283 for 1956?

[youngerestorer]

Just took my engine to the machine shop, thinking it was a 265. But after they checked the block for cracks, etc. They told it was a 283, so I did some research and I found that the 283 came with a 3 speed manual in '55 and as an automatic in '57. (Hope that is right?!) My truck when I bought it had a 3 speed also. Did some of the 283 engines from '55 carry over into '56 and whether this could be the original engine??? Thanks for any input/knowledge.

[mknittle]

I think the 283 came out in 57. the 265 was a new engine in 55 the first chevy OHV v8

[chevyrestoguy]

Originally Posted by mknittle

I think the 283 came out in 57. the 265 was a new engine in 55 the first chevy OHV v8

That is correct. Don't be bummed that it's not the original engine. The 283 is a better engine than the 265. First, it's bigger, and that'll help in the driveability department. Secondly, it's got a much better oil filtration set-up. The 265s did not have the provision for the block mounted oil filter. A cannister oil filter is a must-have for any engine.

You can detail your 283 to look almost exactly like the 265 if you're going for a 100% restoration. Only an expert could spot the difference

[mknittle]

I had a 283 it a 56 210 sedan it was a fun car to drive really quick for such a small engine.

[OrrieG]

283's are my favorite engine, I abused the heck out of them in the 60's. They can make a lot of power and will rev much higher than a stock 350 (z28 302's were based on the 283/327 blocks and were a high rpm engine). Only down side is that if you need to get them over bored the pistons are relatively expensive due to low demand. My 64 Chevelle has the original 283 that needs bored. The machine shop said they can do it without decking so the vin will be preserved. I ended up buying a short block with .030 over pistons for $75. Lots of parts will interchange with the later 327's. They also have a small journal crank for less internal drag. I also like the clean heads without the mounting bosses on the ends. Add rams horn exhaust manifolds and you have the classic American V8. Most people will look at it and assume it came in there, those with knowledge will notice the intergral filter.

[1project2many]

How did the machine shop determine this engine is a 283? The original bore 265 is 3 3/4" while standard 283 bore is 3 7/8" Many of the early blocks could be bored .125" over size. The stock car boys were building "301" ci engines with a .120" overbored 283 years before GM put a 4" bore block with a 3" stroke crank. If it is an original 283 I know that pistons are available from Egge machine. I just spoke with them and they mentioned they have 283 pistons available in sizes up to .125" over. A low compression 302 plus stock truck is a nice, usable combination.

[Speedbumpauto]

So the enivetable question comes down to why would one spend extra money on a 283 or 265 for that matter unless it is a dead nuts resto? For less money you can build a 350 with gobs more power and for the same or a little more, the extra money can be spent for a stroker kit and make a 383. With a slight amount of work, you can make it appear to be the original engine hotrodded a little like everyone did in the day. I'll be the first to say 350's are getting boring in street/hot rods, but if it's gonna be a small block chevy, might as well have some cubic inches.

[youngerestorer]

Thanks for the help, I wrote that part wrong about the 283 in '55 meant to say the suffix on the block matched a 1956 265 with 3spd manual (thought thats what I had) or a 1957 283 with an automatic.

[Hubscrub]

Originally Posted by Speedbumpauto

So the enivetable question comes down to why would one spend extra money on a 283 or 265 for that matter unless it is a dead nuts resto? For less money you can build a 350 with gobs more power and for the same or a little more, the extra money can be spent for a stroker kit and make a 383. With a slight amount of work, you can make it appear to be the original engine hotrodded a little like everyone did in the day. I'll be the first to say 350's are getting boring in street/hot rods, but if it's gonna be a small block chevy, might as well have some cubic inches.

I myself would love to have a 283 or a 327 over a 350 power isn't everything it's good to have something different same reason i still run a 305 and love the inline 6's. I changed my last project over to a 350/overdrive and wish i didn't.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by Speedbumpauto

So the enivetable question comes down to why would one spend extra money on a 283 or 265 for that matter unless it is a dead nuts resto? For less money you can build a 350 with gobs more power and for the same or a little more, the extra money can be spent for a stroker kit and make a 383. With a slight amount of work, you can make it appear to be the original engine hotrodded a little like everyone did in the day. I'll be the first to say 350's are getting boring in street/hot rods, but if it's gonna be a small block chevy, might as well have some cubic inches.

