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want a 383 stroker need advice!

19K views 36 replies 9 participants last post by  cobalt327 
#1 ·
Soo i wan't to build a 383 stroker, i don't know too much about them, soo i'm gonna ask you guys to build me one, as in give me the list of everything i will need, from possibly one website, i want to make at least 400hp and i would like to keep the compression down for a turbo or s/c down the road. I would like this engine to be under 5k if possible way under 5k lol. Here is my plan, i dont even have a shell(body) yet soo i want to just start off with just the engine, and i want to peice the motor together part by part bc i dont have alot of money right now. My first step which i haven't done yet is to get a 350 motor, soo right now i'm looking for a cheap 350 motor and i'm gonna tear it all down to the block, then i'm gonna send it off to get it bored .30 over, then get a 383 stroker kit, and that's where i need your help, i need a kit, heads, rockers, etc, I would like to put this motor in a 93+ camaro or firebird or t/a. Right now i am in college soo i am on a budget soo that's why im gonna buy one part at a time. Cept for the 383 kit which comes with multiple parts. I just miss having a sports car, my last toy which was my dd was a '99 pontiac grand prix gtp, i had alot in it, smaller s/c pulley, cai, headers, pcm, full 3inch exhaust, 1.9 rockers, ported tb, etc, that "mom's car" as some would call it, destroyed lightly moded lt1's stock ls1's, countless amount of ricers, fox body stangs no problem, i just absolutly loved my sleeper. I was going to get another one, well i was gonna get a buick regal gs same motor but even more of a sleeper, well anyways its time for a v8 sports car.
 
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#3 ·
Ryan, here are 200 threads with "383 Chevy" in them somewhere. Read through and figure out just exactly what you want. In my opinion, building a low-compression, naturally-aspirated motor now so that you can use a blower or turbo on it later is a bad idea. A correctly built blower motor will be 8.0:1 to 8.5:1 static compression ratio. If you build a naturally-aspirated motor to those specs, it likely won't pull the hat off your head. If you don't want to do a blower now, build your motor to 10.0:1 and build another low-compression blower motor later.
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/search.php?searchid=3327091
 
#4 ·
techinspector1 said:
Ryan, here are 200 threads with "383 Chevy" in them somewhere. Read through and figure out just exactly what you want. In my opinion, building a low-compression, naturally-aspirated motor now so that you can use a blower or turbo on it later is a bad idea. A correctly built blower motor will be 8.0:1 to 8.5:1 static compression ratio. If you build a naturally-aspirated motor to those specs, it likely won't pull the hat off your head. If you don't want to do a blower now, build your motor to 10.0:1 and build another low-compression blower motor later.
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/search.php?searchid=3327091

X2, you could always build a motor now with an 18-22cc D dished piston and have a set of 64cc heads shaved about .030-.040 to give you between 58-60cc, this should give you in between 10:-10.5:1, then later you would be able to get a set of 72cc heads, this should take you back down to about 9:1, it's possible to use a blower or turbo with this compression ratio.

i still think that you if you know you can't afford the forced induction right now than you should build it with decent compression now, so you dont have a dog, then when you want to go with forced induction unit just tear it down, hone it get new rings and pistons rebalance it and there you go
 
#6 ·
ryangtp89 said:
Ok soo i wont build the motor for forced induction right now. Soo i found a motor its actually bored to a 355 soo i dont have to bore it now.
Is it a fresh bore? You might be able to get away with it if it is. If the cylinder is worn it might have to go .040" over. Usually an engine gets bored to the pistons. This is because piston size is different from manufacture to manufacture. Take it to a machine shop and see if they have to take it to .040" and then you will know if it will be a 383 or a 385.
 
#8 ·
ryangtp89 said:
what do you mean by fresh bore ? as in was it bored recently? Will boring it .40 over and making it a 385 make it difficult to buy the stroker kit ? or will it still be able to use the 383 stroker kit ?
Yes recently. If the motor was bored .030" over then ran and beat on it might have worn the cylinders to needing to be bored .040". I would grab the .030" block you said you can get a hold of if its a good price.

It won't be able to use the "383" stroker kit if you have to bore it .040". That is because a sbc 383 is a 4.030" bore by 3.750" stroke. You will have to get a rotating kit with .040" pistons.

Look at summit in their rotating kit section. It allows you to go down through and choose piston size, crank stroke, and rod length. But again get a block and take it to the machinist to have checked out. I wouldn't stress over getting a .030" block. Make it a 377 who cares.(std bore with a 3.75" stroke crank)
IMO you don't gain mcuh hp from boring an engine a couple thousandths of an inch. The real reason for boring it is to reshape the bore so its round again.

If I were you I would take your block to a machine shop and see what they say. Also tell them you want to put a 3.75" stroke crank in it that way they know its gonna be a stroker motor.
 
#9 ·
Ok the 355 i am buying from is a guy i go to school with told me it has 2000 miles on it and the guy who he bought it off of blew the clutch and then got a 400 sm block it was all in a daily driver 2500 pickup, thats what he told me, and im getting it for $75 btw, comes with new gaskets too.
 
