Thread: Chevy 327 build

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Picked up a 327 block a few weeks ago. Came out of an old Chevy c10 some guy had rotting away in his garage. Opened the hood and saw the "fuelie" heads and decided I would take it off his hands. After running the numbers, turns out it came from a 67 car. It was a 275hp motor when it was brand spanking new. After pulling it apart, really didn't look too bad. I will post up some pictures of my tear down at a later time.
I brought it over to an engine shop to get a little work done. Picked up a set of SpeedPro .030 pistons. Went with a clean bore, torque plate, and ended up having the crank ground. Main is 20 thousandths and rod is 10 thousandths. There was some strange wear on the mains, but no bearings were spun. They were gouged out pretty bad.
I will be picking it up from the machine shot probably next week so I will also post up some finished(pre paint) pictures. Hoping to pick up a 1st or 2nd gen Camaro(up to 73) to put it in. I was originally going to drop it in my 61 CJ5, but decided against it because my shopping list kept getting bigger and bigger.
I am looking to push 350-375 out of it when I'm done. Any more will be an added bonus, but with those cast heads, I don't have much wiggle room. At this point I don't feel like spending $1000 on aluminum heads, so I will stick with my 9.5:1 compression for the time being.
As I said, I will post up some pictures soon and one of these days find a car to put it in. Working a little backwards, but it's all good!

That's about the same engine I have in a 72 Chevelle with small
268 comp cam and 600 carb.
I always liked the 327 as I got one the first year they came out.
Have fun

Engine and your plans sound nice. Good luck with it, and looking forward to the pics.

Chevy came out with the 327 just as I was entering my teenage years and it was love at first sight for me.

Put an Edelbrock performer RPM intake on it, Holley 650 carb, and then it is up to the cam. The old way to go would be the 350hp hyd cam from the same engine, the new way is to shop the current cam grinders. You will be able to have a sweet reving 327 and easy reach the 350hp range. Plus Dependable as all get out.

Thanks for the info and the views! I have the pictures on my phone of when I got it and pulling it apart. Due to work, I won't be able to pick the block up this week, but I will get over there soon.
I am most likely going to go with the edelbrock performer intake manifold. I had one of them on a 69 Mustang I built a few years ago. Real nice for a great price. As far as carb, Holley 650 sounds about where I need to be! As for the cam, haven't really decided yet. I am still researching and trying to figure out the best fit for my build. I want the most radical idle that I can get with a small block.
I am very happy with the 327. My dad and uncle played with cars back in their day and the 327 was always something they just beat on and it would take the abuse. I have already had several people offer me 350 blocks for the motor, but considering the condition this block is in and the fact that they are so well balanced from factory and are high rev motors, I can't see myself parting ways with it for an easy hp 350.
rdobbs, how does it run in that chevelle? I have been staying away from looking at them based on the weight. I am not looking to break land speed records with a 327, but I want to move. No weight issues? Pictures coming soon! I promise!

Originally Posted by masterg2

I want the most radical idle that I can get with a small block.

Ummmm, no comment.

Originally Posted by masterg2

I want the most radical idle that I can get with a small block.

Learn this mantra: bigger is not better when it comes to camshafts and carburetors. Many people have made that mistake and many more will continue to make that mistake. Be smart and build an engine that has parts that actually work together to give you a good performer.

Originally Posted by rumrumm

Learn this mantra: bigger is not better when it comes to camshafts and carburetors. Many people have made that mistake and many more will continue to make that mistake. Be smart and build an engine that has parts that actually work together to give you a good performer.

Oh of course. Trust me, im building this engine slow and going vehicle specific when it comes to parts which is why I am taking my time and not rushing anything. The machinist I have doing the work has over 40 years experience in engine building and he and I have been planning this build. He is doing all the machining for me and then im building it once I make a decision on what car I am going to put it in. When I say I want radical sounding, thats just my style. There plenty of options out there that will give me a nice lopey idle. But the way im doing this one is from bottom end up. Im not looking to just throw parts at it and hope for the best because it has a big number. I build smart and take my time to research as well as try and talk to the right people

Originally Posted by masterg2

I build smart and take my time to research as well as try and talk to the right people

If that is really true, do some reading on SBC builds that Tech Inspector 1 has done on this site. Take a look at his recent "dyno" program thread for how much and what information you will need to understand and provide. So far, you have general bench racing guides from guys like me. If you really want to learn and build a sweet motor, seek his help and some from the other pro's on this site who have been at the top of the game for years. Not only will you end up with a super motor, you will know why and how it was made to run that way.

