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327 Small Block Chevy - The Misfit327 Part Duex From the February, 2009 issue of Chevy High Performance By Sean Haggai Photography by Sean Haggai
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If you recall our three-for-all engine build and test, "Three-Way Mousefest" (Aug. '08), we built and tested three radically different mills (327ci, 355ci, and 383ci) and showcased what could be done with today's modern off-the-shelf parts. Our Misfit 327 churned out an impressive 391 hp on pump juice for around $4,000. Now it's time to add some zip to the little mule. To recap our combo, we utilized a cast crank and rods, flat-top hypereutectic pistons, a hydraulic flat tappet cam, a Dart Iron Eagle top-end kit, and a 2-inch Wilson manifold spacer-nothing crazy by any means. For this edition, we talked to Weiand, a division of Holley, which offers this 142-series blower. It's the smallest blower they offer and produces up to 5.5 psi of boost. For our mill, it's a perfect combination. To put it simply, the blower kit comes complete with everything you need and installing it is as simple as a manifold swap. To make sure our breathing stays as efficient as possible, we also swapped out the old lifters in favor of a set from Comp Cams, along with a nitrided blower specific grind. When we discovered the 1.7:1 ratio rockers were causing the little 327 to be down on power, we reevaluated the situation. Basically, the larger 1.7 ratio was causing the cam to actually lose lift in the dyno pull. However, on hand was a set of smaller Comp 1.65:1 ratio rockers, which we swapped in (although Scorpion does offer rockers ranging from 1.3 to 1.7:1). The new ratio got our lift back and cooperated well with our blower grind 'stick. How much did it add? Sixty horsepower and 52 lb-ft-impressive indeed, but read on to find out the juicy details. Quick Notes
The job
A cam and lifter swap with a blower on top Bottom line
Big power for little cash  This conversion, as trick...  This conversion, as trick as it may seem, only requires you to complete a manifold swap. Using a 3/8-inch closed wrench, we removed all the bolts and our Dart dual-plane manifold.  The most difficult part? Removing...  The most difficult part? Removing all the old gasket material from the intake ports on the cylinder heads. Be sure to place paper towels or rags in the lifter valley, including the intake ports on the cylinder heads, to prevent any material from entering.  Once they were removed, we...  Once they were removed, we inspected each of the lifters for wear and damage. It's worth the time it takes as it'll inform you of potential oiling problems; in our case, they were fine.  We then popped off our two-piece...  We then popped off our two-piece timing cover from Comp, which allows for easy cam swaps with the added benefit of not having to drop the oil pan.  Organizing Flat tappet lifters...  Organizing
Flat tappet lifters all wear differently so it's a good idea to label and keep them in order. These lifters are still in perfect condition and will serve as a backup should we decide to use them again.  We pulled the old timing gear...  We pulled the old timing gear and chain off the front and pulled the cam out as well. Be careful when pulling the cam to avoid nicking the cam bearings.  Cam'd Up Our cam was ordered...  Cam'd UpOur cam was ordered with the patented nitriding process, which uses pulsed nitrogen plasma to infuse nitrogen ions into the steel. In order words, it's the best way to increase the hardness and lubricity of flat tappet cams to help enhance break-in and durability. | THE SPECS | | Lobe separation | 113 | | Duration at 0.050 | 230 intake, | | 244 exhaust | | Lobe lift | 0.327 intake, | | 0.334 exhaust |  With the new cam lubed up...  With the new cam lubed up and stuffed in, we fitted the timing gear and chain back onto the front of the motor. We made sure to line up the timing marks before we bolted it down and folded over our cam plate.  1. Dart Iron Eagle heads:...  1. Dart Iron Eagle heads: 2.02-inch intake valves, 1.60-inch exhaust valves, 64cc combustion chambers, and 180cc intake ports.