#12 ·
either way you always want to take it to a machinest so he can check it out and tell you if anything needs to be done then you would need to buy a set of pistons and take them to him so that the cylinders can be shaped to the pistons.

i run a .040 383=385, it's just as easy to get .040 pistons as it is to get .030 pistons
 
#13 ·
i c, soo the mechinest is my best friend huh, haha my dad is actually a mechinest at a papermill, but i know i wouldnt be able to just bring in a engine block. anyways do they make stroker kits for .40 over ? Idk i just feel more comfortable buying a kit then just buying each single part seperate.
 
#14 ·
you dont want to have you dad be the one to check the block out you need a automotive machinest check it out, he needs to check more than just the bore, since you are rebuilding this i would replace the cam bearings as well, you dont have to since the motor doesn't have many miles on it per the seller, but i wouldn't take his word for it a 100%, just have a automotive machinest check it out

here is a very similar kit to what i am running

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SCA-1-92000BE040/
 
#15 ·
I'm just going to tear it down right to the bare block, then i will take it to a mechinest, i need the crank, the pistons, rings, etc, i would like to get that in a kit thats why i am hoping to get a 383 stroker kit, then i want to get a set of heads, some good performance heads, then a good cam, and then a good intake, i know it wont be hard looking for the stroker kit, but idk about the cam heads and intake.
 
#17 ·
well here is a rough idea, i want to put it in a 93+ camaro or firebird that was eqquiped with the lt1, i like that body style. i want at least 400hp, i want it to be a weekend turn key car, i def want it to have long tube headers and a nice exhaust. its going to be fairly stock inside, im not gonna gut it out. And for gears i have no idea, i'm still not all that fimilar with gears. I dont want 180mph to be my topend but i would like to see at least 150 and i want a good street light car, i also do alot of roll races, and some digs. i also want an automatice, i want it to be alittle bilt, shift kit, a good stall converter. i want nothing bigger than 17's i want maybe some mild drag slicks in the back.
 
#18 · (Edited)
The only difference between a 383 "kit" for a .030 or .040 over engine is the pistons and corresponding rings used. One would be a 383, the other a 385. There is no other difference. To be honest, it sounds to me like your best bet is to have a machine shop/engine builder build your short block for you. Tell them which cam you like then you can choose your heads and other parts to install when you get it back.

If it's going to be a street car then why would you care whether or not you can do 150 mph?
 
#19 ·
well i only have soo much money at a time, soo its almost a step by step deal, first step get block, next step get stroker kit etc. I like to hit the highway soo i would like to go a little fast, but i would sacrifice top end for off the line grunt but it would be nice to know i can go around 150mph
 
#20 ·
cause he is a bad boy and hasn't gotten in enough trouble yet to have learned better :nono:

when i mentioned tire size i didn't mean wheel size i ment measurement of the tire, it sounds like you will want to go with a well build 700R4 with an O/D, maybe some 3.42 gears, look into RHS pro action or pro torker heads 180cc, or dart platinum 180cc heads even a set of worked over set of vortec heads would work well. maybe a 220-230 advanced duration with around 480-500 lift, 110-112 LSA, i prefer 110 as i think 112 is a little on the wide side you dont want to go too large in duration since you still want to go with a highway gear (or atleast is sounds as if you do)
 
#21 ·
i run a well built 700R4 with 4.10's in a 3500lbs 87' camaro, with a 385 i probably could hit 150mph since going through the traps in the 1/4 i'm in 3rd gear and running 115-117mph still have room left in 3rd then i would have the o/d but it's never been over 115-120mph
 
#22 ·
Thanks for the good info 87z!! Ohh and yeah i guess not, i never got caught street racing and if i did i would be probably still sitting around with out my license. The fastest i have ever gone was 142mph in my gtp. I'm defently going to invest in a damn good radar detector. soo don't bother with a 4l60 ? go out and buy a 700r4 and build it up a little ?
 
#25 · (Edited)
IMO I would have an engine machine shop build the short block. A lot of measurements go into building a motor and from your replies so far it seems like you will be in over your head. Plus you will need to clearance and notch the block to fit the crank and possibly clear the rods to the cam. Installing a cam and heads aren't too big of a deal but for the bottom end send it to the machine shop.

Figure you will probably be running 64cc heads. If you have a 4.040" bore and the piston will likely be down .024"-.025" and then a 4.2x.0.20" head gasket you will be running approx. 10.2:1 scr.
 
#26 ·
ryangtp89 said:
yeah i havent even began to think about the computer stuff yet, soo if i get a 700r4 i dont have to worry about programing the computer ?

no, here is pretty good place to get a well built 700R4

http://racetransmissions.com/store/index.php/cPath/1_25_56

this is the transmission in my car

http://racetransmissions.com/store/product_info.php/cPath/1_25_56_112/products_id/195

i got it with the full manual valve body and i didn't use their stall i bought a 3500-3800 stall from hughes
 
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