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383 build

Old Aug 22, 2006 | 10:31 PM
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From: Bayonne, NJ 07002
383 build

ok i got a 350 block sittin in my basment 4 bolt main and a 2 bolt main sitting in my back yard. im looking to build a 383 with the 4 bolt. but my question would be anybody head of the company eagle. they have a rotating assemblie Eagle Street and Strip Rotating Assemblies: ESP-B13004E030 - summitracing.com and Eagle Street and Strip Rotating Assemblies: ESP-B13004L030 - summitracing.com but im not sure how to tell if i have a one peace or two peaces rear mane. and i want to find out what cam and heads i should use. to gane the most power. and i want to use the http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1∂=HLY%2D91404201&N=700+0&autoview=sku as my induction
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Old Aug 23, 2006 | 10:01 AM
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From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Car: 1982 Trans-Am
Engine: 355 w/ ported 416s
Transmission: T10, hurst shifter
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt, true-trac, 3.73
1 piece RMS is after ~'87 or so, usually goes hand in hand with it being a roller block.
Older blocks (pre '87ish) are 2 piece RMS.

Eagle is very well known and popular, i'd say it's a safe bet.
As far as what heads and cam, you have to decide what you want to do with the car, what RPM range you want it to run in, how much $ to spend, etc etc.
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Old Aug 23, 2006 | 05:41 PM
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From: Bayonne, NJ 07002
so how do i tell which block i have. i got it from one of my boss's friends? the block had nothing in it when i got it
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Old Aug 23, 2006 | 05:57 PM
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From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Car: 1982 Trans-Am
Engine: 355 w/ ported 416s
Transmission: T10, hurst shifter
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt, true-trac, 3.73
run the casting #'s.
They're on the back top of the block, look for a string of #'s stamped in, and go to MorTec, Inc. Home Page to search on it.

I'm not sure if it's easy to see the difference.

Also, if there are holes drilled and tapped in the lifter valley, then you have a roller block, which goes hand in hand with it being 1 piece RMS ( I think).

I think you have a 95% chance of it being a plane jane old 2 piece flat tappet block.
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Old Aug 23, 2006 | 10:24 PM
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From: Bayonne, NJ 07002
and if its a 2 peace is there anything bad with that. or will it still be good to build a 383. dont know if it makes a difference but its a 4 bolt main. with no heads on it just a used bare block
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Old Aug 23, 2006 | 10:42 PM
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From: Pacific Northwest
Car: '85 IROC
Engine: LB9
Transmission: 700 R4
It's good that you're doing your research now instead of after you've built your shortblock.
Too many times someone will build a stroker with flattop pistons because they're the least expensive, only to find that the cr is higher than they wanted.
Figure out what cam you want to use first. If you want a hyd roller then you'll find that lifters for a roller block are much less expensive than retrofit hyd rollers for a non roller block.
If you're new to engine building, rollers are a good bet, cause there's less chance of failure on break in. And even if you're experienced they're better, as a rule.
I think the roller block is a smarter choice, personally.
Figure out what CR works with the cam you want to get, and get a set of pistons and heads to reach that CR.
There's a lot of homework to do to get it right if you're a noob.
But if you get the right formula, you'll have a strong running reliable engine.
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Old Aug 23, 2006 | 10:57 PM
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From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Car: 1982 Trans-Am
Engine: 355 w/ ported 416s
Transmission: T10, hurst shifter
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt, true-trac, 3.73
nope, 2 piece is just the older design, nothing wrong with it, people have been using those since the dawn of time... err, dawn of hot rodding.

If your budget permits, you can do the retro roller like street iron said, but keep in mind it's closer to $800 for cam and lifters, compared to $200. More power, less chance of instant failure, etc, but *really* hard to justify that kind of $.

