*1966 L34 (360hp 396)*

[1972coronet]

As a companion piece to the 1965 Chevelle Wagon I'm building , I've started on the Revell 1966 El Camino 396 .

I'm going to build it as an L34 , 360hp iteration of the 396 ; however , I'm unclear on how that one-year-only iteration appears STOCK .

The kit provides 2 different air cleaner assemblies ; one which covers the 325hp version , and one for the L78 (open element) ---- but , which one is correct for the 360hp version ? 

I know that the intake manifold is engine-colour ( and is cast iron ) , and that the rocker arm covers are plated , but the correct air cleaner has me stumped .

P.S. - Thanks to @Snake45 for mentioning that the Testors Chevy Engine 'Orange' is of the correct shade (e.g. , more-red than orange) .

[Snake45]

26 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

P.S. - Thanks to @Snake45 for mentioning that the Testors Chevy Engine 'Orange' is of the correct shade (e.g. , more-red than orange) .

They call it Chevy Engine Red.  And it was used on all the big blocks until they changed to blue or black or whatever in the mid '70s. 

There was a Chevy Engine Orange used earlier in the decade, and on small blocks and 6s.

I'd assume your L34 used the snorkel air cleaner, pending proof otherwise. 

ETA: Just google-imaged 1966 L34 and saw a lot of pics of BBCs with chrome valve covers, red intake manifolds, and open element air cleaners, so it looks like I was wrong.  (The ones with aluminum intakes are obviously L78s.) 

Edited August 20, 2020 by Snake45

[1972coronet]

13 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

They call it Chevy Engine Red.  And it was used on all the big blocks until they changed to blue or black or whatever in the mid '70s. 

There was a Chevy Engine Orange used earlier in the decade, and on small blocks and 6s.

I'd assume your L34 used the snorkel air cleaner, pending proof otherwise. 

Thanks much ! And , yes , I meant to type "Red" instead of 'Orange' . 

Same air cleaner as the 325hp version then . I'll heed to your advice ?

[Snake45]

11 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

Thanks much ! And , yes , I meant to type "Red" instead of 'Orange' . 

Same air cleaner as the 325hp version then . I'll heed to your advice ?

Read my edited post. 

[1972coronet]

31 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Just google-imaged 1966 L34 and saw a lot of pics of BBCs with chrome valve covers, red intake manifolds, and open element air cleaners, so it looks like I was wrong.

I just remembered that (the now-defunct) Muscle Car Review ran a retro-article from Hot Rod of an L34 powered '66 Chevelle SS ----- it had the open element air cleaner . It's the only image that I could find of a stone stock 360hp engine ; most are either the 325hp version or the L78 , or are modified .

Thanks for your assistance ! 

 

 

[Deuces ll]

Some cast iron big block intake manifolds came with the Holley bolt pattern.... There was also a 2-bbl manifold in '69... Some 396 Chevelle/Malibu wagons had those....

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, Deuces ll said:

Some cast iron big block intake manifolds came with the Holley bolt pattern

That's what make the 1966 L34 so unique : the Holley carburetor . Late '66 & up 350hp 396 were equipped with the Rochester atomiser ; same as the 325hp version .

The 1969-only , 2 Bbl 396 was an epic failure . I believe that it was a truck-only engine ; a friend of mine had a '69 C-20 that had that two barrel 396 originally . It was replaced with a complete 360hp 396 backed with the truck's original TH-400 . My friend's uncle replaced that 396 with a warmed-up 350 , as the L34 went back into the Chevelle he'd pulled it from in the mid 70's .

[Deuces ll]

No wonder you rarely see a 2-bbl intake manifold out and about... I remember seeing one years ago in a Chevelle wagon being towed away to the scrap yard....

 

[espo]

11 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

As a companion piece to the 1965 Chevelle Wagon I'm building , I've started on the Revell 1966 El Camino 396 .

I'm going to build it as an L34 , 360hp iteration of the 396 ; however , I'm unclear on how that one-year-only iteration appears STOCK .

The kit provides 2 different air cleaner assemblies ; one which covers the 325hp version , and one for the L78 (open element) ---- but , which one is correct for the 360hp version ? 

I know that the intake manifold is engine-colour ( and is cast iron ) , and that the rocker arm covers are plated , but the correct air cleaner has me stumped .

P.S. - Thanks to @Snake45 for mentioning that the Testors Chevy Engine 'Orange' is of the correct shade (e.g. , more-red than orange) .

