SBC 283 forged pistons

General engine tech -- Drag Racing to Circle Track

Moderator: Team

jed
HotPass
HotPass
Posts: 875
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:18 pm
Location: Dallas

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by jed »

Jack I just want to thank you for sharing a part of your past. I would almost like to see a section where posters
Could share their history.
I really like reading these kind of posts of people's history. Brings back good memories of my own past.
trmnatr
New Member
New Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2019 4:01 am
Location: Maryland

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by trmnatr »

PackardV8 wrote: Thu Dec 12, 2019 11:21 am
trmnatr wrote: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:52 amCan you bore it to 4.00" bore or 4.030" or4.060"?
Pursue if the block could go to 4 inches. That would open up some options for you and the extra cubic inches wouldn't hurt either.
You guys build 'em your way, but experience taught me fifty years ago not to bore a full-race 283" to 4.00". Cylinder wall strength is even more important on a boosted application .

Old guy story follows, so you young guys can ignore if you choose:

In the early 1960s, I was a high school kid washing parts for Bobby Allison the years he was National Modified Champion. He was running a 301" with Jahns forged 13:1 popups, a Chet Herbert roller cam with the square key stock bar through the oil galleries to keep them aligned and Jackson IR injection. Racing four times a week, Huntsville on Thursday, Midfield on Friday, Montgomery on Saturday and Sunday afternoon at the fairgrounds in Birmingham, eventually the 301" let go one Saturday night. Since Tom Gloor owned the Chevrolet dealership and promoted the Birmingham races, Bobby called Tom, who called his Parts Manager, who met us at the dealership dark-early Sunday morning. He pulled a '61 Corvette short block off the shelf and we installed the cam and top end right there in the dealership and went to the race. With fewer inches, less compression, but better wall strength, the fresh 283" standard bore was as fast as the 301" had been.
I didn't type everything out, basically I wanted to see if the fella was willing to bore it and if he was, I would suggest a 327 small journal block that could easily go 4.030" and it would accept his shorter stroke crankshaft! I don't doubt that at all about the 301 Packard,,, They need to be sonic checked and if ok be poured with Hardblok and get machined. That's why my big bore motor is in a Dart Little M block (due to the bore being 4.155" x 3.260" stroke)
www.autotransdesign.com www.gzmotorsports.com
www.cranecams.com www.prosystemsracing.com
www.hardblok.com
Please say a prayer for all that serve and gave all to serve this Holiday and everyday!
User avatar
BrazilianZ28Camaro
Guru
Guru
Posts: 3939
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:52 pm
Location:

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by BrazilianZ28Camaro »

Thanks for the good ideas and tips Gents!

Just to remember, SBC blocks are rare overhere in Brazil, and parts are nuts expensive due the taxes. :x

The block in question is a STD bore, but a few cylinders are corroded and may clean at sixty over, I'm still waiting for it for measure the bores and sonic measure the cylinder walls.

I thought about the 4" bore route for the better piston choice, but I'm not so inclined to, because that would be the last block possible bore size, meaning if it clean at sixty over, we'd have another overbore available in the future (080 or 4" ).

Yes, I talked about my customer to consider the Hyper pistons, and yes, this is a low boost application, maybe 450 HP on pump gas.

The L6 FTs forged Opala pistons we have available here would need to have the valve reliefs cut by a lot and that would be risky.

I'll take a look on the Wiseco web catalog.

Thanks everybody for replies!
'71 Z28 street strip car
Pump gas All motor SBC 427
3308 lbs-29x10.5 Hoosiers
NEW BEST ET
1.38 60' / 4.05 330' / 6.32@111.25mph

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99p13UK ... ture=share
econo racer
Expert
Expert
Posts: 775
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 11:44 pm
Location:

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by econo racer »

My friend how much does regular gas cost and how much for race gas?
shoedoos
Expert
Expert
Posts: 674
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 3:14 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by shoedoos »

Woodruff
New Member
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2019 12:04 am
Location:

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by Woodruff »

I’ve got a set of L2209A. Stock bore 302 (I think) they measure 3.955
Dave Cunningham/ Woodruff Carburetor Specialties
Carburetorrestorationyoungstownoh.com
User avatar
BrazilianZ28Camaro
Guru
Guru
Posts: 3939
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:52 pm
Location:

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by BrazilianZ28Camaro »

econo racer wrote: Sun Dec 15, 2019 3:31 am My friend how much does regular gas cost and how much for race gas?
Regular (E25) cost is 4.50 Reais a Liter, or 3.97 USD a gallon.

