I've decided on stoking a 350 to a 383. I want to do it right and start from the ground up. The 305 in my car is fairly reliable so I am just going to slowly start an engine in my garage, it may take me awhile but the payoff in the end will be worth it. To make a long story short, which block should I buy. I'm thinking a brand new block or is there any "bullet proof" used blocks I could start with. If I go new what would be a good start, bow tie, aluminum, any suggestions????

 

If you're just looking to build the typical 450-500hp 383 stroker, just get yourself a good '010' block that hasn't been overbored or decked yet. These older blocks make solid foundations for hot street engines. You can find them in either 2 or 4 bolt variety's. I have used these blocks many times, and they they work well. You can find these for less than $200 at machine shops and salvalge yards.

I have also used several Bow-Tie blocks and a couple of Rocket Blocks. I would only recommend using them if you're really gonna do something special. The 700hp/600tq 434 I just built was built using a Rocket Block. The taller deck allowed me to maintain a rod/stroke raiton better than a 5.7" 383, even with the 4.0" stroke by allowing me to use 6.125" rods. The wider pan rails and raised cam allow the use of the 4.0" stroke crank without needing to extensively clearance the block or use a samll base circle cam. Unfortunately they start out at about $1800.

The Bow-Tie blocks are very nice, but they start at $1000+. However, in the long run, they can be economical. All of the critical dimensions are within .001", so usually you don't have to align hone or deck it, unless you need to adjust the deck to achieve a specific deck height. The additonal features such as priority oiling and blind head stud holes, as well as spalyed, 4 bolt mains is nice too. Also, you can get them in 400 main sizes and with Big Blcok cam bearings for additional durability. The decks and cylinder walls are thincker and more stable as well for higher than average power output engines.

World just released the Motown series blocks which are comparable to many of the higher end Bow tie blocks. The Motown goes for about $1600.

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SBC 434 700hp/600tq
434 Specifications

 

Okay, I've been out of the game awhile when you say '010' you mean the engine stamp correct. Also how could I better explain it to a junk yard what I'm looking for and to ensure they don't screw me and how can I ensure it is stock and hasn't been screwed with. Thanks in advance

 

010 is the casting #... 3970010 is the whole number. Like he said, a very common casting.

It's pretty hard to tell from outside for certain whether a block is a virgin or not. A few things to look for: freeze plugs with what looks like a little washer welded in the middle, those are temperature indicators that rebuilders put in to tell if a warranty claim motor has been overheated; numbers stamped ANYWHERE on the block except the right front deck; non-standard paint colors. Obviously if the heads are off you can mic the cylinders. Beyond that, deal with a reputable yard; and don't try to chisel them on the price, if you want them to guarantee that they'll give you another block if the first one turns out not to be usable for your purposes.

There's no such thing as a bullet-proof used block. Any block can be damaged, or have core shift in the casting process, or a host of other problems. One of the stranger motors I have run into was a 010 casting 4-bolt 350 that our customer got for an amazing deal; when we went to assemble it, we discovered that the cylinders were so far off from front to rear that the rods didn't point at the crank journals like they were supposed to, which made them bind against the crank and against the sides of the place in the piston where the pin goes. There's almost no way to tell about things like that if the block is bare (the one in question was). A coupe of other favorite defects of 70s blocks include the lifter bore problem, where one or more lifters doesn't point correctly at its cam lobe, so it wipes the cam out no matter what you do; and the starter bolt hole problem, where the starter ends up too far from the crank, and consequently can never be made to align properly.

Do you have a budget? an estimated HP or ET goal? These are the things that determine where money is most wisely spent. IMHO people in general spend too much money on the big-ticket short block parts, then use inferior machining or assembly techniques that void the advantages of the expensive parts, then cheap out on the heads which is where the power is. Romantic brand-name cranks and pistons and blocks don't make any more HP by themselves, and can be a waste of money if the motor isn't going to make over 1.2 HP per CI or spin past 6000 RPM.

And speaking of "romance", don't allow yourself to get stars in your eyes over "Vette" blocks or "Vette" heads or "Vette" anything else, or the like. About half of all the used cast-iron in current circulation is "from a Vette" if you listen to the sales pitches. Obvious BS. And even if it's true, there's nothing special about the sheet metal or fiberglass that the casting happened to be wrapped in for part of its life; no magical properties rub off on the cast iron or anything. If somebody starts feeding you that line, hold on to your wallet and walk.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

[This message has been edited by RB83L69 (edited February 08, 2001).]