What should I look for in a rebuild kit? Where is a good place, trustworthy, to get a kit from? What brand parts to stay away from? Are flat top pistons the best for street daily driver? I just got a 283 that has 40 over pistons in it now. What do I need if I just hone it out and rering it? Heads are cast stock. Any recommendations on opening valves? What size valves would be best if I were to go bigger?
Northern Auto Parts in Sioux City is a great company, the owner has been here posting on the HAMB in the past.
I haven't built an engine for a while, but I did ok getting the parts thru the machine shop that did the machine work on the engine. The shops I dealt with sold parts at a good price, they made their money off the labor. And then if the parts don't fit, they deal with returning them, etc.
I am about to finish up a Y block for a fellow. I had the machine shop order the whole kit so he could make a bit more money on the deal. He treats me right, I try to treat him right. When doing your motor, if you dont have a full set of micrometers, a machine shop is manditory. Let them help.
I do not believe in "kits". I prefer to pick the best parts from manufacturers that excell in their particular product. For example: Felpro Gaskets, Eagle or Callies cranks, Mahle pistons etc. Kits, like crate engines, are like a box of chocolates..... ya' never know what yer gonna get!
I would look up Skip White Performance, I just put together a 383 kit from them, great price and came already dino'd, so I didn't need to worry about picking the wrong parts - I knew exactly what I was getting, just a different opinion that above. Good tech people, willing to answer questions, I can only say good things about them. I have NO ties to this company, just a satisfied customer BigSkyBob Bob V.
I've purchased several engine rebuild kits from Summit Racing. Last complete kit I bought was for a 427 Chevy, and came with TRW forged pistons, Felpro gaskets, and Sealed Power rings and bearings. A very nice kit with all name brand products, and very reasonably priced. whole kit was under $500 back then. The kits for smallblock Chevys are around $225 with hypertectic pistons.
Minimum - set of rings and a bottle hone Re ring Kit (rods / main bearings, rings, gaskets) would be preferable, could still get away with bottle hone and hand polish the journals. Add a Cam kit at this time if you prefer. Northern Auto always got my business for rebuild kits, good name parts, good price. Been a while definately compare Summit. Please post your cylinder head #'s. if they are stock small valve 283 heads I wouldnt rebuild them unless you can machine them yourself, $ you spend on them wont get the return. Set of 305 1.94 heads would be cheap, work well up to 5500 RPM on a 283 Vortec heads will be much better, requires either redrilling the intake bolt pattern or buying a new intake, watch valve lift over .470 range
I had my first experience with northern auto parts (sioux city) last week. I needed a crank for a large journal 327. I wanted one with the snout drilled and tapped since my old one lost the balancer. Anyway, his was the best price by quite a bit. I called and ordered at 4:30 on Wednesday. It was waiting on my porch at 4:00 on thursday when I got home from work. I thnk less than 24 hour service is pretty darn good. .bjb
I plan to use morrison machine shop based on my one time dealing with them in the past. I was told by my neighbor to not bother with the heads. I can go buy a set of heads already done with 202 valves cheaper than making these bigger. Yes they are small still. I would like to buy the parts individual but i dont know what companies make better parts than the others. I do believe longevity in a business like this has something to say for that company so the bigger name companies do stand out to me in decision making.
We did notice one of the valves was hitting the piston top. My neighbor said these engines had rod caps come loose some times which made the rod longer and the piston hit the valves.
Get most of my kit parts from competition products and or cnc motorsports and the cams come from mike jones.,used to buy from northern auto before.
I'd have to believe that sdluck is correct. 1.94 Valves are about as big as you can go on a 283 and that's pushing it. Usually the machine shop is happier if they get to make a profit off the parts and some add X% if you bring your own parts. The guy I take my stuff doesn't care either way and I usually take my own parts in. But he isn't connected to a parts house either. I'm running a Northern auto parts rering kit in my 71 GMC and it came with Felpro gaskets, Clevite bearings and name brand rings that I can't remember.
Is this a decent deal? Not looking for free but not expecting to not spend money. http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/pts/3101382263.html
the word kit is used quite often in the engine parts game. I sell kits everyday that have all of the name brand parts that were mentioned above. The Machine Shops will be able to give good priceing as they by a large volume direct from the suppliers. Just don't let anybody sell you a KIT with NO-NAME Boxes of Parts !!! >>>>.
Pass on those! 2 reasons: the 882's are crack prone and the 76cc head will drop the compression a bunch on a 283 which came with 58cc heads, better choice are these :http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/ptd/3053695316.html this will give you valves that will clear better breathing and hardened seats with no compression loss.Try Performance Chevrolet at 2938 W. Clarendon in Phoenix for deals on parts ,they have been in the Valley a long time.There have been a slams as of late on their machine work so only shop parts.
Thats a home rebuild. If that were to come back from a machine shop, it be shiny! lol, looks like a painted dirty head.
Ditto!!!! You might be able to get away with using a 1.94" intake valve size, but not a 2.02" size... Best way to find out is to bolt a head on a 283 bare block minus the valve springs on any given cylinder then flip the motor upside down on the engine stand... Push in the intake valve and if it clears the deck by .080" minumum, your good to go.... I'd go with a set of #416 305 4V heads from '76-'77.... They have the 57-58 cc combustion chambers...
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