Yes, a 383 will work fine, but
There's a lot of homework to do to get it right if you're a noob.
But if you get the right formula, you'll have a strong running reliable engine.
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Old Aug 24, 2006 | 07:39 PM
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From: Bayonne, NJ 07002
well the cast number is 3970010....350...69-80... 4 bolt here are some pics and the dip stick is on the drivers side and the 2 bolt in my yard the rear mane is the same as on the 4 bolt it looks like
Attached Thumbnails 383 build-dsc00565.jpg   383 build-dsc00566.jpg   383 build-dsc00568.jpg  

Last edited by toms86Z28; Aug 24, 2006 at 07:43 PM.
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Old Aug 24, 2006 | 07:41 PM
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From: Bayonne, NJ 07002
this is the way imports and cop car should go down the highway broke and on flat beds
Attached Thumbnails 383 build-dsc00570.jpg   383 build-dsc00571.jpg  
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Old Aug 24, 2006 | 07:55 PM
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From: Mercedes Norte, Heredia, Costa Rica
Car: 1984 Z28 Hardtop
Engine: 383 Carb
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.54 Dana 44
That blocks gonna need a whole lotta work to clean it up.
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Old Aug 24, 2006 | 08:02 PM
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From: Bayonne, NJ 07002
im gunna bring it to the machine shop to have it cleaned bored and what ever else needs to be done. is it ok that the dip stick is on the drivers side? is there a way to take that tube out of the block or do i have to use is with a unaversile dipstick they sell at pepboys thats only like a foot long
Attached Thumbnails 383 build-dsc00572.jpg  
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Old Aug 24, 2006 | 08:14 PM
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From: Mercedes Norte, Heredia, Costa Rica
Car: 1984 Z28 Hardtop
Engine: 383 Carb
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.54 Dana 44
If you're using headers it's no problem. I've got an 010 block in my 84.
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Old Aug 24, 2006 | 08:31 PM
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One piece rear main is 86-up.

I wouldnt worry about the RMS, unless you just had to run a factory roller cam setup... then you'd need an 87-up block.
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Old Aug 24, 2006 | 08:56 PM
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From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Car: 1982 Trans-Am
Engine: 355 w/ ported 416s
Transmission: T10, hurst shifter
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt, true-trac, 3.73
everybody and there dog has an 010 block. It's the single most common iron casting on earth i'd say.

That block however, is FUBAR. I don't even think it'd be worth rebuilding. Your machinist is gonna bust a gut when he sees that.
Might want to use the 2 bolt you've got laying around, if it's any better than that.
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Old Aug 24, 2006 | 11:20 PM
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From: Bayonne, NJ 07002
the 2 bolt can be converted to a 4 bolt can't it? and should i get the castings of the one in my yard to see what comes up? and i'll ask my friend that owns a cab company if he also has any 350 block laying around. and what would be better roller or hydraulic flat tappet? why would the machinist bust a gut. what the highest comp. ratio you can use on pump gas?

Last edited by toms86Z28; Aug 24, 2006 at 11:24 PM.
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Old Aug 24, 2006 | 11:55 PM
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The machinst would bust a gut because that block is a friggen mess. It should be put back into service as a boat anchor.

Unless you are planning some serious power out of that 383, I dont see a reason to bother going to a 4-bolt.
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Old Aug 24, 2006 | 11:57 PM
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From: Bayonne, NJ 07002
ok these where the heads i was looking at http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1∂=EDL%2D60989&N=700+0&autoview=sku or http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1∂=EDL%2D77589&view=32&N=700+0 but with the victor jr23deg. heads im not realy sure about the the plugs being angled and if this would be good for a daly driver? some reason i think the e-tec heads would work better for me