2. Weiand 142-series supercharger and intake manifold, which average 5-7 psi of boost.
3. TCI 8-inch damper with supplied Weiand lower blower pulley.
4. Powerhouse 327ci block bored 0.030 over with cast crank and rods.  Heavy Lifting We used hydraulic...  Heavy Lifting
We used hydraulic flat tappets not only because they're simple to install and reliable, but also to keep the cost down compared to their roller counterparts. We ordered our Comp lifters in the Pro Magnum series, which tend to run $15 more than the normal lifters, but they're designed for added load and upper-rpm hits, which makes them a perfect match to our blower combination.  Our Fel-Pro gaskets were next....  Our Fel-Pro gaskets were next. We applied silicone on the water ports, laid down the gaskets, and planted the supplied Holley blower manifold. We reused our old bolts, tightening them to 15 ft-lb.  Weiand supplies a gasket and...  Weiand supplies a gasket and includes the four bolts for the blower assembly. We added a bit of antiseize to the threads for good measure and torqued the unit down to 10 ft-lb.  Supercharger Holley's 142-series...  Supercharger
Holley's 142-series blower was designed with a long nose, allowing it to fit a majority of small-block Chevy powerplants in either a short or long water pump configuration. Although it may be the smallest blower offered by Holley, this little unit still has the ability to produce up to 7 psi of boost with the right combination. The "142" refers to the approximate CID of air per revolution. This blower has a low-profile for maximum fitment under the hood, and it's available for standard or aftermarket heads.  With the TCI damper back on...  With the TCI damper back on and using a touch of antiseize on the threads, we bolted the lower blower pulley on using a 9/16-inch socket.  With the belt tensioner pulled...  With the belt tensioner pulled down, we wrapped the supplied six-rib blower belt around the upper and lower pullies. Then it was only a matter of hooking it up to the dyno and we were ready to make some pulls. | BY THE NUMBERS | | RPM | LB-FT | HP | PSI | | 3000 | 392 | 224 | 3.8 | | 3100 | 388 | 229 | 3.9 | | 3200 | 388 | 236 | 3.8 | | 3300 | 392 | 246 | 3.8 | | 3400 | 399 | 258 | 3.9 | | 3500 | 407 | 271 | 3.9 | | 3600 | 413 | 283 | 4.0 | | 3700 | 416 | 293 | 4.1 | | 3800 | 421 | 304 | 3.8 | | 3900 | 425 | 316 | 3.9 | | 4000 | 428 | 326 | 3.9 | | 4100 | 429 | 335 | 4.0 | | 4200 | 429 | 342 | 4.1 | | 4300 | 430 | 352 | 4.1 | | 4400 | 435 | 364 | 4.0 | | 4500 | 438 | 376 | 4.0 | | 4600 | 437 | 383 | 3.9 | | 4700 | 435 | 390 | 4.1 | | 4800 | 433 | 396 | 4.0 | | 4900 | 432 | 403 | 4.1 | | 5000 | 432 | 411 | 4.1 | | 5100 | 431 | 419 | 4.1 | | 5200 | 429 | 424 | 4.1 | | 5300 | 425 | 429 | 4.1 | | 5400 | 425 | 437 | 3.9 | | 5500 | 420 | 441 | 4.0 | | 5600 | 416 | 444 | 4.1 | | 5700 | 414 | 450 | 4.2 | | 5800 | 411 | 454 | 4.4 | | 5900 | 407 | 457 | 4.5 | | 6000 | 403 | 460 | 4.8 | | 6100 | 392 | 455 | 4.9 | | 6200 | 384 | 454 | 5.0 | | 6300 | 379 | 454 | 4.9 | | AVG | 416 | 368 | 4.1 | The Parts Bin | DESCRIPTION | PN | PRICE | | Weiand 142-series | | blower | 6500-1 | $1,400 | | Comp cam | 12-564-4 | 150 | | Comp lifters | 858-16 | 104 | | Nitriding | 1-111-1 | 100 | | TOTAL | $1,754 | Comp Cams
Memphis, TN
901.795.2400
compcams.com
Holley Performance Products
Bowling Green, KY
270.782.2900
holley.com
Scorpion Performance
Fort Lauderdale, FL
954.779.3029
scorpionperformance.com
Westech Performance Group
Mira Loma, CA
951.685.4767
westechperformance.com
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