Part of the Air Cleaner confusion has to do with the Smog Emissions Equipment. I bought a new '67 El Camino while living in southern California. The engine was the afore mentioned L34 350 hp, in '67, with a 4-speed. The problem was the Emission System and the way that the Re-circular Air Injector System was required to work with California emissions. They were required to inject a controlled  amount of exhaust gasses into the enclosed Air Cleaner on the clean side of the filter element using a belt driven pump, the Valve Covers were vented to the dirty side of the Air Cleaner, any blow by would clog the filter element quickly, and a Crank Case Vent Valve from the other Valve Cover to the Carb. Most every where else the open element Air Cleaner would be used. What was happening, and what I did, was use the open element filter setup from the '65 Chevelle 395 or the full size cars with the high horse power big block. This was a very common day two or the afternoon of the date of purchase. Every two years you would have to put all the old stock equipment back on for your Smog Inspection to renew your License Plates. Plan "B" was to register your car in one of the Counties that still didn't require inspections of the equipment.  Since the Statute of Limitations has long since run out I think you know what I did. Most Chevrolet and other GM Dealers kept a regular stock pile of these Air Cleaner setups in their parts departments for a long time. I think it would be safe and better looking to have the open element Air Cleaner on your build now that I have bored you with my explanation. 

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, espo said:

Part of the Air Cleaner confusion has to do with the Smog Emissions Equipment.

Life-long California resident here ( haha ) . The A.I.R. Pump setup of 1966 & later was one of the worst emissions control devices ever ! I was lucky with my Mopars over the years , as they didn't receive the dreaded A.I.R. Pump until the 1972 model year (excepting , for some reason , the 318 , 340 , and 360) .

The air cleaner assembly was also part of Noise Pollution regulations ( I don't know how many Corvettes I've seen with the "49 State" side-exit exhaust ! Same with tail pipe embellishments on certain Chrysler models , particularly the 1970-1971 Barracuda --- California cars had the plain valance panel with turned-down tips ; muffling was different as well ) .

Thankfully , the Revell 396-427-454 engines during the 90's era were sans A.I.R. Pumps . For some reason the newer representations of the same series include the pump , but lack the appropriate plumbing and hoses . I wish that they would add those remaining items , in addition to a "delete" option ( I doubt that a modified 427 Camaro from Nickey would have the 'pump *and* dual four barrels and headers ) .

[espo]

30 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

Life-long California resident here ( haha ) . The A.I.R. Pump setup of 1966 & later was one of the worst emissions control devices ever ! I was lucky with my Mopars over the years , as they didn't receive the dreaded A.I.R. Pump until the 1972 model year (excepting , for some reason , the 318 , 340 , and 360) .

The air cleaner assembly was also part of Noise Pollution regulations ( I don't know how many Corvettes I've seen with the "49 State" side-exit exhaust ! Same with tail pipe embellishments on certain Chrysler models , particularly the 1970-1971 Barracuda --- California cars had the plain valance panel with turned-down tips ; muffling was different as well ) .

Thankfully , the Revell 396-427-454 engines during the 90's era were sans A.I.R. Pumps . For some reason the newer representations of the same series include the pump , but lack the appropriate plumbing and hoses . I wish that they would add those remaining items , in addition to a "delete" option ( I doubt that a modified 427 Camaro from Nickey would have the 'pump *and* dual four barrels and headers ) .

The rubber parts wouldn't be to hard to create, but I agree that they should be an optional part since most real cars of that era  didn't have the AIR System anyway.  Being a long time resident you might also remember the CHP road side inspections. For those not familiar with this, think of the old roadside DWI roadblocks on a Friday or Saturday night.  This would be in the middle of the day almost anywhere and everyone had to pull in and have a "Safety Check" of their car or truck. They would even give you a colored sticker for your Windshield if you passed. Besides the Smog devices they were even checking the aiming of your headlights. They would actually write you a ticket if your headlights were off just a little bit. I got a ticket once for flipping the lid on my then new '74 Chevrolet C-10 Step Side. This was mainly going on in SoCal, but I got the ticket while living in Santa Barbara County. 

[Deuces ll]

That was an instant 10 hp by flipping the air cleaner lid in those days..... We all did it!.... ??

[1972coronet]

California has / had some truly Draconian vehicle emissions rules-laws-regulations . Those horse dung roadside "inspections" ceased in 1975 , 1976 --- sometimes you can spot a vehicle with its original windscreen , and the CHP decal affixed to the inside . Oddly , there was a time when a vehicle's emissions equipment ( or , lack thereof ) was based on what year the engine was !  Lots of Vega's and LUV trucks around with Buick 215 V8's , which were sans any smog controls ( other than the sensible CCV / PCV valve ) . On the flip-side of that ; an older vehicle with a newer engine suddenly had to meet requirements ( ! ) . I believe that it was Hot Rod which had a project '65 Chevy II / Nova . They bought a 400 SBC 'Target' engine for it ; they had to add that (dreadful) A.I.R. Pump to it ! This was in 1974 , by the way...

These days , 1975 & earlier vehicles are EXEMPT . I'm shocked that that ruling hasn't been overturned ; been on the books since 01/01/1998 . And with that , I'll stop that discussion here , as it's now fringing on political discourse .