hot rod a 273!!!

[kayle]

ok want to see if anyone has built up a 273 and see what you did and how happy you are.
i bought the how to hot rod a small block mopar book. but i would like some real people input. stocker? mild? silly things that should never be put on a 273 like a blower? nos?
cut it diagonally and make a one off V-6? (been done with a keith black hemi for a sand dragster) any and all opinions would be great!!
thanks!!!!!!

[moparrr07]

there was a guy with a 273 2 brl in a 3800 lb wagon in a mopar mag not to long ago, running like 12s

[Jim_Lusk]

I used to play with them (A LONG TIME AGO). I had a 66 Barracuda that was a factory Commando 273, four speed, disc brake, handling package car. After breaking an axle I installed a 67 3.23SG 8-3/4. We put 10:1 Jahns pistons (not necessarily recommended these days as they needed LOTS of piston-wall clearance), Crower .427/264 hydraulic cam, stock intake/carb/exhaust manifolds with dual exhaust. It was fairly mild but was a blast to drive.

[jacks62440]

Great Little Engine. But, If you want to go Fast, Go Big !!! 

[scaldeddog]

  87 more cubes in a 360 equals an easy 100 horses. And it'll cost the same to build.

[kayle]

there was a guy with a 273 2 brl in a 3800 lb wagon in a mopar mag not to long ago, running like 12s

yeah i have that mag, that guy is a freakin genius with what he did. i just dont have that kinda cash ya know? and the one of the main reasons im going back to the 273 is its out of my dart anyway and was just laying around. no extra cost of buying another block and then having two blocks laying around. plus i like the fact that you can build a 273 and smoke people and when they find out its a little o 273 they freak. mopar=morepower.

 

[ValiantOne]

kayle, I'm gonna keep watchin' this thread. my 68 has a 273 in it and I'd like to spice things up a bit:)

Cheers.

[joesnow]

Build a 318 is stead. The pistons are tooin diameter  small for a big valve 360 heads. 318 is a better build for piston size.

[mr.318]

yea when i was akid there was a little 65dart 273 2barrl. running high 12's the early 273's were solid camed which were high revers i had a 67 dart in the 80's with a 273 hi.po.soild cam headers 650 d.p. 4spd 355 rear them mustangs and trans am's couldn't hang with it redlite to redlite but i never had a trans. last over 3 weeks in that car

[moparrr07]

the 273 have gobs more torque than similar phord and chevy engines

[65bcuda]

273 all right for period correct but just rember no  those engines aren'T SH*T for the $$$$$ invested in a stroked 360 but good luck to your project

[ValiantOne]

for 20 grand i sell the one sitting on the engine stand 611hp.

611hp, 273cid, 20 Grand sounds like a steal. Where you located?

[CA Duster 383]

Until I bought this 383 Duster, I have always played with small blocks 273/318/340/340 motors.

I would rather see you buy a 318 or a 360 and invest the money building up one of those.

Like the post above a 318 is 40 more cubes and a 360 is 87 more cubes.

More cubic inches equal more POWER!!

Your going to spend the same money, maybe more doing the 273 only because of it's age
and having to fight the guys who are doing a 100% restore for the parts.

[kayle]

talked to my machinist today, and cuz im all low budget im starting the tear down tomorrow, gonna try to get the block to him by monday and see where were at. im thinking of starting with a .30 over and he and i will think it over from there. been cam shopping today but i have known my machinist jerry at ace machine in riverside for six years so i trust the hell out of him.
so im gonna see what direction he would like to go. ill keep you guys posted. who knows mabey my block is too far gone already.

i honestly hate the 318 thats in the car so bad its givin me a bad taste for the rest and in so cal it way to hard to find cheap 340's 60's or any thing other than 318's

and if i had 20G's id go big block 

[ValiantOne]

for 20 grand i sell the one sitting on the engine stand 611hp.

611hp, 273cid, 20 Grand sounds like a steal. Where you located?

I want more info on that dang 611hp engine ready to go! Yea baby. Where you located dude. If it isn't too far I'll drive out for a looksee.

