I'm going to look at a 327 SBC in a 1967 3/4 ton truck. Anything different about the truck version of these engines I should look for?
Probably not in a 3/4 ton, but largest truck SBC's had oversize valve stems, I think 3/8, and some versions also had larger than normal acessory mount holes at ends of heads to support an air compressor or something.
Thanks Bruce, The guy is telling me it has a steel crank, but he also says it has never been apart, so I guess he means it has a stock steel crank.
You might get lucky and get a forged crank. If the flywheel is off you can feel behind the flywheel flange for the casting ridge. If its a narrow sharp ridge then its a cast crank. Forged cranks had a wide flat ridge about 1/2" wide.
Trucks tended to have dished pistons; lower compression to help deal with detonation brought on by heavy loads and use of cheaper fuels in fleet type situations. It will probably have 1.94/1.50 heads. BUTCH.
I've got a set of power pack heads I can bolt on which may up the compression ratio but the intake valves in my heads are smaller tha that.
It might not have the front crankshaft snout tapped for a dampner retaining bolt.My truck engine did not.
For the most part, the block and crank will be the same, car or truck. The biggest difference is in the pistons, heads and cam...A truck 327, especially out of a 3/4 ton, will have low compression dish pistons and an RV type cam made for low-end torque. With some flat top pistons and those power pak heads, maybe a decent cam, that motor should scream...I would suggest the CraneCams Blueprint cam made for the 350hp 327... If you can get a hold of some camel back heads, that would even be better...
Man. You guys are really tempting me to mess with this motor. Here was my plan...Find a running 283 or 327. Pull 283 with a bad bottom end noise out of my truck. Drop in the used running 283 or 327. Drive to Roundup in Austin, rebuild my 283 at my leasure... You are making it hard to stick with this simple plan, cuz now I want to work over that 327 I'm fixin' to buy from the guy with the 3/4 ton tuck.
Drop in a running junkyard 350 and drive around with that. They are cheap and easy to find. Then build either the 283 or the 327. Personally I would go with the 327 because you can get a lot more out of it. In my '62 I have a 327 out of a 64 SS Impala...The 300hp version...I cammed it up a little and dropped it in....its a blast to drive!!
What about the journal sizes? There is a small journal and medium sized journal in the 327, right? I thought there may be a difference car to truck...just don't know for sure. Surely someone here could elaborate...
That's easy. '62-'67 327s were small journal, forged crank engines. '68-'69 passenger car 327s were large journal, cast crank engines, and some '68-'69 truck 327s were large journal, forged crank engines. High horsepower '68 'vette 327s also were large journal, forged crank.
I seem to remember some truck 327 engines had pistons that had 4 ring grooves in heavy service applications also. BUTCH.
Early 60's small blocks had smaller journals than the ones introduced in 68 or 69. Not a big deal since you are getting a complete motor. These cranks did not have a hole tapped in the front for a bolt to hold the ballancer on. You can drill it if you want.
The Jalopy Journal
