[TheCiscoKid]

I'm looking at what to use for a motor.I want just something that I can pass with that gets good gas mileage. By using a mild torque cam and building a motor that runs to 5000 rpm ,would I notice that much difference between a 350 and 383?I plan on a GM 350 trany with a high gear rear end. thanks :smash:

 

[gpeak]

A big difference in the "grunt" factor........more torque.

 

[tornado-tech]

The 383 will have more low end due to the increased stroke with everything else the same but will cost more in the build.

 

[tommytempest]

Call Nathan at http://www.dirttrackthunder.com @ (866) 624-3397 and ask him about having a 383 shortblock built. I had them build me one for $1150, and YES it makes a difference over a 350. More cubic inches = more power! Obviously, you can build a 350 to have a ton of power too, but the nice thing about a 383 is that you can go fairly low tech and still generate some descent power. Especially at low end, where you feel it! Another option is a 400 small block. If you can find one, it will generate more power than a 350 also. Plus, with 383's and 400's, you can get by with a little bigger cam and still have good low end power.
Good luck
Tom

 

[DarellGLewis]

383 Stroker Motor

Here are some of the detail Spec's on my 383 that was built for my 37 Ford Coupe project.

Displacement 383ci
Bore 4.030
Stroke 3.750
Rod Lenght 5.7
Compression 10.34
Ring Type Moly
Piston Type Hyper-tech-SpeedPro Flat Top Coated
Crank Type Eagle Steel
Rod Type Eagle 5.7
Heads Dart Pro1 Aluminum
Manifold Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap
Timing Chain Cloyes
Roller Rockers Crane
Cam & Lifters Lunati 534 Lift- 295 Duration
Valves 205-160
Carb QuickFuel 650 CFM Pro Vac

All this and 700R4 with 430 Rear End.

Darrell:nono:

 

[TheCiscoKid]

I'm Canadian , so everything costs more, plus I'm rural.Stuff is harder to find or just too much $$.I found a Ford 9'' RE for $800,has disc brakes, but I'm trying to budget.I found a healthy 350 that I may buy and try sticking a torque cam in it, has a high lift now.It has an after market crank(can't remember what) but price seems fairly decent.What do you think a used healthy 350 is worth? Thanks Ted (real name)

 

[tommytempest]

Here in the states, you can get a 350 in unknown status, a "core" for $75-$100 complete. I wouldn't probably pay more than $500 for a rebuilt one. Just my opinion.
Tom

 

[maxpenguard1971]

more torque and horsepower

go with a 377 chevy small block instead....i also was debating to build a 350 or 383 stroker....my machine shop guy talked me in to going with a 377 stroker...you wont be dissapointed....lots of grunt...almost as much as the 383 stroker and lots of energy left for the top end...more then a 350 or 383.....look into it....377 starts off as a 400 small block with a 350 crank...and go from there...trust me its the best of both worlds all wrapped in one.....

 

[killerformula]

Re: more torque and horsepower

go with a 377 chevy small block instead....i also was debating to build a 350 or 383 stroker....my machine shop guy talked me in to going with a 377 stroker...you wont be dissapointed....lots of grunt...almost as much as the 383 stroker and lots of energy left for the top end...more then a 350 or 383.....look into it....377 starts off as a 400 small block with a 350 crank...and go from there...trust me its the best of both worlds all wrapped in one.....

This has been debated. If you have a 400 block, just build a 400, why would you ever want to destroke it to a 377?! Bet my paycheck that a 400 built the same way would run circles around a 377 any day of the week.

K

 

[TheCiscoKid]

I've never stuck a car engine together.Done lots of bikes.I call a same bore and stroke = square. Square engines or shorter strokes always seem to rev like crazy and have good top end.I can see a 377 topping out well. I want an engine that has bottom-mid rage power running a hi gear rear axle.
Using a cam with 218/224 D and 462/469 lift on a 350 vs a 383, 9:1 comp (reg gas here is 87) would I feel the 383 difference enough to justify the enpense or is this too mild a build?I want mileage, I can't drive far at 3 miles to a gallon. ) Ted

 

[gpeak]

You can feel the difference between a 350 and a 383.....mild or wild. I would do it, i think that cam maybe a tad small for my taste. More cubes can handle more cam.