Thanks,

[joesnow]

I am no machinist but, the way I understand you have to notch the cylinder for the valves if you use 202 J heads. The chamber area on top the smaller piston is just a handicap.I would just build the 318 just like you have in mind for the 273. It will have a more effient top end .
Just my 2 cents. Good luck in what you build.

[ValiantOne]

valiantone, its not realy mine and its not for sale. i was being a smart ass i'm good at that . its a .030 over 273 with 13.95to1, roller cam, w-2 heads with 1.90 intake valves, aluminum rods, sheet intake and a 1000cfm 4150. a few tricks here and there. it was in a guys dart running some nhra class with a cid limit. pretty cool little engine.

Oh so now you are going to burst my bubble! 

[kayle]

  got her torn down except the pistons are still in (couldnt find a ridge reamer) and the freeze plugs (anyone have a good trick to get those puppys out?)
all in all it doesnt look that bad (my machinist will tell me whats really goin on ) i noticed a small portion of the block broken off, seems like its been busted for a while visually, its the rear part of an oil passage cast thingy at the oil pump sprocket/distributor. motor must have rebuilt before. that and there is a hell of a crank journal sleeve on the block.

i have never gone this far into an motor before and im loving it, real nervous but im having a blast. i can only do a few hours at a time when i get home from work (bartender) but i must say it really is a great stress reliever!!!!!

gonna get the block down to the shop on sat or monday and see where we go from there! looking at a few different cam/lifter kits (solid) anyone have any preferances?
then there is the intake.... love the stock one cuz im lazy and everything fits where it should (linkage) anyone got any ideas there? headers that fit and arent a total monkey fu#k to work around?

damn just realized tranny is next...... feck....... shift kit?

i know, im lame
thanks guys!!!!!!!!!! time fer me own pint!!!!

[kayle]

damn i fergot EVERY SINGLE DAMN right bank pushrod was bent
what about heads? ideas? im thinkin stock........ mild but fun.....

[sportfury70]

Something is very wrong if the push rods were bent only on one side of the engine. 

I take the freeze plugs out with a cold chisel.  Push them in at the bottom, then the top will tip out.  Grab them with channel locks and pull them out.  I don't know how bad your ridge is, but I have taken pistons out with quite a bit of wear without a ridge reamer and have not broken a piston yet.  Then again, I didn't care if they did get broken.  Some people do more harm to the bore with a ridge reamer.  Good luck with your build!    Lewis

[darto]

 **(*)I would go with a stock running 440 or 360 out of a motorhome. Spend your money on an
8 3/4 rearend,
torsion bars,
727 tranny,
headers or 440/a body manifolds,
Schumacher motormounts,
radiator,
front brake upgrade.

You need to buy the
rearend,
727,
headers or manifolds,
front brake upgrade,
and radiator
anyway. This will give you the biggest bang for the buck.This is what I am doing. No billet or chrome, just early Hemi Orange paint.  Craigslist.org is a great source of reasonably priced 440's and 383's, and even free 318's and 360's. I have passed over 10 free smallblocks in the last year, four were complete running cars and pickups. I can't see spending more money for less cubes.

OR http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/pts/387309006.html
OR http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/car/378784909.html 

[hemicop]

 There's a guy running around in a vintage Trans-Am Valiant.I'm assuming he's running a 273 as they're pretty strict about being period correct. Now that you have the engine apart, if it were me, I'd hunt him down and see what he's doing. It'll give you a baseline for your build or if you wanted, a model for your project........good luck!

[jackie]

Kayle, first of all it's great to see someone still has a 273 engine. i dont know if it is a ho-po 273- 235hp , but if it is KEEP it . i had one YEARS a go in a 1965 formula S. (wish i still had it) .. it was  stock bottom end , racer brown cam .590 lift 292 dur. fenderwell headers, edelbrock intake,650 dp. holley, the best sounding car around.. i could kill camaros, mustangs and i loved it.. except for the tickets i got in it. i turned it 7200 rpm's all day and it stay together.. if it is a 1964 or 65 the intake is diff. than a 66 up.. go for it and good luck.. jackie

