i want to know what you think. i don't know much about power to weight and gear ratios, so i'll ask you all. what do you think about my drive train? i'm using a sbc 307, a t5 tranny out of a camaro, and the s10 rear end with 3.41 gears. there will be a 51 chevy 1/2 ton sitting on top of it all.
Umm, I think it'll run pretty good and be reasonably efficient, but won't be outrunning your musclecar buddies. Is that along the lines of your question? Still not really sure what I answered
i figured that i won't out run any musclecars, i know that i could do things different but this is what i have and i just wanted to know what you think of my setup? i know that my 307 is rated for 200hp and 300 fpt. when i can afford it i will put different heads on and a cam in it. right now i'm going to use a 4 barel rochester and an edelbrock proformance package. i really just wanted to get some opinions.
You´ll like that setup! A friend has a 307 with stock heads and 2bbl carb in his 50 Panel truck, 216°/216° cam, T5 and 3.36 gears. This little motor really moves the truck around ,not rocket like, but not slow by any means. Change the cam. 307 are good engines but the cams tend to run in.I´ve built 3 so far and all of them had some lobes missing when I pulled them apart. CHris
That combo will be fun to drive, not a slouch but not killer fast, and will get good mileage. Go for it.
307 A 307 in<SUP>3</SUP> (5 L) version was produced from 1968 through 1973. Engine bore was 3.875 inches (98.4 mm) with a 3.25-inch (82.6 mm) stroke. The 307 replaced the 283 in Chevrolet cars and produced 200 hp (149 kW) SAE gross at 4600 rpm and 300 lb·ft (407 N·m) of torque at 2400 rpm in the 1960s. The later emissions-modified versions produced just 115 hp (86 kW) SAE net, giving the engine one of the lowest power-per-displacement ratings of all time. Chevrolet never produced a high-performance version of this engine, though they did produce, for Outboard Marine Corporation, a high-performance marinized 307, rated at 235 hp (175 kW) and 245 hp (183 kW) SAE gross, depending on year, that shipped with the Corvette/Z-28's cast aluminum valve covers and Rochester QuadraJet carb. Chevy also built other versions of the OMC 307 rated at 210 hp (157 kW), 215 hp (160 kW) and 225 hp (168 kW) SAE gross. One of the biggest myths about the 307 is that all the blocks were cast with a very low nickel content. However, some 307 blocks, such as casting number 3970020 with suffix VxxxxTHA (x's in place for date), had 010 and 020 stamped under the timing chain cover indicating high tin and nickel content.
Here's what it's like to race with a stockish engine around 5 liters displacement, a manual trans, 3.40-4.10 gearing, and that weight car 1st gear- Holy cow, doesn't feel like a 307 at all 2nd gear- Why would anyone get a 350? 3rd gear- Is this the same engine as 1st gear? 4th gear- Are those taillights? 5th gear- Where'd the taillights go, they just disappeared... Closer to the opinion you're seeking? Still not sure there's a question buried in this thread. good luck
shifty, i just wanted to know if what i'm using will be a good setup. and maybe what if anything i can do to it to make it a little better.
Well, you still haven't told us how you're going to use it, or what you expect of it, or how used up the parts are. Those are huge factors in determining the goodness of a combination. For example if you want 12 second ETs, that's not a very good combination. If you want a trouble free cruiser with a little bit of V8 rumble, it's looking alot better. If the 307 has 220K, goodness goes way down. The other huge factor is the sum of the peripherals- intake, carb, ignition, etc. Those determine alot of the behaviours that will define goodness. Without knowing those, there's really no way to provide any kind of educated answer. You're just getting opinions from guys that are assuming tons of stuff that might be wrong. Not trying to bust your balls, but put some thought/effort/typing into your question. The depth of knowledge around here is crazy deep. But if you don't go the the trouble of asking a meaningful question, you'll never see the depth. good luck with the project (PS my opinion with a thousand assumptions- if you're swapping heads/cam for the edelbrock stuff forget the 307, go straight to a 350)
well like i said at the begining i don't know very much about engines and gears and what not. i'm learning this as i go along. this is really the first time that i have ever done anything with a motor. so what little i do know is what i've read on the internet. all i really wanted to know from the hamb members is what they think of my drive train, and if they think it's a good set up, that's all.
Whats your definition of a good set up... a good set up to one guy may be a reliable cruiser.. the other guy might think a good set up if layin a patch of rubber 1st 2nd and 3rd gear... whats a good set up to you?
That 307 will suprise the hell out of alot of people, and make them wonder what you have under the hood. I had one in a 52 dodge pickup. It was bored 60 over, I had a stock 67 vette intake (the good one they all want) with a old spread bore 650 double pumper, a set of camel back heads 2.02s, a Lunati cam with about .550 lift, a saganaw 4 speed into a 3.55 rear end. the whole combo was around 3300 pounds.. it would run the 1/4 mile in the low 13 and about 100 mph and turning at 8000 grand at the traps in 3rd gear. Plus I drove it everywhere during the week. and it still made over 12 miles per gallon. Nothing better thank kicking some bigger blocks asses on the street, trust me you will love it. kiotes
if yer gonna use that rear end dont use it as a "truck", dont load it like a 1/2 ton, it doesnt have big enough axle bearings to haul big loads. just thinking later 1/2 tons use a 81/2 inch 10 bolt with bigger axle bearings. it should be ok fer driveing / light loads and trailer.
nick, make sure the s-10 rear is out of a 4x4,the 2wd one is too narrow for the AD trucks. thats what they use when people use s-10 frams under AD trucks. you going to monroe this weekend?
I've got a 307 from a '68 GMC pickup, bone stock except for a double roller timing chain, Edelbrock Performer intake, and a 600 CFM Holley, T-5, and a 3.44 ratio 10 bolt rear out of a '74 Camaro, P215.70x15 tires on my '38 Ford pickup. Not a race car by any means but more power than I'll ever unleash on the highway. This ain't no trailer queen, it actually gets used like a truck. I live in pretty hilly country, and I've never been lower than 4th gear at the top of the hill. I'm thinking the ones in pickups had a better cam that produced more torque than the passenger car versions. The '68 GMC that the engine came from was a 30,000 mile truck that was rusted all to pieces. Price was right--my brother in law gave me the engine to get it out of his way.
thanks for the info/input. 55 dude, hell ya i will be there, it's my ol' stompin' grounds. will there be a plcae that all the hambers will be/meet at? i will probubly get there some time in the late afternoon.
I would put in a fresh cam first, and make sure to use lots of break in additive (that topic has been covered in depth). The cams went flat on these, part of the bad reputation they got back when my dad was using them. If you get a new, not reground, you don't have to buy new pushrods. You may also want to use the s10 tail shaft to put the shifter in the right place, or you'll need bucket seats.
Ther are probably a dozen or so better combinations depending on what you are after. The 307 is a fair truck motor, they don't rev well for a lot of reasons but the thing that kills them the most is that they have a poor bore to stroke ratio. Never the less your setup will pull the old hooptie around just fine, way better than what it came with. I have one in a flat fender willys I have been playing with now. Its an Anti-Rod type of a winter/go get parts vehicle. I'll probably leave it in there at least until it gives up the ghost. Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and use a vehicle for haveing fun and getting from point A to point B. If you decide you don't like the set up you can always throw a beefed small or big block at it later.
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