How to identify a small journal 327 SBC.

[@richard8024]

Now you have me thinking about my 327 (out of a 67 Impala wagon) I've been carrying this block, crank and small valve camel hump heads around with me for 45 years and always under my work bench never outside. Sitting next to it under the bench is a 70's 350 4 bolt main short block (needs rebuilding) but now you've got me thinking about doing the 327 for my 67 Camaro. Always had a soft spot for 327's.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

327 definitely a good engine to build. Had a few over the years.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

I'd like to have a 67 Impala wagon to build. Had a 67 Bel Air with a 396 in it years ago, M-21 4spd & 4-88 geared 12-bolt. Ole car ran pretty good.

[@moosestangls5099]

I know where several wagons are. Maybe 20of them

[@peterchristlieb]

4” bore and small mains makes it a 302 or 327 or an ultra rare 67 350

[@harleysgarage327]

I look forward to seeing it completed!

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

I'm collecting the parts now. Hopefully soon it'll be ready for assembly. Going to build an old school drag racing engine with it.

[@clintonsmith9931]

I had a 57 Chevy in the early 60s. It had a 265 with cartridge filter. It was considered a standard factory engine, 2 bll. ,single exhaust, cast power glide. 283s were options. There was several options. The earlier 265 had a goofy vent down thru the block. The early engines would bore out to what was considered a 301 with 4 inch bore. .later it was iffy boreing so big. They would tear up synchros in the little 3 speed real fast

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

I built a few .125 over 283s back in the day. One was a 57 283. Believe they were the thickest of the 283s. Those little "301s" would rev to the moon. I grew up around the "Modified Production" class cars using the small cube screamers. Pops also ran in the "Gas" classes back in the 60s. Also a couple Superstock cars in the 70s. Ain't much cooler than a 600+hp 292ci engine turning 9800rpm. Most folks will never experience that. I've always liked those small cube short stroke monsters.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

I believe the latest 283 block I took out to 4 inch bore was a 1964 unit. Years ago I bought a "327" ex racing engine from a guy , it was in a Chevelle he bought and was restoring it back original with a 396. I bought that "327" and took it home and peeled it apart, turned out to be a 68 MO code 302 with aluminum rods and 13.5-1 Arias pistons. I paid $300 bucks for the longblock. Had Phase 2 Bowtie heads and a Holley Strip Dominator intake on it. Huge solid roller of 660 lift. 288@.050. The guy I bought it from wasent a racer, but restored everything original. Those were the days. I sold the bare block years later for $2000 bucks. No telling what they sell for now.

[@ShilohShepherd]

Just found your channel. Looks like my kind of content. Love those 327's.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

327 is a real good unit to build. I've had good luck with them.

[@jb314stl]

I’ve got an oddball 327 that I thought was a 307 until I pulled one of the heads off and measured the bore. It’s a 307 block punched out to a 4” bore.

[@damiansailas6296]

Very nice it's 3-21-2024 and I scored on the small journal 327 with crank short journal rods and 492x double hump heads with a 6 single Barrel carb set up with the value covers he talked about. I'm building mine loved the talk about the capacity of the 327 high rpm motor he's right. Wish I could send pics

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

That'll be a cool engine.

[@kevinellington1962]

I still have my 327 small journal. First motor i ever owned...bought it with my paper route money. Put in my 69 Camaro. Im 55 years old now....ill end up keeping that motor till i take the dirt nap

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Definitely worth keeping. I'm gathering shit up now to put this one back together.

[@johnzuggster375]

Happy Thanksgiving Sam!

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

@@johnzuggster375 Thanks man

[@garymckee8857]

327 engines used to be 100 dollars each complete, but those days are long gone.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Yep, shits crazy these days. People act like they are made of gold. I paid 75 bucks for this one years ago.

[@toolbox7890]

Thanks for the video.I has lucky enough to pick up a 1965 327 with a matching powerglide transmission for under $400.00. Has the 461 camel hump heads.I know next to nothing about building engines body man by trade.Was gonna have it bored 0.30 over 280h cam and matching lifters 4 barrel manifold and 650 carburetor have the crank balanced have the heads ported and 2.02 intake 160 exhaust valves with a set of shorty headers.Going to throw it into a 1985 chevy el camino with 3.73 rear gears.with all that said and done do you have a ball park as to what hp I can expect. Thanks

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

@@toolbox7890 You could get 400+hp with them parts. Be a good daily driver hotrod. Id go with a 350T trans with it tho. Take off much better with a 2.52 first gear with a 3-73 rear gear behind a 327. Powerglide needs a deep gear and Alot of stall to make it work with a NA SBC.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

@@toolbox7890 $400 bucks was a hell of a deal. Good score there. People sell 461 head cores for more than that. Could probably sell the trans for $400 bucks and have a free engine.

