I am looking at a 76 1/2 ton 4x4 chevy pickup. It's got a 327, sm465, np205 and 10bolt axles. It's pretty cheap and was thinking about slappig some 1 ton axles under it and towin my toyota around. The thing I was curious about was the 327 engine. I have no experence with the 327 and was wondering what it was like. Is it basically a "chevy" engine or what??

That 327 is gonna be the truck motor. It has larger rod bearings. 350 horse stock. It's a great little motor that I have run a few times, and I'm even putting one in my next truck. Torque for that kind of towing is questionable. Upgrade the cooling system on it and it will do fine. Just don't ask it to do the speed limit on the mountain passes.


EDIT: Just saw you are from Texas. Flatland? Go for it. It will do fine for you.

Yeah it's a Chevy:D

and it didn't come stock in that truck,last 327 produced was 69'
so it's old but a good block FWIW

Yup. I agree with Fryman. The 327 is a fast-reving, short stroke motor that was built for horsepower, not torque. You could put it in a sand racer and find a 350? It'll do the job, though.

Originally posted by twistedscout
Yup. I agree with Fryman. The 327 is a fast-reving, short stroke motor that was built for horsepower, not torque. You could put it in a sand racer and find a 350? It'll do the job, though.


So it's not really like a chevy motor. I guess I'll just have to check it out.

Originally posted by toymaniac



So it's not really like a chevy motor. I guess I'll just have to check it out. No,its exactly like a Chevy motor!What you really nead is a 383!:beer:

It is a bad ass Chevy motor. Got mine from a wrecked vette and put in in my cj5 and it screams, runs right over toyotas with their little toy motors:flipoff2:

Quite Frankly, The 327 is One Bad Motor...

Just take a good look at how heavy the block is.

This is now emission Motor ;)

Quite Frankly, The 327 is One Bad Motor...

Just take a good look at how heavy the block is.

This is no emission Motor ;)

The 327 is a GOOD Chevy engine, but I can tell you that it definately didn't come stock in a 76 Chevy truck. Bad thing about the 327, they are getting rarer. They do not produce that motor anymore, so parts are getting harder to find.

Originally posted by ranger
The 327 is a GOOD Chevy engine, but I can tell you that it definately didn't come stock in a 76 Chevy truck. Bad thing about the 327, they are getting rarer. They do not produce that motor anymore, so parts are getting harder to find.


It's a SBC... which parts are you thinking are hard to find?

Originally posted by toymaniac



So it's not really like a chevy motor. I guess I'll just have to check it out.


It's just like any other Chevy small block. Heads, intake, exhaust all cross between them.

For the purpose you want to use the truck for (towing), the 327 might not offer the power your looking for. If built right, it could, but you'd be better off with a longer stoke engine like the 350. I like the 327 for a 2wd truck or car, but in a 4WD you need somthing with a bit more torque. Now, if the deal on this truck is good enough, you could slide a stronger cam into the 327 for very little cash and probably be OK with it. Then, with the addition of a pair of Voretc heads, you could pull real nice with it!

327 was a car motor.
It is actually a punched out 283 engine.
They where prone to overheating.
The 402 was one kick ass truck engine.

Originally posted by Underdog
327 was a car motor.
It is actually a punched out 283 engine.
They where prone to overheating.
The 402 was one kick ass truck engine.

The 302 Chevy was the punched out 283 that you're thinking of. Both with 3" stroke, but the 302 having a larger bore. The 302, 327, & 350 all share a 4" bore (so does the new Vortec 6.0, but it's built on a COMPLETELY different block). The 302 having a 3" stroke, 327 a 3.25" stroke, 350 a 3.48" stroke.

Truth be told, you're talking about 23 cubic inches difference in the 327/350 and SLIGHTLY more torque from the latter - assuming heads, cam, etc. are all the same. IMO, upgrading to a 350 really isn't worth the trouble. The 327 is more than capable of doing 95% of what a 350 can do. If you REALLY need more torque from a MOUSE, you should go with a 383 or 400. In the meantime, run the 327 until you decide you need something more (assuming that day ever arrives).

