On my sons 61 Apache he has a stock 283 from 65 Impala. He currently has a older Edellbrock aluminum intake with a adapter and a 2bbl carb. I am not sure of which intake it is because it in not marked with anything other than Edelbrock. But it does have the oil fill in it. I also have on the shelf a 64 vintage cast iron intake from a 250hp 283. We want to get rid of the 2bbl and go to a 4bbl. I was thinking of a 500 cfm Edelbrock. I have also heard good things about the 390 Holley on these small displacement motors. If we went with the cast iron manifold we would have to get a adapter for anything other than a Rochester 4GC (I think). What have you guys used? The motor is bone stock with the exception of a HEI and glass packs. Thanks, Todd
Todd, I am running a bone stock 283 other than mallory ignition in my Willys (overland). I bolted a stock L-79 cast iron intake to it and an out of the box Holley 600. It works fine, I haven't even changed the spring in the secondary dash pot.
Keep your Edelbrock and get a small vacuum secondary spreadbore carby to go on it - the 500cfm Edelbrock is probably just a little large for a stock 283, but not by too much. Cheers.
Compare the size of the intake ports with those of the intake you're planning on using; the aftermarket intakes will probably have huge ports compared to the 283. See where i'm going? Find an "OLD" aftermarket intake that actually is meant for a 283 (made before the 327-350 engines were the norm), or use a stock intake. Personally, I don't like carb adapters, but IF it's used as more of a spacer than an adapter, then OK (like putting an AFB on where the barrel size/spread prevents a direct bolt on dispite the bolt pattern fitting; make sense?). I know the aftermarket companies advertise their intakes as fitting 262-400 SBC, but that does'nt mean they actually work well, they will bolt on however. You can port match the heads some, but it's best to use an intake that actually fits right. And I still like the WCFB and Rochester 4-Jets on small engines. Butch/56sedandelivery.
Thanks for the info. The intake does have very large intake runners. Is the Rochester 4GC a decent carb? This is a stock motor in his truck. I think he needs ecomomy/reliability over performance at this point. I am not very experienced in this carb/intake stuff compared to alot of others here. Todd
A rochester 4 jet would be a good carb as well as the 4GC. You don't need to take my word on intake or carb combos I have only been building small journal small blocks for over 40 years. The small holley works well and out of the box needs not rejetting on modern fuel. The L-79 intake is pretty easy to find and the holley is a bolt on. Granted it is a stock performance intake and no one will pee themselves when they see it unless they actually know what they are looking at. Anyway if you want a carb from the era I would run a rochester 4 jet or a 4gc will also work.
Thanks again for your input. Not really married to the necessity of having something from the era. Basically, we have two different intakes and need to decide the best intake of the two and what carb to run on it. Like I mentioned in the first post this is for my 18yo sons truck. He does not have big $$ to spend and is looking for simple reliability and decent economy. Todd
If you have a 4GC lieing around and an intake that it will bolt to it will do just fine. If you don't have the carb and have to buy it don't give a ton for one. They are pretty simple to rebuild if you find one with good throttle shafts. They get real pricey if you are not a machinist and the throttle shafts or the holes in the base plate are worn. What do you have in the line of an intake already? If you are intake shopping I see edelbrock Streetmasters for sale all the time, avoid them if you can. They were not a very good intake and sometimes people think they are worth their weight in gold.
Check out this website www.hotrodcarbs.com , you would have the coolest 283 in a 61 apache. Good reason to get rid of that non-hamby HEI.
I saw this formula on another site, but I'm not sure about it. CFM = Cubic inches X 2 Myself, a stock 350CI gets a 600 or 500 cfm. I would think on a 283, 500 or maybe just a 390.
The Rochester 4-GC (a.k.a. 4-jet) is an excellent choice for a bone-stock 283 (and other applications as well). Look at it from a standpoint of economics: It is calibrated for your engine, stock air cleaners, stock linkage, stock fuel lines, etc., etc., etc. ALL fit. Or you can buy an aftermarket carb that fits the older e-manifold you have. Then you can fabricate a fuel line, buy a new air cleaner, purchase jets, do some tuning, purchase jets, do some tuning, etc. Now if you decide on different compression, different cam, different ignition, etc., then maybe an aftermarket carb makes some sense. Jon.
Some guys on here swear by the HEI.. So what if it ain't hamb friendly... I'd use one in a heartbeat if I something to put it in....
I am leaning heavily towrds getting a 4cg, if I can find a decent rebuildable core. I think it will meet his needs best. There is even a 4 part vidio on youtube on rebuilding one. Todd
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