283 small journal questions

[AuroraGirl]

Is there value in sprucing up an old 283 without a rebuild? Im going to be left with 3 small blocks out of a vehicle, and I confirmed one is a 305, one is a 400, and one is an old 283. The 283 is complete with all accessories and such, but I know these old beasts had a road draft tube and needed leaded gasoline. I want to keep an engine on standby in case I ever need to drop a small block in, and I was thinking the 283 since its complete.

Would upgrading to HEI and using lead substitute be viable, or would I be better off seeing what I could do with a 305?

 

[bucket]

I like 283's. They are smooth runners too. I'd really like to have one, although I'm really not sure what I would do with it. If it truly is original, there's probably enough lead embedded into the valve seats that you don't really need to run the lead additive.

 

[Ricko1966]

Okay I see several issues .I don't think they ever made a long water pump 283 so you have to run all early brackets and accessories.Or change heads, water pump and pulleys.I like 283s I like 283 cranks in 327 blocks with 6 inch rods even better, but for simplicity you need to determine what the 305 or the 400 needs vs.time, money and trouble to adapt the 283 to 1968 and later configuration.My personal pick would be the 400.

 

[Ricko1966]

I was assuming you wanted a spare for a square.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Yes, even though my engine appears to be a strong runner, since I HAVE the engines, id like to be on the side of prepared. About the water pump you say, do you mean for having the fan close to the radiator? I didnt think of that. I do have 2 sets of sbc heads, but im no expert at all at internals of an engine, id be afraid to take heads off because the valve train scares me lol. Havent hit the comfort level yet. But I see what you mean by the water pump. I also didnt account for the engine came out of a 62-65 or so impala with manual steering, its got a alternator and a... ignition coil? I guess I dont know how pre HEI worked, if the distributor was separate from the coil, unlike HEI. But I also didnt think about the alternator. the 283 has it passenger mounted, and it and the water pump are the only driven accessories. Im definitely not steering the truck without fluid pressure, and of course most of the mounts for that stuff are on the heads.. by time i swap heads I could have just spent the time sprucing the other engines.

I guess I technically dont know this, but this is what I called the 305. I never confirmed the displacement, but the electrical on it seems more late 80s than old vacuum switches and stuff, so Im just assuming 305. Even though its the most.. complete.. Im not sure if I want to use it.

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This next one is the 400. it was stripped bare but left unadultered sine the early 2000s, no idea what the plan was but im guessing my gpa was gonna rebuild it based on the engine gasket kit among other items. That big counter weight confirms it to be 400, yes? Or do i need to look on the passenger head?

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Here are a couple pics of the 283, as you can see no PS and a drive alternator. pretty confident the work to drop it in would exceed any time shaved by choosing it as the backup.

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And I actually forgot i have another small block, its got pcv grommets and a 2 barrel intake, but its also orange. maybe an older 350 or a 305? Ill have to take a peek at the head

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I havent seen many orange motors besides older small blocks, im also not sure if that distributor is HEI. I forget what the thing looks like without a cap on. Lord knows i got like 27 caps laying around, most HEI. Probably hei. This may be a viable child.

 

[WFO]

A 400 harmonic balancer is going to have a flat spot on one side, or holes drilled on one side, since 400s are externally balanced.

 

[Ricko1966]

Yes, even though my engine appears to be a strong runner, since I HAVE the engines, id like to be on the side of prepared. About the water pump you say, do you mean for having the fan close to the radiator? I didnt think of that. I do have 2 sets of sbc heads, but im no expert at all at internals of an engine, id be afraid to take heads off because the valve train scares me lol. Havent hit the comfort level yet. But I see what you mean by the water pump. I also didnt account for the engine came out of a 62-65 or so impala with manual steering, its got a alternator and a... ignition coil? I guess I dont know how pre HEI worked, if the distributor was separate from the coil, unlike HEI. But I also didnt think about the alternator. the 283 has it passenger mounted, and it and the water pump are the only driven accessories. Im definitely not steering the truck without fluid pressure, and of course most of the mounts for that stuff are on the heads.. by time i swap heads I could have just spent the time sprucing the other engines.

I guess I technically dont know this, but this is what I called the 305. I never confirmed the displacement, but the electrical on it seems more late 80s than old vacuum switches and stuff, so Im just assuming 305. Even though its the most.. complete.. Im not sure if I want to use it.

You must be registered for see images attach

This next one is the 400. it was stripped bare but left unadultered sine the early 2000s, no idea what the plan was but im guessing my gpa was gonna rebuild it based on the engine gasket kit among other items. That big counter weight confirms it to be 400, yes? Or do i need to look on the passenger head?

You must be registered for see images attach

Here are a couple pics of the 283, as you can see no PS and a drive alternator. pretty confident the work to drop it in would exceed any time shaved by choosing it as the backup.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

And I actually forgot i have another small block, its got pcv grommets and a 2 barrel intake, but its also orange. maybe an older 350 or a 305? Ill have to take a peek at the head

You must be registered for see images attach

I havent seen many orange motors besides older small blocks, im also not sure if that distributor is HEI. I forget what the thing looks like without a cap on. Lord knows i got like 27 caps laying around, most HEI. Probably hei. This may be a viable child.

