Well after 6 seasons the 327 in my front engine dragster is officially wore out and all apart now for a rebuild. However this time I want to build a full race period correct to 1966 small block chevy. This is where you guys come in, as I am not a chevy guy and this is the only small block chevy I have ever owned. Here is what I have so far, let me know what is good, what is junk and what a proper period correct full race sbc from 1966 would have. The car is a 1966 RCS front engine dragtser. 176" WB Chrysler rearend with 4.30:1 gears. 31X10.5 tires. 2 speed Powerglide 1.76:1 low gear, 1:1 high gear Engine Small journal 327 Bore 4.030" Stroke 3.25" (331cid) Manley pistons 11:1 compression ratio Stock rods Forged 327 crank GM 461 camel hump heads 1.94" intake 1.50" exhaust Comp roller cam .575/.575 lift 255X255 duration Mallory Mag Spark (circa 1958) magneto running at 36 degrees Hillborn Injection (manifold circa 1965) on alcohol Zoomie Headers. Straight water in the block, no water pump or radiator With this set up we ran a best time of 9.29 @140 mph. Altitude was 2200 feet and running a 112 pill. Now, on the weekend I traded and old tunnel ram intake for standard bore 283 block (1962) and a 57-62 forged 283 crank, and today I scrounged up another set of camel hump heads. So those are the parts I have, now I just need some proven race formulas for some early to mid 60's set ups. Here is a pic of the car
I'm building a 65 283 .060 with 12.5:1 pistons.I'm using a .540 solid lift cam.A combo like this went 12.0's in a vega wagon.I'm putting it a 30 coupe.Instead of the power glide I'm going try a 4 speed.I run power pac heads that have 2.02 valves in them and lots of other work.
Those rear tires are awesome. i don't like the roll cage design, but i understand about the new rules etc.
I hate the roll cage also, but rules are rules. Perosnally i would rather see front engine car still on the track with an ugly 5 point cage then sitting in a museum with the orginal 3 point cage collecting dust
One of the weak points in a small journal block is the main bolt area. Drill and tap the main bolt holes deeper and counter bore the threads down. You have to use large journal bolts or studs then. The main bolt threads in a small journal start at the main cap surface that causes a stress point and the webs crack along the bolt holes when you start makin' more power. Look at the way that a large journal block main bolt holes are machined. They don't have the crackin' problem Stock rods are scary when you start makin' more power too. The heads will need some port work. Then get them flowed for info to give a cam grinder for a custom cam. Smokey
I know the powerglide is not period correct, however my budget and time only allows me to change one thing at a time. when the glide blows up, then i'll change it, until then, if it aint broke, dont fix it. Considering this is how the car looked 4 years ago I think it has come a long ways as far as period correct goes. Maybe in another 4 years it will be period perfect, but for now one thing at a time, and right now its the engine.
IF ... I was building it I would keep my 327 block and bore it ( with head plates ) and get myself a 350 SBC crankshaft. I would have the main journals turned down to a standard 327 small journal main size and have the rod journals offset ground down to the standard SBC rod journal size. That will put you in the 370 cubic inch range A 370 inch motor hauls better than a 301 ... yet it would still look like your old 283 Have to go on down in the 8's ET wise
are you refering to how the threads start deeper down the hole in a 350 block VS a 327/283? i just checked a couple blocks to see what you were talkin bout....
my fed eng is as follows, 62 283 bored to 4'' with dz pistons, stock rods with arp bolts, balanced with world products heads, 62 hilborn, moon ft cover, corvette v/c with 2 thick gaskets. it has a poured block. has gone 6.20 in the 1/8 . 1200 lbs also, 134'' wb
Also the block MUST BE alignhoned after this modification. Because the web area is stressed differently with the holes deeper. Smokey
You have made a lot of steps already towards being correct for the year. If it was me, I would keep the 327. Fill the block and don't go over .030 overbore on a 327. Stud the mains if they aren't already, put some alum rods in it, bump the compression as high as I could get it, a good roller cam and lifters, a hopped up vertex mag and possibly put 2.02 intakes in those heads. Port match them and run it that way for awhile. Oh yeah, you already run roller rockers and good pushrods right? What pump do you have? The P/G is the cheapest way to go for now, a clutch and can are expensive. You can't pull a high gear only deal with your combo. Give a little more info on the engine stuff you have please. Lippy
Yes it has roller rockers and wolverine pushrods as well as a rocker arm girdle. As far as pump, do you mean fuel pump or oil pump? Its just has a stock oil pump, the fuel pump is a hillborn PG 150C with a high speed lean out.
