CRG Discussion Forum

Camaro Research Group Discussion => Originality => Topic started by: Emo1956 on January 12, 2018, 08:52:01 AM

Title: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: Emo1956 on January 12, 2018, 08:52:01 AM
Does anyone know for sure if the 3817173 balancer was finned on a 67 302 ? I am restoring the engine and I can't seem to find the right answer .  Thank you all.
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: bertfam on January 12, 2018, 03:11:00 PM
The finned balancer was discontinued sometime during the 1966 model year. It's possible (but not probable) that some VERY early 1967 engines may have had the finned balancer, but since the FIRST PRODUCTION Z28 (http://www.historictransam.com/projects/JonMello.html) didn't come out until early January, 1967 (Jon Mello's car), the chances are almost zero that there was one originally installed in a 302.

Ed
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: cook_dw on January 12, 2018, 03:32:46 PM
"Experts" disagree.   ::)





Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: Jerry@CHP on January 12, 2018, 03:46:52 PM
1967 Z28 engines never received the finned balancer.  My company, CHP has rebuild dozens of original '67 302 engines, judged at the Camaro Nationals many restored and original '67 Z28's and never has one turned up on an original engine. They were used in 1966 and have been seen on the '66 L79 engines. 

Have been running the national registry on these cars now for 30 years.  Yep, since 1988 and all of my data shows it was never used.  I hope this helps.

Jerry
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: bcmiller on January 12, 2018, 06:59:50 PM
My knowledge on the subject is limited, but I have never seen that finned balancer used on a 67 Z.
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: PURESS on January 12, 2018, 07:49:03 PM
Thank you Jerry for helping with this matter...nice to hear from you.
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: MO on January 13, 2018, 04:26:50 AM
"Experts" disagree.   ::)

That's subjective.
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: cook_dw on January 13, 2018, 01:00:14 PM
My commit was sarcasm.  Hence the quotations.  I was agreeing with Ed and pointing out don’t always believe what you read.  Trust but VERIFY.  OP did the right thing by asking here (CRG).
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: z28z11 on January 13, 2018, 05:55:11 PM
My commit was sarcasm.  Hence the quotations.  I was agreeing with Ed and pointing out don’t always believe what you read.  Trust but VERIFY.  OP did the right thing by asking here (CRG).

It appealed to my sense of humor. I wouldn't be at all surprised of how many buyers would take them up on the description.

Regards,
Steve
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: Emo1956 on January 14, 2018, 03:44:59 AM
What I believe to be the original balancer on the engine is finned.Build date of 12/20/66. My dad got this engine around 1970. Very confusing .
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: bertfam on January 14, 2018, 04:02:59 AM
Can you post a picture of the pad? That's a very early engine for a Z28. What's the VIN?

Ed
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: Emo1956 on January 14, 2018, 05:56:16 AM
there is no vin #
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: maroman on January 14, 2018, 04:38:23 PM
Service block?
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: bertfam on January 14, 2018, 05:36:40 PM
Any idea what happened to the car itself?

Ed
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: Emo1956 on January 14, 2018, 06:26:09 PM
I don't know. All I can remember my dad saying is the car was made into a race car. I kinda remember that I was in high school like 1970-71 maybe. The number on the block from what I can see is VI220MO  The number are very light, block casting 3892657 K-29-6 heads 3890462 L-13-6 . I am confused about what the balancer is. The balancer is finned. My dad worked for GM for over 30 years and my uncle work in the Tonawanda plant for almost 40 years. I remember them laughing how some cars got the wrong heads ,carburetors and transmissions. Even motors going into the wrong cars. I think you have to take with a grain of salt all these number matching cars when some of them were not made that way to begin with. Dealers back in the days changed many things if the customer wanted it added. I worked for Ford in the 70's and they use to order plain Jane cars and we would add whatever they wanted including interiors . I know there are people that put all there trust in what the NCRS says but personally I think there are way to many variables.
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: Emo1956 on January 14, 2018, 06:58:47 PM
 I am guilty of turning a 1967 Camaro 302 into a race car. I don't remember it saying Z-28 back then but it was a original 302 Camaro, no spoiler 4 speed car. Camaros were very cheap to buy back in the day . Only if I knew like so many of us. The only 1 I kept was the 68 SS 396/375 that I bought in 1975 from the original owner. I've owned that car almost 43 years now. Crazy
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: BSMIT59 on January 14, 2018, 11:09:13 PM
The 67 had no identifying emblems to say Z28 and would not have a spoiler. Only exterior clue would be the stripes...... but now every car has Z stripes. I see people with a beautifully restored SS and put Z stripes on it.....CRAZY
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: x66 714 on January 15, 2018, 01:04:33 AM
I saw a beautiful 69 ss350 at Super Chevy get moved from stock to modify class because of Z stripes one year.....Joe
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: bertfam on January 15, 2018, 01:51:43 AM
Some (not all) 3817173 balancers are date coded. Is yours?