As to the 402, yeah it's a decent truck engine. But, as a buddy of mine with a 396 likes to say "I've got the 283 of big-blocks". 396 & 402 give all the downsides of a RAT (heavier, with more expensive parts, & more cooling capacity needed) w/o the benefit of significant cubic inches. I personally wouldn't build a RAT with less than 454 cubes, preferably with 500+ ;)

TEX

A chevy smallblock is a chevy smallblock. Depending on what year of 327 you have, it could have a small or large journal crank in it. If it is a large journal, you can use a 350 crank & then you would have a 350. I really haven't heard of any cooling problems with 350's. 400 smallblocks were known to have cooling problems.
If you are gonna be towing heavy things, I would recommend going big & getting a stock 454. Just my 2cents. Brad.

I wish that you weren't in Texas. I'd try to buy the 327 off of you.

Anybody tying to get rid of on in Oregon?

What I ment by not being a chevy engine is it doesn't act like a typical chevy engine, ie slow reving torquey engine. It acts more like the ford 302, or chevy 305 for that matter. Oh well...I'll just go drive it.

I had an '81 Buick Regal that I transplanted a '67 327 into....My gearing sucked in that car, but Gawd would that engine wind up :eek:...Music to the ears, I tell ya.

Originally posted by TEX


The 302 Chevy was the punched out 283 that you're thinking of. Both with 3" stroke, but the 302 having a larger bore. The 302, 327, & 350 all share a 4" bore (so does the new Vortec 6.0, but it's built on a COMPLETELY different block). The 302 having a 3" stroke, 327 a 3.25" stroke, 350 a 3.48" stroke.

Truth be told, you're talking about 23 cubic inches difference in the 327/350 and SLIGHTLY more torque from the latter - assuming heads, cam, etc. are all the same. IMO, upgrading to a 350 really isn't worth the trouble. The 327 is more than capable of doing 95% of what a 350 can do. If you REALLY need more torque from a MOUSE, you should go with a 383 or 400. In the meantime, run the 327 until you decide you need something more (assuming that day ever arrives).

As to the 402, yeah it's a decent truck engine. But, as a buddy of mine with a 396 likes to say "I've got the 283 of big-blocks". 396 & 402 give all the downsides of a RAT (heavier, with more expensive parts, & more cooling capacity needed) w/o the benefit of significant cubic inches. I personally wouldn't build a RAT with less than 454 cubes, preferably with 500+ ;)

TEX

THANK YOU for setting all these"PCE EXPERTS" right:D :D

I guess my knowledge :rasta: is of no use here.
And for the record the 454 was another car motor that failed as a truck motor / To many rpm"s needed to keep the load to moving.
(read no low end grunt)
looking at Cubic inches does not always give a true reflection of a motors character.
Anyway.
This guy posts about a tow rig motor and i tried to inform him that it is a kewl street car motor with some quirks and got routed by ther gods of this forum. So be it :flipoff2:
I am glad you guys know it all.

Originally posted by Underdog
I guess my knowledge :rasta: is of no use here.
And for the record the 454 was another car motor that failed as a truck motor / To many rpm"s needed to keep the load to moving.
(read no low end grunt)
looking at Cubic inches does not always give a true reflection of a motors character.
Anyway.
This guy posts about a tow rig motor and i tried to inform him that it is a kewl street car motor with some quirks and got routed by ther gods of this forum. So be it :flipoff2:
I am glad you guys know it all.
wtf? you are wrong about the 327 being a punched out 283, they have the dsame bore, so that knowlege is not usefull here. and who says the 454 has failed as a truck motor.....just u?

The only thing better than cubic inches is MORE cubic inches. 1 ton , big block tow rigs are all over the place. One can be found at a reasonable price anywhere if you look. I wouldn't have wasted my time or effort to put a 327 in anything except a collector car that came with a 327 origonally. If was such a great motor, why did they quit making it? Actually I think the 400 is the best bet for a towing small block with the right cam/head combo. (get a big block)
I raced small blocks for quite a few years, so I do speak with a little knowlage. I never had a 327 beat my 388 or a 402 or 355 for that matter.