 

[tommytempest]

DEFINATELY would feel the difference. I used that same cam in a boat, and it runs GREAT! Boats pull really hard through the entire RPM band, and that cam makes great low end power and maxes out at 4800RPM in my setup (would only run 4200 max with the 350). I think you could go a bit bigger cam in a car, but certainly that cam would be "safe" as far as low end power and a great idle. You can always get by with a little bigger cam with more cubes. I didn't think the expense was that much more for the 383. The extra machine work is minimal, you have to buy new pistons anyway when you bore a motor (asuming you are boring it). The only thing you need is a 383 crank, and some 5.7 rods, an externally balanced Harmonic balancer and flexplate. You could actually get all that stuff out of a 400, but assuming you have no 400 laying around, you can buy them from Scat for $500-$700. You can get by with 4130 I beam rods with the low RPM motor you are building. 6 inch rods are expensive and H beam rods are expensive but you don't need them for your motor. Scat also sells an internally balanced 383 crank, they are a little pricey, but you could use your stock balancer and flexplate.

 

[TheCiscoKid]

383 vs 350 build

I want MPG. How big a cam can I put in a 383? A 220/460 cam maybe all I need. I want to cruise not race(much) . Any better ideas for a hi MPG build ????) Ted

 

[sappstter]

If you want good gas mileage you could always go with an LS-1 set up. What Kind of MPG do you really expect out of a carbed V8? In my 56 Chevy I got 15-17 MPG on an all freeway trip at about 85mph. Thats with an M21 and 3.55 rear. I've got a mild cam headers, 8:5:1 CR, Edelbrock RPM intake, and a rochester q-jet. I was amazed by this... Normally I get around 8MPG combined. If all your concerned with is MPG why consider a 383 then??

 

[killerformula]

you can get decent mileage with a v8. If you've got a mild cam, some 8.5:1 compression and headers adn you're getting 8mpg, you have a problem my friend.

K

 

[TheCiscoKid]

I passed on a LS, too complicated , too many things to screw up.I looked briefly at mods done and things like changing injectors etc = too much $$$.
I thought a 383 would pull a tall gear easier than a 350.I'm thinking 3:08 or 2:73.I had a 74 Vet and no matter how fast I drove it got about 25MPG. Ted

 

[tommytempest]

Did you ever say what car this is going in? Weight of the car makes a big difference in what you do too. Good MPG is a relative term! I get about 14MPG in my 96 K1500 with a lift kit and 305/70 tires. I think thats pretty descent, but others aren't happy unless they are getting over 20mpg. If you stay with a mild cam and the rear end you are talking about and are workin on a mid size car and not an Impala or a pickup, you can probably get between 14 and 18 when you aren't beating the bejesus out of it. If milage is your #1 objective, then just go basically stock. Low compression small cam small cubic inch = good milage and no fun
L8r

 

[crazyone]

372 VS.383-!!!

There is one more step in horsepower you can go and it is more expensive than a 383 but try taking a 2- bolt main 400 small block-use 350 crank and rods- 400 pistons AND special main bearings that are thick shell to make up the difference (.200)-as long as you don't excede 600 horses you don't need to get the main bearings splayed--really expensive--what you come up with is 4.125 bore x 3.480 stroke= a really big nasty adult version of a 327--superior bottom end torque from idle to whatever-will eat 383's alive as short stroke will grab rpm faster and higher than long stroke- the main bearings are around $169-$209 a set but for every day street driving but all the ponies you would ever need--it works-- ps federal mogul stocks the bearings

 

[killerformula]

again, the only reason people build 383's is because they don't have a 400 block. If you have a 400 block, why in gods name would sacrifice 23 cubes and put a 350 crank in it? Its probably more expensive than just building a 400, and you're going to feel like an idiot when you line up on the strip and some guy who just built a 400 for 2/3 the price of your 377 hands your butt to you on a silver platter.


Destroking is stupid, at least barring really strange circumstances like CID limitations.

K

 

[crazyone]

The strips around here are starting to see more and more of these "stupid destrokes" and even more and more of the 372-382.9's- why - its's simple- faster response and torgue all the way from start to finish- thats what made the 302 and the 327 such good engines. Long strokes top out on stability at about 5 grand- not so with short strokes- it's simple engineering principles. They are even making 427 small blocks now- thats a little crazy but they sure do run ! SB 400 was a good motor for torque and pulling but not real great for pure performance- if you have ever ran a 327 you know what they can do- it was a motor that just wanted to run-- you didn't need big cams-headers- and 1000 plus cfm carbs- just dual exhaust and a decent quadripuke and it flat got with the program . Real cheap bang for the bucks !