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I've found a 307 out of a Chevelle/Malibu and I was wondering what to expect if I were to buy this engine. Is this a typical SBC in that everything is interchangable (283, 305, 350...).
It was running before the car was parked and the guy only wants $100 for it if I pull it out. What do you guys think?
Good deal/bad deal?
What's so great about a 307 for $100.00? That you have to pull?
if its a running 307 its a good deal. yep most of the typical stuff interchanges
Yeah, buy it.
Hey BigRed how long ago was this car parked? If it still runs, you should be able to drop a battery in it and a little fuel and start it up. If so, its worth the $100.00.
No idea how long it's been parked...I'd guess quite a while. There's a pretty large animal nest in the engine bay. Lots of pine needles and sticks. I feel that not only will I need to bring a hoist, but also a shotgun and a tetanus shot just to make sure.
The guy told me that he drove it to the spot that it now sits. "It smoked really bad, but it ran"...those would be his exact words.
Seems like a pretty good deal to me. I'm just not looking forward to getting under a car that's parked in sticker-burrs! I guess I'm spoiled...too many engine pulls on a flat, concrete shop floor...:(
A 307 is a 283 block with a 327 crank. You can expect to get hp comparable to a 305, but 305's have much better flowing heads, so you might want to find a pair and get rid of those restrictive 307 heads.
I sort of hate to ask this newbie question...but is a 283 block a different physical size on the outside than a 350 or is it all about bore and stroke? In other words, could this 307 (283 block) be machined to a 350?
I'm not really wanting to do that, I'm just curious if that's the case or if there are actually different blocks...
283 block is the same physical dimension as a 350 block outside. The 283 uses a 3 7/8" bore and a 3.250" 327 crank, where the 350 uses a 4.000" bore and a 3.480" 350 crank. Although there are those on this board who will argue the point, a 283 block cannot be bored to 4.000".
To give you a comparison, I bought a 4bolt main 350 short block for $50.00 from a junk yard. Didn't have to pull it, just load it up. It's been in my pickup 4x4 for about 50,000 miles now. I don't think I would go to all that trouble for a 307. Nobody wanted them back then and I doubt if anyone is standing in line for them now. It just seems like to much effort and expense for that engine.
A Shotgun??????????????? a .22 should work just fine, they're cheaper and so is the ammo.:D Were you planning on using a slug or bird-shot? LOL. Smoked pretty bad? it could be the rings.Quote:
Originally posted by BigRed
No idea how long it's been parked...I'd guess quite a while. There's a pretty large animal nest in the engine bay. Lots of pine needles and sticks. I feel that not only will I need to bring a hoist, but also a shotgun and a tetanus shot just to make sure. ..:(
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You got a good deal for a good running 350 for 50.00. Id expect to pay 300.00 or more for a complete running 350, or 150.00 or more for a runable shortblock.
or 150.00 for a complete rebuildable 350, so Id say you got a good deal.
As far as the 307 goes, if its a good running engine...or even a rebuildable, 100.00 is a decent price. especially if your doing a #s matching restoration & need a correct 307.
Like I said, it was a 350 short block, not a complete or running engine by any means. It was completely rebuild from the bottom up. Of course I had to put on the heads, manifold, fuel injection system, etc. etc. etc. But ,because its an SBC, the stuff is cheap and plentyful.
The 307 was a "compromise" engine that Chevy built in the late '60s. It had the bore of a 283 with the stroke of a 327. The idea was to keep the smaller bore for fuel economy, but increase the stroke slightly for more torque. The engine was intended for the heavier vehicles like Impalas and light-duty trucks, but GM used them in everything from Camaros to maxi-vans.
The majority of them came with small valve heads (1.75 / 1.50) and 2-barrel carb, but they can be made to run pretty good for the street. They're a pretty tough engine, too.
I took a '67 Impala with a 307 into a demo-derby many years ago. I lost the radiator early on, but kept running anyway. That little 307 never missed a beat in an event that went on seemingly forever. I ended up 2nd after the winner finally put me out by crunching the right front fender in until the inner apron sheared off the fuel pump. When I climbed out of the car, the exhaust manifolds were glowing red! A friend of mine took the engine, cleaned & painted it, changed the cam, installed a 4-barrel intake & carb, and bolted it in his T-bucket. It absolutely screamed.
For a hundred bucks, buy it. If nothing else, you can put the crank in a 350 block and have a large journal 327.
I'm from Texas...a shotgun is a small arm!!! :DQuote:
Originally posted by Rico
A Shotgun??????????????? a .22 should work just fine, they're cheaper and so is the ammo.:D Were you planning on using a slug or bird-shot? LOL. Smoked pretty bad? it could be the rings.
Yeah, I figured the smoking was the rings, so I didn't sweat that detail.
Thanks. I've just got to find the time to do it now. Finding a 350 around here is like mining for gold. They are either way too expensive for my application or they are seized (and probably still too expensive :rolleyes: )Quote:
Originally posted by J. Robinson
For a hundred bucks, buy it. If nothing else, you can put the crank in a 350 block and have a large journal 327.
