The title says a lot and i need any suggestions you guys can give. This includes heads, cam, intake, throttle body, injectors, timing, fuel pressure, etc. I will NEVER get beat by a civic again.

 

get rid of the muffler, ure still running the stock 2 1/4 inch piping.

make sure car has full tune up
3 inch catback( hooker,random tech, ect)
3 inch highflowcat(catco,dynomax)
3.42 gear
zexel torsen diff(from slponline.com)
lower fanswitch(tbi runs $hitty hot)

after this see how the cars doing if ure getting wheelspin, try to upgrade to 16*8 inch rims(245/50/r 16s) control arms, relocation brackets.

next headers(hooker,slp,headmen)
custom chip

After this u shouldnt have a problem with civics no more

 

what kinda civic was it, a lot of people drop in like gs-r engines , or b-16s, and they run high 14s low 15s with em u gotta watch out

 

woops i didnt see the part about wanting to build a 383. Id still go with what i said. The stock exhaust would suffocate that engine to much and the gears are horrible.

 

well, the first thing we need to consider is how much power you are looking to put to the ground? Are you considering a medium buildup (350-450hp and 400-500ft/lbs) or a real naturally aspirated monster (450-550+hp and 500-600+ft/lbs). If considering the latter... remember that you are going to have to do a lot of suspension, chasis and drivetrain work to keep that motor from tearing the car apart at the seams. As I don't know how much you know about going fast in general, don't take anything I cover that you may already know as being offensive). Things you should consider doing before a serious engine buildup:

- a new or custom built tranny (and converter if auto) that can handle those horses

- subframe connectors with ladder bars and/or roll cage to stiffen the chassis and prevent body twist (safety as well)

- a 12-bolt or ford type 9in rear with positraction (the c-clip retainers on your stock axles WILL break under that much of a load and leave you stranded.

- aftermarket LCAs and LCA relocation brackets to properly adjust the launch geometry of the rearend (this is also the point where a full tubular rear end might come in handy).

- a stronger aftermarket torque arm with saftey loop wich will put more power to the ground, reduce squat, and ensure that you don't attempt any pole vaulting

- True dual exhaust with long tube headers will be the best to evacuate all those spent gasses (hardly legal in most states, but there are ways around it)

- some M/T or other good DOT radials will be needed to curb massive wheelspin



That all said... considering the motor:

-Pick up a 350 core from your local pick-a-part (roughly $50)

- go ahead and have it hot tanked and crack checked, bored, honed, clearanced, and surfaced (guessing $400???).

- SUmmit sells a 383 engine kit that will run you about $1100 wich you can install yourself or I'm sure a local machine shop would be more than happy to build it for you given the right amount of the green stuff.

- Head choice is critical, esp. with different cams and depending on if you want this to be a "bolt on" job or not. Do not get Vortech heads if you plan on running lift higher than .45 (most people here say .47 is the limit but the concensus among the guys at Hot Rod and Super Chevy has been .42 or .43, take your pick) World makes really good heads that are ready to bolt on and will accept higher lift than Vortechs without modification.

- cam choice (and target hp) will also determine what kind of fuel delivery you will want. Hell, if you've got the money splurge for a Holley MPFI or TBI system (about $2300 and $1800 respectively). If not, then carb is always great, but performance will vary with the seasons and will be very noticable esp. if it is your daily driver. You must also consider a fuel pump that will be able to support your injection system and hp numbers.

- a good dual plane high rise carb intake maniflod will provide better idle and off idle/part throttle performance, while a single plane high rise will really give you good high RPM performance.

Take all of these things into consideration and then map out your game plan. Most of us here do not have the money to tackle something like this virtually overnight. a plan will help you budget your time and money so that you can order parts and have them arriveing just in time for the next step instead of having your project sit for a few weeks or months while you wait for the time/money to be available to continue. All told, a big buildup (for then entire car) could run you bewteen 10 and 25 thousand dollars depending on what you wish to accomplish and your frugality in selecting parts. Even when tackling a mild build up you must still consider all parts of the equation. It's not as easy as bolt it in and go. I hope I haven't rained on your parade, but rather inspired you to make an extended go-fast game plan. Feel free to correct me/consult many other authorities on this. Most of the time I know just enough to get me in trouble

Later,
Harry

Long live the MONSTER post!

