Technical Lets build a 327 to make 400hp

I ran into this problem about 30 years ago. The 283 in my 57 Bel Air had an Edelbrock StreetMaster on it, with crappy looking stock Chevy PCV style valve covers. The breather, (oil separator) can under the intake was missing, because it wouldn't fit.

The solution was to modify the breather so it was shorter front to back. I just used a hack saw to trim off part of the breather, so it mounted further back in the engine block's valley. Not sure how much I trimmed off.....1/8th inch??? 1/4 inch??? 1/2 inch??? It wasn't very much, though. The mounting brace that is spot welded to the breather can just needed to be bent a little bit, so it bolted up in it's stock bolt hole.

Heightwise, the breather can stayed the same, it just got moved slightly further back in the engine block valley. It's worked fine ever since. Still have the same car with the same engine.

The StreetMaster had some cooling fins on the underside of it. These were on the exhaust crossover. I had to grind some clearance on these, too. Did not have to get into the crossover passage in the intake, though.

The intake had to be modified in a couple of other ways, too. It only had the boss for an oil filler tube, without any filler hole. Used a hole saw to drill one in it. It also had a small hole connecting the intake plenum to the exhaust crossover. I tapped this hole and put allen head pipe plug in it.

 

The can that you modified is a baffle of sorts that helps keep the oil in the engine when the vacuum is applied to the breather tube, either by passing air at speed or by a hose run to intake vacuum. You actually can remove it all together and use a PCV with a baffled grommet Mr. Gasket sells them to this day just for situations like that and they are cheap.

That is not to say that your solution was not a good one it has probably been done more times then either one of us can count.

 

I would be right there with DD Denny and Beaner too for a new 327. Last two 40's here had 327's One was built with 461's, a Crane cam and about 10:1 with an orig L79 intake and AFB-maybe 325 HP-runs real well. The other has a similar 327 with an Elgin copy of the L79 cam with a 65 Rochester FI unit-spunky too. As said, I'm a big fan of small journal 327's

 

small update(these will probly come in slow, cause money is low) but I picked up a Saginaw 4spd for $100 today so that cancels out the th350 scenario.

 

Be careful shifting that at speed

 

I will, Im going to have it gone through and possibly have it beefed up. Ive had a manual trans daily drivers for the last 16 years so hopefully I know how to shift conservatively haha

 

I used Ross pistons in a 415 SBC stroker I built. Nice, really nice.

 

Winters foundry

 

Yea I ran Sags for years you either love 'em or hate 'em. You keep 'em tight and don't miss shifts. With a good shifter (one with shift stops properly adjusted) they are an excellent transmission behind a small block. A transmission guy and me actually set one up like a MOPAR BANG BANG transmission once just to see if it could be done. We had it behind a 375 horse 327 (an L-79 properly tuned) it worked but you had to strong arm it, there was no finessing it. it didn't last long as a street transmission but it was a cool experiment. LOL

 

I love this statement!! Indeed there is, Benno.

 

I'm in the middle of a 327 small journal build myself so this is all interesting for me. My combination is already set, a +.030 bore with the KB .100 dome pistons in a 3858180 block. 3917291 heads with some clean up, matched gaskets and large (2.02/1.65) stainless valves, roller tipped rockers. I chose the Comp. XE274H over the 30-30 or L-79, I also considered the Thumper 279TH7. Standard steel crank, 8 in damper, chevy flywheel and a close ratio 4 speed. Rotating assembly has been balanced.
My Weiand WC4D has 4 EC model 94's (1 and 1/16th) on it with progressive linkage. This is a dual plane intake. Chevy ram horns to get the air out.
I have no clue what the hp is, but I'm sure it will burn rubber from here to next Tuesday.
btw: I know I'll need an additive for the fuel as well as the oil. Big deal.

 

Follow this thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/gold-mine-moment.1020971/ the guy is trying to do the same thing as you except with a 4 bolt 350 block.

 

is there enough iron to bore any SBC 30"? Didn't you mean +.030? Some of what you are saying is a little confusing to me I knew that you didn't mean 30" but that is what you wrote. If you are going +.030 what are KB+.100 pistons for, a +.100 piston isn't the piston you would use to make your bore 4.030 it is what you would use in a 4.100 bore. If you are using a 283 block (didn't look up the numbers) then the pistons to go .030 over would be +.155 that would give you a 4.030 bore.

Anyway not busting your chops, just trying to learn or understand. OK?

 

I think he probably means .100 dome .030 over piston

 

Thanks, I just didn't understand.

 

Guys who aren't concerned with traditional look have no problem getting an honest 375 HP from a 350 ish cube SBC....9.5 flat top pistons, after market heads with fast burn chambers, flat tappet cam around 220 degrees at .050 lift, 600 CFM carb on medium rise intake and a set of headers... Engines like this will run ok on 91 octane , not temperamental in traffic and get reasonable fuel mileage.

