C 273 stamping

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Stephen Mulkey

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Hello FABO
I am a little curious about a stamping on a "66" 273 engine I have picked up. It is the high compression piston engine looking at the Pistons in it. On the face of the block is "C 273". Is this stamping on all 273's?
I am asking because the person I bought it from said it came from a Dart. It was in an area that one of the D-Darts was sold in by what I have read. Probably just my imagination but thought I'd ask. Commando?
20170507_193827.jpg
 
You may have to pull the heads or boroscope the pistons. My book lists a C as having special crankshaft and pistons and the B as .010 undersized mains and rod bearings.. What is the casting number on the side of the block?
 
Commando66 said:
C would be for a 1967 car. It was cast in 1966.
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Thank you for the answer to my question.
I forgot how it works, yes the casting on the side
toolmanmike said:
You may have to pull the heads or boroscope the pistons. My book lists a C as having special crankshaft and pistons and the B as .010 undersized mains and rod bearings.. What is the casting number on the side of the block?
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20170507_193914.jpg
20170507_193956.jpg
 
toolmanmike said:
You may have to pull the heads or boroscope the pistons. My book lists a C as having special crankshaft and pistons and the B as .010 undersized mains and rod bearings.. What is the casting number on the side of the block?
Click to expand...
I pulled the heads and it has the domed pistons but I haven't removed any of the bottom end at this point.
 
I'm thinking C is 67 too, iirc the small blocks had the crank call outs on the #8 crank throw itself. No other plain C in the code book, ie. HC or LC and that info would not be in the casting number. Fyi there is a website out there that has a misprint on the letters of the dates.
 
mike... what is the difference in the d-dart pistons ? I know the difference of the 2 and 4 barrel engines .I have a 273 engine here where the piston 4 cut reliefs are smaller .
Thanks !
 
toolmanmike said:
66-69 block casting number. Any photos of the piston tops? 4 barrel and 2 barrel are different and the D dart are different yet.
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Mike
I'm a little stuck on a job and my not be home for a while. The pistons have a distinct dome that rises above the block deck and not the 4 relief flat top piston that is in a 64, 273 two barrel engine I have also. I just may not have pics for a while. Thanks again, you guys are the best.
 
C is for 1967 and not to be critical but the Commando 2 relief pistons with a dome were the same on D-Dart but the cam was different.
 
chryslerfat said:
C is for 1967 and not to be critical but the Commando 2 relief pistons with a dome were the same on D-Dart but the cam was different.
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You are correct. I kept thinking the pistons were TRW's. I believe they were originally planned to have them.
 
stroker402 said:
mike... what is the difference in the d-dart pistons ? I know the difference of the 2 and 4 barrel engines .I have a 273 engine here where the piston 4 cut reliefs are smaller .
Thanks !
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CF is correct. The D dart pistons were stockers.
 
Probably not a D-Dart engine....just a '67 273 Commando/Charger engine...10.5:1 dome pistons, 4bbl intake, dual point dizzy, 500cfm Carter AFB carb w/chrome air cleaner, and the black-wrinkle finned valve covers.
 
toolmanmike said:
You are correct. I kept thinking the pistons were TRW's. I believe they were originally planned to have them.
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Good morning Gentlemen
I took some pictures of the pistons and a shot of a head. The only markings on the pistons are A's on the first three from the front and B on last one. The bores are in good shape and very little ridge. I would like to thank everyone for your help identifying my 273.
20170509_065328.jpg


20170509_065304.jpg
 
Those are definitely Commando/Charger pistons. If it was a D-Dart engine, it would have to have the special CamCraft cam, big Holley carb and intake spacer plate. I think a "10/20/66" casting date is too late to be D-Dart, which were only '66 model year engines, IIRC.
 
65Val said:
Probably not a D-Dart engine....just a '67 273 Commando/Charger engine...10.5:1 dome pistons, 4bbl intake, dual point dizzy, 500cfm Carter AFB carb w/chrome air cleaner, and the black-wrinkle finned valve covers.
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I believe you are right. After being reminded that the casting date should be for a 67 model. When I first looked at the engine I was told that it was a 318 but with the adjustable rockers it made me look closer. I seen the 273 casting and with the parts in boxes I found a duel point dizze the black wrinkle valve covers. He kept those two parts when I went back to pick it up. Thank you for all your help.
 
