how to build a 301, Chevy

if you put a 327 crank in a 283 block you might need to do some clearancing. Not with the short stroke in the big bore block though.

 

In my experience, if you used a '64-'67 283 block for your homemade 307 project, there were no clearance issues. Chevy started using cast cranks in passenger car 283s in '64, and I think that they had larger counterweights and required additional clearance.

 

The truck block I used in my 58 Poncho was either a 63 or 64 GMC 3/4 ton 283 and I had no issues with clearance for the 327 crank. I also had to use an adapter for a spin-on filter instead of the canister filter. Everything else was fine even the truck rods but I changed the rod bolts.

 

I just hope that folks wont just assume, if they have a large domed piston, they can just mill away the dome to get rid of some sqeeze. A good engine builder will have a piston dome mic or the ability to make such a gadget to accurately mic to the dome thickness before chopping away. Food for thought that could save you a lot of money. There are of course several other ways to pick up some C.C's to lower the static compression ratio. TR

 

Gotta understand the times...money, availability, etc.
The SBC was an immediate hit, instantly creating the first Chevy car that rodders wanted and a new absolute best choice for early car engine swaps.
Even though the things were huge sellers, SBC engines for rodders were RARE for several years...maybe up til 1960 even. A 283 at a junkyard was worth at least twice what a 292 Ford or other late engines wanted only for OEM replacement would bring.
Wrecks had people lining up to buy the motor, crate engines (for a while, not even available unless you had an actual broken new Chevy!) were high end, skilled labor and pistons still relatively cheap.
People who had 265's bored to 283 at first chance, 283's became 292's or 301's...seemed like no one ever bored a chevy 030 in those days!
There was no stock crank to stroke with until later, and special aftermarket ones were pricey...if you had the $$ a 283 could be built as a 3 1/2X4 352, but that was VERY highend. A bore job was the most that your average rodder could handle, and don't forget, normal rodders in those days did not have a "driver" and a "hotrod"...the souping had to be quick and dirty so you could drive the thing to work. I think most people went as far as they could afford...and afford includes risk assessment for the conservatives, as a full 4" presented the risk of a ruined block in a day when there were no credit cards to get you past a disaster.
327 arrived in '62 to immediate demand...cycle repeated, few could afford or find one for a while. And of course 327 crank in 283 (2 different bock types, eventually 2 different crank types) opened a bunch different cans of worms.

 

It was not about destroking the 327, as much as punching a 283 .125 back when there was no 327 . nowadays you can use the 327 block with the 283 crank mainly because people want to say they have a 301, which was killer in it's time. I have motors as big as a 871 blown 509, but I am building a 57 blocked 301 for my 55 just because I think it's neat

 

Yea, couple of things to remember.

When folks started building the 301, it was the BIGGEST SBC that could be built economically.

And a big reason they have a rep as a great hot rod engine is that when Chevy introduced the Z-28, it was so they could go Trans-Am racing with it. The factory did a LOT of development with the engine and by following their lead you could have as good a race engine as anyone could build for a weight/cubic inch class or a class with a cubic inch limit (Trans-Am was 305 cubic inches). In fact, there were a lot of cars at the stip back then that ran the Chevy crossram when a tunnelram might (probably) have worked better. The reason the factory 302 crossram was developed was that you had to run a stock hood and the crossram was the intake that would fit under the hood in Trans-Am racing.
Larry T

 

Guys with the really hot 301's claimed the hi rpm's straightened out the fan on the generator.

When I got my license in NJ in 1964 a beat up TRI 5 Chevy with a solid running 283 was a hot beginners ride and about 700 bucks .Those SBC's had had a feel like no other engine of the time,the 3 speed howl in first gear,the 'bawomp" of the 4 barrel carb and scream of the engine at 6000 rpm.
I had a decent 3 speed 292 56 Ford but the Chevys were just cooler in my area.

 

On that note, years ago, I struck up a friendship with a guy I ran into because we both had '64 GTOs. Come to find out, he bought his new in '64, and the car he drove before that was a '49 Chevy 2 door that was 327 powered. As soon as Chevy released the 327 in the fall of '61, he went around to all of the junkyards and told them he'd pay a bounty to the first place that called him when the first 327 powered wreck hit their yard.

