just a quick question. I'm getting ready to put my 383 stroker together and i was wondering if the kit that i purchased (made by eagle) requires machining of the lower cyclinder walls. Ive heard this is needed but i'm not sure if it was for the 383 set up that uses the 400 crank and rods or for every setup. I already have the crank installed and i also installed one connecting rod. i checked the clearences while rotating the crank and i cant see anywhere thats even close to hitting.

if it's a standard GM Block. you need to look at the inside oil pan rail.
and look at the shoulders of the rods..(close to some Big cams).

most of the time you can do this at home.

it dont take much..it's easy..(block work)

it's it's a big cam the rods need to be done by a good shop.

it is a standard GM block ( 010 casting 4 bolt main)

i assumed its not hard work. nothing that a file and an hour of my time cant fix. I just wanted to be certain on what had to be done. as for the cam, how big is big? lol. i just picked up a set of dart heads and i'd like a decent cam to go along with them (specs below). this is going to be a street/strip car. i dont need anything insane with the cam since it has to run on pump gas. I definitily want it to rumble. a rough/choppy idle is prefered. I'd like to avoid doing any machining to the rods since the whole assembly is already balanced. stall converters arent an issue, when it comes time to buy the trans i'll deal with that.

Combustion Chamber Volume (cc) 64
CNC-Machined Combustion Chamber No
Intake Runner Volume (cc) 230cc
Exhaust Runner Volume (cc) 75cc
CNC-Machined Intake Runner No
CNC-Machined Exhaust Runner No
Combustion Chamber Style Heart
Intake Port Location Standard
Exhaust Port Shape Square
Exhaust Port Location Standard
Spark Plug Style Angle
Intake Valves Included Yes
Intake Valve Diameter (in) 2.080 in.
Exhaust Valves Included Yes
Exhaust Valve Diameter (in) 1.600 in.
Valve Springs Included Yes
Maximum Valve Lift (in) 0.690 in.
Outside Diameter of Outer Spring (in) 1.550 in.
Damper Spring Included Yes
Number of Springs Per Valve Dual
Retainers Included Yes
Retainer Material Steel
Locks Included Yes
Lock Style 10 degree
Valve Stem Seals Included Yes
Valve Stem Seal Style PC seal
Rocker Arm Studs Included Yes
Rocker Arm Nut Thread Size 3/8-24 in.
Rocker Arms Included No
Rocker Arm Nuts Included No
Guideplates Included Yes
Guideplate Pushrod Size 5/16 in.
Valve Cover Mounting Style Center and perimeter bolt
Accessory Bolt Holes Drilled Yes
Valve Guides Included Yes
Valve Guide Material Manganese bronze intake/Phosphorous bronze exhaust

I have not put one together but soon will be. You should check each rod for clearance. I was told to use a large paper clip as a spacer for rod to cam and crank to cylinder walls the paper clip should pass between each space. Let us know how it works out. Grumpy Performance has a grt article about this

Does anyone know how the GM 383 block (PN 88962516) goes with the Eagle crank and I-Beam rods?

GM says that it is clearanced for a 3.8" stroke, but I would be interested to know if anyone has actually done it.

on a side note:

will be pulling my Lingenfelter 383 and have a extrnl bal fluid damper
and LG SFI Cert Flex plate. if anybody is looking. parts are close to new
and show it.... Fantastic Price! Top of the line parts!

started assembling the stroker kit this morning....... no clearance issues at all so far. i got 4 pistons in and everything clears. as of now i don't have the cam installed but from a previous thread i posted,the cam that i purchased should clear no problem.

Yeah i thought a mine cleared as well when i got a couple holes done. It wasn't until i had all 8 in and was turning it over that i noticed the mild sound of the rod bolt heads kissing the block. Its actually quite a bit lower inside that it hits then i was really looking for which is why i didn't notice. My combo i 3.75" stroke crank w/6" H-beams and flat tops.

What eagle kit did you get and who from?

Im running 5.7" I beam rods with the 3.75 stroke. maybe thats why i dont have any clearance issues?