Ed
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: Anorexicvega on January 28, 2018, 05:40:11 PM
1967 Z28 engines never received the finned balancer.  My company, CHP has rebuild dozens of original '67 302 engines, judged at the Camaro Nationals many restored and original '67 Z28's and never has one turned up on an original engine. They were used in 1966 and have been seen on the '66 L79 engines. 

Have been running the national registry on these cars now for 30 years.  Yep, since 1988 and all of my data shows it was never used.  I hope this helps.

Jerry
         Jerry, what's the earliest "4L" stamped  production week registered?
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: 1967 4K on February 11, 2018, 12:48:40 PM
I agree with BA Camaro about all kinds of parts used on Camaros. My cousin went to work at the Norwood plant in 1968 and worked there until the plant closed. He told me they put them together with what parts they had. A lot of miss matched colors and whatever. He said in all his years at Norwood he never the word quality it was just production. Get em out the door and keep the line moving.
Richard
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: 69Z28-RS on February 11, 2018, 11:14:02 PM
I agree with BA Camaro about all kinds of parts used on Camaros. My cousin went to work at the Norwood plant in 1968 and worked there until the plant closed. He told me they put them together with what parts they had. A lot of miss matched colors and whatever. He said in all his years at Norwood he never the word quality it was just production. Get em out the door and keep the line moving.
Richard

'Production' and 'keeping the line moving' are keywords in *every* manufacturing facility, whatever the product.  If they don't maintain their required production rates, none of them will have a job very long...  How often a line worker hears the word 'quality' used probably depends how often the worker screws up...  :)
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: bcmiller on February 15, 2018, 06:15:38 PM
I am sure some incorrect things made it past the station where mismatched colors, etc. where put on the car originally. But there were inspections and quality control farther down the line. Most of that was probably fixed. Notice I said most, not all. Obviously things that were very minor made it through inspection.

There may have a slightly higher number of inconsistencies toward the beginning and toward the end of the model year.   
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: bertfam on February 18, 2018, 01:33:57 AM
I disagree with what you guys are saying about mismatched parts being installed on these cars. Chevrolet didn't even accept the order unless all the parts and sub assemblies were available. They would never start building a car without having everything they needed at hand. Chevrolet had an entire department dedicated to just this. It was their job to anticipate what would be required and make sure the parts were in stock to build cars. William and John have talked about this numerous times and a search should yield more detailed answers that mine, but this should get the general idea across.

Ed
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: bcmiller on February 18, 2018, 05:40:15 AM
Ed, I know what you are saying. But sometimes the “worker bees” just get the work done and upper management may not know the details. Been there, done that. :)

Now obviously I have no personal first hand knowledge of this for Camaro production, but for minor things, I sure would not be surprised if it happened. Not all day, every day, but occasionally. That’s what inspections are for (P T B). Again most of these things were fixed before leaving the assembly plant. 

Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: jdv69z on February 18, 2018, 10:07:24 PM
I'm sure the occasional wrong part got installed, but it seems like a lot of it these days is people trying to convince themselves they have something they do not using the assembly line error argument.
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: bcmiller on February 19, 2018, 02:33:07 AM
Yes I agree with that too. Wrong parts being installed would be a very rare thing.
Title: Re: 1967 Z-28 302
Post by: westonz28 on February 23, 2018, 02:13:40 AM
On my 1967 RS the steering wheel has a standard horn button not the RS. I know this is the way it came from the factory as my brother in law bought it new and it has never been worked on. All original numbers matching L30/M20 Camaro one repaint and new carpet and seat covers. Engine has never been rebuilt. The smog stuff has been removed if it ever had it.