Looking for advice on a Rochester 2barrel replacement. I just bought this truck and it is suppose to have a 350 crate engine and it appears to have an old carb. that I would like to replace. I would like to replace it with another 2 barrle as my tire burning days are over and I just want to cruise around without speeding tickets. Can I get a 2barrle with elec choke? I do better with 2x4's.
carbs A 4 barrell will give you greater fuel economy performance & drive abillity . Should you decide to go 2 barrell the 231 v6 on the 80,s olds & buicks do have the eletric choke or you can get a kit and convert. carbs = headaches I like the manual choke on my 65.
I'd have to agree. You will probably get batter MPG's with a 4 barrel. Go with a 600 or 650 four barrel Holley or Edelbrock. If you have a two barrel manifold then you will need an adaptor plate.
Thanks for the imput. Would I be better off to change th e manifold as well? as opposed to an adapter? Also looking for ID number location on the engine?? before buying parts I wanted to confirm what I have. Thanks again for the help. newbie.
Would I be better off to change th e manifold as well? as opposed to an adapter? YES. Edelbrock performer intake with edelbrock performer 600CFM will give you good results. If you have a 283 order 2701, 27011, 27014 intake (standard, polished, endurashine) and 1406 for the carb with electric choke. YOu can also save a couple bucks and order 9906 which is a reman 1406.
My original engine build was a 4barrel rochester on a spread bore edelbrock intake (performer) since changed to a performer "air gap" RPM intake with a holley 650 double pumper with mechanical secondaries & mechanical choke. From experience, I would advise this upgrade to anyone... the engine performs better and gets better mileage than the old rochester set up. spring is around the corner, I would check out swap meets for a used carb & intake... or new!
Thank you all for the imput. I just bought in Alabama in Jan. Have only driven it on the short test drive down there. I was told it is a 350 crate engine and the restoration work is about 10 yrs. old. The numbers I found on the front left of block did not tell my local shop anything? any suggestions.
Good morning I have a used 600 cfm Edlerbrook If you intesested. I has less that 600 miles on it but a little tarnished on the on the outside. worked fine on the truck electric choke Kilroy was here!!!
Thanks for the offer, and your close by in Wilton. I went to twin city speed in Brewer yesterday and bought a 600 cfm Edelbrock, and a performer intake. After findinging some numbers turns out I believe I have a 283 not the 350 crate I was told when I bought it. Found that the head number is the same for a 327 or a 283, my block number did not tell me anything ,I guess there is another on the rear of the motor that I am going to look for. I am just curious if it is a 327,unlikely I guess? I found the people who had the truck done and they believed it to be the original 283, It is going to take the upgrade carb and intake alright? Run her till she blows?
Hard to tell with a small block the CID. Post the numbers off the block and we can identify from them Kilroy was here!!!
You might be able to get to the numbers with the intake removed. 2,3,5,6,8,9 look very similar on the block so take your time.
The block casting numbers are located on the bellhousing flange below, ( and behind) the left cylinder head.. dv
Thanks I have not looked on the rear of the engine yet but will later this week when we install the intake ,carb. The numbers I have found are as follows. Passenger side front of block on pad F O I I 3 W A Head drivers side rear removed valve cover, 3884520 GM 27 Manifold 3877662 GM 18 I bought some black painted headers, would it do any good to spray them with more paint before installing? Thanks
your casting number 3884520 (from behind the drivers side cyliner head on the block) could be either a 283 or a 327 block, I didn't take too much time to look up the numbers however here is my 2cents. hope this helps! You could spend more time researching every casting number on your block, just google the numbers & read, read, read... however for quick reference if you look at the front (crank) balancer the 283 typically used a very thin, smaller ballancer that had some holes in it. A 327 ballancer was larger, very similar to a 70's 350 ballancer (over 1" thick, solid with & no holes). Early GM blocks (yours) were typically 2 bolt main blocks & had small journal main bearings (not compatible with later model "large journal" cranks/connecting rods) but are still a very desirable blocks as they produced excellent horsepower. The 327 was a high revving block and made awesome hp due to a short stroke allowing it to rev faster. A number of cylinder heads were available for these engines, most popular being the general car or truck cylinder heads but some cars, trucks had "double hump" cylinder heads (a double hump was cast into the end of each cylinder head) which generally had a 492 or 261 casting number and no "assessory holes", these had better flow (either 1.94 or 2.02 intake valves) and made more horsepower. All chevrolet small blocks are very interchangable for parts, all intakes, carbs, valve covers, heads, oil pumps, etc. are interchangable, the only thing different was the cranks, rods & pistons. (until later years when chevrolet introduced "large Journal bearings" (70's) & "Vortec cylinder heads/intake" (90's) I agree with you, my advice would be to run the engine until it blows (it may never) upgrade the usual parts(intake, carb, gaskets, etc.) to make a little extra horsepower, reliability and it will do you well for years. eventually some day you can tear it down & rebuild it! Leyland
Great post Leyland ! Were not the early 327 & 283's "internally" balanced ? In other words,,, no external balancer on the end of the crank ?? ( just a press-on mount for the pulleys ? ) dv
Hi Dval, you could be right, that would explain the "balancer" on the 283... I have heard about internal balanced engines however I don't own a 283 (or ever worked on one) so I don't know for sure. however I'm positive a 327 is externally balanced as I have one in my garage with a $400 "external balancer", 2.02 camel hump heads, forged crank, etc.... well at least mine is externally balanced! on a side note in 1969 chevrolet produced the 302 motor in some z28's this was built specifically for "track racing" and consisted of a 327 small journal block with a 283 crank to get 302ci. It had a trick, dual 4 barrel intake set up and proved to be the most potent chevrolet small block ever produced from factory... I don't think this motor was internally balanced??? Leyland
Leyland Thanks for the good info. This site has some great experience to offer and I am glad I found it. Don't let my handle fool you I am a friendly person. The "leavmeb" is my license plate on the 66'. About Thurs. I have usually reached my one thousand call limit on the cell and when I get in the truck for a ride it is going to get turned off! Thanks , I will look for the balancer. I don't have the truck here at my house . I was fortunate to have a heated garage offered to me for the winter. Took the bed off last night and I am changing the bed wood with some quarter sawn white oak.
Yes you lucky u have heated garage in Maine im still trying to get my radiant floor heat going in my new garage. Where are u at in maine? Kilroy was Here!!!
Lee, I asked the question on another forum and this is what I got back. That being said, you could still see a "harmonic balancer" on these earlier motors, but that does not mean they were not balanced internally.. The addition of a harmonic balancer would only reduce any small out of balance vibrations in the crank that much more... So I think it's safe to say that all 283's, 327's, 348's, 409's and pre 86 350's were balanced internally.. The motor in your garage sounds like it was "enhanced" with a new crank that is externally balanced. The older motors needed to have the crank and flywheel balanced as a unit. That is why the flywheel needed to be indexed to the crank before removal for resurfacing. I'll keep track of that post to see if the above answer is accurate... dv
