I have been looking at engines and I really like wheeler crate engines. I was looking at purchasing a complete 383 short block and just using everything on my motor. I have used a couple of CR calculators and come out with a static C/R of 11.93 is this safe for pump gas? Also I used the one on KB website and got 13.3 witch is right? Using a 4.100 gasket .040 thick deck height of .005 and stock 58c heads. Is it safe to use really thick head gaskets? Cause I could use a .080 gasket and drop CR by 1 point.

 

11.48 : 1 w/ a
4" bore
3.75 stroke
58cc head
.005 in the hole
and that gasket.

Why use 58cc heads? Put some 64's on there and it drops to ~10.7:1 which is fine for pump gas.

 

I don’t have any 64cc heads to use and I already have the 58cc heads. I thought about going to junkyards trying to get a set of Vortecs but most junkyards want almost as much as a new set for a used set. So that’s $500 dollars I don’t have for heads. I was trying to keep cost down by using a Wheeler Complete short block witch is a long block minus heads.

 

I would just look for a different shortblock that had different CR influencing pistons

 

the cam will also have an affect on it since it'll bleed off some of that pressure. Rod length will affect it some too since a different length rod will hold that piston at TDC longer. I'd be weary of anything over 11.3:1 with a moderate cam and aluminum heads. Small cams and iron heads and you'll want it even lower.

 

yea i guess ill have to either get ahold of some 64cc heads or some different pistons. the cam that comes with the motor is XR276HR-10.

 

I got a pair of Vortec V6 heads in a junkyard for $40 on a half off day, so I don't see V8 Vortec's being that much mor expensive.

I'm running 10.5:1 CR on 93 octane. 3.48" stroke, 5.7" rods, 52cc aluminum heads, .023"-.025" piston down-bore, .039" gasket plus .020" spacer, flat tops with 6.1cc valve reliefs.

224*/230* cam on a 114* LSA.

More I've been reading, it seems I couldv'e gotten away with a CR in the upper 10s without the .020" copper shims. When I rip the heads off to get them ported, I'll probably skip putting the shims back in.

 

you don't have to get different heads, just have your chambers opened up. I did some P&P work on my chambers and it got an extra 8cc out of them to drop the CR down to where I wanted it and the picked up a ton of flow too. Layed back the walls to deshroud the valves.

 

Porting out the head is a good way to lower c/r. And cam overlap. Are the pistons in the shortblock actually 5 in the hole? So the block as been decked? Alot of time the pistons on a factory block are quite a bit farther down than most people think. I've seen .035" personally.

 

Yea the wheeler short block is decked to .005(+/- .002) and the pistons are 4cc in the whole. I have been think about just maybe picking up a 350 Vortec motor from a truck for about $500 and getting a good stoker kit. I am looking to make about 400hp either way I go. One question what is the average cost of having a block bored .030 and stroker clearance and all the other things involved like align honed, make sure the deck is straight, magnafluxed, checked for cracks and all that good stuff. I'm looking to spend maybe 1.5K into the short block.

EDIT: Wheeler also offers just blocks is 599.00 good for this work done? You can get ARP Main bolts added for 60.00.

Oven Baked
Shot Peened
Magna Fluxed
Clearanced for Stroke
Line Honed Mains
Deck Hieght Set and Checked
Cylinders Bored Perpendicular to Crankshaft
Brass Freeze Plugs
One Peice Cam Bearings
Nodular Caps
Stock Main Bolts

Also have blocks for 899.00 for this work done.

Oven Baked
Shot Peened
Magna Fluxed
Clearanced for Stroke
Line Honed Mains
Deck Hieght Set and Checked
Finish Honed with Sunnen CV616 & Torque Plates with 820 Sunnen Stones for Moly Rings
Cylinders Bored Perpendicular to Crankshaft and Deck Plugs Installed
Brass Freeze Plugs
One Peice Cam Bearings
Billet Caps, ARP Main Studs, Fords Equipped with 2 Bolt Billet caps and Main Girdle

 

Any balancing involved?

I'm comming up w/ around 700 + the price of the block. So 900 isnt' all that bad. I paid almost 2500 for my short block. No pump, pan, w/p, or chain. But I put good parts in it.

 

The 900 is for just the block by itself. They also sell a short block about 1799 and a complete balanced short block witch is a long block minus heads for 2300. I'm trying to figure out the best most cost effective way to 400hp. This is also my daily drive so it needs to be good for 150+K miles. So I have also been thinking about just a 355 cause then I can use my balancer and flexplate. Save a few pennies’ there. Then I was going to use my heads and intake and carburetor and eventually replace them with better aftermarket parts when money becomes available.

 

where the hell did you hear that? I'm not talking about removing random material out of the head, I'm talking about making a better chamber and thus increasing the volume.