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383 stroker witch Cam??

16K views 39 replies 6 participants last post by  Hotrod1979 
#1 ·
I have 383 stroker engine and I am looking for a new cam.

The question is, what would be the best cam for this engine?? And what springs would work with this cam and these heads??

It's chevy 383 stroker engine with Dart iron eagle SS heads. 72CC chambers. 165CC runners, 2.02 intake and 1,96 exhaust. Edelbrock RPM manifiold. Long tube headers.

Compression end pressure is 184 PSI. I think compression ratio would be arround 1:9,5
 
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#4 ·
a cam like this would be great

111213-10 NA 261 269 229 237 .555 .555 110 106 .022 .022 1,2,5
2000-6000 Noticeable idle, good for Weekend Street Cruiser. Should have 9.0:1 CR, 2000+ stall.

those small heads would make for very fast throttle response.

a 750 holley would work well
 
#6 ·
That cam would be ideal for those heads. You could also tighten up the lobe separation angle which is 110 to 106, which may give you a little more torque down low and give a little mor elope at idle. However, it will still be totally streetable. It would make for a nice street driven motor.
 
#10 ·
Vinnie, That cam you suggested looks good, but seems to have a lot of lift at .550 for those cylinder heads which have peaked by .500. Any advantage to going beyond the .500 for lift. I though it may be more streetable with the .500 lift cam, a better match for what the cylinder head is, which I beleive only flows to about .500.
 
#11 ·
The cam does lift to 550,true.Remember thats the peak lift.The cam spends most of its time opening to 500 or closing from 500.so it looks good to me from that perspective. Also,that cam should make power to 54-5600 in a 383,and the heads though a little small will be close to max flow with that cam.

I did say a cam like this,doesnt have to be exactly this cam. I think a fair amount of people leave a lot on the table,especially the users that use flat tappet hydraulic cams. This little roller would really be quick throttle response and make good mid range power.

Of course the heads could be ported and a bigger cam used.If a hydraulic flat tappet is used,then the 274 is as ok as anything in its class
 
#13 ·
I am looking for some streetable horsepower. I know the runners are a little small, but I don't want to go to far this time.. I also got a 327 that deserves some attention..
Can you give an estimate of the power it will give?

Would you advice a stall converter with this set up? I am using a TH700 with lockup, got a 3.73 ratio and 275-60-15 tires. I will be doing 2200 RPM at 70 mph.
 
#16 ·
After reading techs post,I re thought your situation.You should contact Dart and ask them what can be done with these castings.Generally Dart makes very good castings and maybe the heads are worth porting for your application. After rechecking their as cast flow numbers I see that they may flow as little as 200 CFM.The stock GM vortec heads flow 230 CFM,which is about what you want or a bit more.The vortec heads have a much smaller combustion chamber that might not be the best choice for your 383.

your 383 with these dart heads as cast will not likely exceed 400 HP,probably less with a flat tappet hydraulic
 
#21 ·
I didn't say they are worthless, I said they are pathetic. If you want to spend money to port those heads and then have them crack like a dry twig from having thin walls the first time the motor gets good and hot, knock yourself out. I don't mean to sound snide here, but if you don't have the money to do this properly, maybe you should take a rest from the project and gather up some more money. When I was raising my family, I used to limit my buying budget to US$50 per week. I once waited 10 weeks to buy a set of Aldan Eagle coilover shocks for the front of my roadster.
 
#22 ·
I am completely restoring my 1964 Chevy C10 pickup truck and have an other project, a 1950 Chevy deluxe with a 327 waiting... I am not being cheap. I did not count on this set back and money does not grow on trees here in Holland...;)

Do you think those dart heads would be good for the 327 engine. What heads would you recommend for this 383 and what would be the power increase compared with my current Dart SS heads?
 
#23 ·
I am not being cheap. I did not count on this set back and money does not grow on trees here in Holland...;)
I said nothing about you being cheap, I said if you don't have the money right now to buy what you need, then budget your money and put your project on hold for a little while. Furthermore, money does not grow on trees anywhere in the world, not even here in "pie in the sky" southern California.

Do you think those dart heads would be good for the 327 engine.
Vinnie suggested that several posts ago. I agree with him.

What heads would you recommend for this 383 and what would be the power increase compared with my current Dart SS heads?
I'd look at the Chad Speier Pro-filer 195 aluminum heads. Someone on this board said recently that they found these heads assembled for under US$1100/pair.....maybe they'll see this thread and offer the source.....
Pro Filer SBC Aluminun Heads 195cc Int Runners 2 020" 1 60" Straight Plug 64cc | eBay
Power increase? A lot!
 
#28 ·
I will not push the enige over 5000 rpm that often... So I think I would choose torque over High RPM horsepower..

There are also some people who just recommend these 165 heads on a 383 stroker so maybe it's just a matter of what you want out the engine torque vs high rpm power, and a matter of opinion..

Here are some interesting threads on them:

383 marine head recommendation - The Dart Board

383 Build what heads should I use - The Dart Board

I can always switch heads when this set up does not satisfy...:D
 
#30 ·
I took a quick glance at the link.They also recommend the bigger heads,similar roller cams as we said etc. If you want a certain level of performance,you need the combination of parts to get you there. Just because you will limit the RPM,doesnt mean that low flow heads will make more torque.
First thing you need is a clear goal. Second thing you do is plan how to get there. Dont work on getting there if you are not clear what the goal is going to be,for you.
Take you vehicle,decide what you want it to do for you.Now do a little math to find out the job of the engine. Design a plan to get there and the parts required. Too many "what if" questions without purpose in mind will get you so many useless recommendations that no one will have a clue what to say next.
You were able to get a couple of senior members like Tech/1gary interested,take advantage of their knowledge and experience.The rest of us will throw a few ideas in too.good luck,,,,
 
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