383 build

[steve from staten island]

I am rebuilding my 383 short block and will be sending it out very soon
Id like to build it to have some more HP. Nothing to much, maybe 350HP. I also am considering aluminum heads, a aluminum intake, four barrel carb and a modest cam. What would be the best pistons and cam selection. I plan on using HP exhaust manifolds and a good dual exhaust. Again nothing wild, just a good running reliable engine....Any thoughts from your experience...

 

[coronet68mx]

Sad to hear you have to rebuild the engine Steve, did you figured it out what was the problem with the rough idle and the lack of vacuum ?

 

[65-440]

I built my 383 2 years ago and several thousand miles. .030 forged aluminum kit from summit, comp xe268h cam 440 source heads/ water pump housing and pump, eddy rpm intake and TTI headers. Great power, decent fuel mileage.. no regrets ...

 

[Ironbuilt]

With a very streetable 9.0:1 compression and an Edelbrock top end kit, you will make LOTS of street friendly power.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/edl-2087/overview/

 

[BSB67]

L2315 piston, Eddy small chamber E Street heads. Cam in the 222 to 228° range, like the Crower 271. You can achieve 0.040 quench with good planning and head gasket selection and be at 10:1 CR.

Don't go too big on the cam, and keep an eye on the piston to exhaust valve clearance.

 

[steve from staten island]

Sad to hear you have to rebuild the engine Steve, did you figured it out what was the problem with the rough idle and the lack of vacuum ?

Intake manifold leak!!!

 

[oldbee]

Like “bsb” says, do some homework on pistons(especially compression height).

 

[rumblefish360]

With a very streetable 9.0:1 compression and an Edelbrock top end kit, you will make LOTS of street friendly power.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/edl-2087/overview/

Wrong kit, that’s a RB kit. Click this 383 kit link; https://www.summitracing.com/parts/edl-2086/overview/make/dodge

 

[Larrry B.]

Aluminum heads is a big upgrade (unnecessary?) if your only trying to get to 350hp. A well prepped block, heads , crank, rods with "stock"(+) pistons /cam will get you where you want to be with tried and true upgrades like intake, carb, headers and ignition only without a lot of headaches.

At more than 350hp.

 

[wyrmrider]

sorry to say but that edelbrock kit is a kludge
cam is crap
"Primary header tubes need to be a minimum of 2 in. diameter to clear the angled spark plugs on Edelbrock Mopar 383 cylinder heads. "
No way do you want or need 2" headers
what carb?
best carb would be a TQ spread bore or AVS
pick BF choosing manifold
Is this the open chamber or closed chamber head
avoid open chamber head and get pistons to match closed chamber head in the cr you want
as said above- you have some research to do

 

[wyrmrider]

I'm not sure if that 2" should have been maximum
smaller tubes would clear easier WTF #1

WTF#2 3/8 guideplates?

D Dished pistons will be tough to find for a 383
the last ones I did were with 440 cranks and rods and custom pistons
having the flat top piston down the hole- no quench- sucks with today's gas

 

[oldbee]

'Wyrmrider', thought he said HP exh manifolds(?). Good/true 9.5-10.0 compression would sure be nice. Wayback,the rumor was comp. was inflated by 1/2 point(?) so 10.0 was really 9.5?

 

[steve from staten island]

Good advise from all and thanks. A 383 335 to 350 would be great.

 

[65-440]

I'm not sure where I ended up horsepower wise, but the engine is strong and pulls hard. Pistons 019" in the hole, cr 9.44:1 ... I think it turned out to be a good street engine, and runs on rock gut 87 octane !

 

[IQ52]

Pump a little more compression in it than this. Substitute the aluminum heads. Try to run headers.

https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/threads/the-slug-400-on-the-dyno.80843/

 

[BSB67]

I'm not sure where I ended up horsepower wise, but the engine is strong and pulls hard. Pistons 019" in the hole, cr 9.44:1 ... I think it turned out to be a good street engine, and runs on rock gut 87 octane !

Nice.

The 2315 piston will be between 0.015" to 0.020" in the hole in an uncut block. So it sounds like that is what you might have.

You can then either cut to zero deck and use a 0.040 gasket, or cut to 0.010 in the hole and go with a 0.030 MSL gasket. With the 75 cc eddy head it puts you right on 10:1 CR. You really cannot do any better for a street car. No valve reliefs in the piston is why you need to keep an eye on the exhaust valve.

I think KB has a piston that can get to to 10:1 as well, but it has a dome to make up for the valve reliefs, and will not give you quench. Kinda dumb.

 

[1967coronet440]

Good advise from all and thanks. A 383 335 to 350 would be great.

Steve in all reality you don’t need much. Get your compression squared away where you want it 9.5/10:1. Performer rpm intake of hood clearance is ok and a bit hotter than stock cam, good carb. You’ll be golden. One call to Hughes engines can get you set up

 

[wyrmrider]

Good catch and
Good question
will stock HP exhaust manifolds work with the slant plug heads?
something to get in writing
Too bad KB does not make my quench dome with a dish piston for the 383
I can post a pic of one for a 3 3/4 stroke on a RB LY rod for the open chamber 906 head- a stealth motor we did mock up (if I can figure out how to post pics)
I just will not build a non quench MOPAR (with the ridiculous plug location)
if you do do it cut the compression a half point and - well you need to sneak up with the timing in any case
too bad - good chamber and you need less than 30 degrees

 

[65-440]

Nice.

The 2315 piston will be between 0.015" to 0.020" in the hole in an uncut block. So it sounds like that is what you might have.

You can then either cut to zero deck and use a 0.040 gasket, or cut to 0.010 in the hole and go with a 0.030 MSL gasket. With the 75 cc eddy head it puts you right on 10:1 CR. .

My goal was to stay under that 9.5cr mark so I could run the cheapest gas, supposed to be my drive anywhere at anytime car. Not sure the piston that was in the sealed power kit, I can look that up. The block is uncut, .040" felpro head gasket. I have my exhaust valve to piston clearance measurement on my blueprint sheet. I'll have to dig that out too but it was good to go.

 

[beanhead]

Give this a look Steve. Old article but may give you some ideas

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-0209-383-engine-restore/amp/