Our best pump gas can be compared with race gas and cost about 6USD a gallon. :x
'71 Z28 street strip car
Pump gas All motor SBC 427
3308 lbs-29x10.5 Hoosiers
NEW BEST ET
1.38 60' / 4.05 330' / 6.32@111.25mph

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99p13UK ... ture=share
User avatar
BrazilianZ28Camaro
Guru
Guru
Posts: 3939
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:52 pm
Location:

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by BrazilianZ28Camaro »

Thanks for the link, I'll take a look.
'71 Z28 street strip car
Pump gas All motor SBC 427
3308 lbs-29x10.5 Hoosiers
NEW BEST ET
1.38 60' / 4.05 330' / 6.32@111.25mph

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99p13UK ... ture=share
User avatar
BrazilianZ28Camaro
Guru
Guru
Posts: 3939
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:52 pm
Location:

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by BrazilianZ28Camaro »

Woodruff wrote: Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:22 pm I’ve got a set of L2209A. Stock bore 302 (I think) they measure 3.955
Interesting, shouldn't they measure 4'' ?
They are domed right?
'71 Z28 street strip car
Pump gas All motor SBC 427
3308 lbs-29x10.5 Hoosiers
NEW BEST ET
1.38 60' / 4.05 330' / 6.32@111.25mph

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99p13UK ... ture=share
Woodruff
New Member
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2019 12:04 am
Location:

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by Woodruff »

Yes they are a dome piston. Not sure how to upload a photo here.
Dave Cunningham/ Woodruff Carburetor Specialties
Carburetorrestorationyoungstownoh.com
Woodruff
New Member
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2019 12:04 am
Location:

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by Woodruff »

My mistake, I was measuring above the ring lands. Down below the ring lands 90* from the pin they measure approx. 3.990
Dave Cunningham/ Woodruff Carburetor Specialties
Carburetorrestorationyoungstownoh.com
engineguyBill
Guru
Guru
Posts: 1264
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 11:15 am
Location: Gold Canyon, AZ

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by engineguyBill »

Stock bore 302" would be 4.000" 283'" crankshaft (3.000" stroke) is used to come up with 302 cu. in.
Back in the day, we used to bore 283" block to 4.000" and we referred to that combination as a 301" Chev. Early 283 blocks (up to about 1965 or so) would usually bore to 4.000" with no problems.
Bill

Perfect Circle Doctor of Motors certification
SAE Member (30 years)
ASE Master Certified Engine Machinist (+ two otherASE Master Certifications)
AERA Certified Professional Engine Machinist
F-BIRD'88
Guru
Guru
Posts: 9802
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:56 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by F-BIRD'88 »

You won't find any low cr flat top or dished pistons for a 302.
User avatar
Dave Koehler
Vendor
Posts: 7197
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2004 11:19 pm
Location: Urbana, IL USA
Contact:

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by Dave Koehler »

The suggestion that hyperutectic pistons would be fine is just flat out foolish.
I see guys break those things on NA apps due to poor ring gap and tuning choices.
A blower of any kind just magnifies that issue.

Brazil,
Other than that ...is this
gas or alky?
injected or carbed?
roots or centrifugal?
street or strip?
Last edited by Dave Koehler on Tue Dec 17, 2019 11:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
Dave Koehler - Koehler Injection
Enderle Fuel Injection - Nitrous Charger - Balancing - Nitrous Master software
http://www.koehlerinjection.com
"Never let a race car know that you are in a hurry."
User avatar
Dave Koehler
Vendor
Posts: 7197
Joined: Mon Oct 04, 2004 11:19 pm
Location: Urbana, IL USA
Contact:

Re: SBC 283 forged pistons

Post by Dave Koehler »

BrazilianZ28Camaro wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 9:16 am
Woodruff wrote: Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:22 pm I’ve got a set of L2209A. Stock bore 302 (I think) they measure 3.955
Interesting, shouldn't they measure 4'' ?
They are domed right?
The ring land area might measure that but yeah for a 4" bore you would expect the skirt area to measure around 3.995, give or take.
Something else, I thought the 2209s were a dome piston. Yes, no, maybe.
Dave Koehler - Koehler Injection
Enderle Fuel Injection - Nitrous Charger - Balancing - Nitrous Master software
http://www.koehlerinjection.com
"Never let a race car know that you are in a hurry."
Post Reply