For a choice of towing big blocks I would go 460 Ford or 440 dodge, MUCH better bore to stroke ratio for making torque than the 454. Of course there is the 502 crate motor........

Some facts: http://home.isoa.net/~mharrisj/borestrk.html
So the 327 is a bored and stroked 283.
I do not know about racing :rolleyes:
I know about trucks that work for a living.
You take a loaded dump truck
with
a 402 down to hear every cylinder fire, step on the throttle and power out.
a 454 If it starts to smother its over you will be down shifting all the way to low gear if you can get it in that un-synced hole and still probably have to give up.
Drove both and others.

Been around this stuff over 30yrs and still don"t know shit.
Glad you guys have it all figured out.

460 Ford or 440 dodge
Maybe if you can afford a fuel truck to follow you on your journeys.

I'am sorry u need to go to these 3 sites
www.dump trucks.com
www.got my facts on bore dia-fucked up.com
www.I can't admit when iam wrong.com
or if this doesn't work try
www.loser.com:flipoff2: we don't know it all, but when you come in here and just give out wrong facts and then when fased with the "truth" your token answer is "Glad you guys have it all figured out."well iot's sorta ticks me off, what do the rest of you think?

Good deal :rolleyes:
Sorry your wrong.
And since your browser does not work.
SBC Bore Stroke
283 = 3.875" x 3.00" (5.7" rod)
327 = 4.000" x 3.25" (5.7" rod)
Sorry it Bothers you Knowitalll :flipoff2:


Oh non of the links you posted lead anywhere seebass:mad3:
What where you trying to link to??????????????????????????

Originally posted by Underdog
327 was a car motor.
It is actually a punched out 283 engine.
They where prone to overheating.
The 402 was one kick ass truck engine.
no it's not, your last post shows it has a different stroke too:rolleyes: wtf guy? sure the bores bigger but the stroke is to so why argue? try another of my links that don't work
www.suck my balls.com:flipoff2:

Originally posted by Underdog



Oh non of the links you posted lead anywhere seebass:mad3:
What where you trying to link to??????????????????????????
no shit, du! lol u funny, not to bright though:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

Originally posted by toymaniac
What I ment by not being a chevy engine is it doesn't act like a typical chevy engine, ie slow reving torquey engine. It acts more like the ford 302, or chevy 305 for that matter. Oh well...I'll just go drive it.

The 302 & 305 are nothing alike. The 302 (GM and FORD) had a 4" bore & 3" stroke. 305 has an undersized bore (~3.75") and the same stroke as a 350 (3.48").

TEX

Originally posted by Underdog

And for the record the 454 was another car motor that failed as a truck motor / To many rpm"s needed to keep the load to moving.


Hmmmm, guess that's why GM used the 427 (with it's SHORTER stroke & higher R's) in most medium duty applications? ;)

TEX

Originally posted by zags


For a choice of towing big blocks I would go 460 Ford or 440 dodge, MUCH better bore to stroke ratio for making torque than the 454. Of course there is the 502 crate motor........

:confused: Doesn't the 440 have a SHORTER stroke than the 454, while the 460 has the same or longer? BTW, the 502 has the same stroke as a 454 also - 4".

TEX

Originally posted by Underdog
Some facts:
You take a loaded dump truck
with
a 402 down to hear every cylinder fire, step on the throttle and power out.
a 454 If it starts to smother its over you will be down shifting all the way to low gear if you can get it in that un-synced hole and still probably have to give up.

I could be wrong, but I'm relatively sure that the 402 was never stock in anything larger than a 1/2 ton pickup.

And let's just assume for a second that it was. 402 & 454 are the same block & heads. 402 has a 3.76" stroke & 4.125" bore. 454 has a 4" stroke & 4.25" bore. Yet, you're saying that all things being equal, the 402 will make more power? Is that what you're saying? Got any bridges you want to sell me? :flipoff2:

TEX

P.S. My former employer had a Chevy C50 that came STOCK with a 327. We used it to haul gravel & sand.