327/350 swap 1966 c-20

[Dragsterjr]

Hey I'm new here and I need to know if someone can explain to me the steps of swapping a 350 into a truck with an original 327.what needs to change?will it just bolt in and use the stock wiring? Any help would be appriciated
Posted via Mobile Device

[redneck6]

welcome to the spot and it is a dead nuts swap . every thing should be same . only thing i can think may be diffrent is mounting boss on the block may be diffrent . but all in all could swap heads and all over to and just find a 350 short block may save ya some pennys .

[Dragsterjr]

Cool thank you for the advice
Posted via Mobile Device

[hugger6933]

Welcome to the site and that swap should be as easy as remove and replace It should all chage unless you use a 350 from 1986 or newer, it has a different flywheel bolt pattern but other than that you good to go

[markeb01]

Welcome to the forum. Post some pics when you have a chance.

[Captainfab]

They are both small block Chevy's, so most everything will interchange on the exterior of the engine. The one exception is the '86 and later engines as hugger6933 said. If it were me, I would swap the short water pump and all the front accessory drive onto the 350, but I would run the HEI if the 350 has one. This is assuming the 327 still has the short water pump as it should.

[63burban4x4]

I'm in the process of replacing a 283 with a 350. (I imagine that that your 327 will be basicly the same as the 283) I have the 2 motors side by side on engine stands. As cap'n says, good idea to use the pulleys, etc from the old on the new, (though from the pics here, most guys don't do that, lots of the trucks here seem to have the later stuff, alternator on the pass side,that's how my 350 was)
I'll start by saying my 283 was removed, complete from a 64 chevy full size car, so there could be diffs between it and the original truck setup that I'm not aware of...my 63 truck was originally a 283, though. What I have found so far was that I had to modify the lower PS bracket to clear the 350's larger harmonic balancer. Also, when I put it together, the bottom crankshaft pulleys were just ever so slightly out of line with the PS & alt pulleys, I suppose due to the harmonic balancer. I cut the center from another set of pulleys, making a flat plate, and spaced my 283 pulleys out from the harmonic balancer with it. Seems like now they line up well.
I also changed the 350's "ramhorn" exhaust manifolds to the early style, in order to keep the 64 alternator mounting the same, the 283 driver's side manifold has a mounting flange on the front of it. I was concerned that the 283 manifolds had smaller ports, but the guys here say they are the same (thanks, guys!) That's as far as I have gotten, but I think the front of the motor is set up well now. I'm planning to use a VintageAir A/C, so I don't know if all the pulley setups will remain the same or not....a bridge yet to cross!

Still to come, intake manifold. I'd like to use a quadrajet carb, but I need a manifold with the oil breather/filler neck, since I'm working on installing PCV valve and baffles in the stock 283 "script" valve covers. I've got my heart set on using those. (my 283 had a "road breather" at the back of the manifold) I'd rather have them with PCV hoses than another style of valve covers.
I hope to use the HEI from the 350, fingers crossed that it clears the firewall, seems like some guys have problems with that. I know I will NOT try to install the distributor with the motor in the truck.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by 63burban4x4

I'm in the process of replacing a 283 with a 350. (I imagine that that your 327 will be basicly the same as the 283) I have the 2 motors side by side on engine stands. As cap'n says, good idea to use the pulleys, etc from the old on the new, (though from the pics here, most guys don't do that, lots of the trucks here seem to have the later stuff, alternator on the pass side,that's how my 350 was)
I'll start by saying my 283 was removed, complete from a 64 chevy full size car, so there could be diffs between it and the original truck setup that I'm not aware of...my 63 truck was originally a 283, though. What I have found so far was that I had to modify the lower PS bracket to clear the 350's larger harmonic balancer. Also, when I put it together, the bottom crankshaft pulleys were just ever so slightly out of line with the PS & alt pulleys, I suppose due to the harmonic balancer. I cut the center from another set of pulleys, making a flat plate, and spaced my 283 pulleys out from the harmonic balancer with it. Seems like now they line up well.
I also changed the 350's "ramhorn" exhaust manifolds to the early style, in order to keep the 64 alternator mounting the same, the 283 driver's side manifold has a mounting flange on the front of it. I was concerned that the 283 manifolds had smaller ports, but the guys here say they are the same (thanks, guys!) That's as far as I have gotten, but I think the front of the motor is set up well now. I'm planning to use a VintageAir A/C, so I don't know if all the pulley setups will remain the same or not....a bridge yet to cross!

Still to come, intake manifold. I'd like to use a quadrajet carb, but I need a manifold with the oil breather/filler neck, since I'm working on installing PCV valve and baffles in the stock 283 "script" valve covers. I've got my heart set on using those. (my 283 had a "road breather" at the back of the manifold) I'd rather have them with PCV hoses than another style of valve covers.
I hope to use the HEI from the 350, fingers crossed that it clears the firewall, seems like some guys have problems with that. I know I will NOT try to install the distributor with the motor in the truck.

the main reason for using the 283 short w/pump and pulleys is for the relationship from fan to shroud. so that it sits in the same place, you can put the 283 crank pulley (harmonic balancer) 0n the 350 so that it will all line up.
you will find that the hei will go in easier with the cap off of it.
ron
I got my trim from Jamie thks

[63burban4x4]

I have everything lined up beautifully. Guess I just don't understand why the 350 has so much larger harmonic balancer compared to the 283, but I wasn't going to take a chance. The 283 balancer is TINY compared to the 350. This worked out fine, for me, though, thanks.

