63 engine rebuild FI

[Robert B.]

getting ready to rebuild my 63 FI engine. Pistons r .030 over domed top. I have a standard oil pump (not high volume). Where is the best place to purchase the 097 camshaft and lifters,rods, bearings etc. Thanks

[Duke W.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

Do you just want to do an OE rebuild, or would you like more power and 7200 revs without any external evidence that the engine is a cheater motor?

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

One of the guys that shows up at our local weekly cruise night has a 63 conv with a 340 HP. He had the engine rebuilt about a year ago and the builder installed an LT1 cam. The owner was disappointed that the original Duntov 097 cam sound at idle was no longer there.
He has since ordered and received a correct 097 cam but hasn't installed it yet. It's next on his list.

[Bob I.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

One of the guys that shows up at our local weekly cruise night has a 63 conv with a 340 HP. He had the engine rebuilt about a year ago and the builder installed an LT1 cam. The owner was disappointed that the original Duntov 097 cam sound at idle was no longer there.
He has since ordered and received a correct 097 cam but hasn't installed it yet. It's next on his list.

Did the owner have any comments about about the performance gains of the LT-1 cam. Or was it just sound.

[Michael H.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

Did the owner have any comments about about the performance gains of the LT-1 cam. Or was it just sound.

Bob,

He didn't mention anything about that and I didn't ask. I'll see him tomorrow night at the car show and I'll see what he has to say about it.

[Larry B.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

There is so much better cam profiles available with custom grinds than a 50 year old cam ground on a key cutter style grinder than a CNC nice piece. Cam sound is mostly in opening of the exhaust valve. If your not doing purist then go custom grind not 3/4 down 3rd page of Comp Cams page. You can get a custom grind at any lift ,duration, overlap, and lobe center you need or want.

[Joe L.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

getting ready to rebuild my 63 FI engine. Pistons r .030 over domed top. I have a standard oil pump (not high volume). Where is the best place to purchase the 097 camshaft and lifters,rods, bearings etc. Thanks

Robert-----


While I really don't know anything about it, Jeff Reade advertises in the Driveline that he sell a "perfect" copy of the '097 camshaft and it's manufactured by one of the major camshaft manufacturers. You may also find NOS examples of this camshaft on eBay.

As far as lifters go, as far as I know no manufacturer currently produces the edge orifice type mechanical lifters as originally used on 1957-72 mechanical lifter Corvette small blocks. So, you have to use the piddle valve type (as used on big blocks).

I do not recommend using original style rods. Your best bet is a set of small journal, aftermarket rods. Barring that, you could use an NOS or reconditioned set of the 1966-67 rod, GM #3864881. However, these rods were manufactured in 2 slightly different configurations. You want the style shown on the LEFT of the first photo below.

As far as rod and main bearings go, use Federal Mogul "AP" series bearings. These are the same as current GM.

For cam bearings, use Durabond.


DSCN2881.jpgDSCN2884.jpgDSCN2885.jpg

[Scott M.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

I used Crower Sportsman rods along with the "AP" bearings, very nicely made rods in USA and good for all the RPMs you want to throw at them. I'm also using a LT-1 cam, and am very happy with the limited miles I have on the car so far, the engine pulls hard all the way to 7K RPMs+ and I'm guessing it has a rougher idle than the 097 cam.

[Robert B.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

Thanks to all, I failed to mention that I am looking to have the car sound and perform as it did from the factory, just in case I want to go for the performance part of judging. IF there are areas that I can improve on using todays technology, without affecting the judging, than naturally I would prefer to do what is best.

[Scott M.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

IMHO a quality set of rods should be top of the list followed by OEM spec parts (pistons, bearings, oil pump), cloyes roller timing chain, and have the heads worked over for best flow. Bang for buck are the heads. Attention to details when machining and assembly of the engine will net you a great performing engine.

[Duke W.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

One can buy OE replacement parts (manufactured to the GM blueprints) in the Sealed Power (Federal Mogul) or Clevite (Dana Corp.) brands for everything including OE camshafts, and they are Parkerized just like GM did way back when. OE mechanical and hydraulic lifter camshafts that were designed in the mid to late-sixties have much better lobe dynamics than fifty's designs based on what Chevrolet learned about valvetrain dynamics with the Optron in the early sixties.

As far as timing chains are concerned the OE replacement truck roller chain set that was used from '57 to the end of Gen I SB production is available for about 25 bucks and is every bit as good as the three to four times more expensive hot rod Cloyes chain.

The Eagle SIR5700 press pin rod is a good value and good to over 7K revs. The early OE rods are the only small block problem area that require something better than OE replacement, and I recommend the '67-up 3911068 (Sealed Power VS677, about 20 bucks for a set of 16) valve spring even though the early valve spring is available at a ridiculously high price from GMPD. When they've been sitting in the warehouse, unwanted, for decades and GM adds their annual inventory carrying cost, that's the result.

Lots of original internal parts are usually perfectly reuseable if they pass simple visual inspections like pushrods, rocker arms/balls. Disassembling and inspecting the OE oil pump will usually show that it is perfectly okay to reuse, and this will avoid the usual "Mellings pump fiasco" that so many owners have experienced since none of them seem to have a proper OE pressure relief spring.

Original valves with less than .0005" stem wear are okay to reuse, but you have to pay attention to valve guide restoration methods - there are several - and guide-stem-seal compatibility issues depending on the guide rebuild method. It's not a bad idea to replace exhaust valves apriori due to thermal fatigue issues, and 21-2N will last forever, but stainless is way overkill for inlet valves.

The result of any engine restoration project is directly proporational to the research and planning effort by the owner. The many less than satisfactory results are usually due to the owner's lack of effort or trusting some "engine builder" to do the job correctly without proper supervision.

Duke

[John D.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

Robert, I thought you and I discussed this already. 100's of my customers have successfully used an exact copy of the Duntov 097 cam. With a fuel car vacuum is quite important you know. End up with low vacuum and you are an unhappy camper.
Go to Car Quest, etc and order a CS-113R cam from FM. Lifters are: AT992 from FM (Federal Mogul) Less than 200 bucks for the whole show with discount. Other auto stores can probably order it also.
My 63 FI car has this cam and also has hi-dome pistons. The engine sounds strong and puts out decent vacuum At about 900 RPM it puts out 16".
The FI units love that kind of vacuum.
Glad you learned to use the stock oil pump. Do the same with the fuel pump. Stock.
Not to say the info from our fellow DB members here is not good stuff.
Another story Robert. Put some after market cam in your car and it doesn't put out decent vacuum then your 63 FI unit is gonna run like crap.
Been their more times than I care to remember with our fellow enthusiasts.
One last story: When my 63 FI unit was rebuild for the 2nd time around 2006 we had the chance of using a NOS in the tube 3736097 cam or the CS113R cam. We picked the second as you could not always trust what was in the tube from the supplier.
Plan B: Like Joe Lucia said our own NCRS member Jeff Reade has a very nice copy of the '097 cam. Jeff is one of the good guys. See his Ads in "The Driveline".
Jeff will probably be at Corvette Carlisle next week. Take care, John

[Bill C.]

Re: 63 engine rebuild FI

Robert; I took JD's advice for my '63 L84. Rebuilt the fuel unit and installed the CS-113R cam. The car runs very strong; and has that unique sound and idle.
I love it!