Just curious, what would be the benefits of a large journal 327 over a garden variety 350...or a garden variety 327 for that matter?
Thanks to all of you guys for your input...
mine is 4.000:LOL:Quote:
Originally posted by techinspector1
Although there are those on this board who will argue the point, a 283 block cannot be bored to 4.000".
Hey,your 4.00 bore 283 can go right next to all my cracked 400 blocks.:LOL: :LOL:Quote:
Originally posted by gassersrule_196
mine is 4.000:LOL:
"Just curious, what would be the benefits of a large journal 327 over a garden variety 350...or a garden variety 327 for that matter?"
I wouldn't think there would be any benefit other than the crank would be a little bit more bulletproof. After all, that's why Chevrolet changed from a small to a large journal crank anyway, right?
The small journal crank would be easier to rev due to being lighter and would have lower bearing speeds, but would break easier.
That's funny...Quote:
Originally posted by erik erikson
Hey,your 4.00 bore 283 can go right next to all my cracked 400 blocks.:LOL: :LOL:
:LOL: :LOL: mines not cracked.:LOL: and ive seen pistons for a.155 over 283 :LOL: smart a**:rolleyes: BTW thats what you get for running and boring a 400 sbc siameases cylinders:eek: :LOL:
Easy now scooter, I got a bored and stroked 400 ending up at 420 cubes running a 177 blower @8psi with the jackets half filled and running on the street everyday. No cooling problems or cracks yet.Quote:
Originally posted by gassersrule_196
:LOL: :LOL: mines not cracked.:LOL: and ive seen pistons for a.155 over 283 :LOL: smart a**:rolleyes: BTW thats what you get for running and boring a 400 sbc siameases cylinders:eek: :LOL:
Note: The only production block I use is the 509 high tin, high nickel. I splay the center three caps and stud it. Aftermarket is much better when you can get the money up.
Well, I may have another option. My wife's grandmother lives with us (she's 80+) and she has a wheelchair-bound friend who has an early '80's Buick LaSabre parked in her yard. I stopped by it today and lo and behold it's a 350!!! Probably backed by a TH-350 (do you think???).
That said, I may be able to talk her into the whole car for $100 or possibly free. The thing may or may not run...no idea...and it's pretty well thoroughly thrashed (paint peeling off, dents, interior looks like a family of badgers were living in there, headliner falling down, smells like ass...you know, thrashed!) so it isn't worth anything as a car, at least to me, but the drivetrain could be valuable.
She offered it to my wife's grandmother for $400 a couple of years ago...maybe that was before the badgers moved in! :HMMM: :D
Now your talking! Get that one and you'll have all the peripheral stuff and the motor and tranny. Good things come to those who wait ( or something like that). Good luck with that one.
Yeah...I really felt as though I were "settling" on the 307 when I really wanted a 350. I know they are very similar, but there's just something about knowing you have a 350 on your engine stand compared to a 307.
It also sounds WAY different when you tell your buddies what engine that is..."Oh that's a 307." "Oh, that's a 350." Worlds of difference!!!
:D
We'll just have to see how my negotiating skills are... That car's registration ran out in '94!!! It's been sitting there for 12 years!!! ...Hopefully that will be the argument that lands me a land yacht for really cheap!
Hey, if I get this, anyone want an early '80's Buick LeSabre Limited 2D without the drivetrain? I'll make you a good deal!!! :whacked:
i realize this is an old thread but i want to state some things for people who are curious on these unappreciated engines:
i will vouch for the 307, its a tough little engine. i had one in my 68 full size truck with a powerglide and it wasnt a slouch (btw i frigging hated that powerglide...so uneconomical) but the engine had a valve seal leak and one cylinder wasnt firing and i ran it for months without that one cylinder it still wasnt a slouch...i had the 2 barrel and the powerglide and that dead cylinder and still got 17 mpg. pure ridiculousness. anyway i pulled it and am currently working on the 307 to get it running smooth and cool and possibly make a little more power (not really needed but its always welcome, im a layed back guy who really doesnt need the 350 thrill, i do have a 350 in my garage that i bought from a co worker for 300$ a price too good to pass up). i bought a 1980's camaro 5-speed (t5) and am gonna hook it up with the 307 with a mild q-jet...looking forward to those fuel consumption numbers and cruising that 68 truck..you really just need to know what you need and decide the best possible candidate for your needs...you may want that 350 but it might not be needed if you get a similiar feeling from an affordable and imho "cooler" engine...people will ask me if i have a fresh 350 in my truck, im gonna say "No, i have a 40yr old hunk of 307 iron that gets 22 mpg city (calculated based on the gearing i will have and my driving as the x factor)" now can the most of these 350 guys say that? Probably not.
and to bigred and others, you have to credit such an old engine for still running the way it is...its an engineering marvel. these old 307's are out and about with loving owners who think it is darn cool to have such a vintage engine instead of being cliche and dropping those 350's left and right into rods.
anyone considering any engine besides those 350s needs to be applauded for being diverse and giving those engines tlc.