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View Full Version : We're puttin the SMALL back into Small Block Chevy!


SamIyam
09-12-2004, 01:50 AM
Two hunert and eighty three cubes... eight squirrels... yep, we're downsizing.

The motor is a vintage 283, bored .060, and was assembled thirty years ago... it had served duty in my buddy Tim's '62 Chevy II... ran in the low 13's back then... and got pulled and replaced with a stroked 327 (350) about 8 years ago.

Since '96... the motor has sat idle on the side of his house... we would like to run the Enderle injection set up on alcohol... and that requires a little more... ok, quite a bit more compression than the 9.5:1 350 that's in there now has to offer. (until we go through it and put the 13.5:1 pistons and new rods/crank and cam in it). The 283 happens to have 11.5 (nominal) slugs in it now... and with a thinner head gasket the thing should be up to the task of handling twice the amount of fuel that the alcohol injection will feed it.

Tim originally pulled the motor in favor of the stroked 327 because after a missed shift at Fremont the little motor was closing the gap on #1 cylinder... we'll have to check clearences, but Tim may have put a fresh set of hotter plugs in the motor prior to that race and that is hopefully the reason for the problem. Four of the pistons have little nicks in them where you could see where the electrodes were nicking them. That day at the races, he had put some washers under the spark plugs and it solved the "closing the gap" problem. In fact, he made several 6500 rpm shifts after fixing the problem.

This brings me to a question for the metalurgists and engine builders... Can you streatch a stock rod by zinging the motor to god knows how many rpm's?? I don't think it's likely, but stranger things have happened.

So the particulars on this motor are 11.5:1 Forged TRW pistons, cast crank (turns out they really did make 283 cast cranks), Duntov 30/30 solid lifter cam (hell on duration wimpy on valve lift), aftermarket rod bolts. 1.94 stainless valves, screw in studs... all in a nice pair of 462 heads that Tim's bro bought at the Chevy delership to throw on this gem back in the late 60's/early 70's.

Today we tore the thing all apart and Tim cleaned the block. I pulled one of the heads apart and cleaned up the valves and checked the guides out. I also measured intsalled hights of the springs and will get a spring tester and check the springs out tomorrow. Tim and I inspected all the bearings and all looked good. There is a nick on one of the crank journals that needs to be tended to as it put a little groove in one of the bearigs... Tim ran a tap down all the holes and cleaned gasket surfaces and I honed the cylinders to give them a little cross hatching...

We'll clean it all up, assemble it back together with a modern solid lifter cam instead of the Duntov and put a set of roller rockers on it and run it...

Should be cool to see how this wee-motor runs compared to the 350... and the injection should have a little bit of a learning curve to it, but we were smart enough to send it off and have it flowed... put a new pump in it and I'll set the barrel valve with a leak down tester as well as set the butterfly's before fireup...
Sam.

SamIyam
09-12-2004, 01:51 AM
The hone-job of oh-four.
Sam.

SamIyam
09-12-2004, 01:51 AM
Head torn apart... lookie them big-ass exhaust ports!

SamIyam
09-12-2004, 01:52 AM
Tim and Nate cleaning the motor...

SamIyam
09-12-2004, 01:53 AM
Tim pointing out the big-ass-ports... digger in the background with the injector mocked up.
Sam.

SamIyam
09-12-2004, 01:55 AM
Me just getting back from a ride on the Pre-unit... insert the English music "pa-tump, pa-tump, pa-tump, pa-tump"

She sounds sooooo sweet!

Sam.

SamIyam
09-12-2004, 02:18 AM
Just looked up the cam part numbers... seems it's not a Duntov... but it IS a 375hp 327 cam... something about a L-84??
Sam.

thirtytwo
09-12-2004, 02:44 AM
sam i think the auto trans is gonna be pissed at the 8000 + rpm thing

Scotch
09-12-2004, 02:47 AM
please tell me it'll be a solid roller...

Slag Kustom
09-12-2004, 03:22 AM
i hope you dont plan on trying to drive it on the street too much with the injection

Bass
09-12-2004, 03:53 AM
[ QUOTE ]
please tell me it'll be a solid roller...

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, Scotch just read my mind.


And oh yeah...you know how you were telling that guy the other day that he had too many steering columns? Well, I just counted at least three Hurst saddle mounts on your wall. What up wit dat? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Greezy
09-12-2004, 03:58 AM
Sam glad you are coming back to "the little engine that could". The BFD is going to be really badass with the injection set up.

buzzard
09-12-2004, 10:54 AM
I don't believe any of it, anyore. I freakin' thought the Roach Rod had a 283.

Boones
09-12-2004, 11:27 AM
what is it going in, the digger or your other hotrod or the new truck

SamIyam
09-12-2004, 12:00 PM
Sorry if I wasn't clear... but this motor is going into the Bomb Factory Digger, which only gets driven on the strip (ok, maybe on the street once in a while... around the block etc. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif )
The car has a solid mounted rear end... so it's a little bumpy!

Anyway, unless the money fairy comes by, we;re doing this on the cheap... not even "low buck"... we're talkin' NO BUCK.

I have most of the gaskets lying around... prolly won't even waste a can of spray paint on it because the paint that is on it now isn't bad... just clean it up, check all the clearences, degree the cam and GO!

