Thank you for the PM, i'll follow up on and, and provide any details you can on that motor, may be interested.

I went out to size up the job earlier and got to work. Luckily i made some changes to make taking it out the front easier if i had to do it again (the cross bar above the radiator, wiring in that area.)

First, sitting in it definitely made me want to drive it again. The first step is the hardest they say.

Second, it was running hot towards the end and i wondered why. Even just idling. I have a good fan with a steep pitch on it, right up against the rad. I had it cleaned, and i didn't want the used motor gunking it up. So, i put a filter on the top hose (double screen.)

It has a newly refurbed distributor (the kind where the housing moves when it revs, so you know it's advancing), nos carb, no exhaust restrictions, high flow 160 stat. It should have run cool, and it did for awhile. Took the hose off, and the filter was almost completely plugged! Coolant coming out of the radiator was perfect though, so it did its job.

Got it tore down to here, imagine i can have it out this weekend in half a day when i have a change to get back out there.

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The car has always stopped, handled, drove well before i swapped the motor (besides the trans started to go.)

Not that i want to lean on it hard all the time and want it to do 80mph 5 days a week twice a day, but like Kevin said, sometimes you look down and you're booking. It's flat and straight most of the time here, it's not uncommon to be doing 75-80 and not noticed it, even in an older car.

I didn't know if going back to 288 would give me more insurance against the same problem if i found myself booking down the highway was my main reason for asking, i had thought with less piston speed, it'd be less prone to have a rod problem in the future?

The 288 that was in there loved to run, as kevin said. I mean, it ran smooth and hard, and it really did pull hard, up to 95 passing a couple times. I'd have to check the rear ratio, i thought all the ultramatics came with like a 3.54.

So it seems that the best bet, unless i found one fresh rebuilt with paperwork somewhere, would be to yank the 327, find a 288 automatic head, and get her rebuilt.

Guess i might have to head out to the garage after all this winter. Would be nice to have all three classic vehicles i have the garage ready for a drive.

Thanks for the input guys. If it comes out, it's getting a full rebuild.

Even if it was just one rod or lifter, the engine was kind of weak compared to the 288, at least as i recalled at the time. I'm thinking that it badly needs at least rings and a valve job/valves. It's been mentioned that people don't realize how much power these engines lose over time, and i'm guessing my 288 was fresher than i realized and the 327 was probably well worn in.

It doesn't make sense not to do the whole works if you're going to do anything with the crank, and this one needs cleaned up at least on that journal. Plus, i'd want to take it down to the bare block and get it cleaned and make sure the oil/water passages are spotless.

My main two worries are:

1) even if i rebuild it, will i be asking for trouble running the 327 at hard highway speeds (75-80mph?) Wasn't the 288 a little more reliable at higher rpms? I thought it had something to do with piston speed if i recalled reading here in the past?

Unless new rods are available that are stronger for not much money? I'm a pontiac guy, and rods were the weak point for that motor, and it's considered standard to throw at least $300 into new rods if you want to rev over 5k rpm. I wonder if similar rods are available or necessary?

2) is kind of cost, i really don't want to get into a 5k rebuild. 5k will buy you a decent 4 door. I was hoping someone had a rebuilt or nearly so engine somewhere that someone abandoned in a machine shop that would save me a lot of time and effort, or one they had done for a project and wanted out, but i'm not totally against a rebuild.

I guess the first course of action, if better rods are available or not needed, is to get it out and start calling around locally for quotes. I could ship or take it out of state to an expert, but i am pretty tapped on free time lately, and even worse once spring/summer gets here.

About 5 years ago i drove out to CA to grab a 9 main 327 and trans to bring back to Ohio. My 288 in my 1950/ultramatic was running well, but the engine bay was ratty. The rest of the car looked fantastic. I needed to rebuild the ultramatic anyways and i thought, if i yanked it all out, i could do an upgrade at the same time.

I sold the 288 to a gentleman on here (and the trans i picked up, as it turned out to be a 3 spd+OD, went to a gentleman here near Toledo.) After fuel, timing, and generator issues sorted, i put about 200-300 miles on the motor before chasing down a clacking sound, which turned out to be a number 2 rod bearing. the journal was scored, i put a new bearing in but it was still there, didn't even have time to cut up the new bearing, which lead others smarter than I to speculate that the number two really had a piston or rod issue.

In the end, i was disgusted as it was a large project (or so i thought until 2 years late i restore a truck ground up...i'll take a motor swap any weekend vs sanding forever!). I haven't touched it since except to start it and move it from the front garage to the back and then back to the front again depending what i'm working on. I have finished or sold other projects, so i'm eyeing this up to get back on the road. I kind of miss her, and with new diamond back radial WWW tires and a fresh ultramatic, it's a shame not to get on the road. I have a redi-rad ready to go in so i can listen to fm on the original radio, the interior is great and the dash and door surrounds were re-done and it just looks amazing.

