Thread: Chevy 302

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Hey gang, I am going to have a motor built for a 65 nova. Have a 350 block that will clean up at .030 over. I want to have a 302 but I don't know where to begin... help.... Burt.

Umm, well you will need a 3 inch stroke crank, the 283 stroke is 3 inch, but it is small journal and will not fit a 69 and up 350 block. The genuine 302 crank is large journal, forged steel and if you find one that is allright, they are expensive, you will need the 302 pistons, they have the correct pin height. All your late model rods will bolt right in, but some are better than others.

What are you using this motor for ? They create power up in the top end of the rev range but low rev range they are a chore to drive. So grea for racing but hard to live with on the street unless you keep the revs high. I asume you are using a manual gearbox. And at least a 3.73 gear ratio.

or a nice stall converter 3000+ i had a 4500 now use a 3500 might be going back to the 4500< or a stick if i can ever get the $>

Originally Posted by burty

Hey gang, I am going to have a motor built for a 65 nova. Have a 350 block that will clean up at .030 over. I want to have a 302 but I don't know where to begin... help.... Burt.

If it is not numbers matching why not build a 383???

Car currently has a 12to1 383 with a 572 lift solid cam. Motor is on it's way out so I figured why not a 302? I just love the sound of a chevy over 7000rpm.....music to my ears. Just wanting to do something you don't see anymore that's all. Thanks for the information. Burt.

Originally Posted by burty

why not a 302? I just love the sound of a chevy over 7000rpm.....music to my ears. Burt.

Fair enough ...........

As said,you will need 302 pistons,5.7" rods,and a 3" stroke crank. The small journal 265 & 283 cranks will need childs-albert bearing spacers (no one else makes them that I am aware of) to put the small journal crank in a 350 block.The spacers cost $300! Or find one of the 681/2- 69 302 large journal cranks,,,good luck on that one. Or a small journal 327 block,,,good luck on that one too.
Considering cost and parts available,a .060 283 would be just as nice,,,minus,ooooo,,,about 20hp or so? 283's are not that scarce yet and the parts can be found on 'ripoff-bay' Ripoff-bay parts,,,well,,,they are a gamble,you just got to "know when to walk away,know when to run" as the gambler sang.
Another alternative,if you have the do-ray-me is that the parts,including chevy 302 blocks can be bought new now.

Originally Posted by FAYLUR

is that the parts,including chevy 302 blocks can be bought new now.

WHERE ????

Guess I should have clarified that. Summitt sells a NAL-10066034 bare block that is advertised under 'application' as for a gen1 chevy 302. And that it is,really,,,. The only catch is that it is for the 302 that used the large journal or 350 journals. So it is a 302 block if you have the right crank. Apologies for stating and not clarifying.

Thanks

i found a SMJ 327 they are sort of hard to find but not to bad, got it for 150 bucks! tin to tin, minus intake and exhaust and guess what its gettin a 283 crank woo hoo!

Find a 283 and have it overbored .125, and you will have what we used to refer to as a 301 before GM started calling it a 302. A lot of guys built 301's back in the 1960's and early 70's. That is your best bet.

If you can see if you can find the "goody" 283 block this has the uderside of the crankcase, the bottom of the cylinder bores. Where this area is rounded to clear the larger swing of the 327 crank stroke, these blocks can be safely bored to 4.000 inch +

The only thing i am trying to remember is do you run the stock weight 302 pistons on the 283 crank. I suppose one way to check is to weigh a 283 piston and then a 302 piston, just to be sure. Just be aware that the small journal rods run the smaller 11/32" rod bolts as opposed to the later big journal rod bolt sive 3/8" rod bolts

southerner, I think you are right about the bottom of the cylinders being rounded for the blocks that were used for the 283 or 327 both,or so I hope!

Then that 283 is safe to bore to 4.000 " I pressume that the motor is in bits so you allready measured the bores.