What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Budget 383...Is there such a thing?

Zeus33rd

Zeus33rd

Smarter than you
GMOTM Winner
Joined
Mar 14, 2002
Posts
7,324
Reaction score
16
Location
Grass Valley, CA
So I've got the old tired 350 from the 'burb sitting on the stand waiting to be rebuilt into something then stuck into the truggy. I've always liked the idea of a 383....And would love to build this old motor into one for the truggy. Whats involved? I'm an engine building n00b so bear with me. Whats the best way to start? Should I order parts from Summit? PAW? Jegs? Can I run the stock heads from the 'Burb motor with just a good rebuild? I know some of you guys run 383's...what did it set ya back to get it done? Is there a "stroker kit"? The truggy needs some hp...the Goodwrench motor was barely sufficient. :D
 
Talk with many motor shops , speed shops , and or magazine advertisers and compare kits for quality and price. Decide if you want a long rod or a short rod ( price is different for each ) and how the motor will be balanced.
If you decide to go with a shorter rod motor than the price will be not much more than if you were to re-do your existing SBC and a bargan for the dollars spent. DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING !!!!! Lots of folks spend way more than they needed to when they buy parts and than don't have pieces that work together.
383's are great and can be done relatively cheap if you purchase wisely.
Tom
 
383's are my specialty! You can build them cheap cheap using all oem parts if you like. Or you can get an entire rotating assy anywhere from $500.00ish to $1500.00.

I'm also building another at the moment for my 90K5 and I think I'll just grab one of THESE to start with. As for the heads, you'll be severely limiting the 383 with the stock heads, but it will run and make slightly more power. For example, I plan on installing some SportsmanII heads from Summit for like $700.00

A set of Vortecs would also be a good choice but would require you buy a manifold as well. Stock heads would probally make you think it wasn't worth it. But if you put a set of performance heads on it, it'll respond BIG :D .

Best of luck, and if you have any questions just ask!

Kelvin
 
I think if you really budgeted and cheaped out hard you could probably put together a 383 for about $1600 - $1700. That would be with machining, new gaskets, oil, spark plugs, ignition parts, and evrything else you would need to actualy fire the engine up and run. I am looking to put together my own 383 with a budget of about $2500.
 
buy a crank kit from speed o motive and then get a desent set of heads. or run the heads you have know then later add a nice set.

I lucked out my buddy cracked his bore in his so I bought everything he had for $1000 including cowl hood and full march pulley set. basicly all I needed was a another good block to have machined and reassemble his into mine.

it's going into my burb/crewcab.

I'll have a running 383 with headers for just under $2000
 
Hey Joe, didn't i just go over this with you last week? I told you i can get EVERYTHING you need CHEAPER than you can find it ANYWHERE. Oh well, any questions feel free to ask me AGAIN. :D
 
Its simple bro...

same as a 350 but with a 400 crank and some minor machining on the block.

your not going to gain a lot of hp (maybe 5) but the tq will jump by about 30-40 ft lbs over a 350 depending on the parts you use.

From what i hear 5.7 inch rods will give you better tq but wont be able to rev as high and 6.0 inch rods will give you better hp and higher rpm but you'll give up a little tq. Mad-dog where u at?

shop around and find a good 383 kit for cheap. I'm planning on doing the same with my blown 350 assuming the block isn't wasted.
 
4X4HIGH said:
Hey Joe, didn't i just go over this with you last week? I told you i can get EVERYTHING you need CHEAPER than you can find it ANYWHERE. Oh well, any questions feel free to ask me AGAIN. :D
Click to expand...

lol, I Knew you would see this post and reply like that. No worries man, I'll be coming to you when the time comes. I'm just "learning myself" now. :)
 
Whatever you do, stay away from using a 6" rod, that combination puts the wrist pin into the oil ring and special things need to be done and the engine is no longer as dependable as if you were to use a 5.7" rod.

Yes a longer rod engine is better since there is less side loading on the cylinder walls but you have to give and take here and there and this is a place where you are better giving up a little for the more reliable engine.
 
Machine work is the most expensive part at times unless you can do the clearancing on the block and the rods yourself and then have a shop balance the assy. One thing that is commonly overlooked about a 383 is the fact that rods not only hit the block(this is the machining everyone is talking about) but they can also hit the camshaft and usually do. Especially #2 and #5. The bigger the cam the worse the clearance issues with it. Nothing a little grinding won't take care of though.
 
If you put it all together yourself, run a cast crank and pistons, 5.7" rods, and only ARP the bottom end you can do it for under $1500 easily. The difficult part is maintaining a good idle and making more than 400hp with stock ported heads. To get 400hp it will require you to port the heads or else run a cam too wild for wheeling.

Some things need careful attention. You must grind on the block and the rods (if you want an affordable camshaft). You must buy a spanking new flexplate/flywheel and harmonic damper and have the entire thing balanced. While you're at it, you should grind yourself a crank scraper. ARP main studs are mandatory. The heads must be ported or it'll go aenemic like a 305 is.

You can go nuts and buy a forged internally balanced crank, H-beam rods, forged pistons, and aftermarket heads. However, it's still a cast iron small block Chevy.
 
JEBSR said:
Machine work is the most expensive part at times unless you can do the clearancing on the block and the rods yourself and then have a shop balance the assy. One thing that is commonly overlooked about a 383 is the fact that rods not only hit the block(this is the machining everyone is talking about) but they can also hit the camshaft and usually do. Especially #2 and #5. The bigger the cam the worse the clearance issues with it. Nothing a little grinding won't take care of though.
Click to expand...

Not to worried bout the cost of machine work.

4x4High does it for a living and we've got a little thing goin on as far as the machine work goes. I'll most likely be workin with him on the biuld up of this motor, just made this post to learn what everone else thinks or is running. There is no rush on this thing...prolly won't be done till wheelin season next year. So I don't mind spending a bit of extra cash. If new heads are the way to go, I'll pick up some new heads. I'd like to hit 350ish hp, 450ish tq. If those numbers compromise my low speed crawling and make my 134:1 crawl un-useable, then I'll settle for whatever gives me the best of both. I'd like to be able to atleast keep up with Ryanb and K5TPI...both members of my club and both with very healthy TPI small blocks.

Anyways, thanks for all the replys, I'm all about learning stuff. :D
 
Heh, when ya have an open truggy with no windhsield, no doors, and not much of a roof there is. :haha:

P1010065.jpg

P1010064.jpg
 
I'm just finishing up a TPI 388 now with a set of Dart heads that will be pushing 400-430. With a little smaller cam you can easily make the numbers you want and have a good reliable engine. It's all about the heads of these motors. Spend more money where needed and save where you can.
 
TPIS (as well as several others) will burn a custom chip for it. You just send them all the engine specs (in detail) and they will make you one custom.
 
So what is really better when on a budget: 383 or swapping in a 400?

Just wonder cause next year I am going to find a builder block to build up a new engine for the Suburban so I can keep in on the road and just swap out the engine before it dies. I have to pass emissions and keep all my TBI stuff too.

Tim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom