Here's some pics:
http://stateseven.com/pattersonracing/283.htm

Does anyone have any tips on starting the process for re-working my camel hump heads? their the 291's, i believe totally stock. And from the third picture you can see the water passage blocked from crud.

What can i do myself?

-Luke

Luke,

283 are great little engines. However I hope you do not plan on using any of the valve train components you have disassembled. You didn't label or mark any of the components as to there locations or mating parts. This is a OK process if you plan on buying all new.

Based on what you have done so far I would not recommend you go any further in the disassemly process until you do some serious reading on the subject, as your main and rod caps should be marked or labeled before you tear into them.

The blocked water passages do not pass fluid as they dead end at your manifold.

bill

He, He!! Ooooh boy, GREAT!!!

Another little motor to play with.. I love the little suckers!!!

And by the way, them old -291's weren't stock so you'd better check out your cam b/c I bet somebody's been in there before!!

It's probably best to totally knock her apart and haul her off to a Machine Shop you know and trust and get her hot tanked or at least baked and blasted to clean her up good..

I really wouldn't do much except some very mild bowl work to your heads b/c I bet they are already 1.94"/1.5" valve heads unless you got lucky like I did with my nephew's unknown medium journal, forged crank, 283 that had the big valved -291 heads on it!!

Add a small solid cam like the little Duntov, -097 cam or even the Crane 266/266 or maybe at the most a good old CC 268HE for hy- cams, a 600 cfm, 1850 Holley on a Performer or even a stock Q-Jet cast-iron intake using an aluminum adapter and a set of cheap four tube, long headers.

Oh,,,,, almost forgot, try to shoot for like 9.5 to almost 10 to 1 CR. if you can so you can run pump gas......Probably have to use Fel-pro's 1094 rubberized steel .015" thick shim headgaskets or at the most the standard steel .022" thick ones..

AND I will guarantee the little sucker will put a smile on your face that Mr. Clean can't wipe off if it is geared and tired accordingly so that she can wrap out!!

THEY ARE LITTLE BUT THEY ARE FUN, IMHO!!!

pdq67

Bill, thanks for the info on the water passages, i didnt know that!
As for the compnents, the rods and their caps are number etched, as are the main caps.

pdq67,
Yeah, i got her totally tore down and plastic wrapped... i'm plannin on takin the block and heads to a shop and get e'm tanked this week. Yeah, i should see what numbers i can get off the cam to see what exactly it is. I actually got a holly 600 and headers and an Edelbrock Performer all for it! It was pretty cool how it all happened, I basically got Everything (Long Block, Headers, INtake, Carb) for $20.

I know its small, but i think it will be plenty for whatever muscle car i find to drop it in for my girlfriend (most likely eventual wife.)
I got a th350 back home that i'm gonna bring back in January to rebuild.

I LOVE wrenchin!!

So hey, whats your take on hardened valve seats on these heads?

Personally I would do a good valve job on them and drop about 8 oz of good old Marvel Mystery oil per ten gallons of gas say every other tank or so and the other 8 oz in my oil!!

Then run the heads until they give out..

But if you are buck's up, it probably is better to pick up a more modern pair of heads that are already set up with hardened seats, screw in studs, etc... Something along the lines of W/P's S/R 305 torquers, (58 or so cc jobber's), or even a pair of stock -601, 305HO, 1.84"/1.5" valved heads with 58 cc chambers to hold your compression up there..

pdq67

pdq67

For about $80-100 you can have the cylinder walls sonic tested to see if it's a solid candidate for a .100" overbore. That would make a 301 Cubic inch SCREAMER!
Then put in a solid roller, rev kit and roller rockers for 8,000 rpms. An old timer told me in detail how he built one in 1960. He launched and shifted @ 9500 rpm!

Jimmy,

The little motor that can doesn't need a solid roller to hit 8,000+ rpm!! Just a good solid cam AND great springs, imho..

But yes, you are right, they will go up there if set up right!!

Loved my junk 301!!

pdq67

PS., and it's .125" over to make a 301, not .100" over!!

You're right! I'm losin' it!