Hello I just yanked out my 327 out of my Bel Air, it was gettin tired. I was wondering what can be done to them performance wise. I was lookin for a good low end torque and good horsepower. Iknow you can't have both. I was wondering if there is any old timers uh I mean some very wise person out there that lead me on to some old time builders tricks they did back in the day. I don't want a quarter mile car or something outragous also that I have to plan my trips around where is the next gas station. I've got a set of camel back heads punched out to 2.02 valves' if my memory is working good now I think they're 462's heads. And I just want to use a decent bottom end not going crazy and some flat top pistons. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
there is a laundry list of perf. parts/upgrades for the sbc 327. i don't have the specifics like alot of the guys here; but for one destroke and build an rpm monster. or bore and stroke and get some torque. 2.02 heads and a 30/30 duntov cam is about all that seperates a stocker from the 365hp in my '64 vette. of course the intake is different but there are a million different ones for the sbc. good luck. what tranny do you have or leaning towards?
9.5- 10.0 compression , heads you mentioned,stock crank and rods ok ,resize rods and grind,polish crank, good timing chain,dual plane manifold,600-650 carb. Call for a cam recomendation to grinder of your choice. Tell them want you want the motor to do and be honest.They usually recomend a little on the small side to me though. Good valve job and springs.Good strong electronic ignition. I would run the high pressure oil pump, not high volume. Balance it if you have the bucks. Makes em work mucho better. 350 horse Chevy cam is good. If you want a Chevy cam. I wouldn't mess with solids on this motor.
The old Duntov 30-30 cam is a great, as are those 2.02" fueler heads, and stick with a 600 cfm carb for better low end power without hurting gas mileage. Don't forget a good set of headers, but stick with 1 5/8" primaries so you retain some backpressure which also helps torque. Don't use an open plenum intake, but a good dual plane air gap will help make HP and torque.
The best way to up the torque on the 327 in to stroke it. What I do a lot is use a 350 crank, on a large journal 327 just drop the 350 crank in and use 350 pistons. On the small journal I use the steel 350 crank and look for ones that are used up and are 40 - 60 under size. I have them ground to STD X STD small journal and drop them in. This is a very inexpensive upgrade.
All good ideas I always use at least roller tip rockers. The stock GM rocker ratio are not as accurate as the roler ones. I like the sound of a solid cam ..People will tell you that you have to adjust solids all the time... Not so... If you have to adjust them all the time you have other problems. In my opinion points work as well as electronic. I always use a cast iron dist. and have it curved on an old Sun machine. I would balance and be sure to have the dampner & flywheel / flexplate done. Degreeing the cam is always a good idea also I think the 283 / 327 sbc are the best engines ever made Good luck
Whats the point of that then you have a run of the mill 350 not a 327. You can have a good balance of horsepower and torque with the right combo in a 327. I have always preferred the 327 to the 350.
I'm guessing this is a SJ 327? I believe it's Speed-O-Motive that has a SMALL JOURNAL crank-rod-piston kit to make a 383 style stroker motor. This would probably be the best route to go for horsepower and torque. I've heard it said you don't want to turn a large journal crank down to small journal specks, something about how it moves the oil feed holes. BUT, cutting down 400 cranks would seem to also be a problem with that reasoning, but it's obviously not. So, I vote small journal stroker, with flat top or dished pistons, and Vortec heads if you're really looking for power. Butch/56sedandelivery.
I have a .450/.450 lift cam in my .030 over 327. 1.94/1.5 valves, Edelbrock C4B and 600 Holley, four speed and 9" with 3.5:1 gears. Puts out 220 hp at the rear wheels and 200 ft/lbs. Easy to drive not bad on gas and sounds good through the exhaust.
