Technical Hey SBC Guys, Would you run this?

Excellent advice. You've got the engine apart, do it right. You'll get peace of mind and won't be doing a, "Hey! What happened to my SBC?", thread next year.

 

A little more info on my tear down...

The pistons are out and the bores look good. They are a lot more "polished" than they look. A decent honing to break the glaze is probably all they need. Any home remedies for this task???




I'll be measuring them tomorrow, top/mid/bottom in x- and y-directions. Initial test measure shows 3.8775. Don't know if the pistons are stock, but I'd put money on they are! Three of them actually have "reliefs" in them...probably explains the 62-67 heads!!!






The piston skirts look good as well...at least I think they do.




I'll be purchasing new pistons just because of the reliefs and not being sure if they created flaws or not.

I'll have a better description and detailed dimensions tomorrow evening! Right now, things are looking up!!!

 

The top of one of those pistons looks as if some grinding was done to smooth out some damage? What does the head look like for that cylinder? Ridge at the top of the cylinders?

 

The heads that came with the block were not the originals. I'd love to know what this one looked like!!

 

What is the casting number of the engine? A 283 should have valve reliefs (???), but the 265's did't; at least not until the factory had to warranty a block, and the new pistons did have valve reliefs. Is this a 265 block is what I'm getting at? There's still a lot of 265's that have never been apart; maybe you have one of them? The one piston has had someone trying to grind out some damage done by a broken valve, loose fastener, or some other foreign body that found it's way into that cylinder. A broken valve might explain why the heads are not original to the engine.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I use the nastyz28 site for their reference material. Haven't found a better source so far.

By their listing of casting numbers, my block is a 1957 ONLY 283 and the engine code on the front pad indicates a 4-bbl Powerglide car application and a production date of October 12. Most likely the 220hp version.




Another clue is the 3.875+ bores.

I have also read somewhere ( maybe here), that some of the early 283s also had non-relieved pistons. In any case, new pistons are in my future.

 

Just my opinion, but if you're going to buy new pistons anyway, why not spend a few bucks and get it bored? That way everything is right.

 

In theory, I agree wholeheartedly! Unfortunately, reality dictates my plan of action. And a huge part of my reality is the (lack of) size of my wallet!

My intentions are to assemble this engine to be a simple driver while saving as much as possible to fund the remainder of my build.

Money no object, I'd be building a Deuce roadster with a full tilt flathead...But wouldn't we all!!!

 

It can't be too much where you're at. Bore, hone, cam bearings and freeze plugs here was $230 in Dallas last year ... well Irving anyway. LRE .... not that you want to use them, way too many stamps to lick.

A vat, thermal oven clean, and tumble was 120 bucks. Mine was separated by the piston order ... they wouldn't punch the block without them. So what is that ... maybe 25 bucks a hole ? I wouldn't buy pistons if you're not boring ... but that's just me. I'm a boring guy.

NAPA here rents out honing stone brushes. Probably do there as well. As a matter of fact they clean engine parts and have full service machine shops available also. Call around. Old dudes run those shops here. I have one the next town over in Plano. Always see engines and heads being assembled but I have never used them specifically, but a lot of Ford 5.0 guys do.

 

The only trustworthy engine shop in town quotes $400 for dipping/cleaning the block, new cam bearings and polishing the journals.

Using that as a measure, along with $250 to clean the heads and install new exhaust seats, I'll have $1000 in MACHINING ONLY!!!! I still have all the PARTS to buy!! That's easily $1500 in a little SBC...where the same $$ can buy a complete crate engine with a warranty! All I want is a driver, my truck will have a much better power plant!

 

Wild guess here. someone may have put a set of bigger valve heads on that engine before they wised up and dropped back to the later power pack ones. I can't think of any reason for the damage otherwise. If you aren't running 8k rpms , I don't see the immediate need to replace those pistons, unless there is a terrible amount of skirt wear. Mic the inside of each cyl and if your oblong wear is minimal, a good crosshatch and cast iron rings will get you back in business. MAKE sure to replace your cam bearings while you are at it. I have a 327 under my bench that is a 60k mile stocker that looks identical in wear that has sat for 30 years. I do no not plan to replace anything on it but the oil pump until I hear it run. If you go the cautious route, you will be fine. Let us know how it turns out.

 

I also agree with the polish/new bearing thing, but don't overlook the cam bearings. I've been bitten a few times with low oil pressure from worn cam bearings.



Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

A hone that goes in your drill will clean up cylinder walls. If you have the block tanked, you WILL get new cam bearings!

 

I will get new bearings because they fall out, or the bearings will be "like new" with the cleaning? Don't quite understand your statement....

 

Don't know the history of the engines so I can only suppose...I kinda figured someone floated a couple valves by over-revving, maybe even broke a spring and dropped a valve in #8 (the worst piston shown).