[@richardsmith-qy6vl]

Straub makes the small block heads called mayhem heads they say flow 380cfm out the box and its a top end kit cam pistons i think intake its around 5k but all the ingredients for a 7 or 800 hp small block id love to have that combo on a 421 or even a 434.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

@@richardsmith-qy6vl Don Kirn built a 1005 hp 421 SBC NA with a pair of ALL PRO heads that that flowed well over 400+CFM back in the 90s. Don't know if they still sell them, but I've never seen anything better. They were over 5 grand a pair 25yrs ago. Plus ya had to buy the matching intake & pistons that would only fit those heads. Don Kirn did it with a single 4 barrel. It was the most powerful NA SBC ever built at the time. He was one of the best 410 Sprint Car engine builders in the world. Those were making 900+HP back in the 90s with mechanical fuel injection. Those ALL PRO heads had about a 360cc intake runner. 12 degree valve angle. I've heard they can get 450cfm out of them. Ain't seen any in years tho. Maybe Straub bought ALL PRO and renamed them. Those molds still exist somewhere. Looked like a large bigblock Chevy head for a SBC bore spacing. Hard core shit, especially 30yrs ago. Kinda like the Bulldog heads for Oldsmobile engines from back then that are impossible to find now. They were huge, but costed a fortune. I remember seeing a 434ci Oldsmobile DX small block with those Bulldog heads making close to 900hp NA back in the late 90s in a NMCA Super Street 71 Cutlass. They went out of business years ago. They also made a huge Cadillac head that's impossible to find now. There's a outfit in Australia that sells killer SBC and BBC heads, forgot the name, but they are definitely pushing the limits of the design parameters. Better be rich to afford them bastards tho. They make SB2 heads look like shit by comparison. But similar in design. It's not Hammerheads, but something like that. Find them on Comp Eliminator engines that turn over 10 thousand RPM. With enough money, anything is possible. But I was born poor unfortunately. And building engines and working in machine shops all your life won't make ya rich either anytime soon. Actually has the opposite effect. Shits kept me broke for the past 40+yrs. But it has been alot of fun tho.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

@@richardsmith-qy6vl I believe those Aussie heads are CNCd out of a solid chunk of billet aluminum. Look like artwork. Cost more than a nice used car.

[@ec9596]

Great content

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Thanks man. Glad to be of help. Gotta pass this shit on to the next generation.

[@pauljanssen7594]

Probably the easiest way to look at a small journal block is it doesn't have a spin on oil filter uses a canister filter, 283 327 I believe the 265 didn't have an oil filter.

[@petesmith5092]

May be the easiest, only if it hasn't been fitted w/a spin on adapter. Best way is (as far as I'm concerned), the old fashion way. Measure the journal & bore. Edit; ☝️then there's the dipstick tube...LH or RH If I remember, small journal blocks (early) are LH dip, but it's been a while & I could be wrong. 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺😁

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

​@@petesmith5092Dipstick moved to the passenger side in 1980. All SBCs 79 and back were on the driver side.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Yep, them old 55/56 265s didn't have an oil filter or side motormount provisions. Pretty rare engines these days. People were modifying SBCs as soon as they hit the scene. Smokey Yunick and Vic Edelbrock Sr were some of the first.

[@petesmith5092]

@@thereluctantgearhead4544 ☝️thank you for jogglin muh memree...i thought🦧 when they got away from small mains they went rh dip...🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺😁

[@craigcampbell5129]

I've got the original Bill Jenkins book what's the Vega and him on the front cover the book makes for some interesting reading

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Yep, I have that book too. Ole Bill Jenkins was a smart man. His 327s were way ahead of their time. Dude was sharp. Hell of a driver too.

[@RealWorldGarage]

Hopefully building one this weekend 3/29/24 ✌️

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Killer choice to build. I've been a fan of the 327 since the 70s. Damn good engine.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Had one back in the 80s that made just over 540hp. It was in a hotrod 69 C-10 stepside. Ran like hell. Built a few of them over the years. Getting the parts together to build this one soon. It's gonna make 550+hp NA and turn 8000+rpm. Wanting to use a tunnelram on it with a big solid roller and some ported BPE heads or some Pro Topline heads I have stashed away. Going for 12.5-1 compression minimum. Thinking about using aluminum rods in it. Seen a set of GRP 2 inch rod journal aluminum rods new in the box for $500 bucks. Good deal these days. They are new old stock from 15-20yrs ago. Gotta rev the shit out of a 327 to get big power. Gear accordingly. 4-56 to 5-38 usually get the job done. Ran 4-88s in my 69 C-10. Used a 68-72 12-bolt Chevelle rearend.

