I'm about to get started on building my 383.

-Scat 9000 rotating assembly- forged pistons/rods, plasma ductile rings

-OEM roller setup (not used, brand new. Block is from a 95 truck, had to drill and tap for the roller setup but the provisions were there)

-Lunati voodoo custom cam- 227/231 duration @ .50, .530/.535 lift w/ 1.5:1 rockers, 108 lsa

-Comp cams high energy aluminum roller rocker arms- 1.5:1, 3/8ths stud

-Trickflow super 23 aluminum heads- 195cc intake/ 72cc exhaust, 62cc combustion chambers (puts me at 10-10.2:1 compression), angle plugs, dual springs for up to .600 lift, 2.02/1.60 valves

-Edelbrock RPM Air gap intake- non EGR

-Holley street avenger 770cfm carb- electric choke, vaccuum secondaries (also built a double pumper for racing)

-Hooker long tubes

-MSD street fire HEI distributor- vacuum advance

-Cloyes true roller timing chain

-MLS head gaskets, steel/solid core intake/exhaust gaskets


This will have a full manual 700r4 w/ ratchet shift built buy monster trans for 450hp/500tq and a 10 bolt (nothing fancy) with 3.42 gears and an eaton posi (until it blows, then a 9 inch or 12 bolt will go in).

Suspension mods will take up a whole other thread so I won't go into that unless anyone has questions about it.

I'll try to document my progress for you guy. It's going in a 91 RS that has a 305 TBI. I autocross this car so the suspension part of this project has already been started.

 

hey I have a question I have a 91 camaro that I want to put a 383 crate in it and was wondering what the best trans to put in? preferable a automatic with ratchet shifter

 

Depends, is it a street car? or strip only?

 

I want to use regular gas and use it for a hopped up cruiser and go to strip here and there.

 

I was thinking a t56 with 9'' rear end with 4:10 gears

 

A t56 is a manual 6-speed, and what engine are you running? 4.10's would be run with a dedicated strip car. For a mostly street car you'll want 3.42's at the most. what engine do you have?

 

Build should run good with alot of torque

 

Yup thats the plan. I've been autocrossing this car so i want to keep the powerband lower. Also this will be dyno'd before going in the car. I hope to start building on sunday.

 

dyno reasults would be very interesting a buddy of mine is building a 85 z28 for road racing it has a 406 sbc in it and t56 ford 9inch and all sphon suspension cant wait to see how it prefomrmes

 

Thatll be a sweet build, and i plan on renting the dyno for a couple hours and trying a bunch of different things to see the results, i just need the money to rent it first!

 

Assuming you're using dished pistons? My 385 with 64cc chambers is about 11:1 with flat tops. And iron heads lol. I would definitely throw a 9" in there ASAP. I'm limiting my 385 with TPI, and I still went straight to a Moser 9". Not gonna give it a chance to blow lol. You have a very similar valvetrain to mine. 224/231, about .515 lift with 1.6 rockers, 110 LSA. Will be interesting to see how it runs with a carb. Planning on hitting the strip with it?

 

I would go with AFR195's for an extra 400 bucks. If you look at the flow numbers they are far superior and I don't think you would regret it judging by the amount you will have into it at this point. They have been the best stroker head for a long time running.

AFR 195cc SBC Eliminator Street Cylinder Heads flow almost 280cfm and over 300cfm if you get the comp ported ones, but they are 2 grand.

 

I agree, IMHO I've never been a fan of the results form Trick Flow heads. The dyno numbers always seemed low.

AFR's are the way to go, or get a set of Jeg's 195 SBC heads. They flow about the same as AFR's. I have a set on my car, and haven't looked back. They were $1100 brand new. They flow 274cfm out of the box.

 

Yea i think they -13cc? and ill get my moneys worth from the 10 bolt before getting a 9", money is tight. I do plan on hitting the strip but autocross has been my main focus.

 

AFR's were my first choice, but unfortunatley money is tight. I DO however have plans for improvement later down the road, I was thinking at some point (at least 5 years) 210cc heads (Probably AFR), an intake either like a super victor or maybe a 2x4 intake, and my cam with 1.6:1 rockers will put me around .565/570 lift. So i do agree with you that there are much better choices but i just cant afford it right now. Even tho i didnt get the best parts, i did make sure to get decent quality parts, no used/ cheap parts are being used.

