Are all 273 V8's the same?

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Dartvader440gt

Dartvader440gt

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It's been a while since I've posted here. I have been dealing with B and C bodies lately while my A-body sits on the back burner for now.

So in a thread on FBBO I talked about finding another 273 at a local junk yard that's going out of business. They said it came out of either a 66 or 67 Barracuda. I want it for a spare for my 65 Belvedere wagon 273. Are there any little differences in the motors that I should know about? Things like motor mount location, oil pan, oil pick up etc. I know my 65 Belvedere has it's little differences with later small blocks. I'm just wondering if there is anything I should be aware of or is it a direct bolt in? If it's a direct bolt in I may freshen it up and then rebuild the original in my B-body. Not looking for performance, just a stock 2 barrel motor.
 
I think they are the same, 66 or 67 will have the "normal" intake bolt pattern and bolts. They should have the really good small port, small valve heads, forged crank, and mechanical valve train.
 
Dartvader440gt said:
It's been a while since I've posted here. I have been dealing with B and C bodies lately while my A-body sits on the back burner for now.

So in a thread on FBBO I talked about finding another 273 at a local junk yard that's going out of business. They said it came out of either a 66 or 67 Barracuda. I want it for a spare for my 65 Belvedere wagon 273. Are there any little differences in the motors that I should know about? Things like motor mount location, oil pan, oil pick up etc. I know my 65 Belvedere has it's little differences with later small blocks. I'm just wondering if there is anything I should be aware of or is it a direct bolt in? If it's a direct bolt in I may freshen it up and then rebuild the original in my B-body. Not looking for performance, just a stock 2 barrel motor.
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You're going to get a lot of different answers and some of them won't be correct. Your FBBO thread has the bet answers.
 
Exhaust manifolds likely different between B / A and likely engine brackets

On a 'he he' note, in the mid 70's "for about a year" I was swapping stuff around and needed an engine that "just ran." Friend of mine had a " " " " 318 " " " " turned out to be a 273. Anyhow I swapped it into my 70 RR 440-6 body, which at the time had had a 340 in. it was an oil user and leaker, but it ran.

A "then" friend of mine had a 49 GMC he'd swapped in a big Chev six, with Clifford Holley 4bbl, adapted to an A833, and some sort of cam, it was supposed to be "fast." Anyhow one weekend 4 of us were going from one town to another about 55mi away, and discovered "a clear stretch." I whumped that Chevy's *** with all that crap on it with that bone stock wore out 273 2bbl. All it had was headers, and those because they'd been on the 340. HE TO THIS DAY HAS NEVER LIVED THAT DOWN
 
Were talking 273 motors....all other parts be damned. Early heads had the weird 5/16 intake bolts with their angles. Thats all. IIRC 69 273 was supposed to have hydro lifters but they seem to be pretty rare. The cams changed a little as well as compression ratio but the blocks were all the same.
 
possible the crank hole in rear for different torque converters early vs late
 
No difference in 65-67 273's engine wise, other things will be different but long blocks are all the same in those years, except of course of 273 4-bbl has different internals...
 
66fs said:
I think they are the same, 66 or 67 will have the "normal" intake bolt pattern and bolts. They should have the really good small port, small valve heads, forged crank, and mechanical valve train.
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66-69 had the normal intake bolt size and angle. All had forged crank and just the 64-67 had the mechanical valve train. 68 and 69 went to hydraulic and not adjustable.
 
67Dart273 said:
Exhaust manifolds likely different between B / A and likely engine brackets

On a 'he he' note, in the mid 70's "for about a year" I was swapping stuff around and needed an engine that "just ran." Friend of mine had a " " " " 318 " " " " turned out to be a 273. Anyhow I swapped it into my 70 RR 440-6 body, which at the time had had a 340 in. it was an oil user and leaker, but it ran.