As for the kit i'm using, its by eagle specialty products. i got it from A&A auto parts where i work. your best bet would be to visit summit or jegs for the same kit. (part #B13405e030)

i think if you look inside your block at the oil pan rail.. and slide a feeler Guage in there you will see a bit less then the needed .080" inch

right now i bet you have .030" and it clears.. (just a gess)

even with 5.56 rods and a standard 4 bolt 350 block. with a 3,75" stoke. you need to clean it up a bit..and make room. yes it clears.
but it's better to make room for it.. then the crank making room for it's self. if it ever flexes at RPM

okay after getting all of the pistons in i found it does hit at the bottom of the cylinders. only three of the cylinders on the left hand side of the block were hitting.......i took my dremel and made some room for it to clear.. i'm just worried about going into the block too far with the dremel and hitting a water jacket.... as of now, it has just enough room to move freely. is it alright to keep going into the bottom of the cyclinders a bit to make more room???

you only need .080" .. but it's been years ago i played with the 383's. i had lingenfelter do my last one.

.080" is like less then a nickle is thick but look up it up.. your not going into the Jacket..

I used calipers and measured from an arbitrary point to where it was hitting and then took it down .085"-.100" from there using my aribitrary point again to measure.
Once i did that i washed and dryed my block and reassembled, checked and everything was perfect.

thanks for the help.....time for me to head back out there and grind away some more haha

Ok I made some more room for the rods to spin freely. Tomorrow ill put the cam into place to see if there's any clearance issues wiith it.

Thanks for the # I hope to be building one soon. Good luck with the cam

no problem

Remember:
if your close to your rods under the .0080" you will have to have them taken down.. at the rod shoulder.. a shop needs to do this. then bal the rods.. but if your cam is under 590 lift you should be fine.. and not have to do anything... But do check it!

it's been 17+ years from the last time i did a 383.
Lingenfelter did my last one..

this is off the top

okay i got the cam in and the gear drive installed......everything seems good. at first i was a little nervous because i gave the cam a couple turns and it did in face hit a connecting rod. but once i got the gear drive set up and the timing set, i spun the assembly and it was completely free of any interference. i spun the assembly about 15 times to make sure and i cant see anything thats even close to causing a problem

make sure your preload on your cam is close to what it will be with the gear drive...install the timing cover. cam button. gasket.. check preload.
(if the block was not a roller cam eng from the factry)


i use Gear drives in all my eng's like them better then chains
dont ever buy into anyone telling you they take more power to run.
have done 4 dyno pulls with chains and gears.. gears always come out with 1 to 3 HP more..why would that be?..
im thinking the timing could be set better.. deg better..for me they did.
this was installing strait up..cam grnd was right on..

and if your eng is not living at 7000rpm for 2 to 3 hrs at a time.
it's the way to go for a long life street eng!

always wanted to try a belt drive.. but i remember all the probs you get if a belt strips out or slips..(NEW NEG)TIME!!! but guys have been running them now for 10+ years.
(but not for 1 or 2 years at a time.). maby ill try one soon.. at $400ea. one could buy 2 gear drives and covers. and a good gear drive.. is sweet! you dont know it's there..

im sure sombody will chime in with storys of a guys brother. with a Guy they know who says diff.. But untill i see a guy drive a belt drive for 2 to 3 years on the street with out ever having to check it.. for anything.. i dont Buy into anythings better then a Gear drive for the street.

its funny that you mentioned this stuff about people not liking the gear drives. when i went to where i work to pick it up, another employee at the store was trying to talk me out of it saying "they're noisey and annoying after awhile". If i was so concerned about noise i wouldnt have the cam thats installed in the engine and i wouldnt have the heads that i have either haha. i purchased the gear drive for a few reasons. 1 i dont have to worry about a chain stretching or breaking, 2 the engine is gonna be maxed out around 6500 rpm, and 3 i happen to like the noise they put out. its all in preferance and i think the first 2 reasons alone were good enough reason to make the purchase.

remember..gears came. before chains.. and you can pick the gear drive you want.. i like the ones that. You cant tell. if it's in there or not..Not all Gear drives are noisey!

some times about 50 yards away you cant just make it out..

chains are for things that have 2 wheels..or Kill trees

haha thats great :-D

Gears came before chains, eh?

Like carburetors came before fuel injection.

Like bias ply came before radials.

Like analog tune came before digital, mono before stereo.

Like hand crank before power windows.

Like manual before power steering.

Like 8 mpg before 25 mpg.

Like flathead before overhead valves.

Yep, that's a convincing argument. . .

