Future engine for the truck (383?)

[Doober]

Pre-post cliffsnotes:
What would you do for a rotating assembly (piece together or buy a kit)?
What clearancing would be needed for a 383?

Someday I will be dropping a small block into the truck... this 4.3 is already causing me pains when I have it floored and everybody & their brother is passing me up, in little import cars no less!

I was originally thinking of a pretty much stock 350 with a set of Vortecs, and a fairly small cam. I have emissions testing every year, plus there is quite a steep learning curve with the DIY TBI stuff that I'm not really ready to dive into, so if I'm to put any type of cam in it'll need to be compatible with the TBI setup. There's no reason I can't change the cam somewhere down the road when I have the Malibu down here (for a 2nd set of wheels).

I've also decided that (at least for interest's sake) I'd look into a 383 also. I would be using a 1-piece RMS block that's capable of a factory roller (may even get a Vortec motor & kill 2 birds if I could find one cheap enough), and compression would probably have to stay around 9:1. Just so there isn't any confusion, of course this would be on a budget (no really special parts mainly, outside what's needed). Also, where is clearancing typically needed for a 383?

I guess my main question would be what you guys would go with. I also just made a call to one of the larger shops that deal with emissions testing, and was told that so long as the emissions equipment is intact & functioning they don't kick up a fuss if I have a carb instead of TBI, so that opens the door to a bigger cam.

 

[9secmalibu]

well i can tell ya my 350 block came out of a 78 4x4 pickup picked it up for 100.00
had all the machine work done around 350.00
bought a 383 rotating assembly out of a motor that had 5 passes on it had new pistons installed on the rods
had the crank polished clearenced the block myself
the clearancing is on the oil pan rails,and the bottom of the cylinder holes
and you will have to clearance the connecting rods where the head of the rod bolts are
I had to clearence the head of the rod bolts to clear my cam and then when you install the oil pan
it will need to be clearanced as well put a few bolts in and roll the crank over 2 revs by hand and when it stops roll it backwards the forwards again then hit with ball peen hammer to clearance the pan but however they do produce a oil pan that is built for 383's but a buddy of mine purchased one of them exspensive friggin things and still had to beat on in with a hammer LOL and I also recommend a cam button to help keep your cam in line im sure ive missed something maybe somebody else has some other ideas too but if ya have any questions let me know oh and by the way even tho i built my 383 on a budget i still have about 3700.00 tied up in it #-o but mine also has 10.5:1 compression also.


Adam

 

[ScotSea]

Pete K over in the Corvette forum detailed building a 383 for a vette meant for the street. Complete with pics.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-tech-performance/2490764-pete-k-is-building-me-a-383-build-w-photos.html

 

[Doober]

I'm in the process of reading now... about halfway through, some good info on block prep 8)

 

[SSedan64]

There was a good Scat 383 article on GoFastNews by Dave Vizard but the links wont work now. Arrg!
http://www.gofastnews.com/technical.php
Used a newer block with Scat rotating Assy. Stroker clearanced I-beams with no clearancing required if the newer model Block is used.

 

[Doober]

w00t!
http://www.gofastnews.com/showthread.php/641-Scat-s-drop-in-383-Simple-Build-Simple-Budget

You're my hero for finding this :lol: Makes building a 383 at home even easier... so long as there isn't any clearancing required (he said about a 95% probability with a late model block) 8) Shoot, I'd even consider this for the Malibu

 

[Doober]

Since I had started pricing everything for Vortec heads (heads and intake mainly), I had somewhat abandoned the 383 idea, but it may still be probable. Vortec heads are a lot harder to find here than they were in Michigan, and they're about double what they normally are, so I'm considering finding a TBI 350, porting the heads, getting the Scat rotating assembly, and going with a slightly milder cam than originally planned (aiming more for all the torque I can get at this point).

 

[Doober]

I may have a line on a 454 TBI unit, which is a major player in this whole thing... the throttle bodies don't flow a lot from the factory, but they can be ported, have mods done, etc. so they flow adequately. Another plus is it has a factory TBI to spreadbore adapter attached to it, so that kind of opens up the possibilities on aftermarket intake manifolds should I choose to go with one.

 

[Doober]

Does anyone have a cam suggestion? I think I'll be going with a roller, compression will be between 9-10:1 (having trouble getting a solid number there), and the RPM range will be somewhere close to idle on up to 5,000-5,500. I'm planning on using TBI ('swirl port') heads, and for anyone that says they flow horrible:
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/tbi/283217-garage-ported-193-s.html

May not be as good as, say, some nice aftermarket heads, but I'm not looking or giant flow numbers anyway. This build is torque first, horsepower second (as any street build should be ).

I always have trouble taking the cam's listed "RPM range" at face value, because they don't know if you're using it in a 283 or a 413, and it will act like a completely different cam in each engine.

 

[Doober]

I think I may have found one.