Bubba's recycling project

[bubba327]

Hey Buddy, I need to come check out the progress on the blue Ox. Heck you are probably driving it by now!! We on for Breakfast this fall??

[chevy_man5]

We have been up and down the block a few times, but still not street legal. Brakes are working good now, she fires up every time, and purrs like a kitten. Been SWAMPED at work, so haven't been working on it much lately. Needs wiring now, and should be able to take her for a real drive.

[bubba327]

Good to hear that you have a driver even if it is a little bit.. Glad to hear you are busy, We are just slammed these days.
Only one state fair left this year. The eastern Idaho fair in Blackfoot in two weeks.
No livestock to haul , just taking my youngest daughter who qualified for the Idaho state finals in the 4-H livestock judging competition.
The winning teams advance to the national competition at Denver Stock Show in January.
Our teams have done pretty well in the last few years but we will just have to see .

[chevy_man5]

So your crazy season is nearly over? Then you can play with your toys. LOL

Hopefully you get to head on to Denver. That would be a cool experience.

[Alan's Classic]

Great to hear an update. Don't know what to say about the empty nest, I haven't experienced that yet.

That's cool that your driving the ole' truck.

Wow, I can't believe I'm driving mine now either.

[likaroc13]

great to hear from you, as i wondered about you on a few occasions! glad to hear your daughter is in college...i know it's tough on ya'll, but how is she dealing with the transition so far? hopefully the start of football season will make things a little better for you all! and good to hear the ole truck is doing well, & i'm sure it feels good to drive it every day...i bet your daughter misses it though

[daverod]

So whats the plans for the truck while the daughter is away?

[bubba327]

"The secret to a great daily commute is a daily driver that is really a blast to drive!!!"
Dave I am just driving the tires off it.
It was down for a few days last week while I had to re-build the throttle cable bracket when the cheap plastic piece broke and the cable slipped.
I made it to work one morning with only about half speed when I had the pedal laid tight on the floor.
A couple of zipties was able to fix it enough to get me home that night.
Next thing - better wipers!! There has to be a better wiper arm and wiper setup than what I have. These are almost there just for looks..
Any body have any ideas???

I am still looking around for a nice 327 small block
Winter is coming. It is supposed to freeze tonight

[idaho66stepside]

Hey Bubba I'm jealous! I wish I my truck was daily driving. It's not a 327 but I have the 283 from the 66 sitting on a stand in shop if interested. How did you guys make it through your fires? We just had another one two days ago. Talk about second hand smoking!

[bubba327]

I am having a blast driving it , I did make the mistake of jumping on the freeway last week and I forgot that it had a very short uphill ramp.
Wow!! Really good thing I had room to merge over and get up to speed!! That was too close for comfort as I kind held a few cars up before I finally made it up to speed.
Once I was at 75 mph , 2800 RPM Smooth and steady.
A friend called me last weekend and told me he has been recently given a small block by a older relative And he will give it to me if I can use it!, Supposedly it is a .30 over 350 that has all the machine work done and balanced , has new rotating assembly, pistons and parts , just needs put together. It has been apart for a few years but stored indoors and boxed .
I will be pretty excited if it is as good as it seems, but I have to wait until the fall harvest is over before I can pick it all up.
Thanks for the offer on the 283, Let me see what this deal is first, I may still need options

[daverod]

free is always good. Now you have more stuff to do.

[bubba327]

Originally Posted by daverod

free is always good. Now you have more stuff to do.

Free is never without some kinda price

[bubba327]

Happy holidays!!!! it is snowing on Christmas day!


I received a couple of boxes early cuz I have been really good



Not a lot is known about this motor. It has been stored for quite a few years in a elderly guys garage and was recently given to a friend who gave it to me. A 3970010 four bolt main block 1972 vintage
These two boxes have a 350 block and a bunch of Misc stuff. A assortment of unmarked caps and mains , the heads which have a one pair of valves removed. It looks like a .30 over block that was assembled and looks like it was run a little then disassembled. The hone marks are pretty fresh but has a upper carbon ring on the bore that shows a little run time.
The heads are nothing special, We have not picked up the crank and rest of the pistons, cam, crank, pans. I wonder about the condition of them..and if they are buried deep
I really do not know when the rest of the stuff is available for pickup. this may be it...

[bubba327]

Well I am truly Blessed this holiday!!!
My uncle gave me a 283 that he bought a few years ago and is tired of tripping over in his shop. It has been there at least 10 years
Was in a 64 C-10 Chevy and a 283 with 283/327 powerpack heads.







