348 in a 1957 Chevy NAPCO

Licensed to kill

Well Known Member
I have the 348 installed in the truck. My next issue is the radiator. The original radiator (new) was a for a V8 motor (283), no shroud.
Any opinions as to whether this radiator will do the job for the 348?
thanks,
don
That's good to hear but can you give some details, perhaps with pics on how you solved the header/steering box issue?.
 

donsz

Well Known Member
1. Made my own shroud. It seems to work fine.
2. I ground down the steering box a little and then the header at the contact point. I did grind the header too much and went through. I bought the Sanderson hugger headers, but they also would need some modification. So, figuring I had nothing to lose, I decided to weld a patch on the original header that would clear the steering box. I researched the welding of cast iron headers, and is seemed like there are two camps out there. One says it is very complex and the other (fewer it seems) say it isn't a big deal. It appears that the composition of the headers may vary and that is a determinant of how easy it is to weld. So far the patch has held up (I used 14 gauge steel, the Sandersons were 16, so I thought 14 would be OK).
3. I will post pictures shortly. My limited experience is that the truck even steers a bit easier than with the 283. And the engine makes it much more pleasurable (power when you need it with lots of torque - I have 3.38 gearing).
don
 

donsz

Well Known Member
Haven't tried that, but it does it in 2WD. Tried it while rolling at about 30 mph. It did light up the tires, but decided to back off (newly rebuilt engine).
don
 

Licensed to kill

Well Known Member
Hey Don:poke did you forget something??
1. Made my own shroud. It seems to work fine.
2. I ground down the steering box a little and then the header at the contact point. I did grind the header too much and went through. I bought the Sanderson hugger headers, but they also would need some modification. So, figuring I had nothing to lose, I decided to weld a patch on the original header that would clear the steering box. I researched the welding of cast iron headers, and is seemed like there are two camps out there. One says it is very complex and the other (fewer it seems) say it isn't a big deal. It appears that the composition of the headers may vary and that is a determinant of how easy it is to weld. So far the patch has held up (I used 14 gauge steel, the Sandersons were 16, so I thought 14 would be OK).
3. I will post pictures shortly. My limited experience is that the truck even steers a bit easier than with the 283. And the engine makes it much more pleasurable (power when you need it with lots of torque - I have 3.38 gearing).
don
 

donsz

Well Known Member
Yes, thanks for the reminder. Picture could sharper.
don
 

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