how to build a 301, Chevy

ok, I used to do this when I was a kid...but now I am old ??? how do you build the 301, with the 283 and 327... I now have both and want to build an old school motor for my last project.. thanks, Lloyd

 

Bore a 283 out by .125.

 

standard size 327 block with the 283 crank, and 302 pistons, makes a 302. You can call it a 301 if you want to.

 

I would love to tell you if i knew, I am also lookin on how to build a 301 cause thats what my 55 ran in the 60s, I think you take the 283 block and bore it .30 over and turn the 327 crank down to fit the 283 block, not for sure..... If you find out please tell me!!!

 

Ding,Ding! 1st winner is post #2

 

Same thing!.... Anyway you slice it! The math comes out to: 301.59" cubes... But yeah! 327 block with a 4.00" bore and a 283 crank with a 3.00" stroke...

 

Yup, I think back then it was a law that all 55 Chevy's had to have a 301, 4-speed, and no front bumper!-MIKE

 

is this correct, 65-66 283 truck motor w/ a large journal crank, and rods
into any 60's 327?

I had thought of this project too, and I have the truck motor,and the 67 327.

 

Sorta, but it's a small journal crank.
I never understood why someone would take a good 327 and turn it into an engine that would make less power, unless there was a cubic inch rule.
Larry T

 

What are 302 pistions?

 

"call it a 301 if you WANT to"???

Thought you were an oldtimer, Squirrel - this is a traditional site. These 4" bore sbcs were ALWAYS called 301 back then. Yeah yeah...rounding up gives you blah blah blah. Do we really want to answer the questions? Whatcha runnin? - "302" - oh, neat...Ford? or Z-28? Tell 'em it's a 301 and the buck stops there...unless they're stupid enough to think it's some orphan hemi...

301 was the best you could do with a small block without spending too much - if you were lucky enough to not violate a water jacket. Less brave souls went for the .060 bore for a 292 - but...gosh...more questions. I've had a half dozen 301s (even one that was a V7) and a couple of 292s. Either one makes enough power and certainly all the right noises.

dj

 

Pistons for a Z-28, or older "hot rod" pistons.
It would be hard to find any that are less than 11/1, looks like SpeedPro only makes 13/1 302 pistons (L2210AF) anymore.
Larry T

 

I am putting together a 283 block that is .060 over ... Not every 283 can go out .125. I was concerned about thin cylinder walls on a land speed motor so I went to 292 cu in ... D class has a limit of 305 and would a strong block running wide open for a couple of miles.

 

Many 283 blocks won't take a 4.00 bore, "back when" if you bored a 283 block .125 and struck water it was no big deal because the blocks were common as dirt. Guys who found a 327 with a cast crank would go looking for a forged crank or a 283 crank. The 301/302 was not a majik bullet but when you really cammed it up, raised the compression to 12 to 1 or better, and wound er up past 7,000 rpm you got horse power. Those were the days of Sunoco 260 leaded high octane gasoline, and engines that went 40,000 miles between rebuilds when you got a good one.
A bigger engine, properly built will make just as much power at a lower rpm.

 

Back in the early '70s I had a '67 Z28 and two '69 Z28s with the 302 motor. As has been mentioned, they really didn't work til high rpm. They were fun but a pain in the ass to drive. Build your 327. I think you'll be much happier and it's still traditional.

 

If anybody is doing this and needs a crank for their 327, I have a machine shop fresh forged 283 crankshaft available in the classifieds section. I was going to do the same thing be ended up deciding to just leave it a 327.

 

You can get the pop up pistons and mill them down for lower compression..... or go the cheap route and just use heads with a bigger combustion chamber.

 

And more power at the same RPM. A 7000+ RPM small block isn't that big of a deal anymore.
A 350 built right will turn it all night long. Just go ask your local circle track guys.

The problem with a high rpm smallblock is the valvetrain, not the piston speed. And it will take the same money to put together a good 302 valve train as it will a good 327 valve train, so.............

And to get a little deeper into it (and a little more controversial) a pretty good engine builder that I know (he has lots of NHRA record holder certificates on the wall) says he never had very good luck running stock length or longer in a 3" stroke engine. He said he always ran shorter rods in his little engines. According to most of the stroke/rod length ratios I've seen, the stock 5.7 rod is pretty close for a 3.25 stroke engine. I'm not saying it's right, just something else to look at.
Larry T

 

Yep, you could. And I'm sure someone still makes stock 11/1 Z/28 pistons, but you can buy flat top 327 pistons right outta the box.
Larry T

 

In the 60's hot rodders called it a 301 and when Chevy did the Z-28 in 1967 they called it a 302. But, they are both the same bore/stroke at 4"/3"

 

I am not ethically opposed to the 301, but it never made sense to me.

For reasons I have never understood there is a magical aura surrounding the 301 combination. Everyone knows that when it comes top making more power the general rule is more cubes are better than less. For some reason the 301 gets a pass on that. While the 301 might be a good option for a fitting into a particular race class(like Trans-Am racing at one time), if one of the competitors has a comparable set-up with more cubes, the larger engine will be faster. That's why displacement is on the tech inspection check list. Making a 327 into a 301 isn't a back door to some loophole in the laws of physics. Up to the point where things start getting iffy(like thin bores or excessive rod angle) more cubes on a street engine will reliably make more power over a broader RPM range.

 

I've always done the math right. I've been an asshole all my life

 

The only 327s with cast cranks were the '68-'69 engines, and they had large journals like a 350. The '62-'67 forged cranks wouldn't work, unless used with bearing spacers.

 

Propwash you mush have been there? Those were great motors. Lots of RPM. Had Them in my B/gas Dragster.

 

Yes and no.....some of the domed pistons have hollow domes to keep the weight down, and trying to machine them down will get you a nice set of doorstops.

 

This is absolutely correct. Less adventuress souls would build a 292 (283 0.060 over) instead or if they had a 327 crank and a early 60's 283 truck block build a 311 (0.030 over) or 316 (0.060 over) stroker. To make more compression in the 60's it was common to angle cut the power pack heads or fuelie heads if you could get them. I had a 311 with 461's in the late 60's in a 58 Pontiac 2dr sedan.
Just my experience with roddin' 283's in the late 60's.

 

I still have my 301 built i in 1967 out of my 57. Used a 1957 Chevy 283 block with front mounts only. Bored by Al Cerny "Al's Speed Shop" on Van Buren and about 1st ave. Sig Erson cam, 11 1/2 TRW forged pistons with AFB. What a great engine at the time. John

 

i always thought 69 was the first for large j. cranks. at least the book i was in the other nite seem to confirm that.

 

I'm sure if we can get enough folks to beg, some piston company out there could produce a flat top 302 chevy piston for a good price... A standard (4.00") bore size would be nice along with + .030", .040" and .060" sizes also.. I thing companies like Scat has a 3.00" stroke (cast steel not iron) crank.. Might want to look that up!!
Building a 302 chevy can be fun again!!

 

thanks for all your help guys.. I seem to remember having to clearence the block, for the crank.??? maybe I remember too little..