396/425 engine

[vetzs]

I'm looking for feedback on 65 396/425 vettes. Any owners out there care to comment on this engine's shortcoming's or strength's?

 

[Ken Anderson]

If you build back to stock specs, it should blow up by the 2nd hard run. If you bore it, beef up the rods, valve springs, etc, then you'll have a good running 427.

 

[motorman]

I'm looking for feedback on 65 396/425 vettes. Any owners out there care to comment on this engine's shortcoming's or strength's?

i owned a brand new 396 corvette i picked up at the st louis factory on april 14 1965 and the big problems were the valve springs,broke one on the way home back to PA,soft valve keys and bad valve spring retainers that allowed the engine to drop valves. these were fix before i picked up my new 66 427 corvette and i never had any engine broblems with it.

 

[Tom Bryant]

First year 1965 396s had a few problems. There was often one tore down in the local Chevy dealer, whether it was a Corvette or an Impala. They fixed all of that and you can bet that even stock replacement parts today are not the same parts that were failing in 1965. One of the fastest cars around in 1965 was a maroon 425 horse Impala SS. That car lived on the street and went to the strip every weekend.

If you are looking to buy a 396 car inquire about the engine. When/if it was rebuilt and to what specs. There is nothing inherintly wrong with a 396. If you buy a project needing an engine rebuilt just use premium parts throughout like ARP fasteners, forged pistons, upgrqaded valve train components and upgrade to a better rod. No judge will ever see this stuff and it will give you an engine that you will never have to worry about if you want to crank on it occasionally.

Tom

 

[cfalson]

I ran both 396 & 427's, never had any problem with the 4 bolt main blocks, and rectangular port, open chamber heads. Two bolt blocks and oval port, closed chamber did have problems, either dropping valves, or the rotating assembly saying good bye, two bolt mains could not hold up.
If you stay with the 396/375, make sure the crank is forged, check run out, main caps are matched to block positions, rods are shot peaned, heads have dual springs and high quality retainers and keepers. Balance the rotating assembly, clean up the ports and drive the car like it's stolen the motor will hold together.

 

[rohard]

I'm looking for feedback on 65 396/425 vettes. Any owners out there care to comment on this engine's shortcoming's or strength's?

Well, I have a 65 with a big block. It is stamped properly for the 396CI/425HP engine, and has all 18 "tells" for a big block. HOWEVER, someone has ground the casting numbers off. (I did not buy it as numbers matching, nor did I pay the price.) Mechanic tells me he thinks it is a 427 block, but no way to tell with out taking to FBI to have the casting numbers recovered or tear the engine down.
Anyway, the point is, I clearly remember how these cars were driven when they came out, and to expect to find an original one today is like believing in the tooth fairy.
My personal experience with my car was to block the throttle so that I can only get the front two barrel to work, the tires and suspension just won't handle the power. I get out of my C5, and drive the C2, and wonder why I did not kill myself when I was 19 and the C2 was all that was available.
The torque and the sound of these engines is just unbelievable.