65Val said:
Those are definitely Commando/Charger pistons. If it was a D-Dart engine, it would have to have the special CamCraft cam, big Holley carb and intake spacer plate. I think a "10/20/66" casting date is too late to be D-Dart, which were only '66 model year engines, IIRC.
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It's too bad someone put a hi flo Sig Erson hyd in it and wiped a lobe. I would have liked to know what it was originally.
I'm going back to solid and as close to D. Dart spec. cam as I can get away with.
 
66fs said:
Call Jim at Racer Brown Cams
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Thanks I will. You know I think I need to back up a little. I said I'd like to go to the dart spec but I may look at the entire package and how the plan is for mainly a street machine. But the sounds of that engine package is impressive :)
 
Stephen Mulkey said:
It's too bad someone put a hi flo Sig Erson hyd in it and wiped a lobe. I would have liked to know what it was originally.
I'm going back to solid and as close to D. Dart spec. cam as I can get away with.
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You can put in whatever cam you want after the rebuild....stock, Commando/Charger, or custom grind...just don't go too big as it's real easy to overcam a 273. There's a few guys on this board that have owned, or know more about D-Darts than me...maybe seek them out for some advice.

Good luck!
 
Stephen Mulkey said:
It's too bad someone put a hi flo Sig Erson hyd in it and wiped a lobe. I would have liked to know what it was originally.
I'm going back to solid and as close to D. Dart spec. cam as I can get away with.
Click to expand...
Stock HP cam specs for the 66-67 are 248° 420"/430". The D dart cams were supposed to be 284° 495"/505" and ground by Camcraft. Yep those are HP pistons. Many of us have used the Isky E-4 as a replacement for the stock cam with good results. Specs on the E4 are 260° .425"/.425.

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Thank you for this thread. I almost tossed a 273, I removed from a 66 B-Cuda a year or two ago. It had a single point dizzee. It also had mismatched heads. After I pulled the heads I thought I was looking at a 2bbl engine that had been dressed up, cause it had all the 273 Hi-Po stuff on it, except the dizzee. Well I just went and looked at it again, after seeing Stephen Mulkeys piston pics, and guess what, I have one also. I was thinking of scraping it. Now I have to figure out how to unfreez it. Evidently this engine had been worked over once, then it sat since 1976 till now, while the car rotted away.

On another note a few years ago, Me , and a friend rebuilt a hi-po 273 out of a 67 B-Cuda. But it had different domed pistons in it. Maybe thats why I thought the one I have now was a 2bbl engine.

So thanks again guys, I'll try and unfreez this thing.

barracudadave67
 
barracudadave67 said:
Thank you for this thread. I almost tossed a 273, I removed from a 66 B-Cuda a year or two ago. It had a single point dizzee. It also had mismatched heads. After I pulled the heads I thought I was looking at a 2bbl engine that had been dressed up, cause it had all the 273 Hi-Po stuff on it, except the dizzee. Well I just went and looked at it again, after seeing Stephen Mulkeys piston pics, and guess what, I have one also. I was thinking of scraping it. Now I have to figure out how to unfreez it. Evidently this engine had been worked over once, then it sat since 1976 till now, while the car rotted away.

On another note a few years ago, Me , and a friend rebuilt a hi-po 273 out of a 67 B-Cuda. But it had different domed pistons in it. Maybe thats why I thought the one I have now was a 2bbl engine.

So thanks again guys, I'll try and unfreez this thing.

barracudadave67
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Yea!!!...another 273 saved!!!!!!!
 
toolmanmike said:
Stock HP cam specs for the 66-67 are 248° 420"/430". The D dart cams were supposed to be 284° 495"/505" and ground by Camcraft. Yep those are HP pistons. Many of us have used the Isky E-4 as a replacement for the stock cam with good results. Specs on the E4 are 260° .425"/.425.

View attachment 1715046075

View attachment 1715046076
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Mike
In the short time I have been able to join this forum you guys have so helpful to many and I am trying to read up and learn. Thank you all very much. In the Isky E-4 that you called out looks a little milder than the Commando Specs. I looked it up on Isky's site and it has says it works with a stock converter and a good idle. I'm trying to save a 64 barracuda with a pushbutton 904 and I would like to have it strong on the street and a decent lope idle. If I need to improve the converter it would be fine. Does the E-4 have any kind of lope? If I went with a little more lift and duration would it put me into a higher rpm area and lose some low end power?
 
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