Questions on updating a small block.

[too much stuff]

Cleaning up a 68 327 4bbl and looking to upgrade a few things without major upgrades.
I am not tearing the engine apart at this point.
Question 1. It has the big canister oil filter. I want to upgrade to a PF-35. The parts store show 2 options but 68 seems to be a gray area. Anyone know which is correct?
Question 2. I have a small cap HEI i am installing with the stock heads. What plugs should i upgrade to in a delco brand? And gap?
Last Question. I have heard that 1976 corvette plug wires are good for this set up with rams horn manifolds or also early 80s C-40 and up plug wires. Any opinions on that?
Thanks.

[Getter-Done]

I can help with Question #1

Those adapters fit BBC and SBC.
I changed one on the 283 that was in my 63 Chevy.

The PF-35 is a taller filter that's what I run on all my SBC.

Here is a link for example.
I would probably get one from Jegs or summit or Speedway?

Link:https://www.ebay.com/itm/13415139393...Cclp%3A2047675

I run Autolite plugs in my SBC's
So#2 question would only be an opinion.

Question #3
I think thats what Grumpy used on his.

[truckster]

I have 76 Corvette wires on my SBC with 2 1/2 inch rams horns and a large diameter HEI. They fit well.

[too much stuff]

Dwayne, i appreciate the input.

Originally Posted by truckster

I have 76 Corvette wires on my SBC with 2 1/2 inch rams horns and a large diameter HEI. They fit well.

Thanks, do you have this on a 4x4? Do your wires come up from underneath?


So should i run the stock 68 plugs and open up the gap on them?

[truckster]

Mine is a 72 Blazer 4WD. I ran the wires under the rams horns. I use AC Delco platinum plugs gapped at .045.

[Getter-Done]

Just going to make one suggestion.

This was passed down years ago.

F_rd starts out with Auto-lite plugs.

Do you know Why?

F_rd start using oil from Day One.

This is why I am a Firm believer in Auto lite They
are better in a Used Chevy engine.

The cone of the Ceramic is tapered to a different angle.

Just my opinion of Oil burning engines

[MARKDTN]

'68 Oil adapter is a gray area as you see. Some blocks are already drilled for the spin on filter adapter. I had a '68 327 from an Impala and it was drilled for the adapter but had a canister filter. Just look and see.

I like Delco plugs (R43) gapped like a '76 Corvette (.045). I always use Delco plugs in GM vehicles. I also have had good luck with Delco plug wires-especially over parts store house brands.

[MJN]

FWIW- there are a few vendors that offer the PF35L filter yet but they seem to be on perpetual backorder. I've had an order placed with Summit for a couple PF35L filters for 6+ weeks and the latest ship date they provided was Feb 22. At this rate I'm expecting that date to come and go. Just glad they aren't holding up anything on my end, just extras.

[special-K]

I use the big HEI and mid-70s Vette plug wires on my 4wds. I use the Vette wires so I can route them up and away from headers/manifolds.

[too much stuff]

Thanks for all of the input. I think i have a plan now.

No one had issues with the HEI hitting the firewall in a 4x4? I did a big block swap over 25 years ago in my 70 4x4 and had to dent in the firewall for the HEI. Granted, the cab mounts were probably worn...

MJN, what is a PF35L? I have lots of pf35 filters here.

[MJN]

Originally Posted by too much stuff

Thanks for all of the input. I think i have a plan now.

No one had issues with the HEI hitting the firewall in a 4x4? I did a big block swap over 25 years ago in my 70 4x4 and had to dent in the firewall for the HEI. Granted, the cab mounts were probably worn...

MJN, what is a PF35L? I have lots of pf35 filters here.

The HEI cap was too close to the firewall in my old '72 Blazer and the firewall had to be massaged a bit to give it some clearance. Had a plug wire boot rub through against the firewall on that truck because of it.

Its a PF35 with synthetic filter media vs the paper media PF35's. Same canister size. I remember years ago they were available in the GM Performance Parts catalogs.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...k=447795&jsn=3

[palallin]

Originally Posted by too much stuff

No one had issues with the HEI hitting the firewall in a 4x4?

Datum: I have a big cap HEI in my /69 K10. It fits, but just barely. I have to remove the wires to take the cap off or put it on (a set of 8 wooden clothes pins marked 1 - 8 keeps me from stupiding up when I put the wires back on). With the cap and the guts out of the top, I can pull the distributor, but I don't like to--better than pulling the engine though

Datum: I run the recommended mid-'70s wires, and they tuck in underneath nicely.

Datum: I run Declo plugs (the number escapes me at the moment) gapped .045.

[MARKDTN]

The PF35L is out there, but I don't really see the advantage for what it costs. A Wix 51060 is a great filter and has the same capacity at half the price and is a 25 micron filter where the 35L is 30 micron. A Wix 51794 is a 2qt filter for a C40+ and is about the same price if you want more oil in the system. I used to run the 2qt fliters in my '83 K20 but when I put the Corvette engine in it had a 5qt pan so I went back to 1qt filters with still a 6qt total volume.

[tim_mc]

Originally Posted by MARKDTN

The PF35L is out there, but I don't really see the advantage for what it costs. A Wix 51060 is a great filter and has the same capacity at half the price and is a 25 micron filter where the 35L is 30 micron. A Wix 51794 is a 2qt filter for a C40+ and is about the same price if you want more oil in the system. I used to run the 2qt fliters in my '83 K20 but when I put the Corvette engine in it had a 5qt pan so I went back to 1qt filters with still a 6qt total volume.

Thanks for the tip. In addition to another quart of capacity, the 2-5/8" longer length of the Wix 51794 (7-13/16 vs. 5-3/16") would also make it easier to get a strap wrench or oil filter wrench on it and shouldn't hang down too far. My last oil change involved accidental bumps into a warm header while trying to get the filter off. I use the 51061 and may look into using the 51794 on my next oil change.

[duallyjams]

I upgraded my 68 327 in my 4x4 to a large cap HEI, no problem with the firewall. I gap my plugs at 45. It has the ram horn manifolds with the plug wires run under. I used MSD plug wires that required cutting to length and installing one end. I also rebuilt the Q-jet, it starts with just bumping the key. I have a local gas station that sell non-ethanol gas at the pump, it runs better and the plugs are cleaner.

[too much stuff]

Thanks for all of the words of wisdom. I have a plan and am cleaning up the engine as we speak.

[MJN]

Originally Posted by MJN

FWIW- there are a few vendors that offer the PF35L filter yet but they seem to be on perpetual backorder. I've had an order placed with Summit for a couple PF35L filters for 6+ weeks and the latest ship date they provided was Feb 22. At this rate I'm expecting that date to come and go. Just glad they aren't holding up anything on my end, just extras.

Just noticed Summit bumped the expected ship date into March, so I cancelled that order. RockAuto has PF35L's back in stock and got them on the way from them instead. $5 each cheaper than Summit too.

[72SB]

Originally Posted by too much stuff

No one had issues with the HEI hitting the firewall in a 4x4? .

You can always just use a points small cap dizzy and put a Pertronix module in it. "Looks" stock if that is your thing, cheaper than buying a HEI dizzy.

Pertronix also makes a complete "small cap" HEI dizzy (coil is not in cap)