Long story longer, i'm thinking it's about 4-5k total to rebuild one of these? I mean if i'm pulling it, and there's like 1500-2k in parts if you go new pistons, rods, etc and do it right, probably 1500-2k in labor to do balance, decking if needed, etc, etc. My car is a 4 door standard eight. Even with the 4bbl 327, it's not likely ever to be a 13-15k car. It doesn't make sense to put that kind of money into the car. On the other hand, for a few grand, i can have a hell of a driving packard back.

My questions for you guys are...would you rebuild it? Swap the desirable 9 main 327 for another ready to go 288?

(since the 288 was more tolerable to highway rpms correct? I'm still worried after a rebuild maybe doing 75-80 in it was too fast with the 327 and caused the bearing? I did 70-80 for 2 summers with the original 288 with no issues, everywhere i go is 15 minutes of highway from my house.)

I already did all the work to find an NOS 327 carb, correct heat shields, adapted to fit the 50 front mounts, thermostat, etc. It seems like the 327 would be a great motor for the car, especially if i chased down a 288 AT head for it, which are around. On the flip side, worried about RPMs like above after putting the money in, and i'm betting i can trade the 327 9 main for a ready to go or almost ready to go 288 in a heartbeat?

I feel like someone who's been sleeping awhile, so i thought i'd stretch and look around and see what everyone's thoughts are. I just want to get her back on the road and have her reliable again, but i don't want to take a shortcut and get bit like last time.

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this should help

I've installed so many but i always triple check.

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It really is amazing what you have on hand flackmaster!

talking to a local generator/starter/whathaveyou rebuilder, he said the packards and cadillacs and sometimes buicks had the higher rated generators, that were upgrades or "rpos" for lesser cars like chevy and ford that needed them for this option or that. Not sure how true that is, but knowing how packard went the extra mile on everything else, it sounds like truth.

I did put a 54 327 (9 main) in my 23rd series in place of the 288. There were minor differences, BUT a pre 51 won't have the side mounts bosses and holes you need. You can put a later motor in an earlier if you switch the balancer and timing cover, etc, but you can't put an earlier in a later.

Differences in case someone finds this thread later:

I developed a rod knock shortly after, that's neither here nor there, but there was some other differences:

The temp sending hole is bigger on one than the other. I think the 51 used a smaller threaded hole. You could get a reading somewhere else, or make a brass L setup like i did, or a bushing if you're using the small sender in big hole. That's a head not a block difference. Honestly, if the motor is out, you could just drill it and tap it if you need bigger (earlier motors are bigger, and sending units aren't compatible, different reading ranges sent to the gauge).

Also, throttle linkage has 2 holes in side of head on earlier motors, and the manifold has 2 holes on top to accept another bracket. You can drill and tap both, there are posts here how i made a little bracket for the manifold. again, only an issue if you're putting later motor in earlier car.

Some linkage mods though, and you can run a 4bbl on the older series cars (4bbl linkage is on inside of carb instead of outside).

I've toyed with the idea of just selling the knocking 327 for enough to get a clean 288 or 327 that's 5 main and less valuable, but then i'd be worried that i'd put a used motor in and have trouble (like this time) so i'll likely get around to yanking it and getting it rebuilt.

We have really been through this in detail in several threads, here's the gist:

Alternators:

Powergen makes an alternator that looks like a generator

you can get delco alternators that have been switched to 6v positive ground

a healthy 6v charging system is putting out 7-7.5v and could likely handle it anyway.


Compressors:

A6 gm? don't think it'd work, think it'd draw too much.

Some early systems drove the compressor all the time, and you removed the belt in the winter. It used a hot gas bypass setup instead of the pressure switch we use now, and some other features to eliminate a clutch altogether. Look at old caddy parts, but honestly, they'll be a million dollars if you find them.

sandens actually require 7.5v to close according to specs...we saw someone had a 6v setup here from another site with a stock sanden. Adjust that regulator up to 7-7.5v i it's not there and you should be good to go. It likely already is. This is a clutch, not some crazy precise electrical system like in your computer. 6v lights still work on 3v right? just dimmer? I'd bet a GOOD chunk of money that a stock, healthy 6v pos ground charging system will hold a new quality sanden compressor clutch closed.

Use normal battery, don't try to carry a 12v battery for the compressor, or use an 8v battery or something. Not worth the rigging and cost and aggravation.

Of course, 6v blower motor.

I think that's about it, just have to get around to doing it, which a lot of us talked about but never got to. For one, my car was original enough that i didn't want to rig something up. It's a 23rd series, AC would look more at home in later series.