Don't put a .030/.030 cam in anything but a restored 365hp 327. Even then find a replacemant that makes horsepower in a usable rpm range. The 350 hp/327 cam will run circles around it on the street. Frank
Being a tired 327 you will more than likely bore it 30 over, the L-79 hyd. cam will be a choice or a grind close to those specs. I would spend the money for balancing. The 2.02 462's you will have to consider the chamber cc's and compression of the piston, I would not go over 10:1 with being more of a driver. If you choose the 350 hp cam and run an automatic you will need about a 2500 converter. Around 600-650 cfm on the carb, consider a windage tray in the oil pan. Chevy had a hit with the L-79 327/350hp engine but it was an 11:1 compression engine. You will have 331 ci with boring and will have a great engine. You have to consider the rear size and tranny into the whole formula. 3:73's with overdrive may be the choice but which Bel Air,60's or 50's?
Don't let the old drag racers talk you into an engine best suited for a 4 spd car with low gears that makes it's horsepower in the upper RPM range which we rarely use on the street. I loved the L-79 327-350 HP engine. Hydraulic cam. Very streetable and if you keep your foot out of it, it'll get descent gas mileage. It won't win an economy run but it won't put you in the poor house either. A good compromise of sounds, HP and still usable in real life. I drove a 63 327/340 HP Corvette every day in the early 70s. It was fine for the street. I could keep it in it's RPM range. It wouldn't have been so street friendly in an automatic Impala. If you had a HP 327 engine back when they were new you always had a 4spd. Power glide was considered a grandma trans. It's all a compromise. Build an engine that will meet your needs for the engine. Think the whole package through.
I agree with the 327/350 horse L-79 set up, great for the street. From my experience (I ran a SJ 327 with the same set up). It is a great street motor. 2200 stall, dual plane intake, 650 cfm carb, 3.55 or 3.73 gears (depending on rear tire size). It can put you in the low 13's very easily. A auto w OD would be great if you want to burn the highway miles.
Gee I wanted to say that. By far the best street cam made. Maybe shoot for 9.5:2 compression, the L-79, pull the valves they need to be lapped at the very least anyway, make sure you got a good 3 angle valve job and blend the bowls while the valves are out. Dual plain intake like say an offy or a holley contender. 600-700 cfm carb I like holleys but a lot of the folks don't. A set of long headers 1 3/4 of you can afford them. 2.5" dual exhaust. The L-79 is should produce a very flat power band between about 2K and 5200 on your 327. It would be real sweet if you could land an L-79 intake to go with it but I'd have to say good luck to you on that. I have one myself but they are few and far between and I'm using mine.
327 sbc is probably my all time favorite. It doesn't take much to wake one up, heads, cam, intake, headers. Let 'em breathe and they'll run like stink!!! They sure surprised a lot of big blocks back in the day...
right now I'm runnin 700r4 trans w/ a 2100 stall, old time edelbrok alum high rise intake w/ front oil fill, and a holley 500 cfm, 3.336 rear gears. it's a 64 bel air, I already know that I'm gunna go thru the heads with a set of manley swirl valves and balance engine, port and polish heads and intake.
I'd have to agree with the L-79 Cam rather than the old 30-30 I've run both over the years and the L-79 is a lot better all around street cam.
I've also got another question about the 327, I've got a set old corvette alum. valve covers. What did they use to fasten them down from the factory I can't seem to get a bolt to fit properly and still get a socket on it, and just want to make sure those crome "Y" or "t" handle kits are kinda period correct. They just don't look quit right, they to me look like a 80's dress up
hey thanks I never thought of that. And thanks to all on the engine input I've got some good ideas runnin thru my head, but keep em comin.
After you get the engine rebuilt, consider changing your rear end gears to a 3.73. With the 700r4 (3.06)1st gear x your 3.36 final drive = only just over 10x torque multiplication. The 3.73 will really improve the start (11.4 overall ratio); you need all the help you can get to move that 4 door off from the light (especially if it's full of friends). And it changes your overdrive final number from 2.35 to 2.61, which you won't really notice and shouldn't affect your gas mileage. vic
thanks man I thought that would be too deep so I was thinkin 3.55 but you put it that way I'm goin that route. Now do I need a new carrier for that chev. dropout to fit those gears I can't quite remeber where the cut off is.
You sure about Phillips head? I remember slotted head - but it was a loooong time ago...and I've been wrong before
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