[@itseithergonnaworkoritaint7852]

Cool 327, that would be fun in a light car with a manual. That extra RPM you're planning on would like having extra gears.😎👍 Did you see how much flow Charles Servedio cylinder head porting & flow bench channel got out of boat anchor sbc 193 swirl port heads? He's getting real close to 300 intake cfm with those.😯 And he's not done yet. That last cut he had to check the calibration of his flow bench because he couldn't even believe he got as much as he did. He knocked the swirl down a bit but still spins like a tornado and now it flows like one! He has the exhaust over 200 so far too. He's the guy that finishes the porting for David Vizard. DV will develop the ports on one cylinder and he sends them to CS to do the rest of the cylinders.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Ole Charlie doing a hell of a job on those TBI heads. Just shows how much potential even the worst heads have. Shits a lost art really. I remember Joe Sherman porting old 492 heads, he was getting 650+hp out of them on a 406 back in the 80s. Flowed well over 300cfm. Joe was good. I remember one 357 he built with a solid flat tappet cam and ported 492 heads, it was making 590+hp back in the late 80s. Believe it ran with a Victor E intake & 850 Holley. He had a dyno in his backyard.

[@itseithergonnaworkoritaint7852]

@@thereluctantgearhead4544 A set of CS worked over sbc 305 TBI heads would be the ticket for that little 327 if he could do as good as he's doing with the 193 casting. I believe the 305 ones have 58cc chambers to help get the compression up without having to resort to a heavy dome piston? 😎👍

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

I'm going with a big dome and 60cc chambers. Shooting for 12.5-1 to 13-1 range. Gonna run on E-85. Shits cheap here.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

I thought about using these Brazinski Vortec heads I have tucked away. They are milled way down. I figure the power level I'm trying to achieve would come easier with the ported 215 DART heads. Have a .650 lift Crane solid roller to go in it.

[@itseithergonnaworkoritaint7852]

@@thereluctantgearhead4544 Those Dart heads have a bit big cc runners for my liking. There are better choices for smaller cid engines. The aftermarket aluminum double camel hump heads have IIRC 185cc intake runners with better flow out of the box than the ported real thing. They would look period correct too if that matters to you? Painted no one would know those heads were aluminum unless they tested them with a magnet.😎👍

[@petesmith5092]

I have an old Duntov 327. It's in a Ford pickup truck, it's upside down and just there for storage but the hoods closed on it and it's keeping it out of the weather. I'm going to build it for my ski boat one of these days

[@tomcumbey9029]

At 500+ hp (or even 450), have you seen micro-welding on the cap-to-block mating surfaces? Some call it cap walk, I believe. I have that on my 2-bolt 400 block (509 casting) with 350 crank (377, 450 hp), which is a lightweight block casting relative to the blocks from the 60’s. Curious how the strength of the 60’s blocks compare to those of the late 70’s.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

The late 60s early 70s blocks are thicker. About 1975 when GM started taking the metal out. ARP main studs will take care of any cap walk past 500hp. I've built a few 2-bolr 400s that made 600+hp with 2 -bolt caps with studs. Align hone the mains for the increased clamping load the studs give. Even ARP bolts will go a long way to hold shit together. You can stake the mains to tighten them up if they are loose.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Pretty much any year 400 SBC will take a good bit of power. Alot of them got used up in dirt track cars back in the day. Most powerful production block 400 build I've ever seen was a unit making around 760hp NA. It was built for drag racing. Believe it was a 1970 4-bolt block with stock caps and ARP main studs. Had a lightweight rotating assembly and ALL PRO heads with a Hogan tunnelram. It was turning 8500rpm. Block was HardBlocked to bottom of the water pump holes. Pretty sure it's still together 10+yrs later.

[@Spudderr]

Can’t beat a small journal for a rowdy grocery getter, kinda sucks gm went away from the smaller strokes, makes em take being flat on the floor that much better

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Yep, small journal SBCs are the best engines to build to turn up the Rpms. This one gonna get the high RPM build.

