Hey Guys, I recently got the itch to tackle an engine build from start to finish for the first time. I have a 62 Biscayne I wanted to do a period correct motor for, so I acquired a 327 off the ol' Craigslist. Total crapshoot, but since I plan on rebuilding 100% I wasn't too concerned. I want to do something close to what would have been offered from the factory but hi-po (like an L79 build) but with modern technology. I'll get some 2.02 camel humps for sure and probably a modern aluminum intake with an oil fill tube (Edelbrock Performer EPS, for example) and paint it orange. I noticed Comp Cams has an L79 nostalgia cam I may try. Anyway, I tore down the motor yesterday. Guy said the motor was in a 55' Bel-Air he bought 9 years ago, 7 of those years he ran this 327 with no issues. I don't know the full history of the engine, so I plan on doing a complete re-build. First thing I noticed was the "rebuilt by" tag on the front of the engine from Art Schedler's Engine Rebuilding and Supply out of Fresno, CA (see photo). Date says 67, not sure is that's 1967 (rebuilt after 3 years?!) or June of a year ending in 7 (67, 77, 87, etc.). After pulling off the oil pan and heads, I looks like every cylinder of this engine has been sleeved. I attached some photos. Am I crazy here? I've read several threads on here about sleeving, that it's expensive and typically reserved for the rare ones. Not sure why someone wanted to drop upwards of $800 on a run of the mill SBC, but OK. Pistons say 040 on the top but the tag on the front says CYL is 60. I'm assuming it's been rebuilt since and they needed to sleeve cause the bores were maxed out. I noted that the timing chain was swapped to a gear drive at some point. Looks relatively new. May be Pete Jackson, it's the the "NOISE" stamp on the idler. So on to my questions/discussion: What should I be looking for at the machine shop with this thing? Tanked? Honed? Are the sleeves going to be an issue with any of it? Is this block perhaps not the best choice to build with given the sleeves? Attached some photos. Thanks for taking the time to read, you're really helping this rookie out.
Rods were cut to .030, mains to .020 and bore to .060 when that shop did it so it looks like it has been gone thru at least one more time since. If it has been sleeved all the way around and has .040 pistons in it... it will be a crap shoot as to whether or not it can be bored again and I am betting not.... why would you sleeve a whole block and go to a .040 piston? I would strip it all the way down and take it to a machine show and let them look it over real good. Sounds like that 327 has had a real hard life.
10-4, thanks. That's what I was thinking too. I also forgot to mention, the block is all chipped up at the base of the bores (at the "V") where it looks like a previous engine builder wasn't too careful with rod position when removing the Pistons. I may just junk this one and make it a lessons learned. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
how much wear is there near the top of the bores? can you feel a "ridge" or depression about 1/4" down from the deck surface? if so, it probably needs to be bored again. If not, you might get away with just a hone and new rings, and save some money. Or take it to the machine shop and let them measure the bore with a bore gauge (bring a piston so they can check the clearance). did you look at the back of the bearings to see what size they are? they are usually stamped 010 or whatever the size is, common sizes are STD, 010, 020, or 030 under. I had a 454 that I bought cheap, it was running when I got it. Had 8 sleeves in it, and .040 over pistons. I put rings and bearings in it and drove it for years.
I would have somebody look at that engine, hands on. It might have some very good parts in it. To have sleeved the 8 cylinders. It was saved for a reason. Maybe a stock class drag car that needed a date coded motor. Measure the stroke. Maybe it is a different size motor than you think.
I can definitely feel a ridge in them, which is weird because I can also still see the crosshatching in the sleeves. I'll have to check the bearings, I didn't even look. I know it's tough without actually seeing the damn thing. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Maybe you should build a "Grumpy" 327 (bored to 331") use a 350 4 bolt main block and a 307 crank,here you can listen to the L-79 cam: Here is the cam:http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hrs-cl110031-14
Yeah, I know it's tough without actually seeing it. I do know it has a forged crank and the gear drive and the Pistons look new(er). They seem really light for some reason. I'll have to check the number on the underside, it's the only ID mark on them. Cam has no ID on it that I can find. Heads are nothing to write home about, standard early 60s with no acc holes (not fuelie). I'll have to check stoke when I get home from work. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
this is normal. The rings have a lot of radial load on them near the top of the stroke, as the high pressure of combustion pushes them out against the cylinder wall. So, you normally will see wear near the top of the ring travel area. The rest of the time, there is little pressure on the rings, so there is not much wear on most of the bore, and the cross hatching will not wear away. The amount of wear will determine how long the engine will last. If there's only a few thousandths of an inch, you can expect a re-ring job to last several tens of thousands of miles. Boring it so there is no taper will let it last over 100k miles, in most cases.
The more I think about it the more I'm starting to head in this exact direction. I'll have to check out that cam. The one I had found before was this one: http://m.summitracing.com/parts/cca-12-671-4 Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I would pass on that engine ... you will spend a ton of money on it and be no where with it I would look for a late 70's early 80's 350 engine you don't need 4 bolt mains until you start going over 5000 rpm parts will be cheaper heads will already have hardened seats assemble with old style valve covers for a period look and oil fill in the intake you can cheat and add a pcv system off the back of the block to keep it out of sight I found this place on line better prices than summit same parts as (re builders use ) http://www.competitionproducts.com/...47_447-114-LC/productinfo/E903K/#.VHPP85V0xdg engine re build kit same std. other sizes same price range http://www.competitionproducts.com/...-Std-Std/productinfo/MKC350A000/#.VHPQe5V0xdg
Mains are 030, rods are 040. Still kicking around what I wanna do. The more I look at the inside of the block the more I notice how beat up it looks. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Go to schogginsdickey.com and print the price on a 350 / 290 HP crate motor and take it to your Chevrolet dealer and see if they can match the price. Put that 327 back together and sell it on Craigslist. You will not believe the additional torque of a 350. You'll need to buy a harmonic balancer. Now you have a brand new engine not rebuilt.
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