283 feulie rebuild

**Terry D.** · October 31, 2006, 09:25 AM

Re: 283 feulie rebuild

Jack
Building a driver and " getting the most power out of it" are two different things in my opinion. What do you really want to do with the car? If it's raw power you are after, save the fueler and buy or build a 383ci. motor. If you want originality then build the 283 to fueler specs. That motor was no dog. If you don't want to mess with solid lifters go the hydro roller cam route. A little head work done right is always good for a small block. (Plenty of articles in the archives about this) Make sure the rebuilder has done race engines and is not just a truck and tractor guy.

Engines are like paint everybody has there own ideas as to what is the best. Good luck
Terry

**Joel Falk** · October 31, 2006, 09:27 AM

Re: 283 feulie rebuild

Hi Jack,

FI cars have a tendency to get a little persnickity when hot due to fuel percolation at idle and during hot starts. The fuel in the spider tends to soak up engine heat and basically boil. Many people have avoided this problem by using race gas. I'm cheap so I run regular old 93 octane and keep the idle at 1100, and this is an effective solution for me. Either way, the combination of the stock compression ratio and stock camshaft should be be fine on 93. Fuel choice becomes a question of how much time you will spend idle and just off idle.

To me, the engineers did a fine job designing this engine, so far be it from me to make radical changes. The only change I can recommend is a 3 angle valve job and pocket porting for the heads. Some people may recommend using the LT1 cam for a little better low end response.

Good luck. Whatever you chose I'm sure you'll enjoy the car.

Joel

**Jerry G.** · October 31, 2006, 05:36 PM

Re: 283 feulie rebuild

As an old racer . I like the 4.00 inch bore with 283 stroke. You get a 301 or 302. Spend your money on a good rework of the heads and use the modern LT-1 cam. If you want to twist it a little higher in RPM use splaed caps. Great motor, lot's of fun. It's all internal so the NCRS judges will never know.

**Jack Alexander** · October 31, 2006, 07:17 PM

Re: 283 feulie rebuild

Hi guys! Thanks for all of the responses. I guess I was not too clear on what I was looking for. Jerry and Joel seem to have the idea I was leaning toward.
I love the motor but just want to get the most out of it but not depart from it's original great qualities. The cam and head work seems the way to go. Is the 4.00 bore a problem for the motor as far as too much? The LT 1 cam, is that a drop in situation or does it require some work. Jerry. Solid lifters or hydro. Problem if I ever want to have it judged? Piston Selection?

**John D.** · October 31, 2006, 09:58 PM

Re: 283 feulie rebuild

Jack, I don't know about that LT-1 cam. It sure can cause a lot of grieve if you don't know what you are doing. Doesn't put out too much vacuum. But the boys did say the 'modern" Lt-1 cam. In olden days Chevrolet used to sell the LT-1 cam and call it a replacement for the 30-30. Remember what I told you via email. Maybe someone can right in and give us the vacuum specs. John

**Duke W.** · November 1, 2006, 01:03 AM

Re: 283 feulie rebuild

Since your engine has 461 heads the (mechanical lifter) LT-1 cam will work quite well, and since it has about the same effective overlap as the OE Duntov cam, the idle characteristics will be the same, and you should know them.

Use the GM 3911068 valve springs or Federal-Mogul VS677, which are OE replacements.

The single best modification you can do is to pocket port/port match the heads with a multiangle valve job.

This has all been documented in various books for over 30 years.

Understand how to manage your compression ratio and the maximum with pump premium is 10.5:1. This should be easy once you have made all the requisite measurements and then select a proper compressed thickness head gasket.

You will also need to find better connecting rods as the originals are weak and subject to breaking.

If Speed Pro still offers the OE forged domed pistons, that's the way to go.

You will end up with a totally OE appearing engine that idles just like Oe, but it will make a lot more power and easily rev to 7200.

Spend some time searching this forum. There is much more detailed information available - most pertains to 327s, but is also applicable to 283s with 461 heads.

