64_365

You didn't mention how much you were willing to spend or which Edelbrock manifold you have. I would recommend Comp Cams Nostalgia Plus™, N+L79H GM L79 Cam w/ Modern Power Part Number: 12-671-4. I have an uncle with one in his Corvette and he loves it.

Others suggested using high compression pistions, good advice, just try to keep it at 10.5:1 or less. Summit lists Speed Pro pistons part # TRW-L2166NF30 as the replacement for the SHP pistons.

For even more horsepower an engine needs to breath and, if your budget allows, I would suggest aluminum heads. Summit 170cc heads (SUM-162109) are a bargain at $1k. A step up in performance and price would be AFR 180cc heads (AFR-0916) for $1500. Whichever way you go I would avoid the larger intake runners over 180cc for a 327 street engine. Keeping the intake runner volume low keeps the intake charge velocity up, which is important if you want a street engine that's easy to live with.

MikeM

???????????????????

They were produced all the way to the end of the MY.

The windage trays were available for years in Service along with the related studs and oil pan.

MikeM

:d:d

65tripleblack

What were produced 'till the end of MY 1965................real SHP engines? That's true, and when folks realized that there would be no more real SHP smallblocks offered after 1965, the demand for L76 engines remained very strong, right up until the end of the MY. In order to maintain the dwindling supply of production oil pans and windage trays, so as to keep up with the demand for the last remaining true SHP engines, the big pans and windage trays were eliminated from the L79 early on in the PY.................As I said, this was a good "match" to the fact that the L79 could no longer be fitted with the big pan/windage tray, like the true SHP engines, in order to enable the missus to be able to drive the power steering assisted Corvette to the bakery.............

PS: I'm fairly sure that "on paper" the L84 was available until the end on the MY, but, in reality, L84 production ceased when the ratmotor became available in March 1965. L76 production remained very strong until the end of the MY.

MikeM

Just curious what book you got this out of?


"In reality", L 84's were built in the last week or two of production in the '65 model year. One of these "numbers guys" would have the correct answer. I don't know the sales numbers but I remember a couple guys that ran out and bought new '65 fuelies because after the 396 came out, so did the word that the fuel injection option would be dropped for '66.

I'm still confused why you refuse to recognize Chevrolet's 327/350 as a special high performance engine in light of the fact that that's what they chose to call it, AFTER they designed, built and marketed the thing as such?

JohnZ

Nope. L84 production continued right to the end of the model year, including a dozen or so the last week of production.

65tripleblack

Mike/John,

I stand corrected as I didn't realize that demand existed for the fuelie once the 396 came on line. I thought that they made a few, but certainly didn't know that they built 12 or so in the last week! The ratmotor option was only slightly more than half the price of the L84. Just goes to show how devoted the small block guys were and how sorry they were to see the SHP mousemotors go extinct.

MikeM

We're STILL sorry!

Donny Brass

I still beg to differ......... just because I don't need to adj the valves, I think I still have a SHP motor......

11:1 compression, forged crank, big valve heads. improved rods

yeah, it's special

joseph p

Although I don't want to fool anyone, I would like to keep my stock heads. I don't mind having them reworked and if I do need pistons I'd like to use the best choice that would make it a good running reliable engine...as tame as the 350hp.
The manifold is an Edelbrock C3B...it's been on the engine since 1970. I don't want to put headers, I have sidepipes.
Essentially, I really like the reliability and performance of a stock 327/350hp and I want to get the engine to come as close as possible to it. Is that Comp Cams Nostalgia Plus™, N+L79H GM L79 Cam w/ Modern Power Part Number: 12-671-4 close to a stock 350hp cam?
Thanks for the specific part #s.

MikeM

I don't know about the Nostalgia cam. It may be a cheater of sorts and a little hotter than the stock L 79 cam.

Speed Pro makes an exact copy of the L 79 and that's what I'd go with. I don't know the number off hand. Maybe somebody will post it.

65tripleblack

I heard you mention reliability twice there. Now, remember that there is a difference between "reliable" and "durable". First off, an exact copy of the original "151" cam is available from Federal Mogul, as a Speed Pro CS1013R, and is a very popular, high quality cam used for a bone stock rebuild. It is very durable.................in fact, same or better than the original GM cam.

