Need V8 engine advice.., what would you do? Options

[DougC]

OK guys, I have a (supposedly) rebuilt old 283 SBC in my garage, no documentation etc. has an Edlebrock intake and carb, oilpan is bent, no headers. I'm not sure what to do..I'd like to get something a little less obsolete, I'd really like to build a 302 maybe I should get a 4 bolt 350 block, add flattop pistons, 3" crank (to make a 302) , dbl roller chain, aluminum heads, etc.. Maybe I should buy one of the 350s you find on ebay being sold by engine rebuilt companies and are around $2000 or so, claiming 330hp or so (they usually have a warranty). Trouble is I have to watch how much I can spend because, well the conversion parts are gonna be expensive as you know. Which is why I got the 283 in the first place. BTW, I'll be using stock tranny. All Suggestion and opinions are welcome..

Doug C

[DougC]

All solid advice and I'll take it to heart. I do like the idea of using aluminum heads with stiffer springs though. What size valves should I get on a stock 283 or .30 over. Are 55cc chamber size best for this application, it's not a common size is it? And who from...maybe AFR? thanks!

Doug C

[Root_Werks]

If I ever do a V8 914 (I probably will at some point), I would do a high revving 283. It sounds like a cool project to have a 914-8 with 300hp that would rev a solid 6500rpm and not have to break the bank to do it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[Brett W]

My feeling is, build the car. You have the motor already. Get all the goodies that go with the conversion and put it in and run it. Once you have sorted all the bugs out go ahead and build a nice motor. Some thing along the lines of:

400 block with a 302 crank= 352ci
SB2 heads from a Winston Cup shop (used)
Custom pistons and rods
EFI
Good headers.

No reason why a reasonable 500+ is not possible and it will spin to 8000+ rpms and very little 901 crunching torque but it will run like a raped ape on the street.

[DougC]

Right, I definately won't be getting any aluminum heads at first. I'd like to have the info for when I could afford it. Heck A/C is more important to me right now and I probably won't be able to do that for a while either. Top end/ head info if anyone knows of a good set to fit 283 bore sizes? I understand you can't use the 1.60/2.02 or whatever it is.. because the piston bores are too small. So I'm just trying to figure out what's best.

Doug C

[andys]

My feeling is, build the car. You have the motor already. Get all the goodies that go with the conversion and put it in and run it. Once you have sorted all the bugs out go ahead and build a nice motor. Some thing along the lines of:

400 block with a 302 crank= 352ci
SB2 heads from a Winston Cup shop (used)
Custom pistons and rods
EFI
Good headers.

No reason why a reasonable 500+ is not possible and it will spin to 8000+ rpms and very little 901 crunching torque but it will run like a raped ape on the street.

Good advice, IMO. Stick it in the car, and get it runnning first. You'll better equipped to make the next decision after that. Who knows, you may find you like it just the way it is.

Building a motor to rev, requires a good valve train regardless of the cubic inches (to a point, of course). That's where you'll spend the money. 8000RPM requires one hell of a valve train ($$)!

Andy

[Tony]

If I remember right you can put a 327 small jounarl crank in a 283 this makes a 302 early. The early small block chevy's are two bolt mains and rev up faster, the later small blocks 69 and later have four bolt mains and larger
cranks. You can not put the crank from later small blocks into early like a 283. I would go out and get the book how to hotrod a small block chevy, it should be still in print. Be sure it on the early motors not todays small blocks.

[DougC]

Tony, that may be right and I've heard others say that same thing but it sounds backwards to me. I mean a 302 had a 4" bore and a 3" stroke if I'm not mistaken, so the 283 crank would be the right crank having a 3" stroke, right.. Now, I believe the 327 had a 4" bore (stock) so that block or any small journal 350 block would be the one to use for a (S.J.) 302. Which is why I was asking about opening up the cylinders on my stock(?) 283 [eventually].

Doug C

[redshift]

I think their is a 327 from around 1966 that likes 6500rpm


M

[neo914-6]

This thread covered V8 sizes, not sure it concluded anything (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) V8 engines

[Tony]

Doug

When put a 327 crank in a 283 you are changing the stroke not the bore, in 67 chevy did this to meet the 5.0 liter max in Trans Am racing. This was the hot set-up that year. The next year chevy built a new 302 using the new larger main bearing four bolt main block. This was the one that could rev pass 8 grand and live. My brother had one in his Camero, but it was a 69 four bolt main block with a shorter stoke and larger bore. This the one you want for high rpm's. It has the 4' bore, the 283 is a not the same engine. So the 350 crank will not fit in your 283. If you use the 283 check and see if the head are modilfy for unlead gas, I think that the valve seats are to soft.

[marks914]

Oh yeah, just got my car back from Brad Mayeur. He re-geared the tranny and the car is a whole different animal to drive. Its great!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)
Mark,
Is your supercar still budgeted at $5500 considering tall gearing tranny work costs ~$2500+?
Felix

5500
1600
-------
7100

Not too bad though. I have seen plenty of $20,000 cars that aren't running.

Mark