3/23/2021 0 Comments 283 Chevy Engine History
But even the way we listen to music today compared to how we did 10 years ago has evolved; look no further than MP3s and iPods.
283 Chevy Engine History Portable CD PlayerWhen we growing growing up, you were cool if you had a portable CD player, especially one that didnt skip constantly.![]() As usual, GM weathered the storm and got us through it, and what resulted is the modern LS family of today. From boats, small aircraft, to lakesters and European knock-offs, the SBC is a legend not due to its numbers but its longevity. Looking for a suitable replacement of the stove bolt inline-six, Ed Cole and Zora Arkus-Duntov birthed the plant in a furious 15 weeks. A huge step in placing Chevrolet in the public eye as an everyman performer, this engine carried over for 56. It was an available option for all Chevrolet passenger cars, pickups, and was instrumental in raising the prestige of the Corvette. Originally, the 283 was merely an overbored 265, but engineers found that the previously-cast blocks walls were thin. The fuel injected version of the 283 was also an available option on the passenger car line as well as the Corvette, making anything powered by this rare and unique plant a collectors item today. The 327 essentially used the 283 cast iron heads, but with larger valves. The end result of this combination of parts would result in a factory-proclaimed, but underrated 290hp, although some say the real output was closer to 350hp. Depending on application, the only real difference between any of these castings were the valvetrain pieces, and the casting numbers, but they were excellent units for their time given the technology they had to work with in those days. In its initial form, it was introduced as the 300hp L-48 in the 67 Camaro, and eventually found its way into all of the other Chevy models as time went on. The high point of this powerhouse was the 360hp variant that was the LT-1 version. As performance (or what was left of it) limped along during its absolute low-point during the mid-70s to the early 80s, the Corvette made due with an underpowered, though somewhat respectable for the era, L-82, producing in the neighborhood of 200hp, depending on year. The latest and highest performing (in net numbers) version dubbed the L98, which weve decided to give its own section as it was the only MPFI Gen-1 350 that was made. By that time, the L-48 was already up at running under the hoods of many Chevy muscle cars. What many people dont realize is that these heads would change very little until the mid-70s, when fuel economy and emissions took over as the key factor over performance, we would later go on to develop the swirl port design that would live on in models until the late 80s. There were two versions of the aluminum head variant available for the Vette during its seven-year run. Horsepower levels ranged anywhere from 215hp to 250hp, depending on year and application. These would go on to be the last high-performance offerings of the Gen 1 SBC engine family, only to be replaced by the Gen 2 LT1 of 92. The aluminum L98 castings were the result of our racing efforts, and it showed as it gave the Corvette and F-cars the much needed performance they rightfully deserved. It was found in everything from intermediate-sized coupes, to full-sized pickups. With the current aftermarket now producing better offerings, personally, we would leave these on the shelf when it comes time for your next engine build.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |