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Engine Replacement for SmBlck V8 ?

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  • Member since
    April 2009
Engine Replacement for SmBlck V8 ?
Posted by stretch_5 on Sunday, September 19, 2021 7:46 PM

Hi All,

So I am basically a box stock builder when it comes to model building cars and have an engine question.  In the Unniversal Construction ElCamino there is supposedly a Small Block V8 chevy engine.  Can anyone recommend a different engine that can fit as a replacement?  Thanks :)

  • Member since
    January 2021
Posted by PFJN2 on Monday, September 20, 2021 6:47 PM

Hi,

Looking at Wikipedia it appears that the real 1965 El Camino could be bought with either;

194 cu in (3.2 L) I6 
230 cu in (3.8 L) I6
250 cu in (4.1 L) I6
283 cu in (4.6 L) Small-Block V8 Turbo-Fire
327 cu in (5.4 L) Small-Block V8 Turbo-Fire
396 cu in (6.5 L) Big-Block V8 

The two smaller Inline 6's are also listed bu the name "Turbo-Thrift" while the two Small Block V-8s appear to be also listed by the name "Turbo-Fire".

The larger 396 cu in Big-Block V-8 isn't listed as an option unitl the 1966 model year, I'd guess that it "might" also fit, since the 1964-1967 vehicles appear to sare the same basic chassis etc.

Doing a quick internet search it looks like Revells' 1/25 scale 1968 Chevelle SS396 has this larger V-8, so you "might" be able to swap it out into your El Camino.  If I am understanding correctly from this website a Chevy 396 cu in V-8 is about 28 inches wide by 30.5 inches long and 29 inches tall, which equates to about 1.12 in x 1.22 in x 1.16 in (or 28.5 mm x 31 mm x 29.5mm).

If your not too concenred about details, you could also maybe swap in any similarly sized engine from another kit (I'd suspect that maybe any 1/25 model of an Inline 6 or a V-8 engine of less than 396 cu in (full scale) would have a hopefully reasonable chance of fitting, though you may have to do a "little" work to get it in reasonably).  Occassionally you can sometimes buy individual "engine" sprues or resin replacement motors off ebay for a reasonable  price and sometimes you can come across a "lot" of random scale motors for sale that people have salvaged from their old builds.

Hope that helps.

Pat

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: North Pole, Alaska
Posted by richs26 on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 1:57 AM

Small block Chevies basically use the same block on the outside, so they all will mostly look the same.  The same goes for the 396 and 454 big blocks.  They basically look the same on the outside, but vary on the internal dimensions.  Read up through Wiki on them.  So just find a 396 or 454 model for a big block.  You already have a small block covered.

WIP:  Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 73rd BS B-26, 40-1408, torpedo bomber attempt on Ryujo

Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 22nd BG B-26, 7-Mile Drome, New Guinea

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