and the cams i was looking at. JEGS High Performance - Comp Cams ''XFI'' (Xtreme Fuel Injection) Hydraulic Roller Camshafts or JEGS High Performance - Comp Cams ''XFI'' (Xtreme Fuel Injection) Hydraulic Roller Camshaftsor may be this not to sure JEGS High Performance - Comp Cams 'Xtreme Energy' Hydraulic Flat Tappet Camshafts i just know with the heads i want to stay with a 64cc head to keep the comp. atio to around 9.7:1.
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Old Aug 25, 2006 | 01:28 AM
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From: Port Angeles, Wa
Car: 1983 Camaro Z28
Engine: 584
Transmission: TSI Glide
Axle/Gears: Quick performance 9 inch
Angled plug heads are supposedly able to give you more horsepower by moving the flame. This is a Myth even though I run angled plugs myself lol. You should have no problem running abgle plug heads as a daily driver. I acually found it was easier to work on with my angle plugs.
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Old Aug 25, 2006 | 10:59 AM
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That first cam isnt going to work, looks like its for a LSx engine. All of those are fairly mild though, IMO too small for the heads you posted. Anyway, I think a 4 bolt is unnecessary for what you're planning unless there is some nitrous or boost involved.
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Old Aug 25, 2006 | 01:54 PM
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From: Pacific Northwest
Car: '85 IROC
Engine: LB9
Transmission: 700 R4
Originally Posted by madmax
That first cam isnt going to work, looks like its for a LSx engine. All of those are fairly mild though, IMO too small for the heads you posted. Anyway, I think a 4 bolt is unnecessary for what you're planning unless there is some nitrous or boost involved.
I'll second that.
And I'll add to that; Go with a roller block.
If you've ever experienced the heartbreak of a cam lobe going flat, you'd know exactly why I'm suggesting that.
Do a search for scuffed cam lobes and other related lobe failure, and find out how many guys have had to re-rebuild their engine after less than 5000mi because of flat tappet lobe failure.
Sure there are plenty of guys who are successfully running flat tappets. But with a roller cam, the problem of a scuffed lobe is nonexistent, and in addition to that the lobe profiles for rollers are more agressive. They're simply a superior design in every way.
Don't sweat the 2bolt/4bolt thing, put some ARP bolts or studs in there and you'll be fine.
Get some hyper or forged pistons with a D shaped dish that have the right volume to give you the CR you want with whatever heads you choose.
And a balanced/clearanced rotating assy from a reputable company.

The cam/rod clearance issue can become a problem if you get a cam that's different from the one that the rods have been clearanced for, so you should decide on the cam early on in the planning process. Find a company that sells kits who will let you talk to someone knowledgeable one on one, to be certain that the parts will all be compatible when it's time for assembly.
Also, get a kit with floating pin pistons. That way you can pre assemble the engine to double check all the critical clearances more easily than if the rods use pressed pins.

I recommend Competition Products as a good store to buy a balanced rotating assy. If you call for tech help there the guys are experienced machinists and they've always been very patient and easy to work with when it comes to dealing with details like stroker clearancing etc, and they're very familiar with the SBC engine.

Good luck
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Old Aug 25, 2006 | 02:25 PM
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From: Calgary, AB, Canada
Car: 1982 Trans-Am
Engine: 355 w/ ported 416s
Transmission: T10, hurst shifter
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt, true-trac, 3.73
and find out how many guys have had to re-rebuild their engine after less than 5000mi because of flat tappet lobe failure
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Old Aug 25, 2006 | 03:04 PM
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From: Pacific Northwest
Car: '85 IROC
Engine: LB9
Transmission: 700 R4
Originally Posted by Sonix
Yup, there's a bunch of us out here
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Old Aug 25, 2006 | 03:56 PM
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From: Mercedes Norte, Heredia, Costa Rica
Car: 1984 Z28 Hardtop
Engine: 383 Carb
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.54 Dana 44
You don't need a roller block to have a roller cam, though.
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Old Aug 25, 2006 | 06:02 PM
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Engine: LB9
Transmission: 700 R4
Originally Posted by Apeiron
You don't need a roller block to have a roller cam, though.
True, but the factory style roller lifters are about 1/2 the cost of retrofit.
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Old Aug 25, 2006 | 06:24 PM
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From: Mercedes Norte, Heredia, Costa Rica
Car: 1984 Z28 Hardtop
Engine: 383 Carb
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.54 Dana 44
It varies, but you can end up paying close to the same amount to get the same quality of lifter whether it's an OEM type roller or retro roller.

OEM type roller lifters can be as cheap as about $120 for a complete set of Summit brand lifters, to as high as $650 for a set of GM P/N 5234890, which is more expensive than some retro rollers.
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Old Aug 25, 2006 | 08:03 PM
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True, as well.
Giving credence to the point of knowing ahead of time what the intended goal is for a particular build, before beginning the machine work and purchacing parts.
I still vote for the 2bolt roller block as being a better choice than the 4bolt non roller.
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