59 Advance Service Information Part 1

[oldskydog]

Here's some more from these publications. These are a few pertinent pages introducing the new 59 models and points out some of the changes. Note the 300hp 348 which was introduced in late 58. there are 8 attachments so it will be in 2 parts.

I also have the differential removal and rebuild booklet, the explanation and set up of the pinion angle on the 3 piece driveshaft, the entire booklet on the triple-two barrell carb with set up, adjustment, and rebuild procedures all nicely illustrated among others. I will post them if anyone is interested.:dunno

[oldskydog]

Here's more.

300hp and 315hp 348.

Truck bearings?:scratch

[NASCAR FAN]

Cecil:

The 348/300 is a mystery. There is no record at the Tonawanda engine plant of a 348/300 being built or installed in '58 or '59 pass. cars. I have seen the records which are now in the possesion of a gentleman named Fran Preve. A. Colvin's book CBTN indicates the same. However there is a record of the 348/305 man. trans engine. The 348/305 that was only available with a Powerglide is a different engine from the man trans version because of a different camshaft. The Powerglide version was released at the same time the 348/315 was superseded by the 335 horsepower 348 and the man. trans 348/305 was superseded by the 348/320 prior to the '59 Daytona 500. The man. trans 348/305 had a iron intake and a WCFB carb. The later 348/305/Powerglide used the AFB carb on an iron intake.

Rick

[oldskydog]

Rick,
I'd sure like to see that WCFB that will work with 300/305hp. I haven't seen any WCFB chevy application over 250hp. The oldest parts catalog I have is 59 and it shows the afb 2897 for the high perf with H/L cam as well as the 3760263 cast iron intake. That intake has larger secondaries so I doubt it would work with a WCFB but would work with the afb. I also have a carb application chart which shows afb 2859 for 58 348 application, 2897 for 59 , 3012 for 60, 3012 and 3221 for 61 348 and 3270 for 409.
I sure would like to find some solid documentation on these engines. Meanwhile it's interesting trying to sort it out.Just a guess but I suspect the 300hp designation was chevy rating the engine at a different rpm like they did with several other examples.... the early 66Corvette 450hp rating which was changed to 425 with no change in engine components, just rated at a different rpm. They probably decided to make it 305 in 59 when they came out with the 320 and 335:scratch

[NASCAR FAN]

Cecil:

I'm just passing on the Tonawanda engine's plants information. To back up my other info please see Doug Marion's 348 engine history article in the Jan. 08 issue of Super Chevy magazine. In particular the 348 engine chart on page 040. I don't know where Mr. Marion got his information but I doubt he pulled it out of his hat. Most likely it is from Chevrolet documents.

"They probably decided to make it 305 in 59 when they came out with the 320 and 335."

Are you saying they changed the man. trans. 348/300's horsepower rating from 300 to 305 after it went out of production and was no longer available? It went out of production and was replaced by the "FG" 348/320. At the same time the 348/315 was replaced by the "FE" 348/335 and a new engine--- the "GD" 348/305/Powerglide came on board.

Rick

[oldskydog]

Rick,
I don't have anything showing when the FD code engine was dropped. If it was dropped when the 320/335 came out then that would indicate that the FD became the FG with whatever components gave it the extra 15 hp. Colvin shows the 58 FD code as 315hp with a solid lifter and 4 barrel. This has to be a typo and that must be the 300hp engine. There's no way that the 4 barrel could give the same hp as the 3x2 with the same internals and certainly not a WCFB. The FD for 59 is shown as 305hp with no known internal changes.That is where I think the 300hp morphed into the 305 either intentionally by GM or simply a typo that grew legs with all the different and constantly changing engine configurations which even GM couldn't keep straight in their publications.

Do you have any info on the FK code engine built under COPO 2424? I haven't seen anything about it anywhere other than the reference in Technical Service Bulletin DR 451. Sounds interesting.:scratch

[NASCAR FAN]

Cecil:

I'm not trying to dispute any of your information----I'm just trying to illustrate the convoluted mess the history of the 1958 and early 1959 348 history is. From mid-1959 and there after the information is pretty clear.

My Colvin books are at my other residence but I can remember a photo copy of a TSB pertaining to solid lifter 348s which includes a COPO engine which, if I remember correctly, was a modified RPO 576 which is the 348/250. Is this the engine you are referring to?

Doug Marion, in his chart, lists a 265 horsepower 348 which has the same specs as a 348/250 except it has the same solid lifter cam as the 348/315. Could this be the engine?

On the other hand Colvin singles out the 348/265, (actually mentions it) as he does the 348/300, and states there is no Tonawanda record of such an engine. Maybe COPO engine records were kept separate and Colvin and other historians have not seen them.

About carbs: During the 1957 NASCAR season, as of May 1st. the '57 Chevrolets were no longer allowed to run Fuel Injection on the 283 horsepower 283 engine. Chevrolet quickly developed a new 4-bbl carb & intake as a replacement for the injection unit on the 283/283. This carb was not installed on any production '57 engines that were built at the factory. It was an over the counter deal. My point is: carbs, intakes, and other engine parts listed in Chevrolet documents were not always factory installed on production engines.

Rick

[oldskydog]

Rick,
I suspect the reason Tonawanda didn't have any record of the 300hp 348 is that they probably kept the records by suffix code not hp ratings.

I went to a swapmeet today and picked up an original early 59 Passenger Shop Manual Supplement..this is not the later combined 59-60 Shop manual Supplement but the early 59 original. Here are two references to the 300 hp engine which can only be the FD code. The odd thing is that in none of the manuals, either 58, 59, 60, do they cover the AFB carb.

I Also picked up an original 1961 Chevrolet New Product Information manual TP-16 which is a 77 page publication outlining all the changes to the 61 lineup. Attached is the powertrain chart. Notice that it doesn't include the hydraulic lifter 305 engine like Tommy has in his SS. It must have been overlooked or introduced after this pub was printed.:scratch

[NASCAR FAN]

Cecil:

The Tonawanda engine record documents, I saw, listed the engines by advertised horsepower ratings. There is no 348/300 rated engine on them for '58 and early '59----only 305 along with the 315, 280 and 250. A. Colvin most likely saw the same documents I did. This is why, in his book, he said the is no record of the 348/300 in Tonawanda records.

From your 1961 Engine Line-Up chart:

"The heavy-duty Powerglide, once again, may be had with the Turbo-Thurst Special used with police car options and having an 11.0:1 compression ratio."

Does this mean the the solid lifter 348/305/Powerglide engine is no longer a retail engine and available only in police cars? This may explain why it is no longer listed in the 1961 consumer sales brochure along with the hyd. lifter 9.5:1 c.r. 348/305.

Rick

[hogmotors]

From what I remember in the Atlanta area in the early-mid 60's(when I bought my present race car engine)the police cars in the outlying counties all ran that 305.
The ones that I saw had Al intakes(mostly 61's). I tried to buy that 5 plate clutch pack in 65 & they sent me the 4.
My $.00002.