if they're both small journal, late 60's cranks is there any thing to distinguish them besides saying this is from a 302?

i got the block i mentioned a while back off ebay (local seller so i could pick it up and got it relatively cheap) yesterday but i haven't got any checks done on it yet. looking through the local swap paper i saw a 302 crank, balanced and called about it.

he wanted $350 for it. i told him that was beyond me. i admitted that up front, but he asked what i was hoping to pay. i had been seeing cranks go on ebay for about $100 but they were 283 cranks, i told him that. "well there's a big difference bettween those cranks, plus this ones balanced". i said i thought 302 were 327's with 283 cranks in them. at that point, i was trying to get information, but i guess he thought i was trying to talk him down (no, i don't think i've got enough silver on my tounge to get a price dropped from $350 to $100). he got mad and hung up.

i'm in no real hurry. especially since i still need to have the block checked. i'm thinking in terms of the engine and my chop top being two compleatly different projects that might become one project later. so tell me, what should i be looking for if i'm thinking 302 (or should i be thinking 302? i like the lower touque/high rev idea)?

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Phil T

'87 coupe (feral)
'84 indy
'84 coupe (cheap thrill)
'84 chop top (project. or at least an interesting collection of parts)

The journal diameter is larger on the later DZ cranks,283 should work,but would require a thicker main bearing,and I don't know where one would find that.

here is the story on the 302 Chevy. The only way you could get a 302 Chevy is to buy a '67 thru '69 camaro RPO code Z28. 68 and 69 had the large Journal cranks. The 67 had the small journal crank. Yes the 302 is the 327 (4" bore) with the 283 crank (3" stroke). The only thing to look for is a Forged steel crank with a 3"stroke, then get the thing balanced for the larger pistons.

Yeah, what 84 2in1 said. I'd have the crank balanced to your new pistons and rods etc. regardless of the crank you get.

There were large journal and small journal 302's. A large journal crank would be worth what your seller is asking. A small journal crank is not worth that (it's just a 283 crank).

One option of which you may not be aware is that you can turn an LT1 into a 302. There was a 4.3 litre version of the LT1, called the L99, used in Caprices through 94(?). It uses a 3" stroke and 5.940 rods. If you use the L99 crank and rods with LT1 block and pistons, you will have an LT1 302.

[This message has been edited by Will (edited 06-24-2001).]

Doh! Now THAT would be very cool!

If I'm not mistaken the L99 was a 3.10 stroke,BUT I could be wrong!-B-

quote Originally posted by 84 2in1: If I'm not mistaken the L99 was a 3.10 stroke,BUT I could be wrong!-B-

The L99 has a 3.000" stroke.

The 262(?) had a 3.100" stroke, but that was a 1 or 2 year only engine in the 70's sometime.