i am helping a friend build and install a 383 made from an early 4-bolt main 350 into his 88 iroc-z. first question : now the oil dip stick is going to be on the drivers side , iv'e heard [i hope not in a dream] that someone makes a dip stickfor this swap , iv'e looked and can't seem to find one , help! also he seems to think the bigger the better on injector size. i think accel 24 lb like i have in my 86 Z with a 350 would be fine , but want some more imput on this. his bottom end is a forged kit from summit. now the cam question, do you have to run a computer compatable cam like comp cams sells or can you get away with a more radical type as long as it is made for a roller motor? any thoughts will help. thanks , tom

 

Unless you're using stock manifolds, the dipstick on the driver's side won't be a problem.

If you're using stock manifolds for a 383 build, you should be taken out and shot.

Bigger isn't always better. 24 lbs will probably be fine, since the TPI won't be able to breath well enough to justify anything larger. Unless it's a Miniram. Then it won't be "TPI" anymore.

If you're putting a stock TPI on a 383 build, you should be taken out and shot.

TPI needs a computer compatible cam. You can get away with more radical with some PROM tuning, but the TPI is going to die before you get into too much cam, anyway.

 

because i don't want to be shot , we are rethinking the entire thing. now he is planing to run a carb set-up with headers. he already bought an air gap and a 750 demon but was thinking the tpi set-up for emission reasons in utah you have to pass every year. so now i have to give him his air gap back which i was gonna put on my truck and he won't be buying the complete tpi system i have. oh well , still worried about the dip stick thing though. tom

 

Now that's what I call a Catch 22:

If you choke it off with the "wrong" equipment, we'll shoot you.

If you let it breath with the "right" equipment, the smog ***** will shoot you.

For a 383, there are some "musts" - headers (emissions-compatible are available), proper breathing induction (can be done with TPI, but you're looking at a lot of aftermarket pieces, however they will be emissions-compatible). Any less, and you might as well build a 350 or 305.

If emissions is just a sniffer, you can make a carb run clean enough, typically, if you run a cat. If they look for factory or certified-replacement equipment, you'll need the TPI (well, could be done with TBI, but. . .).