want to swap 350 for 283, will 700r still bolt to it

I have a 57 chevy truck with a 350/700r combo. I would like to swap the engine for 1958 block 283. Will the 700r bolt tothe block?

 

Yup!...

 

what about a place for the starter to bolt to..

 

What? 283 blocks don't have a starter mounting pad like the other small blocks???.... If so, then I lied...
Sorry!

 

What year is the 283 block???..

 

I believe the 58 block is drilled to accept a block mounted starter.

 

Thank you Henry!....

 

Yea, '58 is the year they switched to cradle engine mounts and block mounted starters. I have drilled and tapped an early block for the later starter, but the best way to know for sure is to look at the 283 block and see for yourself...

Also some of the first blocks were drilled for either the big flywheel or the small flywheel and did not have both sets (straight across or staggered) of mounting holes. Check to see if it will accept the correct starter to match your starter ring...

 

I had a 58 283 ... and it had the engine block mounting starter pad with the bolt holes ... like the later engines. I had a 57 283 which did NOT have the starter mounting holes ... you had to used the bell housing style starter.

 

So, I guess that makes me half right..
It depends on which 283 block is being used...

 

Yes it will swap right over if it is a 58 or later block but don't get rid of the 350 until you decide that getting p***ed by just about everything on the road is cool with the 283 that will have about half the power of a 350.

The 350 haters will beat on me for this but a somewhat tired 350 will still run circles around a fresh 283 unless you have a lot of extra goodies in the 283.

If bragging rights for having a 283 in the truck outweigh get up and go, go for it.

 

Good idea!...^^^^

 

The 283 is a 60 over bore 350 heads. Comp xe262 cam hei edelbrock 600cfm and what appears to be highrise intKe. I have a lot of questions for the owner, but it looks comparable to a 350 specs.

 

Ask him what year the block is!!!...

 

Thanks Guys!

 

So, what's the scoop???

 

After dealing with Ford engines for decades (which are a p***ion and frustration of mine ) I always enjoyed the interchangeability of SBC's ,.... On a Ford you have to consider the pulley nightmare ( I have two big buckets full of Ford pulleys),.... Water pump rotation and internally versus externally balanced engines....... And the two different counter weight amounts.

I was going to ask a similar question because I am so gun-shy from dealing with Fords,.. So here goes !

I am putting a O/T 68 Vette Convertible together for my wife as a gift,... It came with no engine or trans,... I have a fresh 1967 327 and a fresh 700R4,.... I asked some vette guys about any potential problems with the flex plate (like I said, gun-shy from Fords,... and this is the first 700R4 I ever messed with) But as soon as they find out I am converting the car from a Factory 4 spd. to an Automatic,.... there eyes glaze over and they dont want to talk anymore.....

So how about it guys? will the torque converter bolt up to the 327's flex plate ?..... or do I need to make some changes ??????

 

Was the flexplate from a powerglide or one of the Turbo transmissions?

 

It was a TH-350,.... but I was thinking about buying a new flex plate anyway.

 

57 chevys had a turboglide and the starter bolted to the block with them. but the pre 63 blocks only had 2 holes not 3.

 

Well, the engine was to good to p***. Balanced and blueprinted with 6K miles. Engine removed when the car was wrecked. Paid $375 for it. IF i don't use it, I can sell the parts off and make my purchase price back. Looks like the block has no holes for the starter. The bell housing held the teh starter. I got the starter and it is a three bolt unit. I am ***uming an adapter is required to use a 700r4 ******? The engine was attached to a manual 4 speed.

 

No adapter needed to swap a "chevy pattern 700R4" onto it, but you will need to find a way to fix the starter issue. See if there is enough flat area to drill and tap, but you'd better be real accurate, and the holes need counterbores for the special starter bolts.

What I'd do first, is check the engine stamed code letters to see if it has collector value. You'll never know what it might have come from until you check.

 

I'm thinking that way way back in the dinosaur days of sbc someone sold a drill guide to drill the early blocks.

If it were me I'D forget the 700 trans and get a truck bellhousing and stick trans and go have fun and be done with it. If you don't get those holes absolutely perfect you will have starter drive and flexplate ring gear problems from now on.

But I still think you are going to be severely disappointed with the 283 having run the 350 in the truck.

 

Some people's kids.

 

I've heard my share of mis-aligned starters with factory drilled mounting holes!!!I'd check for restoration value and dump it or go with a stick as Mr48chev says

 

Thanks for the responses. I located the engine starter plate that allow the install of a 700r4.

 

Well, if you do get the 283 in, I think you will like that setup, if it has the stock non-optional rear end gears around 3.90, from 55 to 62.

I say that because the best old C10 I put together for a guy was a 250 six with a 700, with the original 3.73 1965 C10 rear, and it was such a great cruiser, I hated to give it back to the owner Out here we have some longer grinding hills on the highway, and if you did not gain a bit of speed before the hill, then it "felt" the hill.

So, on flat ground where you live? it should be great...and save a little mpg over the 350.




if you get it going, maybe get back on here, to say how it works out for drivability?

 

I live in phoenix and its mostly flat in town. The original rear end is to be replaced with a corporate gm 10 bolt posi with 373 gears

 

Should be great if the 700 still has a lock-up convertor.

...and if you do like it, put up some feedback, because 283's don't seem to get their due respect these days.

 

I was wrong! There are two tapped holes on the block for a starter. So no starter plate will be required. Is there a specal starter or will an oem replacment bolt up? Can the nose piece of the original starter be changed?