[kayle]

news on the front.......
first off i love my dad.... i tell him what i have in mind and he sets me strait. one thing i fergot to mention was the tranny problems i been having. in the past month i have only drivin my dart about 400 feet or so. and i have had to stomp the gas to get it to go anywhere.
 soooo. me luvin pa says "your rebuilding the 273 and you dont even know whats wrong wit the tranny?" ....... "yeah!!!" says i    so anyway heres the other deal. i have had this car since i was 15 im an old fucker at 30 now LOLOLOLOL anyhoo... my dart was sitting since i was 20 untill a year ago. basically many years ago when i was 20 and doing my best impersination of the dukes of hazzard i ripped a big ole hole in the oil pan, and drove the thing 15 miles home on no oil and it never siezed. (had 95-125 compression across the cylinders) then i parked it FOR YEARS!!!!

so last year this prick from Code Enforcement comes by and says that i have one week to prove it starts or hes towing it and off it goes to the scrap yard. like im going to let some county prick take my ride right? so i score this 318 with a 90 day warranty for 350 bones, not bad. except i hate the motor and wish it death. i had dual flowmasters put on and, damn it sounds good.

 anyway, after the talk i had with me pa, i decided it might have something to do with the who knows how damn old tranny fluid and filter, and whats 10 fer the kit and then another 10 fer the fluid? right?

funny things happen when you get off work and feel inspired. im a lowly bartender and get off bout 4 am or so, then i like all you kids need to relax!!!! so why not a few beers and a tranny service right??

damnit! then i say, since i already have the pan off why not scrub, and sand it down and repaint it MOPAR BLUE!!!!!! i dont care if its year corrrect i love the color.

8 in the mroning any the neighbors think im insane because i finished the final coat and im giggling like an idiot because its funny as hell to me that when im done there will be this big ole, nice, blue, pan amongst a pile o grease and i think im the only one who cares
or mabey thats the point.........

there ya go a little history on my baby and a funny thing for me!
whats next?

[kayle]

ok still confused.

finally sold my 52 olds(more time for dart) and still have my 273 block sitting here........ untouched.......
cant find any other running 273's cheap enough drove around a lil and hate that 318. dang.
anyone have an opinion on TCI trannys? how hard is it to rebuild the tranny anyway?

[chryco]

 

[kayle]

just found a running 440 with tranny for $600.00 what to do? easy fit? hard fit? but and resell? HELP!!!!
its hard to turn up my nose at a big block! by the way its out of a motorhome a 72

[MVRCorp]

Hey Kayle, keep us up to speed on your progress. I've got a cherry 67 273 Dart, fully documented, that I'm overhauling this winter and I'm about ready to pull the engine. Let me know your choices on the internal parts and suppliers. It's a 3 on the tree so it's no racer but I want to cam it, install headers and go to a 4-V stock manifold set-up.
Looking forward to hearing more.
Jim

[Mopar Tom]

Kayle--Just do it! You have our attention! Chryco's got the popcorn. My Scamp's got the 440 . My 65 Coronet has the 273 ,,go figure ! I've been starin at the 65 for 12yrs . Bought the Scamp cause I'm 55 & was worried about the 65 gettin done before God says it's time !!! (& you thought 30 is old ! )Yeah,,,they are all absolutely right ,,it's cheaper ,,easier & much more sane to go bigger & better ,,,but,,,I've been wanting to for sooo long !!!Put a 625 Afb & 3.23 Sure grip in her & tried real hard to hurt it ---couldn't git-er done !!!even with  100,000 plus on her !!!(my old man used to come home stinkin drunk in his 67 Coronet 273 & would literally floorboard it in park for 10 minutes at a time in the driveway)he finally broke a rod after many of those shows poor little thing !!!)
I bought the same book years ago--even Larry Shepard tells us not to waste our time on the lowly 273. !!but,,,,What I have gleaned is the swirl port 318 head would work ---I've been told the small eddys will work but you gotta watch shrouding ,,,, pistons will likely have to be custom,,,headers should be available for anything but my 65-----just do it!!!!!!!  kinda  like this , huh ? --Mopar Tom 

[mopardude318]

, this is awesome. kayle just build the 273! ive always liked the underdawg. 273 beatin big blocks!  .... prob. gonna get hammered for that one.