The motor I have for my '55 is a 283 that I purchased as a part of a bunch of stuff removed from a '57
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| Ready for breakdown |
BelAir. The whole lot was $400, which included the motor and a complete '57 rear axle, so I figure the motor cost me around $200. I was told it was a 1963 motor. It was running when pulled from the car, and it spun over good and the plugs were in really good shape, so I earmarked it for use in my '55.
I also have another 283 coupled to an aluminum Powerglide that I pulled out of a '63 Impala that I bought for parts back in 1996. It was a four door that had been parked in someone's back yard in Atlanta since 1982, when a tree fell on the roof.
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| New double roller timing chain |
Before starting on freshening up the motor earlier this week, I researched the serial numbers on both motors and discovered that they are both 1958 models. The one connected to the Powerglide was built as an automatic transmission motor, and the one I'm putting in my car was built to couple with a manual tranny. Not a big deal for me, but interesting nonetheless.
Since the motor seems to be in good condition, my plan is to simply
freshen it up, replacing all of the parts that typically wear out. I
have a complete gasket set that has been sitting on the shelf for 15
years, so I decided I may as well use it on this project.
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| Oil pan and timing cover reinstalled |
I
pulled the manifold off and the valley looked pretty good. Very little
sludge build up. Both heads came off to reveal some carbon build up, but
nothing out of the ordinary for a motor this old. The timing chain was
really loose, so it had to go. It was probably impossible to get the
timing to set right. Pulling the oil pan off, again I found a minor
amount of sludge and debris. So far so good!
I sandblasted the oil
pan, timing cover and intake manifold. I also scrubbed the block with
Gunk and Dawn dishwashing detergent (to remove the oil residue).
One
nod to modernity was to install an oil filter adapter, so I can use a
readily available screw-on filter. I learned that the original canisters
were prone to leak and messy when changing he cartridge. It's something
that would be easy to refit back to original if desired.
There is the expected amount of carbon buildup on the piston tops. A few swipes with the wire wheel cleaned them up quite nicely!
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| oil filter adapter |
At
first I was planning on cleaning up the heads and reinstalling them, but
after some clearer thinking, I decided to spend the $400 or so and have
them rebuilt. They'll get cleaned, inspected, and new seals and
hardened valve seats installed. I should end up with a pretty decent
motor by then.
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| pistons cleaned up nicely |