 

Makes me want to finish assembling my small journal 327 !!! Lets see now....its been waiting for assembly for 38 yrs! I had the block machined at Village engine in Mpls back in 1978 with a .040 overbore. I have rebuilt 462 heads but being done so long ago, not sure if they have hardened seats? Brand new Badger pistons on reworked original rods and a box of Ramco rings and Clevite bearings. An original forged crank turned 10/10. a Edelbrock 3 deuce intake with 3 2GCs, new in the box Cal Custom polished no holes finned valve covers (sticker from Champion Auto says $23.95) and new in the box Cal Custom finned oil pan. Mr Gasket push rods, Crane rockers, I stole the cam I had for another project at some point but have a 302 1st design Trans Am cam I was thinking of using....the distributor was a Mallory Rev Pol but got used on same other project and never replaced it. This motor was to go in my '31 Chevy but I installed a BBC instead. But I have a project car parked in the back of the pole building that would be perfect for this motor!! So someday I will finish it.
I know how they feel, I had a 365 hp 327 with a Holley 950 3 barrel in a '70 Vette with a 4 sp and 3.36 gears and went like crazy!!

 

Well I am a victim of the 327 spell too, had one in a Vega I raced back in the 80's, that car just flat hauled ass! I know the car it's self is way off topic, but the motor is spot on to what everyone else is talking about here. Single 4 barrel, a fairly stout cam, iron 292 heads, stock rods, no oil pan to speak of, and some out of the box TRW forged pistons with a lump on top, Ran 9.50's @ 142 and change regularly at Fremont doing half track wheelies! See attached pic.

 

Are you talking before or after the wheelstand (good one BTW).

 

That is a good one DD! Actually this was a regular deal, but I can tell you that with a front motor plate and a mid mount I did break my share of stock power glide cases!! Maybe scraped the paint off the pan. But I really meant nothing trick to it, it was actually a engine swap Moroso pan, I think worse than a stock pan due to the crossmember it had to clear....

 

Here's my latest 327 build for my 55 Chevy Sedan Delivery, it's a 65 / 870 block (my favorite casting) a set of Corvette 461's with 2.02's, a comp cams Hyd roller copy of a 30/30 cam, the Pistons that were mentioned earlier with the .125 domes that are .030 over, correct for an L79 motor, bushed stock rods for floating pins, and my M/T crossram along with my summers brothers front drive distributor set up. Should run good, I am putting a B&M hydro behind it.

 

BOING

 

QUOTE="mutant55, post: 11553091, member: 180289"] it's a 65 / 870 block (my favorite casting) a set of Corvette 461's with 2.02's, a comp cams Hyd roller copy of a 30/30 cam, the Pistons that were mentioned earlier with the .125 domes that are .030 over, correct for an L79 motor, bushed stock rods for floating pins, and my M/T crossram along with my summers brothers front drive distributor set up. Should run good, I am putting a B&M hydro behind it.[/QUOTE]

very nice indeed.
do you have some intake valve to cylinder wall clearance (notching) with only .030 over standard bore?
EDIT; I read '56 not '65 and was thinking it was a 265.......
and it's a thread about 327's (it was a long week)

 

327 = best everyday engine Chevy ever made. (especially in a lightweight car)

I have an L79 that came in a '62 Vette I bought in 1975.
It's been in 7 cars since then. I'll never get rid of it.
It's in an off topic S10 Blazer now.
With 4:11's and a Muncie M21 it can scare you.

A cheap but fairly strong stick shift trans is a Muncie 3 speed out of a late 60's early 70's pickup.

 

Bottom line Billy, build it basic so it's reliable, you can't go wrong with one of these engines I think everybody here obviously agrees, you will have plenty of power and tons of fun with a 327, no matter what the car weighs.

 

I did get a hold of Isky and let them know what I have and what Id like to get close to and they suggested their 201281 cam. I wanted to run it by you guys to see if this is a good purchase for my set up. I let them know it would be street driven quite often and to and from out of town shows etc. Im doing research on the cam but wanted to be sure of the other things Id need to pick up to get this going and be safe etc. I greatly appreciate your advice thus far and continuing. Thank you

 

Here's my experience with a 4.040 327 using 291 castings for heads. Some of this is in my build thread; so you might check that out. I had the block milled .015" and the heads milled .020". I used a .040" head gasket with flat top pistons with 2 valve reliefs. This gives about 10.1:1 static CR and so far no issues with 91 octane pump gas. I've run my bike on 91/93 octane pump gas for years with no issues, but it has aluminum heads. With the parts you've mentioned so far, you'll be fine with pump premium. I wouldn't build a 9:1 engine unless I was trying to run regular gas.

 

Quick question, did the .015 mill give you a zero deck height?

I am up around 11:1 on my aluminum headed small block and it will run on mid grade when it is cold in the winter. I try to run premium in the summer.my bike is air cooled and I run it on premium all the time but it may run on mid grade. I didn't build the motor so I don't know what kind of compression it is running. I do know that new premium was suggested so there is no reason to stray if I can get premium.

 

.015" left .003/4 deck clearance and I thought i was going to be able to get .035" gaskets; I didn't get the chance to physically check until after machining and purchasing the gaskets. I wanted .035/.038 quench and ended with .043".

I tried to find some forged 11:1 to machine to get 10.5 and had no luck at the time ( about 2 1/2 yrs ago) so I could run iron heads. I think they're available now.

 

I was just curious, the last motor I decked I took nearly .020 off of it in the highest place. A lot depends on the pistons themselves and the rods as a rule. They are seldom exact.

Anyway I was just curious.