The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks 348

I,m new here.So I have to ask,has anyone ever put a 348 in a 66 1/2 ton? I,m going to try.

I have seen one installed in a '64 1/2 ton years ago. It was a tight fit. My Dad had a new '65 2 ton and it was ordered with a 348. Good Luck.

The 348 was on the drawing board in 57 as a medium duty truck engine when the Ford 312 with the supercharger started kicking Chevy butt on the drag strip. Chevy engineers installed a solid lifter cam and a 3-2bbl. intake, and rushed it into production in the 58 Impala. The Chevy racers who had been accustomed to winding the 283's up to 7,000+ RPM suddenly learned what a "swallowed valve" meant! The 348 is a good, high torque engine, but keep the shift RPM around 5,500!
Jerry

it has been bored 60 over and a stroker crank added and big block rods.
should be about a 440 when we are done.

Good luck- - - - -the biggest GM could make that engine was 427, and the lifespan on the dyno was measured in minutes! That's why they developed the straight valve cover big block engines.
Jerry

I tend to agree with Jerry. Ran a 348 with 3x2's Impala back in 66-'68. It was a killer after we rebuilt it but I could get through the gears in an instant. To me it was a good engine. Never let me down but I knew its limits.....5500rpm Jerry? I agree but I was and have always been know to "stretch the rods" a little ever now and then
As a footnote, the 348 I had is in a mans basement on an engine stand. He became owner of it after I rolled the 58Impala MANY times at full throttle. I wanted the engine for a 40 chevy sedan coupe and he will NOT part with it. Told me the valve covers had never been off of it since I rebuilt it....that was in '68 and I wrecked it after about 10,000 miles and salvaged the engine.
I think they make GREAT conversation pieces but there is more HP for less money than build a 348 today....I still want that one back though!!!!

I have never heard of a 40 chev sedan coupe, now in those years a sedan always had 4 doors.
this sounds interesting; do you have any pictures of i?
ron

I have a 65 C-80 with the original 409 and a 65 LCF-60 with the original 348. I also have a 63 Impala with a 409. I love those old motors. I had a neighbor in Denver back in the 80's who had a 348 in a 66 pickup, it looked very cool in there.

These w engines are great. They make lots
of mid range power. There are old wifes tells
about durability but most are unfounded. For
your application it sounds like a good fit.
There is a wealth of information on the 349/409 website.

I put a 409 into a '60. We trimmed the tops of the frame rails just a bit and used Sanderson headers. No clips, original front end radiator etc. We used a repop fan shroud. Turbo 400 trans. Giddy-up!
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2079352450054213402cDxUSB

padresag, hey, my fingers got happy and it was almost midnight so I claim imunity!! It was a 40 2dr.SEDAN. Thanks for the correction.

lcfman, yeah, at least mine was durable. I drove that thing all over the country and had it with me in the U.P of Mi. when in military. It never let me down and I not only used it but I abused the heii out of it a lot of times. I had "cleaned house" the night I wrinkled it up real bad (still have the scars) and was headed to another drag area to square off with a couple more that we were one and one. I never got to see who would take the 2 of 3. I loved it!

not trying to be on your case, but it was a coach not a 2dr sedan. in them days a 2 door was a coach and 4 door was a sedan. yo didn't have to count the doors to identify . if one said coach or sedan you knew automatically how many doors that it had.
ron

Gotcha Ron

I'm building the truck for a nostalgic gasser class. Most of guys run small blocks and a couple big blocks. I wanted something different. Should make 500+hp and about 540 ft. lbs. of torque @ 5800 rpm.Right now I have the only truck in the group.I sent some of them pictures of the tailgate for Christmas and told them this is all they will see of the truck next season !

You will find that many original type parts are hard to get for 348/409. But a neat looking engine. rather have a 454.

As far as fitting a 348 in the engine bay, I have a 348 3x2 that I want to put in my '64 but measuring indicates that the firewall MAY need to be massaged to clear the valve covers, not sure. The general DID put the "W" head engines in the >2ton trucks but the cab sits quite a bit higher off the frame which allows the necessary firewall clearance. As far as facts on the engine itself, this is a good place to get the straight goods http://www.348-409.com/