383 build

[383man]

I built a mild 383 that was in my Dart years ago and it ran great on the street and track for what it was. I used a stock block and pistons. I decked the block and cut the factory 452 heads I used to get a true 9.5 comp. The heads were stock other then I milled them and did a little bowl blending. Other then that I did a stock 3 angle valve job with the 2.08 and 1.74 valves. I ran the older MP .484 cam on a 104 installed centerline. Used stock rockers and shafts. I ran the Eddy RPM intake and a 750 Holley DP. CPA 2" headers (that's all they had in 1995) and 2-1/2 " exh. A 727 with a manual valve body and a Turbo Action 3000 stall tight 10" converter. 8-3/4 with 3.91 gears. It ran awesome and on McCreary G-60 tires it ran a best of 12.31 @ 110 and had great street manners.

If I were you I would call Dwayne Porter (802-951-1955) and talk to him about your build and have him make your cam. He is about the best out there with heads and camshafts. I have one of his custom grinds in my 63 and Dwayne has a very fast 383 of his own. He can guide you to build a mild 383 sorta like mine with one of his cams and some aluminum heads (440Source Stealth heads will be fine) and he will help you build a great running 383 with one of his cams that he will custom grind just for your combo. Good luck , Ron

 

[wyrmrider]

Dwane Porter, Jim at Racer Brown and a very few others for advice on Mopars Engle for example
Does Porter Grind Cams? If he is still using comp cams for Hyd he has two choices the 275 or 285 HL Hyd and a couple of other Purple Power lobes
Evidently Hughes has switched away from Engle to maybe Howard
Lunati Voodoos area a first place to look
for a low compression build Mike Jones special can't be beat (or solid or HR or solid roller)
really easy to over duration a 383

 

[383man]

Dwane Porter, Jim at Racer Brown and a very few others for advice on Mopars Engle for example
Does Porter Grind Cams? If he is still using comp cams for Hyd he has two choices the 275 or 285 HL Hyd and a couple of other Purple Power lobes
Evidently Hughes has switched away from Engle to maybe Howard
Lunati Voodoos area a first place to look
for a low compression build Mike Jones special can't be beat (or solid or HR or solid roller)
really easy to over duration a 383

Dwayne specs out his custom grinds and then I believe he has a friend at Comp grind the cam to his specs. My solid flat tappet is listed as a cam under my name and he nitrided it. I put it in my eng in June 2011 and used the EDM lifters. It broke in fine and is still going strong in my eng. Dwayne does all the cam specs but I believe his friend at Comp does the actual cam grind to his specs. Ron

 

[wyrmrider]

That works with solids but comp has a very short list of HYD for MOPAR

 

[383man]

That works with solids but comp has a very short list of HYD for MOPAR

I really don't know on flat tappet hydraulic cams but the way I understood it was Comp will grind any speced cam Dwayne gives them. Ron

 

[wyrmrider]

That works good advice there
If comp has a master that's close
see their lobe list catalog
That is what all that do that (like Joe Sherman) do
Latest thing is for someone like Rick Jones Controlled Induction to spec a cam then generate the computer file for a NC camgrinder- Eliminating the Master step and loss of precision thereby.
If you have not looked at Controlled Inductions website and the demo it is well worth it.

 

[BSB67]

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...

What did you decide on for pistons?

So I'm thumbing through the Diamond piston catalog and what do I see.........standard stroke 383 pistons. WHAT!!!!!

1.916" compression distance, but it's Diamond, so you can have the pin put where ever you want it. They'd probably make you a 0.040" over piston too. Sensible 3 cc valve pockets, 1/16" ring pack, and 150 grams lighter.

I'm sure they'll be pretty spendy relatively speaking. But what a great 383 piston choice. Almost makes me want to buy a set for the 383 I don't have. I'd be worried that they won't be around long.

 

[wyrmrider]

Great Find BSB
I've got a couple of 383 cores with good dates stashed
one we did had a 413 crank and rods and custom quench dome pistons for use with the ported stock heads
light weight great 383 mopars can eat 383 chevies and with light pistons can rev like one too (if you get the valvetrain weight down but that's a know quantity

 

[steve from staten island]

What did you decide on for pistons?

So I'm thumbing through the Diamond piston catalog and what do I see.........standard stroke 383 pistons. WHAT!!!!!

1.916" compression distance, but it's Diamond, so you can have the pin put where ever you want it. They'd probably make to a 0.040" over piston too. Sensible 3 cc valve pockets, 1/16" ring pack, and 150 grams lighter.

I'm sure they'll be pretty spendy relatively speaking. But what a great 383 piston choice. Almost makes me want to buy a set for the 383 I don't have. I'd be worried that they won't be around long.

The rebuilder wants to use forged. .030 over. I have to call him next week. Thanks for asking

 

[CompSyn]

What did you decide on for pistons?

So I'm thumbing through the Diamond piston catalog and what do I see.........standard stroke 383 pistons. WHAT!!!!!

1.916" compression distance, but it's Diamond, so you can have the pin put where ever you want it. They'd probably make to a 0.040" over piston too. Sensible 3 cc valve pockets, 1/16" ring pack, and 150 grams lighter.

I'm sure they'll be pretty spendy relatively speaking. But what a great 383 piston choice. Almost makes me want to buy a set for the 383 I don't have. I'd be worried that they won't be around long.

Yep! This is what I've been planning on doing. A set of of semi-custom Diamonds for my 383. Nothing crazy. All I'm really after is a copy of the factory 1969 383 HP pistons in a lighter street friendly 4032 forging and modern 1/16" ring packs. I figure that by the time I buy common low CD shelf pistons, plus deck my block, plus cut my heads, plus fuss around with my intake geometry; the semi-custom pistons have paid for themselves...

 

[BSB67]

Yep! This is what I've been planning on doing. A set of of semi-custom Diamonds for my 383. Nothing crazy. All I'm really after is a copy of the factory 1969 383 HP pistons in a lighter street friendly 4032 forging and modern 1/16" ring packs. I figure that by the time I buy common low CD shelf pistons, plus deck my block, plus cut my heads, plus fuss around with my intake geometry; the semi-custom pistons have paid for themselves...

That's probably what I would do too, but for different reasons. But sitting here it's easy spending someone else's money.

 

[wyrmrider]

My problem is I have access to the shop and have the time to do it right or do it over
I forget how expensive it is to try and get someone else to do it my way