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I'm new here and looking for advice.

kmakar said:
reading, asking questions, and doing it will get you lots of knowledge..... how do you think we learned?
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But Without a computer and WWW in the palm of our hands, my dad knew old flathead Fords and some about newer fords but wouldn’t work on anything other than Ford and wouldn’t help me on a 64 Tbird he talked me into buying with a bad trans lol, he did let me use his Chilton manual lol
 
cheveslakr said:
One thing the 283 will never overcome is low end torque. You can up the rpm range and make if extremely efficient, but it has lots of limiting factors, first being size. The bore is too small for a set of 202 intakes. The engine "as is" and in good shape will respond to a lot of upgrades but as soon as you need to machine that block, it's usefulness is done imo. Run it, tweek it, beat it, and learn from it.
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I built and ran a 283 in the 60-70,s ram 1080,s in my still now 64ss chevelle. Hence why the chrome is all missing Altered. And ran 2.02 1.60,s in the camel heads.
In my 292 turbo heads at 55 cc,s. Made 540 hp at 10,200. Running a 617 gear. Cleaned house.
Today I build my BBC, and drive them the same way even to that kind of Rpm levels. But the drive train has to be 3 times stronger to with stand a 7500-8500 hole shot. Cubes matter how you get them is another science. Got Bless America and the muscle car.
 
Mysterioususer1967 said:
I really wish I knew more about this stuff...
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It starts with science and math then goes into metallurgy and fasteners and first of all and foremost suspension design and chassis design because what you build has to get connected to the ground and use it.
 
star393 said:
It starts with science and math then goes into metallurgy and fasteners and first of all and foremost suspension design and chassis design because what you build has to get connected to the ground and use it.
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Cylinder heads and valve train will take you one life time and camshaft timing will take another While flame propagation and basic building talents another. It’s a long road. You’ll need to spend at least 20k in the next 10 years at a min. Buying tools other then basic hand stuff. Otherwise I hope your rich to pay everyone else to do what you can’t learn. Thing is buy once and the second time around is free because you learned the first time and did it yourself. This is old school. Knowledge is power.
 
star393 said:
Cylinder heads and valve train will take you one life time and camshaft timing will take another While flame propagation and basic building talents another. It’s a long road. You’ll need to spend at least 20k in the next 10 years at a min. Buying tools other then basic hand stuff. Otherwise I hope your rich to pay everyone else to do what you can’t learn. Thing is buy once and the second time around is free because you learned the first time and did it yourself. This is old school. Knowledge is power.
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Plan on blowing up about 5 engines in the process too. Well maybe just 5.
 
So, is an overbore necessary to clear the big valves? I've never ran 202s in a 283, but "I've heard" it can't be done, and to gain any real advantage a huge cam and rpms above 8000 will be the ticket. ?? All questions, as I've never ran a snorty 283.
 
cheveslakr said:
So, is an overbore necessary to clear the big valves? I've never ran 202s in a 283, but "I've heard" it can't be done, and to gain any real advantage a huge cam and rpms above 8000 will be the ticket. ?? All questions, as I've never ran a snorty 283.
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Believe it or not most people run to big of a cam. SCIENCE and Math. Most lose HP and torque because of that. The thing about building race engines is not to mix up knowledge from one type of race with another type of racing. Or class of racing. When you start getting into racing weather for fun or money this is when people will start clamming up. Then you know your on the right track.
Most people choose there cams for the sound and giggles. Learning the carburetor or fuel delivery now that’s another profession again by itself. Yes 202, will fit in a 283. And remember you have about .250 at the top of the cylinder bore to help unshrouding of the valve but remember your married to how far up the piston the top ring sits.
 
star393 said:
Believe it or not most people run to big of a cam. SCIENCE and Math. Most lose HP and torque because of that. The thing about building race engines is not to mix up knowledge from one type of race with another type of racing. Or class of racing. When you start getting into racing weather for fun or money this is when people will start clamming up. Then you know your on the right track.
Most people choose there cams for the sound and giggles. Learning the carburetor or fuel delivery now that’s another profession again by itself. Yes 202, will fit in a 283. And remember you have about .250 at the top of the cylinder bore to help unshrouding of the valve but remember your married to how far up the piston the top ring sits. Think about that one.
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Shovelrick said:
Better factory heads are around now, in the 70’s the Dbl hump heads were the thing to get and if you were lucky enough to find ones with 2.02 Int valves you were doing great, I’m talking JY parts lol
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I agree 200%. New alum stuff far better to get started with. Don’t even waste your money on OEM.
 
Shovelrick said:
But Without a computer and WWW in the palm of our hands, my dad knew old flathead Fords and some about newer fords but wouldn’t work on anything other than Ford and wouldn’t help me on a 64 Tbird he talked me into buying with a bad trans lol, he did let me use his Chilton manual lol
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So lets say I got my hands on a 400 block and have a complete 283 engine what would I need to buy for the 400 besides the pistons and headers and what could I keep?
 
Pretty much everything. Complete rotating assembly, oil pan, pump, heads and valve train. Water pump and external fasteners could be reused.
 
No, the stuff I listed first all are unique to the 400. It's a different animal and you need to thoroughly inspect a 400 block before you buy. Also ...the block is really only good to a .040 overbore. Lots of guys try to unload .060 tired blocks which are scrap.
 
cheveslakr said:
No, the stuff I listed first all are unique to the 400. It's a different animal and you need to thoroughly inspect a 400 block before you buy. Also ...the block is really only good to a .040 overbore. Lots of guys try to unload .060 tired blocks which are scrap.
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Exactly if you're going to buy a 400 you'll want to make sure its a virgin Chevy engine that someone hasn't done anything crazy to it. Maybe if its a rebuilt 400 from someone you know but otherwise unless its as it was built by Chevy don't take a chance.
Also basically nothing that fits your 283 will work on a 400 although it will bolt up it won't be a good runner. And the lower end sizes are different from the 283 to the 400 Chevy.
IMO The best thing you can do with that 283 is sell it to someone who's doing a restoration. and get whatever cash out of it you can.
As for the 400, the crankshaft can be used with a 350 to make a 383 but a whole 400 that hasn't been messed with is a great starting point and the only way I'd buy a 400 to rebuild and use for myself.
That is how I bought the 400 that's in my ElCamino right now. It was a running engine and I might have been able to use it as is but I wanted better and had it bored .030 over w/ new pistons and cylinder heads and a bunch of speed parts with about $2600-$2800 invested. Also the more speed parts you already have that are usable the less money you'll have to put out.
 
IIRC heads need steam passages? we put a set of rebuilt 350 heads on a 400 in the early 90's on my Gfriends 78 Z/28, my engine builder friend said they'd be great on the 400 and had the steam passages drilled, a cpl months later a long drive on I-75 proved that wrong, cooked the engine
 
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