Are all 273 V8's the same?

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seabee said:
I though there was a number of 66' 273s that had the earlier bolt angle-ed heads from 65' on them. I could be wrong (and often am) but I thought I got that information here at some point..
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Yes, I own one. At least, that's what it came with when I bought the car in 1980. 8/17/65 build date '66 Barracuda had the 315 casting heads on it. It could have been changed, but, being a Hawaii car, I doubt there was much in the way of parts to be swapping around back then. It's a 4bbl car and still had the B273 block with appropriate date codes and HP pistons.
 
cudamark said:
Yes, I own one. At least, that's what it came with when I bought the car in 1980. 8/17/65 build date '66 Barracuda had the 315 casting heads on it. It could have been changed, but, being a Hawaii car, I doubt there was much in the way of parts to be swapping around back then. It's a 4bbl car and still had the B273 block with appropriate date codes and HP pistons.
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Same here. Mine is a 2bbl version that came with the car. I have gotten a few responses from others that have the earlier heads on their 66 273s as well.

So OP, you might want to check the 273's heads even if it is installed in a 66' car just to be sure.
 
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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Here's what I have found playing with these 273's for over 40 years now, and not counting exhaust manifolds, oil pans, motor mounts, and other bolt-on parts. The '64 only came in a 2bbl version, and had the 315 casting heads with matching intake. Forged crank, solid lifter cam with adjustable rockers. '65's were pretty much the same except that they added a 4bbl version that came with a higher compression piston and higher lift cam. '66 started (for the most part) the 920 casting head and matching intake....in both a 2bbl and 4bbl version. They also came in both a C.A.P. (Cleaner Air Package) and non C.A.P. '67 continued that same engine. In '68 and '69 there was only a 2bbl version, 675 casting heads (same as the 318 those years) hydraulic cam, and a cast crank with the larger convertor register (also same as the 318). The blocks also have a different casting number. The only thing I remember being different on the block is the number of motor mount bosses. The '64-7 have 3 bosses on each side, and the '68-9 have all 4 in most cases. There are a few oddballs though. I've seen a couple with 3 on one side and 4 on the other. Very weird. some of the early 318's did the same thing, but, when they had 3 bosses, it was a different 3 than the 273. This required a tab to be added (welded) to the motor mount bracket to get all 3 bracket bolts to be used. In your case, any of the those 273's or early 318's will bolt into your car by using your existing 273 bolt-on parts. The only exception here is if your B-body has a 727 transmission behind it. In that case, you would need an engine with the large convertor hole, or, you would need to swap in a crank with one. And yes, before anyone argues about it, they did make that option in a B-body. Very rare, but, taxi's, police, and special orders had them (not to mention and the poly 318 cars that year). Those vehicles used a 318 forged crank like what also came in an A100 van with a 273. If you want some cheap horsepower, I'd get that 318 engine as a spare to build. Put it in when you want, run it as hard as you want, and keep the original engine for when you want to start a restoration project on the car.
 
cudamark said:
Yes, I own one. At least, that's what it came with when I bought the car in 1980. 8/17/65 build date '66 Barracuda had the 315 casting heads on it. It could have been changed, but, being a Hawaii car, I doubt there was much in the way of parts to be swapping around back then. It's a 4bbl car and still had the B273 block with appropriate date codes and HP pistons.
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Very possible. That's a early car.
 
cudamark said:
Here's what I have found playing with these 273's for over 40 years now, and not counting exhaust manifolds, oil pans, motor mounts, and other bolt-on parts. The '64 only came in a 2bbl version, and had the 315 casting heads with matching intake. Forged crank, solid lifter cam with adjustable rockers. '65's were pretty much the same except that they added a 4bbl version that came with a higher compression piston and higher lift cam. '66 started (for the most part) the 920 casting head and matching intake....in both a 2bbl and 4bbl version. They also came in both a C.A.P. (Cleaner Air Package) and non C.A.P. '67 continued that same engine. In '68 and '69 there was only a 2bbl version, 675 casting heads (same as the 318 those years) hydraulic cam, and a cast crank with the larger convertor register (also same as the 318). The blocks also have a different casting number. The only thing I remember being different on the block is the number of motor mount bosses. The '64-7 have 3 bosses on each side, and the '68-9 have all 4 in most cases. There are a few oddballs though. I've seen a couple with 3 on one side and 4 on the other. Very weird. some of the early 318's did the same thing, but, when they had 3 bosses, it was a different 3 than the 273. This required a tab to be added (welded) to the motor mount bracket to get all 3 bracket bolts to be used. In your case, any of the those 273's or early 318's will bolt into your car by using your existing 273 bolt-on parts. The only exception here is if your B-body has a 727 transmission behind it. In that case, you would need an engine with the large convertor hole, or, you would need to swap in a crank with one. And yes, before anyone argues about it, they did make that option in a B-body. Very rare, but, taxi's, police, and special orders had them (not to mention and the poly 318 cars that year). Those vehicles used a 318 forged crank like what also came in an A100 van with a 273. If you want some cheap horsepower, I'd get that 318 engine as a spare to build. Put it in when you want, run it as hard as you want, and keep the original engine for when you want to start a restoration project on the car.
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Someone on FBBO said there is a member here that makes a crank adapter bushing for this. Anyone know if this is true?
 
Dartvader440gt said:
Someone on FBBO said there is a member here that makes a crank adapter bushing for this. Anyone know if this is true?
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Are you referring to adapting a later large hole crank to accept a small button converter? If so, yes, those are available, but I can't remember who sells them. If you're referring to an early 273 crank that isn't machined for a manual trans pilot bushing, Brewer's has a BEARING assy to do that.
 
Having seen this thread for the 1st time, it needs to be pointed out that the LA 273 switched to the larger crank pocket converter hub in '67, Slantys waited until '68.
Members CharrlieS, & more currently Slant Six, both had the reducing rings for putting '67&^ 273/'68&^ Slanty cranks on older small-hub converters.
 
'67 273's still have the small hole. '68 is when both 273 and slant 6's went to the large hole. The only exception to this is in A100 vans and pickups. They all had the large hole for the 727.
 
cudamark said:
Are you referring to adapting a later large hole crank to accept a small button converter? If so, yes, those are available, but I can't remember who sells them. If you're referring to an early 273 crank that isn't machined for a manual trans pilot bushing, Brewer's has a BEARING assy to do that.
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A buddy of mine made me some wedding rings to address the later model register. Basicly if the later model crank is used with an early model torque converter with the smaller hub is used the rings take up the slack.
 
The "T-Flight Patty" name comes to mind of the centering ring to make a small snout fit a 68 crank, but its only a 1/8 wall ring, nd it can be made (really!) by chopping up a few 1/8 drill bits and tacking them together in a ring pattern. Simce the crank and convertor turn as a unit, there is no bearing surface to worry about, its just to center the slightly floating converter. I actually ran a 65 cable trans behind a 340 for about 4 months without a ring (unknown one was needed) before it started to vibrate a little, then it kicked out a corner of the flex plate. After I heard this I limped it home and took the trans down and found all 4 ears of the flex plate were cracked, 3 of them fell out when I unbolted them from the converter before taking the trans bell bolts out. Lesson learned. In went a 340 and a 68 904 and a 8 3/4 with a new driveshaft.

PS>> my barn find 4/1/65 production date '65 'S' had 4bbl quench 2 relief pistons in it.
 
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