 

Correct on using the dome micrometer.. I can design and make those inspection fixtures like you see for sale on certain sites.. Not sure of the year, but there are L-82 cylinder heads out there that came standard with the 2.020" intake and 1.600" exhaust valves with screw in studs and guide plates... They also have the 76cc chambers.. I just don't know the casting numbers for those heads.. Sorry!

 

330545 sticks in my head as one of the casting numbers.

 

Cool! I need to look into the stats on those...

 

Don't believe what some internet casting number websites will tell you about them. I had a pair from a '73 Z/28, and they came with the large valves, screw-in studs and guideplates. I've seen some sites list them as being 1.72/1.50 heads, but that's bullshit. The same sites get people all excited when they list the '57 539 castings as being 283hp/2283 heads---technically, they are, but they also came on every 283/220hp power pack engine made that year.

 

This is what I found on the L-82 heads.... www.nastyz28.com/camaro/z28l82.html

 

Yep....I'm old. Point has been made already as to why this engine was so popular. Most of us could afford to bore an engine and buy new pistons, but we didn't always have the cash to purchase more stroke. 301s with some good gears (4.56 and up) was a butt-kicking street racer and no slouch on the strip if you had the right cam and good heads (pinned studs, dual springs,etc).

Nowadays, of course the 327 or 350 gives more power - but we're here for the nostalgia show....otherwise we'd be arguing the benefits of one coil per cylinder and which "chip" to use.

dj

 

I find it amazing that certain Chevy engines get a reputation when (as much as I love them) it just can not be so. The "301" was considered the hot set up long before Chevy ever offered the 302, but the 302 was reputed to be even hotter than a 301. The only difference in a 301 and a 302 Chevy comes from how far over one takes the decimal point of Pi when computing cubic inches. Decimal point values were not often taken over more than two places in "the precalculater era". Very few would have taken the time and expense to bore "one of them sorry assed" 307's .030 back in the day either, but a "283 stroker over bored to a 311" was said to be "a bad ass motor".

You guys figure it out, my head is starting to hurt from all this way back remembering.

 

"...302 was reputed to be even hotter than a 301..."
It was that extra cubic inch the advertising department was able to install.
Actually...a time difference. The 302 had more advanced and developed cylinder heads.
A 301 in its heyday would have had '55-6 heads (poverty level), '57 heads (better), or the various '60-62 Corvette heads (Rich dude!!) depending on when it was built and how much money could be had.
The cheapest 301's and 352's were 265's with a chrome air cleaner and a lying owner...

 

Only the street squirrels lied up their engine size.The bad asses when asked would say it's a 265 2bbl.And the engine has dual quads and a cam shaking the fenders like tissue paper in a hurricane.

 

I totally agree with this and Bruces later quote...........

 

And that aint no lie,I know of a few stroked 327's with 3.50 crank (352) that ran in the 60's as 327's, Thanks to Hank the Crank, and Storm crankshafts

 

I was always taught that the 301 was 283 based and the 302 was 327 based. I know they are the same bore and stroke when done, but I'll always think of a 301 as being pre 62..

 

Does anybody know if there are any flat top Chevy pistons for 4.125" bore X 3.00" stroke? (They work fine in an overbored "A" or "B")

 

6" rod would be possibly easier. Bore and rebush the small end to get piston to deck correct. I'm assuming your talking about a 400 block.

 

I would say probably no on a shelf piston. I'll assume you mean a 9.000" deck, and stock size rod journal, how about this combo, 4.165 Bore, 3.250 stroke and a 6.125 rod, comes to 354.24 cubes, 1.250 compression distance, JE has a shelf piston for that, ask me how I know , TR

 

The nice thing about that combo is that you can tell unsuspecting victims you just have a 355 Chevy, and you wont be lieing. {Unless of course they can spot the 400 block, or the Bow-Ties on the side, then you might have sun splainin to do Lucy}.

 

Use a '73 or newer 400 block (2 freeze plugs per side instead of 3) and they won't know the difference...

 

This is my 55 210 with a 302 4 speed and 4:56 gears

 

311 thats what i am running and it is wicked
32v