Sam.
p.s. Yes Brian, I got a fettish for HURST front motor mounts... I had two... then I went to clean out my grandfather-in-laws place last week and found another.
But if you think thats bad... you should see my back shed... I've got the market cornered on '40 Ford 4" wheels... something like 8 of 'em... and some 4.5"ers and 5"ers... looks like the wheel rack down at Dorris Auto Wreckers back there.
Sam.

flamedabone
09-12-2004, 12:12 PM
Well, you know what they say...There's no replacement for...little tiny cubic inch.

No, wait..that's not it...that doesn't even rhyme..

Good luck, bro. -Abone.

PS. Did the Roach Rod sell?

Crosley
09-12-2004, 12:13 PM
Kool

Shag
09-12-2004, 01:49 PM
Sam set your butterflys at .004" with a feeler gauge to start with. Get a dual leak down testor, set the barrel valve with this at 18% to start and adjust with the turn buckle a flat at a time to desired performance. I have a spread sheet that you may find quite useful. E-mail me and let me know if you have MS Excel. I'll explain it to you and it will take a lot of the guess work and math out of choosing your by-pass pill for your conditions. The 283 will zing pretty good. Hope you have better luck with yours than Kenny and I did.

ray
09-12-2004, 05:52 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Sorry if I wasn't clear... but this motor is going into the Bomb Factory Digger, which only gets driven on the strip (ok, maybe on the street once in a while... around the block etc. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif )
The car has a solid mounted rear end... so it's a little bumpy!

Anyway, unless the money fairy comes by, we;re doing this on the cheap... not even "low buck"... we're talkin' NO BUCK.

I have most of the gaskets lying around... prolly won't even waste a can of spray paint on it because the paint that is on it now isn't bad... just clean it up, check all the clearences, degree the cam and GO!

Sam.
p.s. Yes Brian, I got a fettish for HURST front motor mounts... I had two... then I went to clean out my grandfather-in-laws place last week and found another.
But if you think thats bad... you should see my back shed... I've got the market cornered on '40 Ford 4" wheels... something like 8 of 'em... and some 4.5"ers and 5"ers... looks like the wheel rack down at Dorris Auto Wreckers back there.
Sam.

[/ QUOTE ]

don't forget the buick brake drums!

choprods
09-12-2004, 06:02 PM
Sam -I had ran a 292 in my 39 chevy in 1973 or so and 7500RPMs Situations were common with hydraulic lifters and stock valvetrain with no damage .and this was its regular treatment-THE ARE TOUGH!
I was only running the 350HP 327 cam so that motor with the injection and big heads etc/more cam would be 8500 9000 RPM capabilities with little problem.
Especially with solids and some better pushrods and rocker arms.
Not to say I recomend treating it that way -JUST saying it can do it! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif A lot happens with lift and duration coupled with that .48" less stroke.
Your light assed little car will be perfect for that engine!

Boones
09-12-2004, 06:37 PM
Sam, What happend to the motor Fred built. Did it go away or just looking to go faster with a more strip orientated set up?

SamIyam
09-12-2004, 06:52 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Sam, What happend to the motor Fred built. Did it go away or just looking to go faster with a more strip orientated set up?

[/ QUOTE ]
It's sitting in the car now. It's just that it has only 9.5:1 CAST pistons and that won't run very well as you need a lot of compression to run alcohol.

The RACEFAB motor has run excellent in the car, in fact, it has surprized us all how well it has run. It is a torquey SOB... with that motor in place it runs a 6.50 @ 102mph 1/8th mile... but then falls off for the rest of the 1/4 mile. A 6.50 1/8th is the equvelent of a 9.80 run... haulin ass off the git go, but in need of more rpm's.

So I bought some 13:1 pistons and new rods for the RACEFAB motor... I'll get a forged crank to put in it and a cam that is better matched to the 4400-4800rpm converter that is in the car and the gears we have. Tim had bought the motor from LA32 after he won it, LA32 already had a rebuilt SBC and was moving at the time, so it was a good deal for the both of us. It's just that running all that stock stuff at 6000+ rpm is like rolling the dice in my opinion... and I'd hate to mess up the heads or the block.

So, our plan is to throw this 283 together "on the cheap" and run it until it pukes. While that motor is in the car, I plan on going through the 350. I am also thinking about putting the heads from my Model A's 327 on the RACEFAB 350 when we do the rebuild... (they are Dart Sportsman II's) so unfortunately all that will be left of the RACEFAB 350 is the block, the oil pump, the rocker arms and the push rods... the rest will be new "boogie and go" race crap.

Hopefully I'll be able to get 500+hp out of it and put the car well into the nines... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Sam.

FWilliams
09-12-2004, 09:08 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I plan on going through the 350. I am also thinking about putting the heads from my Model A's 327 on the RACEFAB 350 when we do the rebuild... (they are Dart Sportsman II's)

[/ QUOTE ]

i hope i dont see those 461's on ebay http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

SamIyam
09-12-2004, 10:07 PM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I plan on going through the 350. I am also thinking about putting the heads from my Model A's 327 on the RACEFAB 350 when we do the rebuild... (they are Dart Sportsman II's)

[/ QUOTE ]

i hope i dont see those 461's on ebay http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Now there's an idea!!

Really though... those heads, as well as that motor, technically don't belong to me... they are Tim's because he bought the motor with his money. And I don't think Tim would want to let them go up on e-bay... I would have to TRADE him my Dart heads for the camel humps, (trading down for my A, but we'd end up with better flowing heads on the digger). If I sold them, then we'd have to BUY a set of heads for one of the cars... and that just isn't in the cards...

Sam.