They rev quicker and higher because of less internal weight.I had a 65 mustang that we shoehorned a t-bird 390 into and it was fast but my 283 56 would beat it.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by Hubscrub

I myself would love to have a 283 or a 327 over a 350 power isn't everything it's good to have something different same reason i still run a 305 and love the inline 6's. I changed my last project over to a 350/overdrive and wish i didn't.

I have never been a fan of the 350 as you said the 283 or 327 are a better choice.and there are a couple built 6s around here that sound so good they make the hair onthe back of your neck stand up

[Speedbumpauto]

They rev'd quicker because when they were built. Performance and compression(leaded gas) were desirable. You're not comparing apples to apples. There's such a great variety of stuff for 350's cheap that you can easily build one that has less reciprocating weight and rev's the same or faster and generally will outperform any 283/327. What you guys are talking about are the late 70's 80's stock 350's. I build street rod engines and the trend is away from SBC's but I guarantee I can build one pretty cheap that will do what you all talk about and then some. AND...no one has to know it's a 350 but you.

[mknittle]

There is something for everybody. right now i have a 400 pontiac sitting in mine.

[Speedbumpauto]

That's cool. Wasn't the GMC V-8 option a two eighty something Pontiac in the tri five years?

[mknittle]

i think it was I worked with a guy that had a 57with one with a hydramatic. Every time the subject came up he wished he still had it.
I also have an HO455 that needs a rebuild.that could be fun.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

How did the machine shop determine this engine is a 283? The original bore 265 is 3 3/4" while standard 283 bore is 3 7/8" Many of the early blocks could be bored .125" over size. The stock car boys were building "301" ci engines with a .120" overbored 283 years before GM put a 4" bore block with a 3" stroke crank. If it is an original 283 I know that pistons are available from Egge machine. I just spoke with them and they mentioned they have 283 pistons available in sizes up to .125" over. A low compression 302 plus stock truck is a nice, usable combination.

They may have checked the numbers

[1project2many]

They may have checked the numbers

Maybe, but in my experience they usually check the bore dia and maybe a casting number or two. In this case they'd need to check the date code on the block and see if block numbers match truck numbers.

i think it was I worked with a guy that had a 57with one with a hydramatic. Every time the subject came up he wished he still had it.

Years ago I sent a running and driving 6 cyl Chevy / Hydramatic chassis to the junkyard along with a running 57 GMC 3/4 ton with Pontiac V8 and Hydramatic. The old timers said that old tranny was junk and too heavy but I'd love to have one in something today just to have it.

For less money you can build a 350 with gobs more power and for the same or a little more, the extra money can be spent for a stroker kit and make a 383.

Eventually you might get bored with doing the same old same old. I've got a late model 302 here that I built using Vortec 350 heads and 4 bolt block, 4.3 V8 crank and rods, Lt4 roller cam, and stock flat top 350 pistons. It didn't cost me any more than building a 350 but it is likely to get better mileage due to the smaller displacement and better rod:stroke ratio. Mention that your truck has a 302 and people get excited. Mention you have a 4 bolt main 302 with roller cam and all of a sudden the tricked out 350 in the truck next to yours is nowhere near as interesting as your plain old 302.

[Project 1960 Apache]

I have recently purchased a 1960 1/2 ton long bed apache truck that has a 283 and an auto trans in it. All original. I am hell bent on keeping it original and want to do a resto on it. Since I've gotta rebuild the motor I wanna make it burn fuel most efficiently. Maybe making it faster and get some better mpg's. I'm not going to race it but do want to drive it as a daily driver with the ability of driving cross country at highway speeds. I've read that these engines were made fast back in the day and that technology is much better now. What do should I do to this engine to acheive this? What about the tranny and rear diff? This is my first Chevy. Than you for this forum it is filled with great info and people.
Thanks again,
Mchael

[NW Task Force]

Originally Posted by Speedbumpauto

That's cool. Wasn't the GMC V-8 option a two eighty something Pontiac in the tri five years?

I believe it was a Pontiac 287cid and actually produced more power than the comparable Chevy small-block.

[OrrieG]

If you want numbers matching keep the 283 and look at early Corvette specs or search for old racing specs. You can also drop in a 327 which most people will not detect unless they run the casting numbers. In the 60's they were pulling factory rated 365 HP (at the flywheel) in Corvettes with carbs, with after market stuff another 100+ was not unheard of. Plus is they like to rev higher than 350s so you can run a lower rearend for around town without worrying about over revving it on the freeway. My previous engine was a 283 with 292 hydralic cam, alum manifold and Holley 650. It pulled my 4500 pound 4wd TF around just fine. 3.74 rearend and would cruise at 75-80 all day and pull great off road. Went with a 350 this time because price point was right and availability of cheap replacement parts compared to the earlier SB engines.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by Speedbumpauto

That's cool. Wasn't the GMC V-8 option a two eighty something Pontiac in the tri five years?