Duke

Duke

**John D.** · November 1, 2006, 07:59 AM

Re: 283 feulie rebuild

Jack, Just want to warn you that you to not expect a good idling 283 FI unit with all the mods you are planning. These home engineered engine mods are wonderful though. Suggest using a Holley with them though. You will enjoy the car a lot more. FI's love vacuum. Take it away and Jerry Bramlett will tell you as well as a host of others, they just plain suck. Hard enough to get them running right with a rather stock set up. IF you want the most bang for your buck and are looking for all out performance why mess with a little air starved 283 FI unit. But if you want a nice running Corvette that has enough power as is build up the FI unit, tweak it a little. use the Duntov 097 cam, forged hi-domes (or flat tops) and get some gears. Gears will help the most. The car will idle nice and can be made to scream. But it's your car so do what you want. John

**Jack Alexander** · November 1, 2006, 08:04 AM

Re: 283 feulie rebuild

Thanks Duke and John. I am with all of your help getting a much better idea of what I want to do. I would not start this project without a precise plan and all of the parts in hand. This is helping a great deal. You mentioned "publications" that detail this procedure. Any suggestion on a favorite?

Jack Alexander

**G B.** · November 1, 2006, 08:35 AM

John's advice is dead on.

I have yet to encounter a custom home-engineered engine that ran better on the street with Rochester FI than a factory stock set-up.

Let's be frank. All the benefits of high-lift, long duration cam profiles and special double-whammy head porting only occur at high rpm. How much time do you spend over 5,000 rpm versus the time you spend between idle and 4,000 rpm?

Want high and low rpm horsepower without giving up any street manners? Install more cubic inches. That works every time.

**John D.** · November 1, 2006, 08:44 AM

Re: John's advice is dead on.

Jerry, Like your train of though. No substitute for cubic inches except maybe a blower, supercharger or NOS. (not our NOS). I think so many of us get caught up in the direction we are headed with our toys. Get caught between wanting it to look original and also wanting a street racer. One way to accomplish this is to run a 400 block with a 283 "grafted" to the back end so it is #'s matching. Heard this was done, drag raced and then Duntoved. Zora liked that one. Remember us talking to him about it in olden days. Think the owner is on this page once in a while. Maybe once a day. Jr.

**Dick W.** · November 1, 2006, 08:46 AM

Re: John's advice is dead on.

"Want high and low rpm horsepower without giving up any street manners? Install more cubic inches. That works every time." My daddy always told me that the only substitute for cubic inches was cubic money!

**G B.** · November 1, 2006, 08:52 AM

My father didn't like big engines.

His opinion? "You can shove a jet engine up a mosquito's ass, but it wouldn't corner well."

I didn't like his opinion of fast women, either.

**Joe M.** · November 1, 2006, 10:26 AM

no, really, what's your advice?

I'm in the same boat as Jack, powered by a 61, 283 and to be topped off by a 62 FI unit, in my case. The philosophy is to retain the look and feel of a period motor topped with FI. No plan to have the car judged but thru personal desire keep the car as 'correct' as is reasonable to me and provide a stepping stone for someone down the road. The car will never race, but occassionaly climb thru the gears on an open road never reaching 'redline'. 4:11s and 3:70s will be used interchangabley. The 4:11s will surely get closer to redline than intended. The car must be reliable and do well on long trips.
Toward those goals, I plan on using a 61 283 block, 1.94i/ 461 heads, crower rods, 327/350 cam to ensure sufficient vacuum. Stock 068 valve springs.

In my 327/350 I have 15-16" of vacuum, is it safe to assume the 350 cam will provide the same level of vacuum in the 283?

Questions remain regarding compression ratio needed to be compatible with the 350 cam and how to procede while using all stock components.

As CR is a pissing match without measurement and published figures seem at best, "estimates". I see the low hsp FI engines in 1961 claimed a 9.5:1 ratio while the 315 hsp claims a 11.1 ratio. The difference being domed pistons.

It would seem irrelevant as to the use of flattops or domed pistons as long as the desired compression ration is acheived?? What other considerations should be taken into account re pistons, compression, vacuum, FI?

Thanks,
Joe

**Duke W.** · November 1, 2006, 10:45 AM

Re: 283 feulie rebuild

How to Hotrod your SB Chevy

Chevrolet Power Manual

David Vizard's books.

Buy them all.

Duke

283 feulie rebuild

283 feulie rebuild

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