 

It use to have a v6 but when I bought it, it has a 5.7 350 and the motor looks older then a 91 with 80,000 miles on it. what trans would be the best?

 

A working trans. Start your own thread lol

 

Just a simple 700r4. You can upgrade it with a manual valve body and ratchet shifter if thats what you want.

 

Youre right. A working trans would be the best place to start!

 

So it looks like tonight I'm going to be working on installing my spiral locks on my pistons. I ordered the tool for it but i doubt it'll be here before sunday and i've been waiting for almost a year to start this so I'm not going to wait any longer. Also the rod that was used for clearancing now has some surface rust (i cleaned the rust preventor off and i guess didnt put enough back on), I'm going to try some WD40 but if that doesnt get it off is there anything wrong with using a green scotch brite pad? Thats the less abrasive kind.

One other thing, after i clean the bearing surfaces and wiping down the block, would a light coating of wd40 or a light oil on the cylinder walls keep any rust and moisture off them while its sitting? I still have to save up some $$$ and find time to get to the engine dyno and the last thing I need is to mess this thing up before it even gets started. I'm assuming wd40 will do the job considering its full name, Water Displacement, 40th Formla.

 

And as a side note, I bought this engine for $75 intake to oil pan out of a 95 1500 with 180,000. I have ALL parts from this engine still and will sell them dirt cheap for anyone looking. Heads, TBI intake, rods, crank, rockers and basically everything else is for sale, I'm not reusing anything and would like to clear this crap out of my work space. PM me if interested.

 

I use oil and just coat the bare surfaces. Keeps rust out well

 

Ok I'll do that. Whats your recommendation for oil weight to run in this engine? Anything different for break-in? I also see youre a fellow PA guy, i live about an hour out of philadelphia.

 

USE LPS 3

 

Is that something I can pick up at a local hardware store? And what's the benefit of that over a motor oil? Just wondering, not disagreeing.

Also after 30 minutes of fighting with these damn spiral locks just to get one piston/rod done, I've decided to wait til that damn tool gets here. I hope it's here by saturday, I'm reallllllly itchin to get this started.

 

I used 10w30 in my motors, except recently i went to 15w40 turbo diesel oil for my turbo car. Handles the heat better i believe. My pressure stays higher after running awhile when it used to drop alot. N/a motors dont have turbo heat issues lol so if you have standard bearing clearances and typical street rpms, you shouldnt need a thick heavy oil. 10w30 works well. I ran basic conventional cheap oil for break in work. Probably 80-100 miles of drivetime on break in runs before changing out to full synthetic. I think i changed oil 2 times during break in. Then went mobil 1

I am from pittsburgh area

 

We've used that on our parts resale business.Says no rust for three yrs.It works.Expensive,but works.Gotta look for it in auto parts stores/hardware.Better yet go do a internet search on the net to find outlets in your area.Thing is it is paraffin based and is abit of a pain to get off.I would be amiss if I didn't say that.Comes in 20 oz can for about $8.00 bucks.Comes out really thick and goes a long way.

 

Is that more for long term storage or can it be used temporarily? I assume you need to wipe it off at time of final assembly and before running motor?

 

More than you will ever need to know about motor oil.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/

To sum it up. Use dyno oil for break in. I would say 10w-40 is best to insure good oil pressure. You want 10psi of oil pressure per 1000rpm you intend to spin. Once you are broken in synthetic 0w-40, 0w-30 Mobil 1 or other known good brand is the way to go. If you get 60psi with 0w-30 and you plan on shifting at 6k, perfect. If you need to run 0w-40 to accomplish this do it. Its pretty much that simple. If you have the time I would highly recommend the attached article. It is really good information and will allow you to make an educated decision for yourself as it is one of the most important decisions you can make for the longevity of a build.

 

Check it out:

http://www.lpslabs.com/index

 

NEVER ever use a synthetic on a flat tappet cam.I suggest on any new build it is a bad idea.There is a break-in oil Joe Gibbs and a oil run for the change in Joe Gibbs Racing oil.You should spend more for your oils.Hell you spent all that money for the build,so why would you do less on the oils or make the mistake of a bad choice.Baffled why the hell you would want to extend oil change intervals with synthetics for the same reason.Get the zink ya need.Not a brand name choice but a matter of FACT.