[70cst]

Hey Dragsterjr ...

to the forums and from Ohio

As mentioned post pics if you get a chance

[Captainfab]

You do not want to put a 283 balancer on a 350. That would likely cause major problems with the 350. The 350 has a larger balancer to cancel the harmonics inside the engine. I'm not sure I can explain it correctly, so I'll leave it at that.

Anyway, the front of the 350 balancer will be in the same position as the front of the 283 balancer, just as all Gen I small blocks.

I agree with Ron. Installing the HEI with the cap and rotor removed works just fine with the engine in the truck. I've been doing it that way for years.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

You do not want to put a 283 balancer on a 350. That would likely cause major problems with the 350. The 350 has a larger balancer to cancel the harmonics inside the engine. I'm not sure I can explain it correctly, so I'll leave it at that.

Anyway, the front of the 350 balancer will be in the same position as the front of the 283 balancer, just as all Gen I small blocks.

I agree with Ron. Installing the HEI with the cap and rotor removed works just fine with the engine in the truck. I've been doing it that way for years.

then the difference is made in the depth of the pulley mounted to the balance between short and long w/pump
ron

[63burban4x4]

Thanks, Cap'n. I'm no expert, but I really THOUGHT there was a reason for the balancers being so different, and I wasn't going to take a chance by changing them, especially since there was really no reason to. The pulleys for the 350 and the 283 , at least in my case, were just very slightly different in their offset when bolted to the balancer, like about 1/16" . I reasoned that simply shimming the 283 pulley out ever so slightly would solve the problem, which it did. Cutting the thin, flat center from another pulley, and putting it between the balancer and the 283 pulley, in my case, worked perfectly to get the pulleys lined up. (minor note, it also leaves the timing mark TAB, attached to the timing chain cover, in the correct spot for the balancer. Using the 283 balancer would have left a space of INCHES between that tab and the MUCH smaller 283 balancer, possibly making it harder to visually line up the marks when timing the motor.)
Caviat, my 350 came out of a mid '80's, 60 series truck, (which already had a short water pump. The center shaft of the pump, where the pulley mounts, was larger diameter, like 3/4", as used I think in some later Corvettes, so my 283 wp pulley would not fit on it. The 350 water pump also had a bypass to the thermostat housing, unlike the 283 pump. I just used the 283 pump to eliminate all these issues. ) I have no idea if the crank pulleys on ALL 350's would be this way, especially if they came with a deep water pump.
I like using as much of the original setup as possible, to keep my truck looking as stock as possible under the hood. (like installing the PCV valve in the "script" valve covers, so I could still use them) That's just me, I suppose. After reading here about all the troubles guys have getting these pulleys right, I thought mine went together remarkably easy. I'll try to get some pictures up here, if I can retrieve my camera, I loaned to my son.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

You do not want to put a 283 balancer on a 350. That would likely cause major problems with the 350. The 350 has a larger balancer to cancel the harmonics inside the engine. I'm not sure I can explain it correctly, so I'll leave it at that.

Anyway, the front of the 350 balancer will be in the same position as the front of the 283 balancer, just as all Gen I small blocks.

I agree with Ron. Installing the HEI with the cap and rotor removed works just fine with the engine in the truck. I've been doing it that way for years.

John ; not to disagree with you for you must have your reasons. I was looking at this the other day on the Hamb
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...+balancers+sbc
I have several 283 here, most have just the hub though one has a balancer attached and was wondering what the difference was in using it. all sbc are internally balanced other than the 400.
the larger 8" crank pulley will also raise the operational speed of any thing that is running off it compared to the 6 1/4. are all the other pulleys equal in relationship to the crank pulley
ron

[Captainfab]

In that thread you linked to, I think Ebbsspeed described it best starting with post #22. Yes guys have been swapping all sorts of SBC parts in the past 57 years, but they don't always work for the best long term use.. It is my opinion that switching from a smaller harmonic damper to a larger one will work fine, but going from larger to a smaller one is not such a good idea. Granted a 283 with a 8" 350 damper won't rev as quick as with the original damper, but a 350 with a 283 damper could have disasterous results with insufficient dampening performance in the upper rpm's.

Originally Posted by padresag

John ; not to disagree with you for you must have your reasons. I was looking at this the other day on the Hamb
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...+balancers+sbc
I have several 283 here, most have just the hub though one has a balancer attached and was wondering what the difference was in using it. all sbc are internally balanced other than the 400.
the larger 8" crank pulley will also raise the operational speed of any thing that is running off it compared to the 6 1/4. are all the other pulleys equal in relationship to the crank pulley
ron