My machinist has over 40 years experience in building blocks, and I am in contact with him all the time. I will read up on what people post here as well for some tips because we all can always learn from peoples builds. I'm not just going to throw parts at a car and hope it works. As far as a cam, once I figure out what car I'm getting and if I'm going stick or auto, then I will make my decision. I want the most radical cam for my build, and that's not an outrageous comment. RadicL doesn't mean big cam picked out of summit and thrown in. I order most of my stuff from my machine shop guy.
As far as my block. It came home with me all bored and tanked. Crank was ground .020 mains and .010 rods and polished. Waiting for my main and rod bearings to come in the. Plastigage and set in the crank, put on oil pan and pump, then paint. After that i order a set of eagle rods and then it eill sit and wait until I pick up my car. Leaning towards a 70-73 camaro, but I may pick up a nova based on availability. Nothing later than a 73.

Nobody's bustin' chops here, but trying to point out that your cam choice is probably the most important single decision you will make that affects your performance and economy. You can make a very small change in your cam specs and crater your performance. If the amount of lope in the parking lot is more important to you than optimizing the selection based on the specifics of your engine then just grab a Thumper for the lope and be done. Forty years of experience doing machine work does not necessarily mean that the guy has kept up with the times and uses the tools that are available today. If you buy your cam based on the specifics of your engine it will be apparent to anyone that matters at your local gatherings. Anything else is just "posing", where a guy wants to advertise that his engine's special.

Sounds like the machinist is through with the block, so please answer a few questions so I can keep up with your build and maybe make recommendations....
1. block deck height
2. pistons used (please post ALL info on the pistons)
3. piston deck height (I'll figure this for you if you can get the info in 1. and 2.
If you plan to assemble the motor without knowing this info, then you AND your machinist have screwed the pooch.
Is there any chance at all that you have cc'd the chambers?

I can DynoSim several combos for you if I have all the info.

Little difficult to measure deck height without the crank in place. I have to pick up my main bearings next week as I have been a little busy to head out, then I will put the crank in. As of right now it is wrapped and setting on pads staying out of trouble. As far as the pistons, I went with Speed Pro L2165F30. Proven pistons for a great price. I'm sure you already know the specs on those so I'm not going to bother posting.

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Sounds like the machinist is through with the block, so please answer a few questions so I can keep up with your build and maybe make recommendations....
1. block deck height
2. pistons used (please post ALL info on the pistons)
3. piston deck height (I'll figure this for you if you can get the info in 1. and 2.
If you plan to assemble the motor without knowing this info, then you AND your machinist have screwed the pooch.
Is there any chance at all that you have cc'd the chambers?

I can DynoSim several combos for you if I have all the info.

Originally Posted by rspears

Nobody's bustin' chops here, but trying to point out that your cam choice is probably the most important single decision you will make that affects your performance and economy. You can make a very small change in your cam specs and crater your performance. If the amount of lope in the parking lot is more important to you than optimizing the selection based on the specifics of your engine then just grab a Thumper for the lope and be done. Forty years of experience doing machine work does not necessarily mean that the guy has kept up with the times and uses the tools that are available today. If you buy your cam based on the specifics of your engine it will be apparent to anyone that matters at your local gatherings. Anything else is just "posing", where a guy wants to advertise that his engine's special.

Well if you read in my last post:
"As far as a cam, once I figure out what car I'm getting and if I'm going stick or auto, then I will make my decision."
I know the cam is the most important part which is why I didn't just go out an buy a thumper cam. I am going build specific once I get a car. I am in no rush with this block other than getting the crank in and painting it up. As of right now it is on an engine stand dabbed with oil and wrapped in a black trash bag not hurting anything. And yes, he has kept up with the times. His most recent work has been for the local street track races happening in Englishtown, NJ with GM 6cyls. He actually had a block in with a rod that was so bent, it was amazing it didn't snap. Apparently the guy didn't realize you can't compress water, but wouldn't tell him what exactly happened so he could locate any block issues(stress cracks, etc).
Look, I am not trying to come on here and say I know everything. Nobody knows everything. Everyone has their own opinions. I am not repeating myself anymore over this whole cam discussion that got everyones panties in a bunch. Relax. I stated SEVERAL times that I am picking out a cam build specific but I want to have a decent sounding cam because that is what I enjoy. I am not trying to build the highest hp motor and break any records with a 327 2 bolt. I am building a motor that gives me the hp I want and allows me to have some fun. This is a hobby to me, not my daily work so I don't spend hours on end stroking my engine. I wish I had more time to work with it, but I don't. If I was looking for serious hp, I would have gone with a BBC. I found a great little high revving motor at a great price and now I am just building something that I can cruise around in on the weekends that I am not working and enjoy the road. So please do not try and put down my machinist by assuming that maybe he doesnt have experience, or maybe he didn't think something through before he started making a recommendation. He is a very successful engine builder in every application. I am not here to argue. I am here to share in a hobby.

Finally got some time to upload my pictures and edit down the size so I could post them up. Pictures from when I first picked up the block to when I got it back after the block work.
2012-08-17 20.04.18.jpg
2012-08-18 12.52.09.jpg
2012-08-20 16.53.04.jpg
2012-08-21 17.31.26.jpg
2012-08-21 17.57.34.jpg