I have a 350 4 bolt in my garage just waiting to be built, and I am debating between building it as a 350 or a 383. I was wondering what some of the advantages/disadvantages of each were.

 

If you're looking at buying a complete rotating assembly, just go with a 383. 383 and 350 rotating assemblies pretty much cost the same. You'll make more power with a 383.

 

do you have anything else? like crank,rods,pistons?
hopefully you at least have the main caps.
is it a roller block?
what do you want to use it for?

 

Right now its just a bare block that I will be taking to the machinist soon. I would like to see at least 400 horse out of it and throw a 100 shot of nitrous on it. This is my big project motor since i already have a mild 350 in the camaro, so I'm not looking for a cheap build.

 

Then make it a 383 with forged crank,rods,pistons...JE,Eagle,ect..
Small roller cam nos compatable, like 224-236 int. and 5-10 more on exhaust.
that will make nearly 480 hp and tq. w/o nos, and you could hit it with 200 shot of nos. for years. Good heads,good intake...do it once.

If that is too much you can use cast crank,recond. rods,hyper claimer pistons, same cam and everything else......use keep the nos 50-100hp and the rpm below 6500 better yet 6000 rpm. that will last longer that most think. I know I have one just like it...but no nos, bigger cam, and hitting 7000rpm with a comp 292 cam...yeahhhh baby. when I took the 5.7 gm rods to be resized the machinist sasid they where 2-300 thou out..lol

 

With having only the block...might as well go for the 383.

Advanage-almost the same price, lower cruise rpm, more tq., power at lower rpm range.

Disadvantage-a little more $ for machine work or doing yourself, clearancing the block,steam holes in the heads,balancing maybe. more $ to make internally ballanced, .....lost of tire tracting..lol

 

you should go with a 350 and sell me the 383 for cheap

kidding. def go with the 383 though.

 

I didn't think 383 needs the steam holes? I though only the 400 sbc needed them??

 

they dont only need steam holes for 400cid block engine builds........as in like a 377....just get a good scat 383 rotating assembly for around 1k and take it and the block to the machine shop and have them build u a short block...the price difference is negligible

 

I messed up...thinking of a 400 sbc. No stgeam holes needed in the 383 only 400 for street use....I just wanted to see if anyone else was pay'in attention...my bad

 

Thanks for all the input, sounds like 383 is the general consensus. I was planning on doing a forged rotating assembly, not sure which one yet though. We have a great machinist in town who is gonna help me figure out what the best parts are going to be.