Monday, October 21, 2013
283 Chevy Specs
The Chevrolet 283 was a small-block V-8 engine produced between 1957 and 1967. Said to be the first American-built engine to offer one horsepower per cubic inch of displacement, the 283 was designated for use in the Bel Air, the Impala, the Biscayne and Chevrolet station wagons, and also was an option in Checker Taxis between 1965 and 1967.
General Specs and Tune Up
The Chevrolet 283 displaced 283 cubic inches, with a compression ratio of 8.5:1. It turned out 170 horsepower at 4,200 rpm, and the maximum torque was 275 ft.-lbs. at 2,400 rpm. The normal oil pressure was 35 pounds. The engine had a 3.875-inch bore and a 3-inch stroke. The make of the spark plugs was AC 44, with a gap of .035 inches. When idling, the engine ran at 425 rpm.
Piston, Ring and Valve
The shim thickness of the pistons was .0015 inches and they measure between seven and 18 pounds on a pull scale. The diameter of the wrist pin was 0.9271 inches. The ring end gap compression was 0.01 inches. With mechanical valve lifters, the valve had a hot operating clearance of 0.012 inches for the intake and 0.018 inches for exhaust. With hydraulic valve lifters and one carburetor, the valve had no operating clearance. The valve seat angle measured 46 degrees. The inner valve spring pressure measured 160 pounds at 1.30 inches. The valve stem diameter for the intake measured 0.3336 inch, and the exhaust also measured 0.3336 inch.
Capacity
The Chevrolet 283s cooling system had a capacity of 17.5 quarts without a heater and 18.5 quarts with a heater. Oil capacity was four quarts, plus one for a filter change. The standard capacity for transmission fluid was two pints, but engines with overdrive had a capacity of three pints and automatic transmissions required 3.5 quarts. Four-speed transmissions held 1.5 pints.