Beyond that what goes hand and hand with oil choices is the oil filter. WIX is what you want.

 

I take it you didn't read the article. Also he is using an OEM roller setup so that is invalid.

 

My buddys 305 has been running on synthetic with no additives for 20 years lol its seen variety of oil types and still hasnt wiped a lobe. Its insane and i have no idea why it wont die but that truck flat tappet 305 is kickin ****

 

You are correct. Oil specifications are only getting higher and lubricating better. However with flat tappet cams utilizing steeper ramps and higher lift pushing the limits of a flat tappet camshaft they see far greater pressure and do require additive to oil. My cam came with a note attached to you stating that the Comp Cam break in oil must be used with every oil change to ensure longevity of the cam. They state that this additive is "Compatible with any petroleum, synthetic or blended motor oil." Hence showing they will maintain there warranty with any dyno/synth oil utilizing this product. That tells me run whats best. Synthetic.

 

Gary: Im running a lunati voodoo hyd. roller cam, not flat tappet. Ill take a look into that lps stuff too.

Screamin and orr: I plan on switching to full synthetic at 500 miles and doing 2 oil changes before that point. Even without a flat tappet cam, should i still use break-in oil?

 

I know what that is now, i use that at work sometimes, i knew it sounded familiar.

 

The advise against the synthetics came through the trades because of the detergents that are in it.Tough learning curve I guess.Do what you will.................

The oils that are blended VS the additives that end up in the bottom of the pan being heavier than the oil,the blended oils with it in it is a better choice.

 

Im not going.to disagree with you, but ive had nothing but good come from using synthetics so far. This car will have collectible plates meaning it can only be driven 3000 miles per year. So i wont need the extended service period of a synthetic because ill be changing the oil once per year any ways.

 

Don't over look the suggestion on Wix filters.

 

I didnt, i was just researching them now, they look like a good quality company and ill definetly be ordering their filters

 

I never use break in oils or additives in my roller motors. No issues for me so far

 

Ok thats what i figured. Looks like the build wont be starting until next week now because i need thst spiral lock ring tool. I really want to keep trying with these locks but its just not worth messing up a piston.

On a better note, my ws6 rear sway bar came today. Im gonna sand blast and paint the mounts tonight then when i get a front one i'll order some polygraphite bushing/endlinks.

 

It can only help. I didn't with my last build (almost 10 years ago), but that being said I am now blueprinting my next. I will be into it for almost 6k all said and done.

I believe I will be using break in oil as cheap insurance. I have not done much research on it at this point and will do a lot when that time comes. I would read tech articles from super chevy, hot rodders, etc. Some known established sources for 75% of my choice, and utilize forums and guys like me (regurgitating facts read from said sources perhaps less than accurately ) for 25% of my decision making.

Wix is great, run them when you can. Hastings is a close second best.

 

Take magazine articles with a grain of salt. Some tend to mislead to push product sales instead of accurate unbiased results. Some are good however. Depending what forum you are on will depend on how much good information you can take away.

 

I completely agree. Read a lot and make your own educated decision. If you do that I guarantee you will make the right one, as there is always more than one way to skin a cat.

 

The comic books like hot rod are not what I am talking about.The trade mag's like Engine Builder are slanted towards businesses that are in the business and those are what I am talking about.Same kind of sources you would be exposed to at S.E.M.A. trade shows.

It's really not branding that matters to us.It is end result.We pass along independent studies backed by our own use.

 

don't forget your intake. It's real important you at least have it matched to the heads. Since it's already off, you might as well send it to someone who knows what they are doing, even if you only get it matched ($120 or so at the most).

Should be a fun motor when you're done. That 108 LSA will give you some snappier grunt, particularly with your duration numbers.

 

Last thought on oil, I'm sure you know but its worth repeating. Make sure you spin your oil pump (with a drill) before you install the distributor. Priming the oil system is HUGE.

 

Yeah I thought that would be the best for a automatic, pretty new with this stuff as u can tell but thanks for the help.

 

Spin a 1/2 drill so it slows twice.Once to fill the oil pump and once to fill the galleries.Then stop.Don't wash out all the assembly lube.