincidence? I THINK NOT! heh, heh, heh.......
I'm using a Dontuv 30/ 30 254 duration .487 lift - just tryin to stay with the traditional stuff! I went ahead and stuck with origional style slotted 1.5 rockers. The pistons Im using is what a friend scored for me or I would of built it .60 over these are .40 over fuelie TRW 2149f pistons and using 283 rods. As for headers they are Tri 5 in frame large 1 3/4 long tubes unkown brand (old as hell) headers.
I think they only made to kinds of 30/30 camshafts the 097 and the later model for the 60's in fuel injection 283's 327's & and last the 302. Just playin with my projects this is what Ive come across... I have owned and seen all types of camel humps 461 461x 462 291 & lt-1 stuff and the best seem to be the 461x. Comparing the 461 & 461x in fully ported conditions the 461x had the most meat on them. I also gasket matched a set of 462's and noticed the ports didnt have that much meat like the 461x either. With the 462's I also found out I could stick raceflow 2.05 valves -just needed minor bowl work and chambers couldve needed some unshrouding. I had at one point 3 sets of old 50s power packs and they are peanuts sized ports compared to 896 or 520 later model power packs. Id use the 896's they seem cleaner and wider in the bowl area around the guide. The 520's I recently ported for my 283 needed a bunch of work to clean up get them to even look like a camel hump. Hope this helps.
I am currently building a 283 in my engine building cl*** in college. The block is a '67 it had been bored .060 over and it look like a fairly new build so I am just going to clean up the cylinders. I am running stock crank (forged) and stock rods, it will be balanced. For heads I am running 305 4bbl heads they have a bigger intake valves then the stock 283 heads and they have harden exhaust valve seats for unleaded gas. I am going to have a 3 angle valve job done. Then a friend of mine that raced a 56 chevy with a 265 in the 60's is going to help me with port and polish on his flow bench. I am going to run a comp cams thumpr 279t cam (duration 227/249 at .050 lift). I am running comp cams magnum roller tip 1.5 ratio rocker arms. I hoping to run 9.5:1 or 10:1 compression. This is my first build and I have a had an awesome time doing the research and planning. Thanks for the sweet thread!!!!!!!!!!!
I found a set of NOS Ross pistons at a speed shop: huge dome, .060-over 283 block with long rods OR 327 crank. The plan was to build an engine based on my '62 truck 283, but that block is already .060-over and needs to go again. I've got a set of double-hump heads for it, a tunnel ram, and I just picked up a good '68 warranty block with stock bore. The heads have been redone for 1.94 valves...I'll have to check on the 2.02s... I'll run a COMP solid lifter in it, and fender-well headers. I'm planning on using the engine to break in my g***er and get it dialed in before putting in a bigger motor. I plan on beating on it, so I'll probably put Pro Gram 4-bolt mains in it, and good rods. Absolutely no clue what it will make at the crank, but since the pistons have been sitting in the box since the '70s, someone was running this combo. -Brad
OLD POST 1) HEADS BEST STOCK HEADS 461 X HEADS LOOK THEM UP THEY HAVE THE SMALLEST COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND THE LARGEST PORTS. (NHRA TECH) THEY MUST HAVE AN X ON TEH CASTINGS, THESE ARE THE FAVORITES OF FLAT TOP PISTON RACERS. 2) EARLIER 60's blocks or Canadian Blocks have thicker cylinder walls. But you can rock the blocks today. Talk to SS/P & SS/L racers. 3) Steel cranks up to 65 I beleive, but Trucks Had Steel Cranks much later. Look for wide parting line (1/4") or so, tap with hammer "standing crank" vertical and it will ring like a bell. You can order steel cranks at NAPA with bearings, no biggie....
Given the car it's going in, I would run a 283-301 with all early components. If the car ran injection back in the day, try to locate one but for now dual quads run great and look the part. Ive run stroker motors and many 3inch cranks. The short ones sound different. They also run different, almost like a two stroke. The sound of a sbc at 9,000+ rpm is almost ******ic. P.S. growing up street racing, they are always "just a 283" aren't they?
i ran a 283 out to 301 (.125 over ) with jahns pistons & a t-10 4 speed , corvette dual quads & clay smith cam with double hump 2.02 heads in a '56 hrdt , it would pull the wheels in 2nd gear . ran it & raced it to death for yrs with no troubles . ... steve
in the 50s we ran a 301/302 in a dragster. all were bored to 4'' . currently I have a 4'' bore 283 in my dragster, factory dz302 pistons, 14.5 comp, angle milled heads,on alky. works well. shift at 7500, lots more there. the 097 is the correct cam, there are several shops grinding them. good luck with the build.
I may have missed it but whatever you build 283/301 buy a damn ****tershield, I had a 339 come apart at the old Lawerence KS 1/8 mile track with a shield and it swelled the shield up so bad we had to torch a couple of the bolts off to remove it from the block, it took a chunk from the block, broke the crank, the input shaft, no more steel flywheel, well you get the picture. It all stayed inside, All the motor setups you guys are talking about will easily go to 8000 RPM. All that **** is spinning really fast at that speed! I always loved going down to the big end of the track to listen to that old motor Zing. Oh we also used a 6:14 gear. R I P Hippy!
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