Alaska Boy

Hello,

I am new to this so please bear with me. I am getting ready to build my first 383 out of my stock 350, and I was hoping to get some advice before purchasing parts and machining work. I have built three 350's but never have delved into the 383's until now. With parts prices for 383's coming down to somewhat reasonable and needing to replace the crank anyway (spun bearing on #4) I decided to go for the big 383 and see how it turns out.

The idea behind this engine is to build it so that it will be completely streetable and be able to use the TBI system for induction. I plan on using the stock intake ported to match the larger 2" 700 CFM TBI units available from xtremefi.com and a custom chip from TBI Chips.com or PCMforless.com. Oh, and I of course have a tight budget thanks to my accountant (wife) of $1500 for parts and machine work so new aluminum heads and such are out of the question.

I have read most of the threads on this site relating to TBI 383's, and they have already influenced my parts selection.

Anyway, here is what I have planned so far:

BLOCK & ROTATING ASSEMBLY:

• Cast Iron “K-code” truck block, 2-bolt main
• Decked to 9 inches and squared to mains
• Cylinders Bored and honed 4.030
• Speed Pro Hypereutectic Coated Pistons for 383 engine, H859CP.
• Hastings Moly Rings
• Clevite Rod and Main bearings
• All Fel-pro high performance gaskets
• High Performance 400 Street Balancer
• Scat 9000 Series Cast Crankshaft, P/N 935050L
• Rods, lightened, balanced, polished & ARP “Wave-lock” bolts installed
• Water jacket “Street filled” with Hard-block filler
• Painted Black
• Clearance for stroker crankshaft as needed
• Lifter valley polished for smooth oil return
• Lubrication holes smoothed and polished for more efficient oil flow
• Melling High volume/high pressure oil pump with welded pickup
• Moroso 7 quart oil pan
• ARP Oil Pan studs
• Moroso Windage Tray
• Moroso Crank Scraper file fit
• ARP Oil Pan Studs
• ARP Main Bolts

HEADS:

• Swirlport "193" heads, with extensive porting and polished
• NOTE: I will take a lot of pictures of the modifications I do on these heads and post them when I am done. I plan on having them flow tested as well and I will post the results when complete.
• Milled block mating surfaces
• Screw in rocker arm studs
• High lift springs (.500 inches)
• 1.6 ratio rocker arms
• 30 deg valve angles for max flow
• ARP Head Bolts

CAM:

• Speed Pro cam P/N CS1014R
• Advertised duration = 278 intake / 288 exhaust
• Duration at .050” = 216/226
• Lift = .448 intake / .473 exhaust (with 1.6:1 rockers)
• Lobe Center Line = 112 deg
• Operating Range = 1500 – 4000 RPM (has a good idle quality and will pick up and take off quickly)
• Exact fit, high performance push rods

I ran this set up on my DynoSim Software and it's saying it will make 416 HP @ 5500 RPM - Yeah Right!!! I plan on getting a chassis dyno done on this engine when complete and I'll post the results.

Anyway, what I'm looking for is advice from you guy's that have experience doing this and can lend some good advice or lessons learned.

Some questions that I have are:
Balancing issues? - has anyone ever done a home balancing job? I'm going to try David Vizards method; however, I want to know if it will work...
Camshaft to little? What are the best cam options out there for a 383 using TBI?

Any advice you can offer would be great. I hate to invest a bunch of time and money into this project and make a bonehead mistake.

brodysZ28

hey, how far are you into it, im researching for my 383... any hp numbers?

Alaska Boy

Hi Brody, no numbers yet.

I'm taking my sweet a$$ time with this build. I have only got one head ported so far. I have all of my parts and the machine shop just got done with the block. I paid dearly for buying that unbalanced Scat Crank though. I think my next build I will go with the Eagle Specialties fully balanced assembly from Summit for $750 and save money.

I did buy a Desk-Top Dyno Program and even sprung for some of the advanced features and it showed 460 HP using shorty headers, and 850 CFM induction. It dropped down to about 420 with a 750 CFM induction. With the lighter crank and rotating assembly, I don't doubt these numbers too much.

The big thing is going to be the heads. With all of the money I spent on the dang block and rotating assembly machine work I'm not planning on spending more money on a flow bench anymore BUMMER! In fact, for my next build, I've been eyeing the proform aluminum heads on eBay that go for about 700 bucks assembled.

Here is what I've ended up with for my build so far:

BLOCK & ROTATING ASSEMBLY:

• Cast Iron “K-code” truck block, 2-bolt main converted to splayed 4 bolt with billet main caps bored and honed to block mains.
• Cylinders Bored and honed 4.030
• Speed Pro Hypereutectic Coated Pistons for 383 engine, H859CP.
• Moly piston Rings
• Clevite Rod and Main bearings
• All Fel-pro high performance gaskets
• Summit High Performance 400 Street Balancer
• Scat 9000 Series Cast Crankshaft, P/N 935050L balanced at shop
• Scat 4340 I-beam rods
• Painted Black
• Lifter valley polished for smooth oil return
• Lubrication holes smoothed and polished for more efficient oil flow
• Melling High volume/high pressure oil pump with welded pickup
• Moroso 7 quart oil pan
• ARP Oil Pan studs
• Moroso Windage Tray
• Moroso Crank Scraper file fit
• ARP Oil Pan Studs
• ARP Main Studs with windage tray mounts

HEADS:

• Swirlport "193" heads, with extensive porting and polished
• NOTE: I will take a lot of pictures of the modifications I do on these heads and post them when I am done.
• High lift springs (.500 inches)
• 1.6 ratio rocker arms
• ARP Head Bolts

CAM:

• Speed Pro cam P/N CS1014R
• Advertised duration = 278 intake / 288 exhaust
• Duration at .050” = 216/226
• Lift = .448 intake / .473 exhaust (with 1.6:1 rockers)
• Lobe Center Line = 112 deg
• Operating Range = 1500 – 4000 RPM
• stock push rods (unless they don't fit)

Anyway, just my thoughts - hope that helps in your quest! Let me know how your build goes or if you have any questions about parts. I've been treating this 383 build as a learning experience, and obviously I've learned a few valuable lessons already. Luckily my friends at the machine shop won't let me screw anything up...

titchener

Alaska-

You are showing an operating range of 1500-4000 but with that cam I think you'll make peak HP at over 4500. Take a look at the specs for GM's HT383 engine, with less cam than yours it makes peak HP at 4500. Its got vortec heads thou, but I still think you'll make peak HP at over 4500.

Looks like a nice build, wish I had time to do one like that.

Paul T.

Alaska Boy

Hello again Paul,

Yes, you are correct. My sim is showing power up to 4500 then drops off, which for a street motor is perfect. What I really love is the torque curve that tops out at 480 ft/lbs at 4000 RPM - YES!

As far as the HT383 is concerned, even with all of the extra expenses that I have had with macining, and installing all top name brand parts, I will still come in about a grand under their long block version. Plus I don't have to change the induction system to Vortec style, so I save significant money there too. If machining hadn't been so much, it would have been about 2K under the HT 383. Well worth the time I think...