I put an add in the local Traders Guide that I wanted a SBC engine this guy called me and he has a 327 SBC and I think he said it was pre-1962. He also said it should have at least 280HP does that sound right. Is there anything I should know about this engine. And if you have any specs let me know... He only wants $250 for it and its complete with extras!

 

pre 69 I believe is small journal (crank journal size), as opposed to large journal from 69+.

Other then that I think accessories brackets are different.

not sure on anything else.

www.mortec.com , would be good to check casting numbers if you do decide to pick it up.

 

68 and 69 were large journal i think. all the rest were small journal.

 

You're correct, the 68(mostly) and 69 327 were large journal cast cranks. I don't recall when the 327 first came out, but 62 sounds a little early to me. The big problem with these engines is that they were made of a softer material, and at 70,000 miles they needed a rebore. These were good in the sense that they made great race motors because they sealed up. The mid 60's steel crank 327 engines were in my opinion the best sbc ever made. When the 350's came out we though theywere turds. The heads to have were the "double hump", also known as fuelies because they came on the FI vettes. The best ones had 2.02 valves, the OK ones had 1.94s. I don't recall if the 2.02s had screw in studs or not, the 1.94 didn't. The biggets problem you're going to find is that after 40 years, these motors are going to be worn out, and it's probably not a virgin either. If you put a 283 cam in one of these you had the killer 302 motor. These motors were also good for 7,000 rpm in stock form. My favorite setup was a .030 327, flat top TRW pistons, 1.94 head (10:1 compression) first design off road Z28 cam, Hooker headers, and 2 Carter (now edelbeock) 500 cfm carbs in front of a Muncie 4speed and a 5.13 12 bolt posi. These motors were great, but, to build one today could get expensive. Good luck on it.

 

Crank that is not cam.

I wouldn't do it if i were you. The older SBC are alittle different in a lot of ways.

 

Yes, I'm an idiot, crank, not cam

 

So how much power do you think it should have. The guy mentioned about the high compression ratio. Like I said its a complete engine with extras and all accesories, 4bbl Edelbrock Carb and aluminum ported intake. He said he recently had it apart because it had a knock coming from it and it turned out being the crank to flywheel bolts hitting off of the pressure plate. I can call him and find out when it was last rebuilt. I want to start this prodject next month, but it I wanted to wait I could get a 350 with 350hp that needs a new crank and rod bearings, but I would have to wait till june or july for that. And I don't want to wait.. I have a V6 3.4lt in it now and WANT MORE POWER lots more power.

 

I have a 327, and I like it.
You want more power?
A 327 can be a powerful engine but of course that all depends upon how it's built. Although the 327 falls in between the 305 and the 350 in displacement, it's a lot closer to the 350 in power, and they can be a great high performance engine.
If you do a search you'll find some stuff here. Guys will say that a 327 isn't as strong as the 350, and that's true. But if you can get a good deal on one that's in good condition, go with it.
A good combo for the street would be flat top pistons with 64cc heads and a cam with between maybe 205* - 225* intake duration @.050, depending upon the application.
With a 4bbl carb, a performance dual plane intake and headers, a combo like the one I mentioned will run strong on pump gas and give you no problems. Adding a set of nice aftermarket heads or vortecs will help even more.
Later if you build up a 350 or a stroker, a lot of the parts from the 327 can be re used on that too.
Try to find as much of the specifics about it as you can and post it, guys here could offer some suggestions.
My combo is:
Flat top pistons, zero decked, 64cc ported heads (041), ZZ4 roller cam, retrofit roller lifters, MSD HEI, performer intake, Holley vs600, 1 5/8" headers.
Right now that motor is in my truck, but it will go into my car soon I hope. along with a few other upgrades.

 

don't buy it. there's nothing magical about a 327 that'll make more power or spin higher RPMs than any other SBC. there are a lot of 350s out there to be had for the same price that'll present less problems for you. like mounting the acessorey brackets. not sure you can even get oil filters for them any more, they don't take a spin on filter like most SBCs do, but that can be over come, just more work that you'd need to do. not sure about the casting being softer and wearing out quicker, but the technology has changed and engine life has been extended over what it was in 1962. the HP rating would be at the flywheel with no acessories too so the HP at the wheels would be a lot less.

 

ede brings up some good points. The oil filter shouldn't be a problem, and I''ll take a 327 any day, in stock form some of those 327s put out 365HP. But.. and this is a big but.. the accessories won't bolt up and you bet your a**, your housecat and your cowboy hat, that that engine will need a complete going over. For that reason, I'm going to say you should probably go with a 350 in order to keep your sanity and your budget.

