well i drove up to wyoming from san jose the other day. first my starter went out and i had to wait two hours in some unknown town. then i just got past the border of wyoming and the truck died /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif. AAA got it towed to a close by town. well after a while i decided to get it towed to laramie where it sits in my garage. time to rebuild my engine... found a hole in my oil pan, engine's knocking a little probably blew a piston. i should just bore it to a 383 /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
CK5
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engine blues
- Thread starter PeteH
- Start date
84_Chevy_K10
Banned
If you have a hole in your oil pan, I'd bet your block is junk, too.
Start over with a new block and build a 350 or 383.
bigburban383
1/2 ton status
I would definatly go with a 383. Its not the easyest job to do it yourself, so I wouldnt do if your not familiar with engines because there is some machining involved as in grinding. I just dropped a 383 into my truck and it has so much torque, it is much more driveable, my old 350 had to work hard to move my beast which is a suburban and this new 383 has no trouble.
383 pointers:
GRIND FIRST, then balance your components, as in assemble to whole rotating assembly and clearence everything before you balance your components because you maybe grinding counterwieghts, piston skirts, and/or the rods.
Get a small base circle camshaft because your rods are probably going to hit
383 pointers:
GRIND FIRST, then balance your components, as in assemble to whole rotating assembly and clearence everything before you balance your components because you maybe grinding counterwieghts, piston skirts, and/or the rods.
Get a small base circle camshaft because your rods are probably going to hit
so...i pulled the block and got it apart. half the pistons had pieces and chuncks missing, rod was toast, crank needs to be turned or replaced, i need cam bearings and lifters. one of my bearings was paper thin, and there was some more stuff /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif i'll probably go with 383, i can afford to spend $2500 at max.(but thats pushing my wallet pretty far) any suggestions? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /forums/images/graemlins/1zhelp.gif
I would go with a nice crate motor if you are on a limited budget....
84_Chevy_K10
Banned
[ QUOTE ]
I would go with a nice crate motor if you are on a limited budget....
[/ QUOTE ]
I'll 2nd that. The 383 is going to cost $3000 minimum if done correctly.
I'd go with the best crate you can get in your budget. If you have EFI, make sure you get an EFI friendly motor.
I would go with a nice crate motor if you are on a limited budget....
[/ QUOTE ]
I'll 2nd that. The 383 is going to cost $3000 minimum if done correctly.
I'd go with the best crate you can get in your budget. If you have EFI, make sure you get an EFI friendly motor.
bigburban383
1/2 ton status
[ QUOTE ]
so...i pulled the block and got it apart. half the pistons had pieces and chuncks missing, rod was toast, crank needs to be turned or replaced, i need cam bearings and lifters. one of my bearings was paper thin, and there was some more stuff /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif i'll probably go with 383, i can afford to spend $2500 at max.(but thats pushing my wallet pretty far) any suggestions? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /forums/images/graemlins/1zhelp.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
My grand total for getting my truck running was only $1500. The 383 kit alone costed $750 from Power House including a new balancer, flexplate, and pretty much everthing else like bearings and gaskets. To balance it costed $200. I also got a nice edlebrock intake and a bigger camshaft for my TBI. I put on free ported out heads so they help make it cheaper. I did this the cheapest way possible and didn't spend money on quirks and BS parts reusing a lot of the old parts.
As you can see, wheres the new engine at /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
so...i pulled the block and got it apart. half the pistons had pieces and chuncks missing, rod was toast, crank needs to be turned or replaced, i need cam bearings and lifters. one of my bearings was paper thin, and there was some more stuff /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif i'll probably go with 383, i can afford to spend $2500 at max.(but thats pushing my wallet pretty far) any suggestions? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /forums/images/graemlins/1zhelp.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
My grand total for getting my truck running was only $1500. The 383 kit alone costed $750 from Power House including a new balancer, flexplate, and pretty much everthing else like bearings and gaskets. To balance it costed $200. I also got a nice edlebrock intake and a bigger camshaft for my TBI. I put on free ported out heads so they help make it cheaper. I did this the cheapest way possible and didn't spend money on quirks and BS parts reusing a lot of the old parts.
As you can see, wheres the new engine at /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
84_Chevy_K10
Banned
You still have GM heads of one of the most horrible castings ever choking that 383. That's why yours was so cheap.
Sounds like you didn't have any machine work done either for $1500.
You can build a 383 hack job at any price. Pull motor apart, install cast 383 crank with 5.565" rods and stock pistons. Use stock everything including heads, bottle brush hone it and put it together. Probably can be done for $500-600, but that's not the right way to do it.
IMO there is no way I'd ever build a 383 with ANY GM head except Vortecs, and if I ever thought of spending the cash on Vortecs, I'd go with a quality aftermarket head that would take a stock style intake instead.
Sounds like you didn't have any machine work done either for $1500.
You can build a 383 hack job at any price. Pull motor apart, install cast 383 crank with 5.565" rods and stock pistons. Use stock everything including heads, bottle brush hone it and put it together. Probably can be done for $500-600, but that's not the right way to do it.
IMO there is no way I'd ever build a 383 with ANY GM head except Vortecs, and if I ever thought of spending the cash on Vortecs, I'd go with a quality aftermarket head that would take a stock style intake instead.
bigburban383
1/2 ton status
[ QUOTE ]
You still have GM heads of one of the most horrible castings ever choking that 383. That's why yours was so cheap.
Sounds like you didn't have any machine work done either for $1500.
You can build a 383 hack job at any price. Pull motor apart, install cast 383 crank with 5.565" rods and stock pistons. Use stock everything including heads, bottle brush hone it and put it together. Probably can be done for $500-600, but that's not the right way to do it.
IMO there is no way I'd ever build a 383 with ANY GM head except Vortecs, and if I ever thought of spending the cash on Vortecs, I'd go with a quality aftermarket head that would take a stock style intake instead.
[/ QUOTE ]
Oh /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif I forgot about the machine work. I did the machine work my self in engine machining class, this was my lab engine
Thats where I saved a lot of money too.
You still have GM heads of one of the most horrible castings ever choking that 383. That's why yours was so cheap.
Sounds like you didn't have any machine work done either for $1500.
You can build a 383 hack job at any price. Pull motor apart, install cast 383 crank with 5.565" rods and stock pistons. Use stock everything including heads, bottle brush hone it and put it together. Probably can be done for $500-600, but that's not the right way to do it.
IMO there is no way I'd ever build a 383 with ANY GM head except Vortecs, and if I ever thought of spending the cash on Vortecs, I'd go with a quality aftermarket head that would take a stock style intake instead.
[/ QUOTE ]
Oh /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif I forgot about the machine work. I did the machine work my self in engine machining class, this was my lab engine
Thats where I saved a lot of money too.
84_Chevy_K10
Banned
Yep, you saved big cash there, and you used stock heads. Turns that $1500 job into $3000+ in a big time hurry.
