Kind of 'stock' 383 build questions?

[Don Frelier]

The 383 has the highest rod/stroke ratio of ALL the popular big block engines

It's also partly why the 383 has great longevity.
They can take a beating and still have little wear in the bores.

 

[Don Frelier]

Chrysler machining wasn't the greatest.

A friend of mine owned/ran an engine shop for several years.
He commented that Chrysler had very good designs and the best metalurgy but sloppy casting and machining.
Yes you could get a "good one" or a bad one.
We had a 66 Newport with a 383 2 barrell probably rated at like 290 hp.
It ran perfectly smooth but on the highway it was a killer from 50 - 90 mph with points,single exhuast, closed port heads and small valves.
A good one.

 

[TorRed]

Some good information here - I'll add some additional things as well:

For ANY combination, an engine can run well or poorly based on the block. Chrysler machining wasn't the greatest. The decks of big blocks can be off as much as .017" or more. That's why, back in the day, there were engines that ran really well, and ones that seemed like dogs.

So, pay particular attention to the block. Make sure the line bore is around .0001 - .0002" above minimum spec and without taper. You want bearing crush, but also proper clearance for the crank to spin freely. Then make sure deck surfaces are checked and are all within .002" or less difference. You want to make sure you have even compression so each cylinder pulls the same. When your block is bored, make sure it is bored with a torque plate so you get nice round cylinders with the head bolted on. You'd be surprised how much these blocks flex.

When building the short block, make sure pistons are exactly where you expect them to be. Of course, make sure your reciprocating assembly is balanced. Finally for the short block, make sure whatever cam you choose has been degreed. I have seen lining up the dots make a cam as much as 10 degrees off.
All the above things are a pain in the ***. They take time to do, but assuming everything is OK can bite you in the arse later on.

Good luck with your build!

This is actually one of those motors that ran better than it had any right to! Back in the mid-70's when I was in high school it outran 454 Chevelles, 440 Roadrunner, a 428 CJ Mustang, built 351C Mach One, Buick GS455, SS 396 Nova, and a bunch more. It has the same Crane cam, TRW pop up pistons, hooker headers, Turbo Action valve body in the trans as it did back then. One option is to tear it down and see if it only needs new seals, maybe honing & rings??? Only issue might be the compression. Your suggestions above were exactly the type of Mopar BB specific advice I was hoping for and I'll definitely ask the machine shop about all of it.

Back in the day I would have discarded the 383 for a 426 hemi in a minute, anything to go faster, but now I think it would be a shame to go too far away from a car that's survived mostly intact for so many years!

Thanks again,
Jim

 

[padam]

This is actually one of those motors that ran better than it had any right to! Back in the mid-70's when I was in high school it outran 454 Chevelles, 440 Roadrunner, a 428 CJ Mustang, built 351C Mach One, Buick GS455, SS 396 Nova, and a bunch more. It has the same Crane cam, TRW pop up pistons, hooker headers, Turbo Action valve body in the trans as it did back then. One option is to tear it down and see if it only needs new seals, maybe honing & rings??? Only issue might be the compression. Your suggestions above were exactly the type of Mopar BB specific advice I was hoping for and I'll definitely ask the machine shop about all of it.

Back in the day I would have discarded the 383 for a 426 hemi in a minute, anything to go faster, but now I think it would be a shame to go too far away from a car that's survived mostly intact for so many years!

Thanks again,
Jim

If it ran that good, I would stick with the old combo. I think the Voodoo series cams have a high lift rate that can be hard on the valve train.

A real good combo can to tough to achieve, ask me how I know.

 

[TorRed]

If it ran that good, I would stick with the old combo. I think the Voodoo series cams have a high lift rate that can be hard on the valve train.

A real good combo can to tough to achieve, ask me how I know.

Thanks, I totally agree. One other concern is the Crane cam is VERY 'lopey'. I want to put Classic Air on it and don't know if it would want to stall when idling or other issues at low RPM. Back then I'd never put A/C on the car as that would slow it down, now living in central Florida I need A/C at least 6 months out of the year, probably more.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

A friend of mine owned/ran an engine shop for several years.
He commented that Chrysler had very good designs and the best metalurgy but sloppy casting and machining.
Yes you could get a "good one" or a bad one.
We had a 66 Newport with a 383 2 barrell probably rated at like 290 hp.
It ran perfectly smooth but on the highway it was a killer from 50 - 90 mph with points,single exhuast, closed port heads and small valves.
A good one.

Not to derail the thread, but I had a 69
383 2bbl, I put a 4bbl intake and carb on it, put it in a 68 d200 with 3.55s and 31” all terrains, it was the easiest starting, best running engine I had, and as a bonus it would spin the tires for a good 10’ without trying too hard…..try a little harder and it’ll do better

Honestly, I like a 383 over a 440, big bore small block

 

[PRHeads]

Imo, the OP should do some soul searching and figure out how much of a priority the “high performance” aspect of his street cruiser dream is.

If it’s fairly high on the list……..then he should really give more thought to a stroker.

In a milder type build, the one thing the extra cubes do very well is add TQ.
So, you can have the big TQ seat of the pants feel when you push on the pedal without the down sides that comes along with a higher strung, smaller cube build.

 

[TorRed]

Imo, the OP should do some soul searching and figure out how much of a priority the “high performance” aspect of his street cruiser dream is.

If it’s fairly high on the list……..then he should really give more thought to a stroker.

In a milder type build, the one thing the extra cubes do very well is add TQ.
So, you can have the big TQ seat of the pants feel when you push on the pedal without the down sides that comes along with a higher strung, smaller cube build.

Totally agree, and that's actually why I'm trying to get feedback on 'stock appearing' builds to see the HP/TQ available for these combos, vs the 432 build, Stealth CNC'd heads, Dougs 1 3/4 headers, Lunati cam shown above to see what my choices are. I could always take a middle road with the parts and/or stroker but if I'm going to keep the motor 'original' I'd like that to mean I'm keeping all the parts I reasonably can (heads, exhaust manifold, rotating assembly, period correct DP4B, etc.). Otherwise, I'll stay with the 432 plan I already have and store the intake, heads, valvetrain, crankshaft, rods, exhaust manifolds and related parts in safe containers for someone else's future refresh.

At one time this was going to be a 10 second street monster, then I dialed that back a couple of times to come up with the 432 stroker plan and now I'm thinking a fun, fast & easy to drive classic that I can drive into my 70's (& beyond?) may be the better path. Hence my 400+ HP & TQ targets as stated above.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Rishi]

Is this a common theme among 383 owners?

"Sure, there are 440s, and 426s out there, but the 383 is what I got, please advise me to dump a bunch of $$$ into the 383, because I want performance very badly, but not bad enough to dropping in a 440 or 426. But hey, I may be willing to spend the same $$$ as I may for the latter."

The earlier advice to keep it stock, and run a 100HP NOx kit is still a strong and positive recommendation. That would still be hella fun to drive.

 

[RemCharger]

Is this a common theme among 383 owners?

"Sure, there are 440s, and 426s out there, but the 383 is what I got, please advise me to dump a bunch of $$$ into the 383, because I want performance very badly, but not bad enough to dropping in a 440 or 426. But hey, I may be willing to spend the same $$$ as I may for the latter."

The earlier advice to keep it stock, and run a 100HP NOx kit is still a strong and positive recommendation. That would still be hella fun to drive.

I'm a pretty die hard 383 guy, ( best of 10.50 @ 130) but I too would grab a 440 which comes with a free factory stroker crank, for putzing around town

 

[PRHeads]

Hence my 400+ HP & TQ targets as stated above.

If you haven’t yet watched the “weaky 383” series on Nicks Garage, you should.

Watch the video, look at the results………and ask yourself what’s going to be different on your 383 that would bring the power from what they got up to 400+ hp………that still fits the parameters of what you’re looking for(a street friendly combo that will be happy chugging along thru exhaust manifolds in the Florida heat in OD with the A/C on).

If a stroker is in your mind at all………the time to venture down that path is before you’ve built and installed the 383, and realized that a “mild street cruiser” 383 is ……….just that……mild.

Sure, you can build one to make over 400/400 with ex manifolds…..I’ve done it.
But it’s not much of a low end TQ bruiser.

A mild pump gas ex manifold combo can end up in the 1.10-1.15 TQ/CI range(or less).
A 489 is 101ci more than a 388…….you do the math.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Sounds like you are trying to build a motor around a cam you already have. That is not the way I would do it.

This is a GREAT point

 

[BSB67]

A mild pump gas ex manifold combo can end up in the 1.10-1.15 TQ/CI range(or less).
A 489 is 101ci more than a 388…….you do the math.

These words are your guiding light.

None of us can understand your personal priorities between what you consider acceptable “stock like” and horsepower.

I think you’ve decided that the big ol’ lumpy cam, ported heads and aftermarket intake are okay, but an undetectable stroker crank and stealth heads are not. And this is fine, but this might not follow everyone’s logic when performance is also a priority.

There is nothing in the stroker/stealth combo that will change anything regarding long term drivability. It will actually be a better driver with more power.

 

[Larrry B.]

Is this a common theme among 383 owners?

"Sure, there are 440s, and 426s out there, but the 383 is what I got, please advise me to dump a bunch of $$$ into the 383, because I want performance very badly, but not bad enough to dropping in a 440 or 426. But hey, I may be willing to spend the same $$$ as I may for the latter."

The earlier advice to keep it stock, and run a 100HP NOx kit is still a strong and positive recommendation. That would still be hella fun to drive.

Not everyone feels the need for a 440 or 426, and hemis are more expensive to build / maintain.

It took me a while to sort out my 383 from what was a bracket racing build to something more street friendly. I have no complaints and that was what my car originally had.

 

[T Brashears]

Some of us like 383s,especially when our friends had most of the parts laying around!

 

[Geoff 2]

No matter what the engine size or make, the smart move is find out what the weaknesses & strengths are....& avoid the weaknesses...