[@Dale.121]

they was in impalas also till 67

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Yep, Impalas, Camaros, Novas, Chevelles, Vettes, trucks, combines, farm equipment, stationary generators, big fork trucks and probably some other shit too. Even seen one in the back of a crane running the big steel cable. But I was mainly speaking of the L-79 version and the factory hotrod units. But any of them can be built. If a guy could find one of those industrial versions, that block is supposed to be thicker than any of the passenger car versions. Good forged crank too.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

The Impalas got the 275 and 300hp version 327s. The high option engines in those mid to late 60s Impalas were the 396 and 427 bigblocks. I had a 67 Bel Air with a 427 4spd back in the day. It was pretty rowdy. Believe it was a drag car since it was new. Barebones stripper model with a L-72 in it. No options whatsoever. Wish I would have kept it now. I pulled the engine and dropped it in a 68 Camaro. Sold the Bel Air rolling chassis for $1000 bucks. Had a nice 8 point cage in it and a 4-88 geared 12-bolt with a Moroso Brute Strength posi. Car probably didn't have 25,000 miles on the body.

[@rickybearden4575]

i dont know but i think the 307 had the spin off oil cannister ! ?

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

@@rickybearden4575 they used the regular SBC filters.

[@joedrt0013]

Gotta forged steel crank ready to install f u interested... Got that twaaaaaang to it

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Those things bring a pretty penny these days. I have a few tucked away myself.

[@gregleenyit]

Get after it

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Slowly but surely. If I could only focus on just one at a time. Shit cost a fortune these days too. Damn pistons for this 327 are gonna be over $800 bucks. Rods are around $600. Then I'll spend probably $1500 at the machine shop. Probably end up around $8000-$9000 bucks in this unit. Shits crazy these days.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Also building 10 more smallblocks, 1 LT1 SBC, 3 bigblock Chevys, a 403 Olds, 2 455 Olds and a Turbo Buick 4.1 V6. Shit never ends. Everytime I finish one another unit pops up. Have 60+ engines stashed away waiting to be built.

[@stanallport6746]

grumpy had a weight break advantage .

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Hemis had a cubic inch advantage and cylinder head flow advantage not to mention full Chrysler backing by a team of engineers. Grumpy was one guy running a local automotive shop in Pennsylvania. None the less, 680hp out of a NA 331ci SBC is impressive to this day. And he did it in 1972.

[@stanallport6746]

i meant chrysler big blocks dominated prostock by 1971.. non hemi s were given a less pounds per cubic inch weight advantage... so it wasn theads up small block beats hemi s.@@thereluctantgearhead4544

[@pauldhiman8369]

I have one 1967🎉

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Getting pretty rare these days. Seen a L-79 block on eBay for $6000 bucks! A few in the 3-4 thousand dollar range, couple in the 2 grand range. Seen the cranks going for $800+ depending on condition. Shits crazy.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Those blocks are thick as hell. People used to bore them .080 to .090 over without even thinking twice. Even at ,080 over it still has thicker cylinder walls than a standard bore early 80s 350 block. They can hold some power.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

I also have a 66 block as well, but it's in worse shape than this one. But it's still gonna get built. Machine work gonna be a chunk.

[@pauldhiman8369]

@@thereluctantgearhead4544 I got lucky and got it cheap😇😇😇…

[@rtkl13]

Girlz cant handle da smoke....datz wat it is

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Shit, smoking good for ya....

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

1383@24hr. 11/27/23

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

3K on 11/30/23

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

4K on 2/2/24

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

5K on 3/24/24

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

7K on 6/23/24

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

9K 8/15/24

[@heathlewis8104]

Can you speak up

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

@@heathlewis8104 Sometimes, usually when I'm pissed off tho. And this damn phone is strange, sometimes the volume is normal, other times it's like it's turned down. I can't figure it out. But generally I'm a pretty quiet person by nature.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

@@heathlewis8104 You could crank up the volume too. That's what I do when I can't hear shit. And then an ad will come on so fuckin loud it shatters glass. Shits all fucked up. 😊

[@bowtiekid329]

The video would be a lot better WITH OUT the profanity!! Come on dude!!

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

@@bowtiekid329 Come on dude? I'm an old man that cusses when I feel like cussing. Don't be a pussy. Men don't ask permission to say words. That's pretty weak for a man to be offended by a strangers words on the fuckin Internet. Give me a goddamn break. Go watch cartoons or something. I don't give a shit.

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

@@bowtiekid329 Don't be so fuckin sensitive.