Yes Chevrolet made it work, but it was a bit finicky for the street. They also used a pair of small WCFB carbs and it was still over carbureted. I know you like the look, but you might consider running on only one of the carbs, no linkage to the second one.
I wouldn't put a whole lot of faith in a cam manufacturer's advertised rpm range; you have to consider the entire package and how the components work together. A "small" cam/w free-flowing heads will perform better than a "big" cam/w poor, restrictive heads. Unless you have power brakes, a 110 LSA for a normally aspirated engine, particulary/w a small cam, is probably more desirable than an LSA of 112+. If you compare similar "small" cams from different manufacturers, you'll find that the majority have 110 LSA. As far as trying to outrun SUVs is concerned, consider this: My 1955 Tbird/w Fordomatic transmission was factory-rated 200 hp. Once rebuilt/w big-valve "G" heads, Sanderson headers, bigger carb, bigger cam, and higher compression, it probably won't reach 300 hp. I could stroke it, add Mummert's aluminum heads ($3000 for heads), bigger cam, etc. and maybe get 400 hp, at which point I could be approaching $10,000 for a 66-year-old engine. Doubling the hp would certainly increase the car's performance, but there are a lot of modern cars that have 300+ horsepower, 6 to 8-speed transmissions, etc. With less weight and the right gearing, you could be quick from stop light to stop light, but what will your car be like to live with otherwise? Something would be terribly wrong with the auto industry, if cars hadn't improved in 65 years. By the way, I'm strongly opposed to street racing. If you want to put your life at risk, fine, but don't include innocent people who don't want to participate. If you want to race, take your car to a track.
A little late to the party, but here I go. Since you already have the heads being reworked and need that 2X4 intake, stick to it. Mentioned before I'm sure, but you will need. Rework, replace the radiator core support. You could use a long water pump and the 6 core support configuration, or relocate the radiator (V-8 position) and use a short pump. If you have a '57 transmission, you will need to go with the factory (front/bellhousing) engine mounts. Depending on how far the car is apart, you might want to upgrade with side engine mounts. When I did mine I used the factory mounts (front and rear) and attached the side mounts and adapters and welded them in place. This method insured I have everything located correctly. Use ram's horn exhaust manifolds, they will have a provision for the generator and you can buy stock exhaust pipes. FYI, headers will need to pass under the rear engine frame mounts, so they may drag over speed bumps. You will need to fab a muffler hanger on the right side. If you do use stock pipes, block off the exhaust cross over, they are a pain to install.
Even with a single carburetor in the center of the manifold, it's very difficult, if not impossible, for all 8 cylinders to receive the exact same fuel:air mixture; you will have one/more cylinders that run a bit richer/leaner. Having a non-functioning/dummy carb on a 2 x 4 setup will only increase the likelihood that some cylinders will run rich/lean. As I've said before, I prefer function over form.
The poor guy just wants to build a vehicle he can enjoy CRUISING with his family. Never mentioned anything about street racing. He just wants to enjoy the car with his family. I say hold the course and disregard suggestions about what you don’t want. Good luck!
The original 318 in my 57 Plymouth had two WCFBs on it. I believe they were only about 350 cfm each. Two 600 Edelbrocks sounds like too much for what you are looking to do.
What’s wrong with telling someone to build it how they want? After all they are the ones footing the bill and have to drive it. He is after all building it traditionally. We should be building him up not tearing him down. I just hope we did not run him off.