A "then" friend of mine had a 49 GMC he'd swapped in a big Chev six, with Clifford Holley 4bbl, adapted to an A833, and some sort of cam, it was supposed to be "fast." Anyhow one weekend 4 of us were going from one town to another about 55mi away, and discovered "a clear stretch." I whumped that Chevy's *** with all that crap on it with that bone stock wore out 273 2bbl. All it had was headers, and those because they'd been on the 340. HE TO THIS DAY HAS NEVER LIVED THAT DOWN
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Without looking up specifics, exhaust manifolds will be different especially the drivers side.. There are a few numbers that share the same passenger side manifold between a and b bodies.
 
pishta said:
Were talking 273 motors....all other parts be damned. Early heads had the weird 5/16 intake bolts with their angles. Thats all. IIRC 69 273 was supposed to have hydro lifters but they seem to be pretty rare. The cams changed a little as well as compression ratio but the blocks were all the same.
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Yes to the early intake bolts. 68 and 69 had hydraulic lifters and non adjustable rockers. As fas as blocks there were 3 or 4 different casting numbers. I don't know what the differences are between them.
 
HemiSSDart said:
No difference in 65-67 273's engine wise, other things will be different but long blocks are all the same in those years, except of course of 273 4-bbl has different internals...
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The 273-4 barrel engines had different pistons and cam. The blocks are the same between the 2 and 4 barrel engines.
 
Thanks everyone. I'm not worried about exhaust manifolds. I will be keeping the same B-body manifolds until I ad headers and duals. I just want to be sure that it will bolt up to the tranny and converter. I would also be using the B-body mounts. I would be keeping the motors stock with the 2 barrel and intake.
 
So just to sort some of this out - you asked if the whole engine is a bolt in and the answer is yes since you would use the exhaust manifolds and engine mounts from your 65 B-body (which you already have). Because of the difference in heads and intake due to the switch in intake bolt size and angle between 65 and 66, you wouldn't want to interchange these parts between the 2 engines in the swap unless you moved heads and intake together, but as long as you are using all the engine parts on one motor or the other, yes, just drop it in...
 
A 65 will bolt up to a 66-67: it was 68+ that had the larger crankshaft convertor snout receiver. Your initial question was would a 66-67 fit in a 65. The answer is yes as were only dealing with external engine mount bosses and crankshafts. Don't let the haze of year to year changes internally cloud your decision.
 
Oldmanmopar said:
After telling him to go to the B-body site for correct answers you continue answering him 4 times in 4 posts. Why would you send a member elsewhere? As Trump would say. Your fired! LOL

The 2bbl and 4bbl pistons are the same.The 4 bbl commando had a hotter cam and 4bbl intake only. Except for the 66 super commando had high compression irregular domed pistons. All pistons are available at Egge's . Flat top with valve reliefs for 2bbl and commando 273, Or irregular domed for the super commando. The irregular domed pistons are cheaper. The Domed pistons really improve performance on these little engines . But headers and larger carburetor are recommended. advertised @ 275 HP verses the 235 HP out of the commando. Get that @ FBBO LOL

Products – Egge Machine Company
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Actually 2 barrel pistons are flat tops. All 4 barrel pistons are pop ups withe the dome and 2 valve reliefs. The D Dart 273 275 hp came from a larger cam, springs, and a Holley carb (if I remember the carb correctly).
 
str12-340 said:
So just to sort some of this out - you asked if the whole engine is a bolt in and the answer is yes since you would use the exhaust manifolds and engine mounts from your 65 B-body (which you already have). Because of the difference in heads and intake due to the switch in intake bolt size and angle between 65 and 66, you wouldn't want to interchange these parts between the 2 engines in the swap unless you moved heads and intake together, but as long as you are using all the engine parts on one motor or the other, yes, just drop it in...
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Yes, I want to make sure the crank and tranny bolt pattern are the same for a 65 B-body. I know the 65 B-body automatic is different from later years. I will also stick with the B-body torque converter.
 