 

oh yeah, and if you really want a step-by-step guide for building a 383 I believe hot rod had a very informative article in the september issue... check it out. They made somewhere in the neighborhood of 550 hp.

 

This civic was running a turbo. Everytime he let off the gas i could hear the blow off valve on the turbo. By the way, Im looking for a mild because 1) I cant afford a radical buildup and 2) i need this car to be a daily driver. I just want it to be a very fast daily driver. I know a little bit about cars, i helped plan and build a 550 horse 383. But that was carbed and in a 78 camaro. I wasn't sure how different it would be for this car.

 

well how about this then...

build a 350... This will require less money in the long run cause you can use the stock rotating assembly which should handle up to 350 horses or more.

- get a short block from the local pick-a-part with 4 bolt mains (splayed if possible)

- tear it down... replace the rings, seals, and bearings.

- have it balanced (and decked if you want to up the compression)

- Vortech heads

- Edlebrock RPM Air-Gap manifold (can't remember if it has EGR provisions, or if you even need it) with TBI adapter plate.

- 454 TBI

- call comp cams to figure out what the best cam for your setup will be. (remember the limited lift on unmodified Vortechs and this will be where knowing your converter stall speed will come in handy if you keep the auto)

- Jacobs or Petronix Flamethrower ignition

- Hooker Super-Comp Shorty headers Jet Hot coated

- Hooker or Gale-Banks catback


This should be a fairly mild to medium build-up, depending on how you implement it and the cam specs you could see anywhere in the neighborhood of 300 to 400 horses. More than enough to crush unsuspecting rice (provided you can still hook) and a nice daily driver with good kick-in-the-*** potential.

oh yeah, and make sure to at least get 3.23 gears, posi, LCAs and LCA relocaters for the rear. That alone will make a big difference on the butt dyno.

 

Don't always assume a blow-off valve is for the turbo......

I have seen MANY cars that have attempted to weld a blow-off valve onto their intake to make a fake sounds......

 

How good are the vortecs? Also, what size injectors should i try running? BTW, I really wanna go with the 383 because of the massive torque output. I need the car to be practical and that other camaro i helped build was hardly practical. What exactly are the LCA's your talking about?

 

The Vortechs are a great low-budget head. A complete pair only costs about $425, but as I said before there is the lift issue.

If you want the car to be practical, then keep the compression ratio down around 9.5/1 so running pump gas wont be a problem, when talking to comp cams about ordering your cam make sure they understand that you want a relatively mild cam (since keeping the TBI you won't be able to run a hot cam anyhow because of issues with the computer, don't forget custom chip burning and the need for a new Knock sensor and ESC), and use a good dual plane carb intake for reasons mentioned before.

As for the injectors... you will have to do some calculating on CFMs but I'm guessing either the Holley 670 CFM 2bbl TBI (part #500-11) or 700 CFM 4bbl TBI (part #500-15) unit will be enough to feed it. Even with high PPH injectors the bore size on a stock 305 Rochester TBI will not be enough unless you were lucky enough to find a 454 TBI unit to replace it.

LCAs are Lower Control Arms (they run from the mount on the frame to the rear axle). You will need adjustable LCAs and LCA relocaters in order to get your car to hook, otherwise I think you are going to see massive amounts of wheel-hop and spin with your newfound power.

If keeping the auto you will AT LEAST, even with a mild build-up, have to get a higher stall torque converter or you will burn up that 700-R4 real quick.

I appologize for the massive first post with the outrageous build-up. Something similar to that is what I want to eventually do (when money is no longer a problem) and I suppose I just got carried away.

Now, all that said... WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO COMMENT HERE?!?!?!? I just know I've missed something

 

 

 

Okay, i feel retarded. I never thought to consider what LCA stood for I was thinking about the throttle body, i remember seeing a deal where turbo city would take your throttle body, do all the Ultimate TBI mods to it and then bore out the bores to 2in. Thats basically the same as the 454 tb right? Also, what do i do about the cat missing on my car, since most aftermarket exhaust systems are setup to work with the cat. How accurate is the custom chip going to be or am i going to have to send it back several times? Sorry for all the questions but i need lots of answers. Thanks guys!

 

The best bet for a chip would be to pick up the equipment to do it yourself and then spend a lot of time on the PROM board. I think you can get the equipment for around 200 and that is about what most aftermarket chips cost. That way you can get one that works with YOUR car not a car LIKE yours.

