Thread: My sons senior project

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Hi
I haven't started or participated in many threads here but you guys were there when I needed help with my Camaro build and I have learned alot here.

My son is graduating high school next summer and part of his grade has to come from a project he chooses and gets approval from his teachers to complete.
He chose to rebuild the 307 out of my 69 Camaro and have it on a stand in the back of my pickup running for his teachers to see.
Of course some of the stainless and chrome engine parts that we have been gathering will also fit on my ride when we are done. (my way of hiding the cost of chrome for the Camaro from the wife). Some of the questions we have so far are:
Can my 307 be bored to 327 ? I was told the block, rods, and crank are the same.
Can we run the engine on a stand with just a flex plate or do we need to have a flywheel?
Will an aluminum go cart tank with a 1/4" ID hose fitting supply enough fuel?

Thanks in advance, Ken

P.S. maybe this would make a good start on the T Bucket that I've always wanted to build

Sounds like a great project for him. I'll let one of the Chevy experts discuss the 327 thing, but yes you can run it with just a flex plate, and for the rpms you will be turning 1/4 inch should work. 5/16 would be better, but you are only going to be idling or slightly off idle.

I know some will say don't mess with a 307, but they are a fine engine for normal use. You don't want to put a fortune in it, but I don't anticipate that as your goal anyway.

Good luck and have fun.

Don

Thanks Don,

Any other project he could have chosen would have seemed like work,
But these days tearing into an engine, transmission, or carburetor, is fun for me, and having my son there to show him what I do know and learn the rest with him should be great.

Ken

A 307 Chevy is 3.875 bore you can go 60 over max if the block is clean not rusted out water jackets . This will make it a 3.935 bore 316ci . Or if this engine is a test engine only . And if the bore looks good rering it as a 307 . Install a 450+ lift cam and a high rise intake with a Holley or AFB 4BBL . Also use an HEI easy 1 wire 12volt set up . For exhaust use headers mounted up in the air like boats run them . Chrome valve covers and air cleaner . Paint it Chevy orange and your ready for a show . One more thing a lot of these parts you can buy cheap from your local Craigs list . I also have a test stand go to my photos . COOL

Originally Posted by chevy69

Hi
I haven't started or participated in many threads here but you guys were there when I needed help with my Camaro build and I have learned alot here.

My son is graduating high school next summer and part of his grade has to come from a project he chooses and gets approval from his teachers to complete.
He chose to rebuild the 307 out of my 69 Camaro and have it on a stand in the back of my pickup running for his teachers to see.
Of course some of the stainless and chrome engine parts that we have been gathering will also fit on my ride when we are done. (my way of hiding the cost of chrome for the Camaro from the wife). Some of the questions we have so far are:
Can my 307 be bored to 327 ? I was told the block, rods, and crank are the same.
Can we run the engine on a stand with just a flex plate or do we need to have a flywheel?
Will an aluminum go cart tank with a 1/4" ID hose fitting supply enough fuel?

Thanks in advance, Ken

P.S. maybe this would make a good start on the T Bucket that I've always wanted to build

Sure it can be built but you should be able to find a 350 core very cheap.
Then you could build a 350 or a 383.

I don't no what your budget is,If you bore it out your looking at new pistons plus cost to press them off and new ones on and then balance everything.keep in mind it depends on how thick your water jackets are,that will determan how far you can bore it.(IE)bore it to much thinning water jakets will run hot on street.If Tango means 60 over to get the same bore as the 327 your jackets on your 307 might not work,I don't no for sure on A 307 maybe TANGO can answer that.I no some blocks have thicker castings than others.I like 307's if your just going with A rering kit and some bearings stock with A good hone job ok,I have to agree with EIRK on this one.correct me if im wrong but can't you put a good set of 350 heads on a 307?.

Tango said .060 to achieve 316. 327 has a 4.00 bore. too far for safety sake in the heat and reliability area. 350 heads usually have 1.94 intakes and can interfer with cylinder walls cepending on lift of cam. Go easy when doing something like that. Let's not forget it is a project for his son for school to demonstrate.