 

I have put alot of thought into this.. I am not going to get the 327. I keep trying to get the guy to get me the casting numbers off of it and he says he will go look and call me later and never does I have tried to get them about 4 times.. And all of the parts stored around here don't even carry spark plugs for it among other common things.

 

The 327 did come out in 62, I had a friend with a 62 Vette with one.

I would be very hesitant to buy an engine that old. How many times has it been rebuilt already? How overbored is the block already? Is the crank already ground down? It's likely a 2-bolt block.

I used to have a 68 Camaro with a 327. My Dad had a 64 Impala with a 327. Lots and lots of 327s on the street back in those days, it was a very good engine in it's day. It's basically a 350 with a shorter stroke. Yes, the "double hump" fuelie heads with the 2.02/1.60 valves are the ones to have. I believe the rocker studs were pressed in. An engine that old would be an SJ block.

Regardless, today, I'd really consider building a 350 unless there was some overwhelming reason to build the 327. Like it was free or something. Even at that, it would probably not pass smog today.

Hell, if I were needing to build a 327 for some restoration project, I'd look at using a 350 block and getting an aftermarket crank, pistons and rods to use to get the stroke down, at least then you could use readily available parts, brackets, etc....

 

I've read on a few posts that the 327 isn't very "smog friendly". Meaning, it can have problems passing.
Is that something to do with the shorter stroke? Or is it the domed pistons? Or what?
Is it something that can be worked around using more up to date technology?

 

I don't need to worry about smog test... The county I live in wants to start some sorta emmisions testing but all they would do is check my Gas cap.

 

You don't want it.

That's more than that motor is worth, even to someone that has a car it would fit in (unlike yours).

The accessories for these cars require bolt holes in the ends of the heads; those didn't appear until 1969. An early 60s 327 won't have them. Therefore, you won't be able to put minor details like .... an alternator, for example, on it.

You'll have enough trouble getting the acessories right as it is, trying to do a swap like that without a donor car. Don't compound the difficulty by using a motor that doesn't accomodate them in the first place. That's a very ordinary engine, nothing special or better than other motors at all, above all there's nothing about it that's so good that it's worth paying too much for it and then having to deal with it not fitting.

 

At one time, and it was a long time ago, bearing manufacturers made a "bearing spacer" so that you could put the early forged small journal crank into a 350 block. This way you could make a 350 into a 327. In (about late 67-68) the 327 came with a large journal cast crank and this motor eventually morphed into the 350. Most guys that I knew back then shied away from the bearing spacers in hi-performance use because it was just another variable. I don't even know if these spacers are still around. A lot of guys feel that an engine is an engine and that the ability for one to rev over another is how it's built, rather than any inherent design limitations. I would disagree with that, the old 327 engines were revvers, good vlave springs and solid lifter cams were part of that, along with the forged pistons, and relatively light rods but in the 327, the small journal forged steel crank seems to be the key, All of this came stock in some of the old 327 engines. Except for the new-tech stuff (read $$$$) those days are long gone. There is a book out there by Bill Jenkins on rebuilding the SBC. At the time, his favorite engine was the small journal 327. You might want to try and find that book.

 

Yea they still make spacers for those too lazy to do it right. I personally am using a 4 Bolt 350 block for my 327 project LJ crank of course.

 

If its pre-1962, its probably gonna have a generator, not an alternator.

If it seems good, i'd check it out, but look at everything really close.

The heads will have no accessory holes if they are original to that block, but so what? That engine might make a good shortblock to build from.

 

If it's pre-'62, it's not a 327.

For the record, the evolution went something like this (model years, not calendar years):

'55 - 265, 3.750 x 3.00
'57 - 283, 3.785 x 3.00
'62 - 327, 4.000 x 3.25
'67 - 302, 4.000 x 3.00 (purpose-built from 327 & 283 parts for factory-sponsored racing, sold to the general public to meet the rules requirements)
Up to this point, all cranks had small 2.30" main & 2.00" rod journals.

Now, everything is larger 2.45"/2.10" journals from here on out:
'67 (In Camaros, really '68 in general) - 350, 4.000 x 3.48
'68 - 307, 3.785 x 3.25 (hmmm, where did that come from?)
'69 - last year of the 327
'70 - 400, 4.125 x 3.75 (except even larger 2.65" mains, same 2.10" rods)

Things went "sour" later in the '70's with 262's, 267's, & 305's, but no need to belabor that point.