Features 348/409 thoughts? memories? like? dislike?

I have never heard a whole lot of stories (good, bad or indifferent) about "W" motors other than "409s were hell on push rods!". I know a bunch of were made, sold and driven. Did you like/dislike them? Where they generally reliable powerplants?

 

Back when they were new they had a reputation around my neck of the woods for running like a bat out of hell for a quarter mile and then running out of steam.

 

My dad drove a relatively new 63 Chev tilt cab 409 with an 8 speed road ranger transmission semi tractor. (1966) Went like hell, but rod bearings were pounded out every 20,000 miles. When a rod went, it was regrind the crank and put in new rods, they wouldn't resize the rods in a truck engine. They tried rolling in new bearings at less than 20,000 and it didn't help. My guess is that the big ends of the rods were growing from being to weak/overstressed.

 

fast ,dependable,plentiful ,unlike other manufacturers performance motors---i had three in 58 impalas all 3 deuce solid lifters---great motors ,read what Doug Marion says about them in super chevy...

 

I love every thing about them. The only problem you will have is installing the pistons. The rings slip out of a standard ring compressor.. Due to the design of the block/combustion chamber. It has a notch in the cyl wall to clear the valves. .Years ago I purchased a compressor made for W engines.

 

just put a 348 with factory 3 deuce set up in my 50 Merc I'm building. looks bad ass!

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Single AFB , hyd.cam , small heads. .powerglide and 3:08 gear in my wifes '63 supersport .decent daily driver with good manners and would haul butt top end . Wish I had it now !

 

When I was a kid, a guy transplanted one into a '61 Belair bubbletop. This would have been '63ish. 2-4bbl, 4.56, 4spd, that thing was top dog in the area until the '66 BB Chevelle came out. Which he promptly went out and bought a new one. That one car started my affection/affliction for the early '60s Chevys and bubbletops in particular. It was a legend.

 

As a kid i had a neighbor that drove a new 58 chevrolet with a 348 four barrell...could be one of the fastest cars i ever rode in ( especially for the time).

Years later i bought a 64 chevrolet 409 and drove it every day for 11 years, the 409 with big pistons and short stroke ran very well, tons of rpm ( hard on push rods and valve train)...

During my 11 years i had three different engines and broke them all with valve train issues etc.....A true 409 dude with tons of miles wasnt uncommon to see the valve covers with dents and holes welded ( brazed up) where the push rods had beat the hell out of the covers......

 

We built one for my dad's '58 Chevy pickup a few years ago. I used a 3 x 2 factory intake manifold topped with Autolite carbs. It is hard to describe how the engine runs, but it has a nice smooth torque band as well as a sound all it's own. I really like these engines!!

 

I built one in my old Touring that GV has down in Ok now with tons of miles on it. I have 4 local pals with them in everything from a 32, a 34 Chevy and several 62s. Great engines.

 

I built one with a 427 crank, big block rods and custom pistons. It has the big heads and 2X4 intake that thing is a monster.

 

Pops had a then new '64 409 Impala, 2 fours, four speed, posi, with short lakes pipes welded into the stock exhaust. They would come straight off of the length that headed toward the rocker panels, stuck out just past the body.

He said it was a beast, but he went through valve springs like crazy.

When he and my mom were first married, he would uncork those lakes and practice his launches on an empty straight road right next to their trailer park.

 

Dropped a '62 2x4 '09 in my '62 Impala in '65. Was a great motor but tended to bend pushrods if valves not adjusted often.

 

Back in the day, mid 60's, Had 2 cars with 348's, 1 was a tri carb version, and other 4 barrell version. both were stock, with headers, 3 speed manual tranz, Hurst shifter and 4:11 rear gears, traction bars and street slicks. Street raced both with sucess by picking and choosing my street races, 2 blocks max- 1/8 mile type races. Not a high rpm engine, stock, 5000 max, bent some pushrods, but no other problems, LOTS of torque, broke alot of driveline pieces. I'm talking mid 60's, all junkyard stuff, we were kids that worked , but no big $$$ for the good stuff. TODAY,They make a "Kool" swap in for a Rod , due to their uniqeness and pretty rare, I believe, But, you can buy more speed parts now, easier than back then. "Shes so fine my 409" the "Beach Boys?" Had a neighbor, that had a 62 Impala SS 409, 4-speed car, that had a little work done to it, that was "King" of the sreet until the Mopar Hemi cars came along. John

 

I ate at least one push rod a week. It was a pain in the ass to replace them...$5000 in the motor and it ate them like licorice...

 

Had a 58 Impala with a 348 W, hydraulic cam and three two barrels. 280 HP out of the factory with three speed column shift. Ran that car pretty hard and never had one bit of trouble with the engine. Had several friends who had 409's and can't remember them having any problems either. I'd love to put a 409, 425 HP in my 63 BelAir.

 

My 59' Chevy Dump truck has a 348 in it, love that motor! Its way cool and it works good to gas out the gophers in the yard! Especially when you pour a little bit of atf through the carb..... Some day I think I'll put a diesel in the dumper and put that 348 in a hot rod where it can be seen!

 

In the 70's I used to drive a hay chopper that had a 409 4 barrel. I ran it wide open 10 hours a day, about 4 weeks year for about 3 years. God knows how many hours the previous owner put on it. It ran strong but I had to change the oil a lot.

 

They are awesome, never had one, would like to, but until then I'll be a fan.



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I found a torn down 348 for sale locally with a crack below the deck on one side.
Further research has led me to discover that this can be common.
Are these caused by freezing or is it a just a symptom of these engines as they age?

 

FREEZING Gary

 

My friend had a 348 in his 61 Impala. Was fast and fun to drive! I helped him swap it for a 283 because he wanted better gas mileage. I sure do miss that engine!


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Back in the day this 62 Impala 327 four speed ate 409s for lunch

 

Interesting thread. I have a 348 tri power motor that needs rebuilt. I also have access to some 409 heads and have heard there's a good stroker combo you can build from the two. Is the intake manifold different on a 348 from a 409? I would love to put the 348 in a future roadster/coupe project. Any build tips/suggestions?

 

never had one but love the way they look. Hope to have a 409 car one of these days.

 

anomaly or revisionist history ?

 

Give me a shout Mac, I will get you in touch with my pal and guru up here.

 

Maybe they were 409's in dump trucks? I had a 64 327-300 4 speed Impala in the 60's. It was fast enough to blow by 390 Fords and a 409 340 HP PG car but not a solid lifter 409. I'm think a modified 327 with 4 -1/2 gears could give a stock 409 a good run.

 

the people that LIKED em LIKED em...
others called em Boat anchors