 

You caould also look into a HT383 from your local GM Performance Parts dealer. Thay run $3700 for a long block and $3300 for a short block. They put down 415 pound feet and 325 HP out of the box. With a good cam, intake, and headers 450 HP and 480 ft/lb is possible. Check out Chevy High Performance . That is how I'm gonna get the 3000GT VR-4 that beat me the other day. For the money, I think that you really couldn't go wrong with this combo. And since it is a mass produced, factory built engine, you know that it'll be built right. I've heard horror stories about getting bad machine work, or poor assembly at a machine shop. Mate this 383 to a T56 and you've got one hell of a pavement pounder that will send most opponents packing.

 

taht looks liek similar hp and torque numbers to what the 350HO makes from a 350 with vortec heads. i think taht long block is only $2200 though. the 383 would make more torque, but for the money it isn't a lot more.

later
tim

 

if you have to start with a bare block build a 383 same price as 350 from powerhouse. we have thePowehouse $470 shortblock kit it had everything but the block plus $200 for new balancer flexplate and balanceing the all new rotating assymbly
we have about $2K in ours total. IT runs low 11s in a light *** Nova

 

Alright, i know i need a new balancer and a new flywheel. My question is how does the bigger balancer affect the mounting of that little tab with the timing marks on it? Also, if i go with the different flywheel will i need a new starter and bellhousing? Im going to put a 6-speed in the car, how does upgrading to the 383 affect the clutch and pressure plate.

 

If going with the T56, you may want to build a stout 350 instead of the 383. I can't say for sure, but 2 years ago, you needed a custom (read that as f*ckin' expensive) flywheel for the T56 style clutch to work with the 383. I don't know if anyone offers a reasonably priced externally balanced, 2-piece rear seal T56 flywheel for people who want to build their own 383. No, it isn't just a Chevy manual flywheel, the T56 clutch system pulls on the release bearing as opposed to pushing on it, and in doing it this way, they came up with a wierd assed flywheel. The HT383 mentioned earlier uses a custom crank (3.8" stroke) with the 1 piece rear main bolt pattern and it is internally balanced. So you can just use the stock flywheel and clutch parts off of an LT1. Also all SBC's newer than '86 are 1 piece rear mains so they would also work with the stock LT1 clutch parts.

 

The aftermarket T-56 uses a stock style clutch and flywheel. So i get to avoid that problem.

 

GTA-SPD what does the 3000GT VR-4 run? My roommate has a 3000GT w/bolt-ons and a 50 shot of NOS. He runs low 15s so I smoke him all day w/my Camaro.

Go with the 383 if you can afford it. I have one w/ World Products heads, stock TPI, w/700R4 (built). I run 13.48 on street tires and 13.34 on slicks. Haven't found a CIVIC yet that is even close...most ricers won't even play...hmmm...must be the Flowmaster exhaust....3"American Thunder....yeah

 

:hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail:

 

dont underestimate a lightweight boosted 4 banger. my son and i spent the last year building his 92 talon tsi and when it was done...guess what...he smoked my 330hp formula 350. he's running 22 lbs of boost on pump gas on a modded 2.0L. that was just what it took to cause me to drain my bank account for my current project, 383 forged superram with lpe heads and a 150 shot of nitrous. he wont be beating me anymore.

 

Wow this one got resurected from the dead. Is your new combo going to be TBI or did a search just bring up this old post thatyou were looking for. I am always curious to see where these old threads come from.

 

Hey Shifty, looks like he's going to use a SUPERRAM tpi on his 383.

Steve

 

Yea I saw that but I was hoping someone would keep it TBI.

 

Carb it :hail:

 

Just for people who are thinking about a 383. They are honestly not that much more expensive than a 350. Get a speedway catalog. They sell lots of dirt track stuff. The 383 crank cost 20 bucks more than the 350. 160$ I think The pistons are the same price. The only thing extra you have to buy is a balancer and a neat little add on balance pad that you can add to any flywheel or flexplate. They have a package that throws in all that stuff and balances it for around 800 bucks. You can't beat that.

 

there was a CRX down here runnin 12.5

 

2 years later im still #$%@! pissed about that civic but i scratched the 383 idea as new emissions requirements came up in the county i live in. I dont know... i imagine its possible to pass the smog with a 383 but i wouldn't know how to set it up and i wouldn't wanna build a bad *** engine to find out later that it wont pass... oh well