A good set of budget cylinder heads are the 305 #416 or #601 on the 1980/1986 305s . They have 184in/150ex 55/to /58cc . With these heads on your stock bore 307 it will have 9.5.1 CR . You and your son can port the heads to match the intake gaskets . And pin the rocker arm studs if he wants to run a larger then 460 lift cam . I built a stock bore 307 in 1982 for a 1974 Nova . I used a set of #186 Fuelly heads 64cc 9to1CR . Also used a 268H Comp Cams 218dur at 050 454 lift 110 lobe sep Edelbrock performer 2101 intake/Holley 600cfm V/S . With a 3000 rpm stall and a 411 gear on street tires the car ran a 14.10 ET . And that was with an out of the box Holley 600 V/S that had a way heavy secondary spring

Thanks Guys,
We appreciate the help, from your comments we will probably just freshen up the 307 and the stock heads, go thru the whole process of tear down, clean up, inspect, and reassembly adding as much shiney stuff as we can.

The engine stand with radiator, gauges, and switches will be a project in itself.

Thanks again, Ken & Kyle

I did see a guy make an engine test stand out of wood ! I made mine from a steel hand cart . I wanted to be able to roll it around . But it does have a radiator . The one I use is from a 1958 Chevy 283 . I also use the bellhousing from the same car

when i worked at the junk yard a hunnert years ago we had to start engines on the ground sometimes as the cars were too wrecked up to crank .. it could sometimes be fun to be revving up a motor and have to follow it around on the floor .. be carefull and bolt it to something pretty stout and you will be ok ..it will want to rock sideways as you throw the pedal to the metal

We are well into the project,
the block and heads are at the machine shop,
cylinders looked good, should just need honed,
engine test stand is 75% done, he put a couple coats
of paint on it today.
A question that we have is how to clean up the pistons &
rods? We don't plan on pulling the wrist pins so how do we
clean the pistons and know that we aren't flushing any dirt
into the wrist pin bearings?
Someone said to use oven cleaner, is this OK?

Thanks, Ken

The oven cleaner may work ok on the pistons out side of the engine . If the pistons are not to bad get a small bucket with carb-parts cleaner soak and clean one at a time . You can use a hand wire brush on the tops to . But if you use oven cleaner on the block you will have to change the Cam Bushings . The oven cleaner will pit them up . I would look into a set of new cast pistons . There cheaper then you think . Then find a shop that will install them for a fair price . It's not fun cleaning them

Originally Posted by chevy69

Hi
I haven't started or participated in many threads here but you guys were there when I needed help with my Camaro build and I have learned alot here.

My son is graduating high school next summer and part of his grade has to come from a project he chooses and gets approval from his teachers to complete.
He chose to rebuild the 307 out of my 69 Camaro and have it on a stand in the back of my pickup running for his teachers to see.
Of course some of the stainless and chrome engine parts that we have been gathering will also fit on my ride when we are done. (my way of hiding the cost of chrome for the Camaro from the wife). Some of the questions we have so far are:
Can my 307 be bored to 327 ? I was told the block, rods, and crank are the same.
Can we run the engine on a stand with just a flex plate or do we need to have a flywheel?
Will an aluminum go cart tank with a 1/4" ID hose fitting supply enough fuel?

Thanks in advance, Ken

P.S. maybe this would make a good start on the T Bucket that I've always wanted to build

when you get down to the block bring it in to a machine shop and ask a machinist. i just had my dads heads redone and i BS with the guys there about 302s and 327s for about 2 hrs but to make a long story short they said the 283 and 307 have plenty of iron to bore them .125 over to a 4" bore to make a 302 or 327. but in your case the 307 has the large journal 327 crank and if you bored it to a 327 all you would have to do is order a large journal 327 rebuild kit 1969 - 1972. but guys on here say no you can't bore them that far when a machinist said you can so when you get the motor taken apart to a bare block call your local machine shop and ask them if you can bore your 307 out to a 327 safely. and if they say you can't find a 350 block and put the 307 crank and rods in the 350 block with 327 pistons and there is your 327 don't matter if its a 2bolt main or 4bolt but the 4bolt is stronger. but the crank journals on 307 and 327 are the same size as a 350 so the crank would fit right into the 350 block.

here's a place thats pretty far on prices for master rebuild kits Northern Auto Parts: Home or 1-800-831-0884 a master rebuild kit for a 1968-1973 307 is $274.86 and the 1968-1969 327 large journal master kit is $228.16 master kit includes - cam,lifters,timing set, pistons,rings,rod/main/cam bearings,oil pump,frost plugs, and gasket set