You need a good set of rods, before you build any more HP. It's a wonder their still in the motor & not sticking out of the block or pan
We have a 283 in our altered, and I have a 383 in my '55... I'd build a 383... you can make good power... cheaper... and they look the same unless you start getting all "period correct" like a restorer... I mean, after all, it is a drag car. Sam
My father ran stack injected Sbc's for years in 4 different FED.Ran a couple on the dyno,ran low 8's on a budget! Pm me if you want more info.
Keep the 'glide. You need to keep a good load on the motor to get all the energy from the fuel. Glides make that easy to accomplish. I too believe there's some 8s in there. You'll find em. Good replies so far.
Main studs rather than bolts should help or eliminate the problem with the main webs cracking. Small journal studs and bolts are shorter than large journal pieces, so order accordingly. Don't put 4-bolt caps on it, unless they're splayed... but even then, it's dicey. The main webbing area on a small journal is a lot less beefy than a big journal. I agree with what everyone has said about the rods--get some good ones. Like, now. I've got a set of H-beams from Probe Industries for the 283 I'm building. Forged pistons. It's a drag car, so go as high as you want. Don't know if a balancer will clear the injector pump, but if it will, go with a TCI Rattler damper. The 1.94 valves work best with a 283 bore. Once you go 4-inch bore, bump up the valve size to 2.02. A .060-over 283 WILL clear 2.02 valves, but they're so close to the bore that it ends up shrouding the valve and you lose flow. Be careful about cutting the valve spring pockets too big on the double-hump heads. Much above stock, and you find water. Don't use a gear drive. They eat a lot of horsepower. -Brad
On my 64 'camino, i'm going a '72 350 block and spacer bearing for a 283 crank, it aint early 60's correct, but for a late 60's early 70's it shouldn't be bad BTW the rest of the motor is going to be solids(duntov?), offy crossram and magneto
As for the heads; pocket port them, and enlarge the valves, this gets them sitting back on top which helps the flow a lot. Gasket matching does very little, and if not lined up perfectly can actually hurt you, as the incoming charge will see a speed bump and create turbulence. It'd be better to have the head port slightly larger instead. As far as running a longer stroke, I wouldn't do it, the smaller overlap of the journals creates a much weaker situation. The only way to do it would be with a very high quality aftermarket piece. In the late 60's some older guys I knew were running a car very much like your's. It ran in junior fuel, injected 331 with a clutch and a can. I don't think they could have gotten away with that setup on gas. So I'd keep the 'glide, it don't show anyway, does it? These guys are right about needing better rods, they are probably the weak link right now. Steel for gas, aluminum for fuel. I would get the 327 block sonic checked to see if it would accept a .060" over bore. The other alternative being build to a 301, but that changes your combo, as more rpm's would be needed to keep the car from slowing down, and that means more expensive valve train parts, etc., although the 327 could get away with a solid roller if built right. And there are springs on the market now that can handle it without machining the heads much. Also, go with more compression, 12.5 should do it. Filling the block would also increase cylinder wall stiffness. This would make the larger bore more feasable. Some only do a patial fill so they can cool the motor down between runs at the watering trough. Hope this helps, as I am by no means an expert, just a few tidbits from my past. UNCLEE!
Pre 66 should be running injectors, not tunnelram. Build a good solid short block and get someone who knows heads in and out to port the heads and listen to their suggestions about the rest of the engine. Glenn Self in Durant, Oklahoma comes to mind, but there are others. The heads are where the horsepower is. New aftermarket heads would make more power, but I guess that depends on where your priorities are (et or era correct). Larry T
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