The Nostalgia Plus series from Comp Cams are slightly modified versions of the original cams. They are ground on tighter lobe centers and have faster opening and closing rates than original. The solid versions all have much tighter valve lash than their original counterparts. These three factors combine to give this series of camshafts idle characteristics which are indistinguishable from the original. The "fast action", however, makes them much more efficient at pumping gas in/out of the engine. These cams absolutely provide NOTICEABLY more torque throughout the rev range. They also EXTEND the power band, and make the car more drivable at very low RPM's as well as providing higher horsepower resultant from the fatter and extended torque sweet spot by a few hundred RPM's.

Is there a price to pay for this? Well, as that dopey chatterbox broad from Alaska likes to say.................."you betcha". Remember I mentioned durability at the outset of this explanation? These cams, as with any aggressive camshaft, require heavier valve springs, which mean accelerated wear to the lobes/lifters. How much? Lets guesstimate 50 per cent higher. So, if the original style cam can be counted on to provide 150,000 miles of driving before camshaft lobe wear makes a noticeable difference in the engine's power output, then you should expect that the aggressive cam would go to 75,000 miles. But.............cam wear/degradation of performance is slow and gradual, and it is assumed that the engine builder who uses such a cam is looking to maximize performance, so will want to replace that cam with a "fresh" one BEFORE the degradation becomes noticeable. If you drive your classic Corvette like most of us do, which means less than (about) 1000 miles per year, then you should expect to replace that Nostalgia Plus camshaft every 20 years or so.

joseph p

Thank you 65tripleblack. In case you didn't notice the car has only 25K miles from the 43 years I've owned it, so durability isn't "top" priority. I'm repainting it back to original color that I changed it to in 1969. So while it's stripped and being painted, I thought I'd take the engine out and take care of the blow-by problem which may mean pistons and if so, why not get the 300hp a little peppier with a better sounding idle. The car has a 456 rear/4speed. I can do the work and I have friends who can do the machine work. I'm not going to race it and by reliability I'm referring to an engine that starts easily,runs cool in the summer and doesn't choke you out from the sidepipes' exhaust.
I've always admired the 350hp performance, reliability, and great idle from a hydraulic lifter engine. If it weren't for the blow-by problem I would probably just put the 350 cam in and have the heads done.
Thanks for everyone's thoughtful suggestions so far.

MikeM

If you have an original 25K mile engine, I'd pull it intact and build something else.

Or, if the engine only has 25K miles on it, you should be able to re-ring it and forget the new pistons. New pistons (forged), changing rods and boring are a lot of money plus you 'd have to rebalance. Just add the camshaft.

Keep the lifters in a number rack and you can re-install in the same holes if the need arises.

64_365

If you want a few more cfm out of the stock heads, then why not get a street port job? Visit this website http://www.j-performance.com/index.p...d=16&Itemid=30 and call them. I've never used them but they seem to have a good rep with the auto mags. Tell them what your goals are and what other parts you intend to use. Good luck!

JohnZ

Unless they just changed the numbers, the Speed-Pro version of the "151" cam is CS-179R (cam only) or KC-179R (cam and lifters kit). There may be some still available under the GM #12364050 (cam and lifters); try GMPartsDirect.com.

65tripleblack

Hi Donny,

I just referred back here and wanted to be sure that you knew that every Corvette with 327 built between 1962 and 1967 used the forged 3782680 crank.................that includes the 250 horsepower passenger car motor.

Donny Brass

yeah, and I just want to know if you got a time slip to go with that trophey in your avatar

MikeM

65tripleblack

Well, I don't have 4.56 gears like you do....only a run-of-the-mill 3.70, and I made a few runs on Goodyear reproduction bicycle tires.....................7.75-15 bias plies. Last year was the first year for the new motor, and I've had my share of "shake down" problems and hopefully will be able to get some better data this season. I made a few runs last year. At one point last year, I had a misfiring cylinder but made a few runs that day anyway. It was a hot and humid day of over 95 degrees. I missed the 2-3 shift, and got a terrible start off the line.

My trap speed on that particular run was 108.34 MPH.

If you'd like to see the time slip, I will scan and post it for you.