I, building a 383 stroker from a 85 tpi vette motor that my buddy gave me, it going to be bored .30 or .40 over still trying to decide? i want max power but i dont think its a high nickel block and im over over heating will happen quickly @ .40 over...but anyway I ve been told the 85 vette came with forged rods and pistons for 85 only i guess it was the first year for TPI,

So i figure i'll buy a 4340 crank , forged tops, and maybe use the stock 5.7 rods?......or should i go woth 6.0 rods whats the difference, how much more power gain??

any recommendations on a set of heads would like to go alum ..but im tryin to do it on a budget..

any help would be cool
thanks

 

AFAIK there is no difference between 85 TPI 350s and any other year, as far as the short block.

All of that "high nickel" monkey-spank is just that, monkey-spank. The guys that worked in the casting plants will tell you that they used whatever mold plate they had handy, regardless of those numbers that everybody likes to hallucinate mean tin and nickel, to make the sand core out of. The numbers are not connected with metallurgy in any way.

Not that any of that has the slightest connection in any form or fashion to what you should build. It doesn't matter.

Same for the "overheating" old wives' tale. Ignore it. It'll be fine at .040", unless it's SEVERELY rusted on the outside of the cylinders.

A more sensible thing to do would be to set a goal; some ET, or HP, or whatever, that you want to attain. Then choose parts appropriate to that goal.

Longer rods won't make any particular difference to power. Going to 5.7" rods is enough to provide the ACTUAL advantage to the long rods in a 383 application, namely the ability to internally balance the crank without using Mallory metal. However your stock rods WILL cause A GREAT DEAL of trouble with clearance; much grinding will be required. Not a good plan.

You decide on an overbore by looking at the wear in the cyls and boring them only as much as necessary to clean them up.

 

Unless you're going to go with forced induction or spin it to some ungodly speed, you don't need to spend the money on forged pistons or a 4340 crank.

 

Look at Jegs and summit for a comp rotating assembly. new rods/pistons crank etc. Kits are almost always cheaper then buying piecemeal. I perfer forged pistons over cast and hyper for the main reason of durability (spark knock is a killer) Bore the motor only as far as it needs to clean up the cyls and have the shop hone it with a torque plate. Do not have them cut the deck until you have moc assembled the motor. So you know where the piston hight is and how much you will need to wack off the deck. You'll have to grind out the bottom of the bores for rod bolt clearance incase you didnt know.