Projects ?? about rebuilding a 283...

Okay... Im not a mechanic... and get by with minimal Knowledge about it.. I would like to attempt to rebuild a 64 283? is it worth doing?

as I dis***emble.. can I ask you ones that have rebuilt these what to do on the next stage by stage base?

Thanks..

 

not worth it...

and yes you can ask

 

I'm sure that any number of us would be glad to help.

One thing I would suggest, though, to help you along...
There have been several versions of a book called "How to Rebuild Your Small Block Chevy", which would probably answer most of your questions without having to wait on us. They're available on evilbay and aren't very expensive. Here's the link:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...+rebuild+small+block+chevy&_sacat=0&_from=R40

 

Definitely worth it. Great smooth running engines.

I cant help you much with rebuilding, both of the 283s I had ran like sewing machines and didn't need any work.

 

I love 283's they are awesome engines definitely worth doing


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yes! they are worth rebuilding! and get that book that Dave suggested , it will lead you through it from tear-down to the first time you fire it

i've rebuilt many 283's , i'm in the process of rebuilding one right now

any questions....just ask

 

283's are like little anvils. I say rebuild.... Make sure the cylinders are round, Bore if necessary. Nice melling High volume oil pump, clevite 77 bearings, Mild cam. Make sure when you do the heads, guides and seats are hardened. 110 lbs seat pressure....

Its a good little engine, not a power house but very reliable

 

Maybe it has to be a 350 before its worth building. Build it and they will come.

 

Alright.. Thanks Guys.. Im not sure what Im in for,... But it will be a experiance.. I will get the Book suggested as well.. Thanks..

 

also... this engine has a Powerglide.. Good or bad.. or should I try for a T350? this is for the J in the avatar..

 

I am in the process of finishing up a 283 rebuild......60 over pistons, Z28 601 bigger valve heads, 327-300hp cam for great street performance, torque and gas milage, flat top pistons....and a custom quadrajet build by me and my mechanic.

Take Dave B's advice....that book will help you with most questions, also, I have a c***ette tape by Greg Colletti on how to build your engine...it was produced by KLK productions in holmdel NJ...it is great....may find it on ebay or they probable re produce it in a dvd now I would say... Also you can find lots of info on Utube...but have seen some that made me cringe....

My old chevy mechanic, who has one heckva reputation in WNC, used to work at the chevy dealer, he said when customers would complain about the milage they were getting with their 283, they would put one gallon in a small tank and when it went empty, they would check the milage...9 out of 10 times, 22-23 mpg.

My vette has a L79 327, so I am fond of the quick winders...and hope this 283 runs as much as it cost to build...I am over $2,000.00 and still heading north.

For every person that says no...you will find 10 that oooohh and awwwwhhh when you mention 283.

 

Thanks for the info.. advise taken as well.. Ill start tearing it down and make sure every thing is in order for ***. Im actually looking forward to this.. I need a challenge with something Ive never done before.. Ive replaced Heads and Rocker arms.. But never a complete rebuild..

 

Yes it is. Match your cam to the head cc, trans/rear end combo. Enjoy the fact is it not another 'tree 'fidy. I run one as well. If your budget is tight, a set of 305 heads will do.

 

Go for it !!!! I had one in my first car a 66 Impala. You can't hardly kill one of those. It's a shame back in the day all the big three had comparable engines. The Chrysler 270,Ford 289 and of course the 283. They were all bullet proof with minimal service, they would run forever !!!!

 

have fun...

 

One more thing - be sure to mark the bearing caps, rods, etc. as the engine comes apart. I didn't do this on my first rebuild and spent hours trying to re-match everything. Now I have a simple stamp set like this: (http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-6611-1...d=1367816804&sr=8-2&keywords=tekton+stamp+set)
and always stamp my main caps, rods & caps, etc. as I take apart the engine. It may be over-kill, but I like to mark the position # and indicate which side faces the front. Don't use anything like a Sharpie, as the fluid in a hot-tank will often dissolve it.

 

I'm on my third 283 there great engines, I love the 283 and 327. Check your local community college some have engine rebuilding cl***es.

CRUISER

 

when MONEY is NOT a FACTOR...