Okay 1968 they changed water pumps the. new style water pump is a little longer.Im not concerned with the distance to the radiator.The problem is when they went to long water pump they also changed all the brackets accessories. pulleys and heads lots to change or lots to adapt.As for your other engines . 1st I would make sure they all turn over.Any that don't turn over put on the back burner.Next pick your largest displacement engine, pull the spark plugs, do the all look about the same, none cleaner? None oil fouled?Now pull the oil pan wiggle the big ends of all the rods nothing moving a bunch great now look at the mains nothing black and overheated no metal trying to sneak around the main caps? Awesome look at the bottoms of the pistons no holes no broken skirts no scars on the cylinder walls? That's probably an easy back up engine stick in a new oil pump, a set of rod brgs, I'd do mains but, that's me do a timing set and you probably will have a pretty good back up engine.Starr biggest and work your way down.You don't want your back up motor to be too puny to push your plow or pull a heavy trailer.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I think you can simply get whatever water pump you need and swap over the brackets. EXCEPT, if the 283 is a complete unit, and it has the old heads on it, there are no accessory holes drilled and tapped, so you would need different heads that have the accessory bolt holes. 283s are cool engines, ask @HotRodPC he has all kinds of good info on 283s. I've got an old 283 myself and someone was kind enough to install powerpac heads on it.

 

[custodian]

I did a 283, bored 30 over with an RV type cam, used the 305 high output heads with the 184/150 valves, and topped it off with a Summit 500CFM carb. Runs great. I took the 358 out of the 73 and put it in for my oldest granddaughter.

 

[Ricko1966]

I think you can simply get whatever water pump you need and swap over the brackets. EXCEPT, if the 283 is a complete unit, and it has the old heads on it, there are no accessory holes drilled and tapped, so you would need different heads that have the accessory bolt holes. 283s are cool engines, ask @HotRodPC he has all kinds of good info on 283s. I've got an old 283 myself and someone was kind enough to install powerpac heads on it.

Read my 1st post I wasn't, didn't bash the 283 at all.but it is complete and won't be a simple swap to a square.She doesn't want to swap heads.The water pump is simple it's that she has to change heads, brackets,crank pulleys , and water pump pulley also.With 3 other engines at her disposal I was giving her the easiest solution, in the skill set she feels comfortable in.As stated before I like 283s I like them even better when they are 4 inch bore with 6 inch rods.

 

[HotRodPC]

I think you can simply get whatever water pump you need and swap over the brackets. EXCEPT, if the 283 is a complete unit, and it has the old heads on it, there are no accessory holes drilled and tapped, so you would need different heads that have the accessory bolt holes. 283s are cool engines, ask @HotRodPC he has all kinds of good info on 283s. I've got an old 283 myself and someone was kind enough to install powerpac heads on it.

The other issue with the powerpak heads is you're going to need hardened valve seats installed since there's no lead gas anymore to lube the seats. They are cool engines and you can't kill'em. Simply just can't. The earlier 283's had thick enough walls you could actually bore them .125 over which would take you to the bore of a 327 and 4inch. With the forged 283 crank it would make the 302cu in. With that short stroke it's fun little ricky racer and would damn sure turn some rpm and get there quick too.

 

[bucket]

Personally, I'd much rather convert the accessory setup for use in the truck than swap heads. As in, run all the older stuff in the newer truck.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Read my 1st post I wasn't, didn't bash the 283 at all.but it is complete and won't be a simple swap to a square.She doesn't want to swap heads.The water pump is simple it's that she has to change heads, brackets,crank pulleys , and water pump pulley also.With 3 other engines at her disposal I was giving her the easiest solution, in the skill set she feels comfortable in.As stated before I like 283s I like them even better when they are 4 inch bore with 6 inch rods.

I wasn't bashing your post. Swapping the 283 into a square wouldn't be a huge undertaking, but would require some alterations. I think it would be a fun engine with 4.10 gears.

 

[DoubleDingo]

The other issue with the powerpak heads is you're going to need hardened valve seats installed since there's no lead gas anymore to lube the seats. They are cool engines and you can't kill'em. Simply just can't. The earlier 283's had thick enough walls you could actually bore them .125 over which would take you to the bore of a 327 and 4inch. With the forged 283 crank it would make the 302cu in. With that short stroke it's fun little ricky racer and would damn sure turn some rpm and get there quick too.

There was only a couple 283s in my small town in high school. I had one of them in Mean Green. The other was in an Impala, and he tried for months to blow it up because he wanted a different engine. It wouldn't die. Powerglide transmission left in 1st, run it WOT and it just kept going. Eventually he gave up and just swapped engines. The one in my truck, I could run it all day in summer heat at 4,000 rpms going down the highway. Never skipped a beat.

 

[Ricko1966]

Personally, I'd much rather convert the accessory setup for use in the truck than swap heads. As in, run all the older stuff in the newer truck.

She has a runnng driving long water pump vehicle and trying to pic between 4 engines,she has 3 long water pump,305,350,400 and the 283 swp. I was just saying in my opinion easiest surest thing for a plow truck was the 400. Which everything would be a bolt for bolt quick swap and have enough balls to push her plow. And swapping her old motor back in if she wanted would be simple as well.