The GMC V8 Engines were Pontiac based for several years.

As a couple of guys have said the 283 Came out in the 57 year model and that is more than well documented. The 265's didn't seem to stand up to hard driving or hard miles at the time and a lot of them got replaced with 283's in the late 50's and early 60's as a matter of course and not for hot rod reasons. Pull your tired or broken 265 out, stuff in a 283 and be off and running in a few hours.

True as someone pointed out it would be quite a bit less expensive by quite a bit to rebuild a 350 to stick in the truck but there may be a lot more satisfaction in rebuilding and slightly modifying the original engine. Getting by cheaper and having more power isn't always where it is at. Now if he didn't have any engine and was starting from scratch I'd say go with the 350 rather than paying a premium for a core 283 and then paying a premium for parts because it is a 283 rather than a 350. I'm not sure that fully makes sense to everyone though.

[GMtrucknut!!]

I myself prefer the 350 over most earl smallblocks they have the large journal crank ,usually have the better rods with larger rod bolts . Better oil flow breathe better with the same heads, and produce more torque at a lower rpm. I ran a strong 355 in my circle track car in the early 90's all season hitting 7 grand every race consistently and other than changing oil and tweeking the holley on it never touched it for the whole season.

[1project2many]

Engines back in the day weren't as good as today. But fuel was much better. The high compression ratios which were the big source of their HP numbers were supported by lead in the fuel. That's gone now. In addition to high compression the engines were run at higher average rpm with numerically higher rear end gears which was fine when gas was pennies per gallon but is not so good when you're trying to find just a little more fuel economy. You can build your engine and truck to the small displacement, higher rpm engine but most people tend to prefer a strong torque producer in a truck.

The 283 is 3.875" bore and 3.00" stroke. For a few years, GM built a 307 which has a 283 bore and a 327's 3.25" stroke. The 307 never really got much respect because it wasn't usually used for big power. But you could, if you wanted, put a small journal 327 crank into your block, locate a set of 307 pistons to install, and have yourself an engine with 8% more displacement for a small cash investment and no one would be the wiser. It's really not all that much larger and frankly, it's not really unique but it will help make power over the 283. But what would be unique would be using a 3.750" stroke crank in the 283 block. That engine would displace at least 353 cubes (more if bored out) and with the long stroke it would favor low end torque production. You could start with a large journal crank and have the mains turned to fit the small journal engine while keeping large journal rods. There will be a bunch of work involved in making the block and long stroke crank fit together but it would be a nice combination when finished.

Without high compression you're really going to want a good set of heads. Most of the older iron heads aren't all that good. Powerpack heads were the thing to use at one time. They raised compression slightly but because of the small engine size they had small ports and valves. Late model Vortec 305 heads aren't a bad choice since they'll fit the small bore but they really, really don't look like the originals. But they're around cheap and they will do a good job so think about it. A set of aluminum "Corvette tpi" heads are also a good choice and with a little paint they might fool the novices into thinking they're right. With some fairly mild parts, a fiar amount of labor, and some money at the machine shop you'll have an engine that looks like a 283 but achieves around 350 ft/lbs of torque and 250 hp. For comparison, the 1988 to 1995 throttle body injected truck 350 only produced 300 ft/lbs and 210 hp. And I'll bet the small bore engine gets better mileage than the typical 350 as well.

More to follow.

[GMtrucknut!!]

The biggest problem with the old 307 was it had a lower compression piston ( dish top) and rather small valves 1.72 intake and 1.5 exhaust. I bought a 1969 chevy truck in the mid 80's which had this engine. Old story :previous owner had installed aluminium intake ,valve covers,and carb off a corvette and sold it as having a 350 lt1 me looking at the obvious and not really inspecting bought it as thinking it had a sick engine only to realize it was a 307 upon tearing it apart. Well at that time I was working in an automovtive machine shop, I sourced a good set of heads,nothing crazy 1.94 intakes installed 1.60 exhaust bored it .030 installed a set of flat top pistons and a 272 duration cam with .465 lift and 108 lobe center line which made a great running small block.All small blocks can be made to work you just have to use your head !

[NW Task Force]

I really like the early small blocks (283 & 327) Here is a pic of my 1966 283.