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Technical Vic Edelbrock 283 specs

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by willy the pirate, Jul 9, 2018.

  1. willy the pirate
    Joined: Jul 13, 2007
    Posts: 12

    willy the pirate
    Member
    from so cal

    If anyone could enlighten me it would be greatly appreciated, does anyone know what the specs were on the infamous 283hp/375hp 283 that Vic built with the X1? I have a 283 and an X1 and want to put them together in a lightweight car. I know the can it be done thing is beat to death, that’s not my question. My question is HOW did Vic do it.
     
  2. willy the pirate
    Joined: Jul 13, 2007
    Posts: 12

    willy the pirate
    Member
    from so cal

  3. a special Isky cam, lots of port work and high compression would be my guess
    this was the formula for his high HP 265
    looks like the specs are illusive
     

  4. willy the pirate
    Joined: Jul 13, 2007
    Posts: 12

    willy the pirate
    Member
    from so cal

    Yeah that’s what I was finding
     
    anthony myrick likes this.
  5. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    270hp @ 6,500rpm with 3 x rochester carbs. 1hp per cubic inch.
    http://hotrodenginetech.com/1-hpci-edelbrock-265-chevy-in-1956/
    https://www.enginelabs.com/news/dyno-flashback-edelbrock-shows-clayton-model-1948/

    In the mid-1950s, Ronnie Householder (who later headed up Chrysler’s NASCAR program) was the GM forerunner of Vince Piggins and the “Product Performance” group. He was also a friend of Vic Edelbrock, Sr. Upon the introduction of the small-block V8 in 1955, Vic Sr. ordered two engines from Householder; having already recognized that this engine could become the cornerstone of the performance aftermarket and he wanted to get a head start on his competition. At that time, in Culver City, CA, Edelbrock was just down the street from Iskenderian and Hedman. So Vic provided Isky with some lobe designs (the Isky “E Series” of cams came from Sr.) and brought in Bob Hedman to do some headers. When the 283 was introduced in ’56, Sr. conducted some additional parts designing experiments and was the first person to achieve one hp/cu.in. with a 265, on carburetors and gasoline. He later repeated the feat with a 283 small block running his new cross ram intake manifold.

    Attached here in Vic Jr.’s handwriting (he often ran Edelbrock's old Clayton engine dyno), is the dyno sheet that chronicled the initial feat with the 265 small block achieving 279 HP at 6500 rpm. Note that Vic was only concerned about hp values with little emphasis on torque or in computing b.s.f.c. data. When Jim McFarland arrived at Edelbrock in 1969, they were still conducting engine dyno tests in that fashion. It took time to convince Jr. that there might be some additional information helpful to parts design and evaluation. And on the flow bench, Jr.and Bobby Meeks figured that more flow was always more power, until we developed the Trantula intake under Mcfarland. The Tarantula of course was the first single plane V8 intake which later evolved to the widely copied Victor and Victor Jr. series of single four barrel intakes for hot street and racing applications.​

    I've another article somewhere about the X1 set up with Vics SBC however I've looked but can't find it.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
  6. cool info
    thanks
    I have one of those Trantula intakes
    found it on a 283
    the guy must have been a Vic fan
     
  7. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,924

    Deuces

    I got one for a Mopar 383-400 that I plan to unload soon.....
    Not sure if it's the torquer style or what... I gotta look at it...:confused:
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2018
  8. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    Here's part of that article I referred to, April 1961. I'm damned if I can find the lead in and following pages. Testing of the X1 cross-ram intake showed improvements over the C67 log intake 6x2 article.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2018
    Deuces and loudbang like this.
  9. willy the pirate
    Joined: Jul 13, 2007
    Posts: 12

    willy the pirate
    Member
    from so cal

    That article is something I haven’t seen. I saw the little bit about the 265.
     
  10. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    Here's the next page of HRM article, still looking for others! cwmv.jpg
     

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