 

Definitely worth it. Great smooth running engines.

 

You mentioned the power glide trans or 350 trans-I would go with the 350 trans, the extra gear helps a lot. IMO

 

glides are great, but I think youll enjoy driving the car more with a TH350, depends on how strict you want to be on era correct, or if the car is more of a crusier.

quick check, northern autoparts has sealed power 4 eyebrow cast pistons for $100 in various overbores, Northern has always had great engine kit packages. If youre not concerned with strictly traditional a set of vortec heads ('96 and up silverado's) will give you the better performance than any of the 50's 60's factory heads. Vortec limiting factors are max lift in the .470 range and you will need a vortec specific intake. the lift isnt an issue as thats about right for a 283, the intake will be aluminum aftermarket, you can always grind off the logo and paint it orange if you want to p*** it off at a quick glance. a cam in the 450 to 460 lift 220 @.050 duration would be plenty for a 283. if youre using stock heads go with a split pattern cam (more lift and duration on the exhaust to make up for the heads), if you go with the vortecs its not as much of a concern, same ex / in lift is fine. Any more duration than that you're pushing it on a stock converter.

http://www.northernautoparts.com/ProductModelDetail.cfm?ProductModelId=707#options
Link to Northern Auto parts 283 master rebuild kit, $320. $36 gets cam upgrade to .458 lift 218 duration @.050

 

The taking apart is more important than the putting together in my opinion....so take photos, take notes, bag everything from every part bolt wise at least, and if the rods and mains are not marked, you need to mark them as one poster said...the mains usually have an arrow pointing to the front of the engine...on the rods, mark both pieces with a number set the way they are officially in the engine on their side next to each other.

 

283 is a great engine for a light weight car. Also an excellent choice for your first rebuild. There are dozens of books and videos to tell you how to do it. Parts are cheap and easy to get.

What did you plan to use it in? Some kind of nostalgia hot rod I hope. Vintage speed equipment like intakes and valve covers not hard to find either.

Lots of fun in a T bucket, roadster or early Nova hardtop. 20+ MPG not hard to take either.

 

My favorite "How to" book is Hot Rodding the Small Block Chevy. Also Hot Rodding the Big Block Chevy. Is your powerglide an iron or aluminum case?

 

Also if the powerglide is a cast iron one they can be a bit heavy and somewhat expensive to rebuild if they need rebuilt. the aluminum ones are fairly light and work fine in most applications though.

Get a copy of the "how to rebuild your small block Chevrolet" and it doesn't have to be a new one. You can get it at most local book stores or even at a lot of auto parts stores or on Amazon or Ebay. I've used it as reference material for the engine rebuilding section when I taught high school auto mechanics.

Follow Dave B's suggestion when you get the pan off and make sure that the rod caps and rods are marked as to which cylinder they go to before you start taking the engine apart. Also make sure that the main caps are numbered as some aren't very well marked from the factory. Guys either use number stamps or a center punch to mark the rods and mains so you might see a series of punch marks on a rod cap indicating which cylinder it came from. I always slip the rod cap back on the rod and screw the nuts back on with my fingers so the rod cap stays with the right rod.

Take your time and have fun and don't be afraid to ask questions. there are a number of us who can probably rebuild small block Chevs in our sleep as we have done so many of them.

 

Great little engine, and I would definitely rebuild it. I'd also dump the PG and go TH350.

 

I got the left Head off.. the Last or rear cylinder is pitted..

How common is it to see a Hole in a Transmission Housing? broken out wards..

 

Dude, start posting pix.

 

heres the start.. dont know if this is good or bad



first time Ive seen a Hole in a Housing too. a bolt let go in there some where..

 

The corrosion in the cylinder makes me think blown head gasket. Not a huge deal if you're going to have everything machined prior to re***embly (You should and you are, right?). The hole in the trans is a real issue. That case is toast. Honestly, I'd step up to a TH350 any way, since they're much easier to get parts for, and the 283 will enjoy the rev of the higher first gear to get you moving.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, the 283 is an awesome little engine. Great for higher revs, or as a budget engine that will last forever and give you great performance and fuel economy. I can't wait to have another.