He is doing a 6 cyl to V8 conversion, So if he runs duel exhausts [as you mentioned] he will need to make [re-route] the brake lines and fuel lines down the frame rails on the outside. [6 cylinders are on the inside] This is not needed with a single "Big-Bore" exhaust [which sounds better] If he uses side engine mounts and wants to use headers he will need to cut off the frame horns to route the exhaust [especially with headers and the starter motor competing for the same "real estate"] But this will require swapping tail-housing to one from a later Muncie sm-318 If power steering is on the "to-do list" do the side mounts now while you can. This is because the power steering pump and the 57 Left-front engine mount need the same bosses on the block. That way a [66 Impala 283/327] stock power steering pump can be used. Original 57 power steering pumps were driven off the back of the generator.[and Rare] Keeping the Radiator in the 6 cyl position requires a long water pump and matching crank pulleys plus a fan spacer. [you cannot run a shroud unless it is custom made] You can buy a aftermarket shroud for the stock V8 position radiator which really helps with cooling on these. It all depends on how stock looking @ubuybme wants his car to look. A 57 V8 bell with the existing 6cyl rear mounts is easy and all the clutch linkage swaps over and he can use the 57 Muncie sm-318 trans and stock length driveshaft. [and clutch/ pressure plate/ throwout/ fork/ pilot bearing] He needs to buy these front mount brackets [below] and the stock 6 cylinder mounts will relocate on them [the x-member has holes for both] If he has the 66 283 AC fuel pump it can be clocked so the fuel line clears the R/F mount otherwise he needs a "4460" fuel pump He will need a v8 throttle bracket at the firewall. One last thing, if you decide to go with the stock 283 short waterpump and need to get a replacement [which is Corvette] the pump flange needs to be pressed on almost 3/16" further There is a difference in flange depth between a Generator and Alternator spec waterpump [you always get sold a short waterpump for an alternator engine]
Decide on the intake/carb set up. Trans & rear gear. THEN call a cam company like Clay Smith & consult what custom grind would suit your parts & driving needs.
I'm in the process of building a pretty much stock 283. I talked at length to the tech at Comp Cams, told him I wanted just a step up from stock and he recommended their # 12-206-2 cam. Lift is 440"/440", duration is 260/260 and it works through the 1200 - 5200 RPM range. Extremely streetable but a little more performance than the original found in my '62 passenger car 283. It's the equivalent of a cam you'd find in a pickup.
A 350 Chevy with 300 (even 400) HP can be not only built for waaayyyyy less than $10K, but purchased along with a warranty.......... And thats not 65 years of technology later. A 300 hp bolted to a 5 speed gives decent performance, good cruising speed and possibly even decent gas mileage depending on the set-up. Win-win-win https://www.jegs.com/i/ATK+Engines/...GWmJOh2yVMzlBRXeqYMppOjY-3MmGRHkaApwKEALw_wcB
I looked up the cam. I like the numbers, including 212 duration @ .050 and 110 LSA, but 2 x 4s still don't make sense.
old Friday Art Hello, A mild SBC motor does require your choice of add in speed parts. Everyone has their own SBC motor builds. Some have just purchased the stock power pack heads or Chevy truck heads and a simple stock Duntov Cam. That was what most were able to afford and the single 4 barrel carb had plenty of power for everyday street driving plus punch when you wanted a little more speed. When my friend bought the 57 Chevy, it was a nice used car and approximately low cost/low miles enough to fit his teenage budget. A 3 speed and a single 4 barrel carb was completely stock. So, as the money rolled in from his after school job, we started to add more speed stuff to get more horsepower. similar look During our teenage years, a Duntov Cam set was the hot ticket for 283 Chevy motors in all kinds of hot rods and sedans. We installed one in a 283 SBC motor with dual quads for my friend’s white 57 Chevy Bel Air Hardtop. It was powerful and could have done great things at Lion’s Dragstrip . It was also a factory option, so legal for stock car racing classes. But, in our teenage adventures and builds, we had all sorts of installs and exchanges with carbs and manifolds. A stock 4 barrel on a 57 Chevy Bel Air 283 transferred to a Corvette with dual carbs, a three carb set up with progressive linkage, a two barrel carb to a 4 barrel carb and finally, a 6 Stromberg carb set up for our 292 671 supercharged SBC motor for our C/Gas 1940 Willys Coupe. Then after the drag race days, two sets of 4 barrel carbs on another SBC motor. Which one was the easiest and most pleasant to drive? There were two choices: The 283 with a triple carb unit using progressive linkage. Two barrel center carb did 80 % of the work and two other two barrels came charging to the rescue when more power was needed. They all worked well with the extra Duntov Cam Kit. Jnaki As far as gas mileage in this day and age of the cost of gas, you are running a v8 with 3 twos, a two barrel carb is the workhorse, 90% of the time. So, there is that important fact. If you have a lead foot, then of course the outside 4 barrels will definitely use more gas. On our 327, there was a 4 barrel carb. It was two barrel for 90 % of the time and only the other 2 barrel came on when more power was needed. A good thing that I am not a lead foot driver and we got great gas mileage during our long road trips all over So Cal and up into the Northern coastal areas for photo shoots. We even ran Pemex Gas through the 327 4 barrel El Camino on our Baja Mexico trips. No problem with stuttering or misfires. Two barrels and only a few times the other two barrel was necessary to pass up an old chunky truck going up the dark highway. An SBC motor is considered simple to use and there are plenty of parts floating around in speed shops and online restoration dealers. The SBC v8 will give you the power you will need https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...int-valve-covers.1152915/page-2#post-14301829 photo 4 barrel with finned covers mild build, finned covers, stock exhaust 4 barrel chrome accessories, etc...