At any rate, I know I'll be rebuilding heads just to get hardened exhaust seats. While I'm at it, they will get a good cleaning and new valves/springs...

 

The hot tank will eat the bearings so it will require new can bearings after.

 

i understand you want to stay on a budget , but if you are buying new pistons you might as well bore it too. you will then have a new engine , not something half done

hard to see in the pictures it looks like a significant ridge on top...you will know more after you take accurate measurements

rebuilding a 283 or 327 is not cheap , yes you can buy a 350 crate motor for $1500. i have a 283 in the car in my avatar and one ready to go for my `30 coupe project and have over that much in both....but that is what i wanted

 

The shops will knock them out before they put them in the tank, too much dilution/contamination (time I suppose too) to eat up the cam bearings.

 

Looks to me like your pistons were mismatched at one point. Like someone back then ground a higher top piston down to fit a 283 compression height.... maybe not... I´m with you,that new pistons are cheap, even the better ones are not very expensive and I´d recommend to ask around maybe someone has a lead for you to an honest machine shop that won´t charge an arm and a leg for boring and honing out those holes.
I have made shortcuts myself and sometimes still do, but you know what? It always bit me in the a$$ later on.
Worst thing that can happen is, you buy new std pistons and new bearings and get and oil breathing, plug fouling slug of 283.... Been there , done that... the .030 pistons are the same price, it´s only the machine work that adds to it. I promise you, you´ll save money in the long run... Just my 2 cents...

 

To bad you pulled it down, I'd have plastigaged it, sprung for .001 inserts if needed and ran the crap out of it. Not like you going to float the valves to many more times anyway.

 

Good advice to consider! I'm planning on calling around and getting recommendations for a decent shop that does good work. Hopefully I can find someone that does it because they love doing it, not just for the $$$...

 

There's "No money"
There's "Low money"
And then there's "Wise money" which is the best of all.
After that is "stupid money"

Low money can be stupid money because it gets thrown away or thrown after bad.

Hot tanking is a degreasing, while caustic removes rust. A lot of shops got away from caustic tanks. Just a dip in the caustic tank will not remove all the internal build up and a hot tank won't even take the loose rust. The caustic dip will ensure that you need machine work. That Scale needs poked, prodded and picked at with what ever kind of tool reaches around the outside of the cylinder wall corners, and flushed out of there.

 

Our caustic tank which uses sodium hydroxide will not remove rust but does a fantastic job of removing everything else

 

With all the stuff you are talking about and then heads do a target motor.

 

If you're going to farm it out - paying for a target motor is way better unless the 283 part is important.
If you've got some time and tools and can play in the garage instead of sitting on the couch you can get a major overhaul done for a few hundred bucks. I think the key to getting it done is that both the rotating assembly is sound and that the bores are good. With those two its relatively easy and economical. Ironically though, engines with both of those traits seldome come apart in the first place. Just Getting new Pistons ,,, without a balance job, cylinder overbore, and rebuilding the rods doesn't make a whole lotta sense to me, probably not to others either.

 

The only "farm-out" on this engine will be the machine work!!! I'll do assembly, as I want to learn everything I can on this build! Heck, if I had access to the machinery, I'd want to learn that too!!!

Can you educate me on how I can do a "major overhaul" for "a few hundred bucks"?? That's EXACTLY what I'm looking for!!

 

The 265's came without valve reliefs in the pistons, and they did a lot of warranty work because of that. I thought they had it figured out by the 283 however, and those pistons did have reliefs. What you have ??? The casting number lists it as being used for BOTH the 57 265 and 283 blocks. You're going with new pistons, so you might as well go with new, aftermarket rods; it would cost as much/more to have stock rods rebuilt, and the 265/283/early 327 rods are weak. They used small rod bolts, and had little support around the bolt heads.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

For a few hundred bucks there are some pre-requisites.
first - you'll need to do the work & not pay yourself or anyone else.

2nd you need to have good bores and solid rotating assembly.

3 you need some access to precision measuring equipment and know how to use it.

How are we doing so far?

Educations are by far the best money spent but they ain't cheap. So investing in acquiring the knowledge and skill is going to be fruitful if you plan on doing it often. If it's an occasional or seldom or one time event - get a crate. It's a wiser investment.

There's a few hundred books on the subject and are layed out much more eloquently than I can put it. I'd be happy to help with specific questions but not write a book

 

I've got #1 and #3, it's the #2 that I need to work on!

I have a couple SBC rebuild/hot rod books that can assist, but reading and doing CAN be totally exclusive! As you say, practice makes proficient! I still want to be able to say yes, I built it!

 

This is some of the best advice I've seen around here. My hat is off to you.