I'm new to the board, and am looking into the purchase of a friends '83 Z28 project car. The first question is how do I tell if the engine is a 383? I decoded the casting #s, and I know it's a 350 with 4 bolt mains. Is there an easy way to tell the stroke without dissassembling it?
Thanks, mike

 

Not really...at least not that I know of.

You could pull one of the heads off and check the bore of the cylinders. A 350 bored .030 (total of 4.030") combined with a 3.75" stroke is a 383...but a 350 bored .030 (using stock stroke of 3.48") is a 355...so you could know if he's got a 355 and could probably assume it's a 383...but I'm sure you know what assume means...

 

yes and no the heads need to be off so you could meassure the swept volume of a cylinder but the bottom end can be complete

 

Thanks guys. Do I just set up a dail indicator? The travel of the piston would be 3.75"? (Roughly)

 

yes a dial indicator will do it should be pretty damn close to 3.75

 

I doubt you'll find a dial indicator with 3.75" of travel in it. A ruler will work, or a caliper.

 

It may be possible by the balancer/dampener and flexplate if he used an externally balanced kit. If a portion of the outter ring is scalloped or cut out, then it's possible to have a 383/400 crank. If smooth all the way around, it still maybe, if internally balanced. Since this is your "friend", any reason to doubt him?

 

http://www.dialindicator.com/mechani...indicators.php

reasonable prices for what your buying...

 

haha, yea, $300.... I'd rather use a $25 digital caliper...

 

yeah i just like a tool i will use once in my life but i wouldnt order it from the internet it would have to be an impulse buy