Oldmanmopar said:
After telling him to go to the B-body site for correct answers you continue answering him 4 times in 4 posts. Why would you send a member elsewhere? As Trump would say. Your fired! LOL

The 2bbl and 4bbl pistons are the same.The 4 bbl commando had a hotter cam and 4bbl intake only. Except for the 66 super commando had high compression irregular domed pistons. All pistons are available at Egge's . Flat top with valve reliefs for 2bbl and commando 273, Or irregular domed for the super commando. The irregular domed pistons are cheaper. The Domed pistons really improve performance on these little engines . But headers and larger carburetor are recommended. advertised @ 275 HP verses the 235 HP out of the commando. Get that @ FBBO LOL

Products – Egge Machine Company
Click to expand...

Someone has to clear up wrong information like I just read in your post above!

The 2 barrel and 4 barrel pistons are different. The 2 barrels had flat top pistons with 4 valve reliefs and the 4 barrel engines had domed pistons with 2 valve reliefs. Let's talk about your "Super Commando" that never happened. Dodge made a 275 horse 273 for the 1966 D Dart for drag racing. Plymouth never had a model or a 275 horse engine.

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273 pistons.jpg
 
66fs said:
Actually 2 barrel pistons are flat tops. All 4 barrel pistons are pop ups withe the dome and 2 valve reliefs. The D Dart 273 275 hp came from a larger cam, springs, and a Holley carb (if I remember the carb correctly).
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I have 5 original 273 commando cars here right know of Todds and all are flat tops same as the 2bbl engine. I just ordered another a set of domed from Egge.

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toolmanmike said:
Someone has to clear up wrong information like I just read in your post above!

Just clearing up some Mis-information. Just like correcting misinformation you said a few lines above, THe 2 barrel and 4 barrel pistons are different.m THere was never a "Super Commando" and all 4 barrel engines had domes pistons. All 2 barrel engines had flat tops with 4 valve reliefs. Let's talk about your "Super Commando" that never happened. Dodge made a 275 horse 273 for the 1966 D Dart for drag racing. Plymouth never had a model or a 275 horse engine.

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Misinformation My ***! What I stated above is what I have seen with my own eyes.

Take your BS to FBBO I have the engines here. All commandos and not one domed piston on the patch. There are engines apart in the shop here as I speak and original cars on the property. Not one 67 273 ever tore down here or eyed with a bore scope ever had the domed pistons.

I too was under the impression that the 4bbl engines had domed pistons. Until Todd and I started buying 67 barracudas a looking at them. Some of these cars were untouched since new. Then my son called and talked to Egge's. I don't need to load pictures off the web like you I have them in the shop. Like I said take it to FBBO.
 
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Oldmanmopar said:
I have 5 original 273 commando cars here right know of Todds and all are flat tops same as the 2bbl engine. I just ordered another a set of domed from Egge.
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I have had so many virgin 66 and 67 Commando and Charger 273's I could not count them. Some with only 50,000 miles on them. All had domed pistons. I have never had a 275 hp D Dart 275 engine and have at least 2 sets of domed pistons and rods in the basement. Maybe the pistons were swapped in your cars when gas octane took a nose dive in the 70's or 80's. Or people swapped the Commando stuff onto 2 barrel 273's. That was what we did to my brothers 67 273 in his Barracuda.
 
66fs said:
I have had so many virgin 66 and 67 Commando and Charger 273's I could not count them. Some with only 50,000 miles on them. All had domed pistons. I have never had a 275 hp D Dart 275 engine and have at least 2 sets of domed pistons and rods in the basement. Maybe the pistons were swapped in your cars when gas octane took a nose dive in the 70's or 80's. Or people swapped the Commando stuff onto 2 barrel 273's. That was what we did to my brothers 67 273 in his Barracuda.
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I could see one or two. But all of the commando cars here have flat tops. Even this never touched car from the original owner. Could it be a 66 thing or a 4 speed thing. All of the cars here are 67 autos.

One original engine was removed and stored by the owner after installing a 340. it came with the yellow car. I have all the pistons Not one domed. I lost count of how many 273 commandos Todd and I have here. It would be mind blowing for someone to remove all the domed pistons from the engines here. These are commando cars and one Formula S coupe. All of them are E code

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