Built a motor stand and ran a compression test and was really happy until I tested # 7 cylinder..... It had only 30 lbs.
Pulled the head, turned it upside down and filled it with water and it just poured out the intake port... Shoot...... the seat is rusted and leaks badly.
I found a crack on the other side so these heads are done.
The cylinder bore looks pretty good, My rough measurement shows it has been bored , and the ridge is slight and hone marks are visible. compression was 150 to155 on 7 of the 8 cylinders. I am not sure how accurate my gauge is but readings were fairly consistent.

So now what???

I would like to go with the 283 just to be different but I know the 350 would make more sense.

So questions for you guys.

What are my best options here ???
Now remember that this is a recycling project ...
Do I find another old set of 58 cc power packheads?? The local CL has a pair listed that needs rebuilt for 100$ OBO.

I am told that a 305Cu with 58cc HO heads will fit a 283, has the attachment holes and hardened seats. Sounds good so far, any body done this??

Anybody have a 700R4 behind a 283?? Does it have enough power?? It should be about 200-220HP when finished-- not a lot I know, but I would like to get some decent mileage here, heck the six only has about 140 HP now!!
(I have a TH350 now but would like to change to a overdrive for better mileage)
Will 305 Vortec head fit??
Will rams horn exhaust manifolds fit the newer Vortec head?? what about frame clearance??
I will need to get a 4 barrel intake manifold , now which is a better option, cast iron GM or aftermarket aluminum? 500cfm or 600cfm carb??

Scrap the whole mess and find a roller 5.7???
I wish I could order a crate motor but that is not my way of doing things and this is a budget build

I like the old school look of the 283, and the quickness of the 3" stroke.
The 283 has a oil fill spout on the front of the intake, Now I think you can probably use any small block intake if the oil filler is moved to the valve covers, But can you adapt a filler spout to any aluminum small block intake manifold ?? Summit has the old style filler available.
what style/ brand of 4 barrel intake is the best option for street use/ daily driver??


Happy New Year.. Be safe!!!
use a designated driver!! ( please)
Bubba

[Alan's Classic]

Around here I can get a LS 5.3 with a harness for $500. That beats buying a bunch of parts and machine work. The expense is making the LS work.

The 3970010 block is really desireable. I would choose it over the 283. I'm not sure about the vortec heads. I wish I could be of more help.

Happy New Year!!

[Captainfab]

Typically building a 350 will cost less than building a 283. Then the 350 will develop a lot more torque than a 283. Torque is what it takes to move these 2 ton trucks down the road. So in theory the 350 doesn't have to work as hard as the 283 does, especially when backed with a 700R4.

As for the heads. Yes the 305 heads will work on the 283 and give you close to the same compression. That would be my choice of budget heads for the 283.

If you are set on installing a Gen I small block, I would look around and see if you can find a '96-'02 L31 Vortec 350. That way you won't have to worry about a flat tappet cam going flat on you with the oils we have today. That Vortec 350 will cost a little more to build than the 350 you currently have, but it will be worth it IMO.

[daverod]

So many choices. Whats a buget build? Good to see you getting your fingers greasy again. I'm sure you'll build somthing cool. If your looking for votes my is sell it all and buy a 383 short block; brown truck guy will drop it off for free. In the long run I would say it would save u $$$. A LS would be a good challange for ya.

[bubba327]

I think daughter would just get in trouble with a 383 but I would sure have fun.. I bet the mileage would not be too good

[daverod]

Well you would have to buy a 5 window to put it in but that's the cheap part.

[rbar]

Hey Bruce, Looks like you're having fun. Before I turned my 350 into a 383 I was get 18 miles per gallon when I kept my foot out of it. It was a 350 bored .030 with flat tops, 194 double hump heads, 350 horse 327 corvette cam, Edelbrock intake, rochester 4 barrel, HEI, MSD ignition, and none of it was roller although I prefer roller. It also ran 14.1 at 2600 feet with a 3 on the tree. I had a 327 built exactly the same, I mean exactly, and it ran a 14.5, but it didn't get as good of gas mileage, although there was a difference of a 4 speed behind it. Same gears, same truck. I would prefer the 350 over a 327 or 283, but if my truck had an original 327 or 283 I would have left it. Roller is a good way to go to. I think I am losing a lobe in my flat tappet 327 right now. The truck has been down a few weeks and I already changed the lifter and it's doing it again, so I am worried that it is the cam. I need to look at it again and measure lift. One thing to keep in mind with going roller that I found on my 383, there are cost savings with starting with a roller block from 86 or 87 and up, whichever year that started. Without a roller block the cam and lifters will cost something like $600 instead of $200. Then you have to set up a cam button and clearance in the front with a rigid timing cover. You also have to change the distributor gear. My thoughts on your choice is to do the math on which one is going to cost you less to build and then take into consideration that you might appreciate the torque of the 350 more. You would probably be happy with either. As for fuel mileage, I am not so sure you wouldn't do just as well with the 350 not having to work as hard. As for budget, costs can snowball fast and a stroker will drive it up.

[bubba327]

Happy new year to everybody!!!

I turned on the furnace in the shop today, cranked up the TV and cleaned the top end and watched football . Had a great day!!!
The cylinders on the 283 had a little carbon on the flattops but the hone marks are still visible in the bore. I did have 150-155 compression on all but the bad hole with the leaky intake valve . I turned the head upside down and filled it with water and it just poured out the intake port.
It does have .30 over pistons and it is remarkably clean in the heads, valve covers and the lifter valley.
I need to get some plastigauge this week and check the condition of the lower end. I pulled out some of the lifters and they look new,

I am kinda thinking I may just see if I can find some 58cc 305 heads at the pick a part, get it running, try it out and see where I am at. The 416 HO head was one of the 305 heads from 80-86 so they should be still a few around if they are not cracked...
I can always sell it if I get it running.
I can always sell the old 58 cc power pack heads as they too can be rebuilt.

The advice on starting with the roller block is sound thinking. It is just to costly to set up the older block with the retro fit roller lifters, spider and dog bones.
But the 4 bolt 010 block has some value at least. A guy I went to high school with MANY years ago still runs a motor shop, so I need to check with him and learn some things and my options from his view.
My Uncle is a machinist also but he does not have all the proper stuff for the specialized trade of motors.

Back to work tomorrow, I did enjoy the holidays and some time off!!!

[64C10Fleet]

Originally Posted by bubba327

I like the old school look of the 283, and the quickness of the 3" stroke.
The 283 has a oil fill spout on the front of the intake, Now I think you can probably use any small block intake if the oil filler is moved to the valve covers, But can you adapt a filler spout to any aluminum small block intake manifold ?? Summit has the old style filler available.
what style/ brand of 4 barrel intake is the best option for street use/ daily driver??


Happy New Year.. Be safe!!!
use a designated driver!! ( please)
Bubba

Hey Bubba... The Edelbrock RMP Performer is a great intake for street use. I had one machined to accept the oil filler spout you're talking about from Summit and it worked well. After I spent the money having mine machined, I found they make one already setup with the spout. Let me know if you have any questions, I just completed my engine build not long ago using an old style block with new parts and can alleviate some of the headaches associated.

[KJSR]

I have bought two roller block 5.7 vortec complete engines locally for less than 100.00 each. They are used in 97-00 (I think) truck/van and seem to be plentiful. It may be a good option for you.

[bubba327]

Middle of January was COLD!!! I took out the truck to be a pizza getter at 0* degrees . It had been parked for two weeks at sub freezing temps so it was kinda hard getting started . I did plug in the block heater for a couple of hours, and still needed the battery booster to help, but it did get running.
LOTS of fun to spin cookies on the Ice.

Its groundhawg day!!! It warmed up to the 40s today so opened up the garage so I started on the 283. I pulled the oil pan and checked out the bottom of the rotating assembly. I only checked out the middle 3 main bearings but they were all at .002. I checked out 4 of the rod bearings and they were also clean and checked out at .002.
So is plastigauge still accurate when it is cold?? I was wondering if it would still read the same at all temps both warm and cold.




Kinda like the blue, it looks good with the blue of the truck, I need to find out what color it is, Chevy blue or Pontiac blue. Wondering about the harmonic balancer. The rubber part of the balancer looks a little dry and old. Do I have to use the same size or can I use the bigger balancer ??

What the heck did they do to the piston skirts?? The crank is a forged steel 283 crank but the clearance was a problem so it looks like they ground off the bottom of the skirt with a rock. Wonder how badly it is balanced . It is supposed to have a few thousand miles on this motor so it must have worked......

[bubba327]

Originally Posted by 64C10Fleet

Hey Bubba... The Edelbrock RMP Performer is a great intake for street use. I had one machined to accept the oil filler spout you're talking about from Summit and it worked well. After I spent the money having mine machined, I found they make one already setup with the spout. Let me know if you have any questions, I just completed my engine build not long ago using an old style block with new parts and can alleviate some of the headaches associated.

Scored a used 2101 Edelbrock performer on Ebay - my plan is to machine out the hole for the filler spout on the intake like you did- I have access to the machine shop so that part is free. Does it clear the water neck and the upper radiator hose??