All these suggestions are heart felt and are representative of the experience that each person who has posted. Out of all the replies you've received, @carbking has given you the information you need for a family cruiser with a little more "oomph" than a stock 283. He's in the business and knows his stuff.
He stated that he was new to much of this and wanted to learn. In the 50s the 283 was a heck of an engine...........but time moves on and even though it seems nice to say you have a 283 with a hot cam in it, the builder doesn't really have the experience to think it completely thru. Modify a 283 and normally aspirated you still have a slow car in todays traffic. He says he wants a family cruiser. Well the car is abouut 3400 lbs. Add to the that the weight of the family as well as the fuel in the tank and you are probably looking at pushing 4,000 lbs around. The lore of a small cam and 2x4s seems mystical to a young new builder. Now ask yourself why almost every experienced (old) builder doesn't run the same set-up. We all want to be "Kool", but experience has shown us that there are better options out there. Will the 2x4s or even the cam provide some drastic change in the cars acceleration .........or its driveability? Nope! That 17 second quarter mile will most likely still be a 17 second 1/4 mile......maybe a few tenths difference. Will that 3 speed trans with the low geared 6 cylinder rear end provide good cruising speed ? Nope! It also will not have optimal spreads between the gears and the smaller size engine in the heavy car will require constant shifting to maintain rpms in any traffic. Will he get some semblance of decent gas mileage? Probably 15 mpg or less. Check out todays gasoline prices and how that will affect family cruising. So based on my experience, I have found that an engine with sufficient power/torque at a lower rpm is much more enjoyable to drive than one that must be kept at a higher rpm. Basically you get that attribute by adding displacement. The larger engine loafing along will require far less shifting and probably provide better economy while reducing engine wear since it works better with a 5 speed overdrive. All I have attempted to do is point out that being enamored with the legendary 283 and its exploits in the 50s does not equate to what someone must deal with on todays roads, and suggest rethinking before spending his money. He asked for ideas and suggestions and I provided some and tried to explain the reasoning behind it. There is a reason why 327s replaced 283s and 350s replaced 327s, and why 383 strokers became extremely popular. It doesn't take much abilty to see the trend. So the builder is welcome to follow the path he initially started on, but I would feel like I had not tried to help him if I just simply agreed with him rather that offer some food for thought.
Picking up my boring, underpowered 283 later today. I feel so emasculated Never once have I heard "oh cool you put a 350 in a 57! Never seen that done before"
In my 283 with power pac heads on it 63 Chevy long bed step side pickup truck with a gas golf kart in the bed with a roof and windshield I had no problem running around in towns or the highway at 75-80 and keeping up with traffic. By the way it was originally a straight six with a three on the tree. I ditched the 6 for the 283. Just my humble experience.