I think i missed that part of his post lol. i'm with you on this one. i believe chains have been around quite a bit longer :-P

well if you wana bring up OLD Stuff
for drives?
gears first. for drives.. starting back in Rome.. long after the wheel..that it was a copy of .and 4000 years before. say the car.LOL

some time in the 14/15th centy did a chain drive for larg gates.& ships rudders come along.. but whats a few hundred years : )

There seems to be a perception out there that gear timing is superior to chain timing.

The hot ticket is belt drive.

But, for the typical build, which the OP's sounds like, a double roller is fine. Anything that costs more would be a waste of performance dollars.

we talked about belt drives....cost.. replacemt when used up/age.
450 to 900.. for a street.. not so much.

i looked into them when they first came out 12/14 years ago..
600/700 back then.. for a race car..they work

so with spending say $75 on a good U.S. made chain.
and check it after say 3 or 4 years of street driving.
to keep the timing spot on..

or $130 set timing and forget about it..
most of the guys would go with gear drive.
thats just some of Us..

some of the guys who talk about how to spend money. will go out and Buy the over priced Moroso/mickyTomson front tires also.. and not a better set of raidls for the front..at Half the price..what it comes down to is.. what one wants to use. and what others Use.. thats all..

use a chain use cast pistons use a stock block..
beat on it..how long will it live?? who knows..
we just like to know.. all forged will live longer.
but will it??

Never seen one as cheap as 450 but they go well beyond 900 bucks if you are looking at race stuff.

http://www.cvproducts.com/Category.aspx?ID=10000256

comp cams. has one in the $450.ball park
new belts run. $100 ea you will want to replace it like tires
(keep an eye on it) less then 20.000 miles

that belt drive system seems pretty cool. i never saw one of them before. it doesn't seem like it would last too long but the timing seems like it would be dead accurate. even at 450 bucks for the cheap one.... i think id rather stick with the gear drive and forgets its in there instead of having to check it constantly.

nascar guys are into them..and alot of the top name drag Guys..
for us street guys.. not so much

I just did a little simulation with the camquest program on comp cams website. according to them i should be at 504 HP @ 6000 rpm and 491.2ft/lbs torque @4500 RPM. If the actual #'s are anywhere close to those I'll be extremely happy with the set up :-D

thats fun to play with.. and use the dif parts they list..

with my old heads and cam in the New 427 (can only use 400sbc)
i get 602HP 570 FPT @6000PRM..

it comes out just about the same. if i just use the 427bbc info for the same cam and head flow #'s.

if i also add my 200 hp NOS fogger hit. it's 802HP and over 600fpt
= new tranny...lol

it's fun to see what you will get when playing with parts..

they dont have my intake.. or cam listed and the CID is off a bit..
but i know it will be over 400 Hp..before the NO2.

I just downloaded this for laughs. It is way more generous then the older dyno 2000 program. According to cam quest my motor with their selected cam is making 630HP. Same motor, same cam on DD2000 says 560HP. The cam i actually am running on DD2000 says it should put out 540hp. Thats a solid roller 383 w/canfield 215 heads.

Why would the CID be off? you can change it to any bore or stroke you like.

it will not let me add anything..only what they have listed on the Bore and stroke..any time i list it. it pops back to what they had listed..

All you do is click on the value you want to change, in your case the stroke to 4" i assume, then hit enter. If you don't hit enter, and yes i made this mistake too, it will revert back to what you had when you click on something else.

it there a way to input your cam specs to this and not just what they have listed..

2 days ago it gave me a wide list today nothing no cans listed..lol

would like to input the info of my camp cam into it and see what is has now.

Are you sure you have all your values entered? It won't select cams if you don't. But no, i couldn't figure out how to input cam values or even select a comp cam outside of the recommended ones. I just downloaded it yesterday when i saw this thread so i am far from an expert on the program.

Just download desktop dyno 2000, it can be had for free lots of places. It is basically the left side of camquest only you can also enter all the cam info and it gives you better HP/TQ graphs/charts as well as a comp math and other options. Also it is much more honest in HP numbers, giving you the HP you should make if your set up was perfect, no alt with an electric w/pump. The numbers on camquest sort of defy the standard 2hp per cfm of intake flow that is generally accepted as the max possible hp for a naturally aspirated engine.
From plugging in cam values i can say both programs like the same cams.

yea what parts do you have?

Yea what parts do you have?