VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1958-1960 1960 348 engine

It`s me again! Mr million questions! Can someone tell us what HP rating this 1960 Impala 348 with 4bbl has. The numbers are: #3755011---GM2

Thanks for any help!!

hoppy

Hoppy,
All 59-61 348 engines have the same 5011 casting number, most likely it is a 250 HP, the most common. The easiest way to tell the difference on the the 250 from the other three (305, 320, and 340)is that the 250 HP has a cast iron intake
John
PS there are many other differences beside that

John-- Thanks for the info!! It definetely has a cast iron intake. I have heard that these 348`s have been affectionately called garbage truck motors because it was only motor GM put in them.

hoppy

The 283's were also in trucks but they never get stuck with the same stigma. They were a universal engine with multi-purpose use. The were used for boats, drove irrigation wells, picked up garbage, The Daytona 500, and even in the family station wagon. It was a qoute used by a magazine and sort of stuck to it. The are expensive to rebuild but really worth the price of admission in the long run. Is this a running engine? Be careful of the stuck ones, they are known to crack on the sides from freeze out plug to freeze out plug, behind the exhaust manifold. If you find a set of 409/340 HP heads to use with some 21/2 inch exhaust manifolds it will really breath better and wake things up!
John

The 348 was the best new engine that Chevrolet ever made. They were almost trouble free from the day that they were introduced. In 1957 they had no idea that the small block could/would be enlarged to 350 and 400 cubic inches. A larger block/engine was necessary as both Ford and Plymouth had one coming in 1958 + a larger engine was needed for the heaiver 1958 and up cars. They also needed a larger displacement engine for trucks as they were using the Buick 322 C.I. in the larger trucks and that wasn't even big enough. It was not uncommon for the pasenger car engines to be shared with trucks and all the V*'s were but in a de-tuned version for better lowe sped torque and so they could burn regular gas. The 348's in cars all required premium gas in their day.

When I rebuilt my engine I installed the 9.5 : 1 pistons so I can drive it. I get away with regular on today's fuel. Gene, you are 100% correct the 348 is really a good engine
John