The right gears and tires/w the suspension set up to hook up will easily knock off several tenths from 1/4-mile time, without making any engine mods. You can have 1,000 hp, but if your car won't hook up, all that power will just go up in smoke. My 69 L78 SS 396 Chevelle was a good example. In the OP's case, he'll have a fun car if it has enough power to keep up with traffic and safely merge onto the highway (CA-99 has short on-ramps). On the flip side, the 67-69 Z28s had the same stroke as the 283; in fact, the 67 Z28 had a 327 block/w 283 crank. Although they like to rev, where they make power, they're lacking bottom end. The same applies to the Boss 302, particularly the 69 model/w huge valves. The valve size, for that reason, was decreased for 1970, but still big enough to require notching the cylinders for valve clearance.
I feel your pain...... Actually it was probably uttered about a million times in the sixties until it became so prevalent that it "went without saying". How common was the term "350/350" ? Didn't even have to say Chevy, but everyone knew what it meant.. The Tri-five Nationals Nationals is Scheduled for Aug 11-13 in Bowling Green Ky. Might want to throw that 283 in something and bring it down here and show all those 350s just how Kool ya are. Ubuyme might enjoy coming down and looking at what others have done and maybe get some recommendations and leads for parts. Tri Five Nats video
I don't like Tri5s enough to attend an entire show of them. I would rather go visit @Moriarity and just look at his 2.
Wow, okay.... Wow... Okay. I absolutely trust all your opinions as I've said this is completely new territory for me. As I read this as a newb I cant ignore the common thread of the single 500 cfm carb as being the way to go and now I cant ignore the fact that a crate may actually be money well spent considering the cost, work involved and time it would take me to do it. That's assuming I don't muck it up a few times which in turn would cost more money and time. In regards to the transmission are you saying to keep the 3 speed collumn manual and tranny and install a bell housing from the 350 to the existing transmission? Of course taking into consideration mounts and possible crossmember installation? I do want to cruise more safely on the highway and that i'm assuming would require an updated tranny and rear end gears....? So much I don't know.... Any suggestions as to where to buy a good quality crate from? I'm sure you all have your favorites....
Thanks for that. I'm trying to build what I "think i'd like" and sometimes you don't know what that is especially when this is all like Chinese to me at the moment. I'm trying to take it all with a grain of salt. I do want a reliable family cruiser and not a race car... the x factor in the reliability component i'm beginning to realize is my knowledge of completing a project like this by myself. Maybe a crate would be the best route and I can take my time with the build or just be happy with the good running clean 235 I have and just add dual exhaust manifolds to make it sound a bit better? I appreciate any and all advice gents!
Your transmission and rear end will be fine. They are pretty reliable pieces. I have done it many times. You may need a v8 bell housing though nomatter which way you go. If you do go crate make sure it has a fuel pump boss. You then can go with a dual quad manifold and 2 500 cfm edelbrocks quite easily. You will have to use a points distributor or a small cap MSD hei with that combo. A big cap hei will not clear the dual quad manifold and carbs.
Well, I'll muddy the waters a little more for ya. Our old 1939 Ford Deluxe coupe had a stock 283, and I mean stock complete with a single Rochester 2-barrel carb and low comp heads. Used a Chevy Nova rear that I never did figure out the gear ratio. Put a lot of miles on that car, even pulled a 13-foot Scamp upright camping trailer and never once did we feel we were holding up traffic. Sold that, built a '39 Ford Standard sedan. That one used an 8-inch Ford Maverick rear with 2-something tall gears and yep... a 283 that was stone stock except for an Edelbrock dual plane intake and carb. No tire-fryer for sure but with the tall gears it would roll down the road as fast as I felt comfortable. Made plenty of 2-lane and interstate trips so if you're set on a 283, go for it. They're still great engines. BUT if your car was mine I'd think twice before yanking that 235. I pulled the six out of my Chevy II with the intent of replacing it with a V8. As of now the car's still on stands in the garage... Maybe a bit bigger carb/intake setup and split exhaust, dress it up a little, and drive it!
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