Now from what I understand, one of the most popular engines to put into a 3rd gen is a 383 stroker.... Since I am not an engine whizz I have a few questions for those who are, just to understand what all the hype is about.

-What is the difference between a 383 stroker, and a stroker kit?
-How much does one of these run ($)?
-Do they put out most of their power at low, mid, or high rpm range?

And im sure ill think of some more questions to educate myself on this topic. Thanks.

 

Depending on your state laws, you might not be able to install a 383.

383's have always been popular. An old school 383 was a 350 block. A 400 crankshaft had the mains turned down to fit into the 350 block. You used the 400 con rods and .030 over 350 pistons. I had a similar engine that pushed my car into the high 11's.

Downside to that combination is the 400 crank. All factory 400 cranks are cast and not as strong as a good forged crank. Since the 400's haven't been built since 1979, finding a 400 just to get the crank is getting difficult. If you do find one, it's better to just build the 400.

Bore makes HP. Stroke makes torque. Looking at the power curve on a dyno, if you had 3 identical engines, cam, heads, compression ratio, carb, etc except one was a 350, one a 383 and one a 400 you would see the difference in power.

A 350 would have a specific power curve. The 383 would make the same amount of HP but would make more torque. The 400 would make the same amount of torque as the 383 but make more HP.

Since a bigger engine can handle a bigger cam and heads, the bigger engine always has more potential for gains.

Aftermarket kits have made building a 383 much easier than the old days with better parts. You can now get a forged crank in one or 2 piece rear mains. You can now cheaply use 5.7" or even 6" rods with aftermarket pistons.

 

Wow. Thanks for all the information. Haha i totally just got schooled, but im definitely glad I got an answer. Thanks again.

 

You would actually see a slight increase in power across all 3 engines as cubic inches means HP. When you consider that most mildly built engines can produce 1 HP per CID, going from a 350 to a 383 means an additional 33 HP with nothing more than a displacement increase.

Many people who have only driven a V6 or even just a 305 V8 are really surprised at the increase in power when driving a 350. Although the 305 and 350 share the same stroke and should make the same amount of torque, the 350 when compared to an identical 305 will be making an additional 45 HP just from displacement.

Factory engines rarely produce 1 HP per cubic inch so the increase isn't as great but you can see why bigger engines are always more popular for making HP.

Last year my 540 was making an estimated 850 HP and this year I'm hoping to get that number a lot closer to 1000 HP. Yanking out the 540 and dropping in a 572 or 632 could make that number easier to reach but also a lot more expensive to reach.

Running a power adder like turbos has the effect of increasing the engine size with just boost pressure. At around 15 pounds of boost, you effectively double the size of the engine. A 350 with 15 pounds of boost is the same as a 700 cubic inch naturally aspirated engine. So running a smaller engine with mild boost of 5-7 pounds can have the same power increase as building a slightly bigger engine.

 

So any idea on how expensive it would be to swap out the 350 in a Trans am for a 383?
And your gonna become best friends with your local gas station with that 572 or 632

 

My car doesn't run on gas and it's not street legal. It's a race car that runs on methanol alcohol. It already gets about 1.5 MPG

The engine swap is the same as any other V8 engine swap in a third gen. Externally, the engines are identical. Your best bet for a 383 is to buy a pre-built engine. It can be a lot cheaper than trying to build one. You can buy an engine at just about any power level you want. It all depends on what parts you want to use, if you want to run EFI or not etc.

Here's a basic ready to run 383 for $5300
http://www.jegs.com/p/Blueprint-Engi...61270/10002/-1

A less powerful one right from GM for $4500
http://www.jegs.com/p/GM-Performance...69813/10002/-1

Here's one with a bunch of Chinese parts for $3800
http://www.jegs.com/p/Patriot-Perfor...22041/10002/-1

 

It all depends on what you want to do with the engine. If you wants power and torque for the street, you can buy a ready built motor for around $2500. This is good for everyday driving and the occasional stop light to stop light race. Can also go up pretty high in the $7000-$9000 and these are more for strip only. Mainly it all depends on those circumstances and budget. Just remember that more power requires better drive train and suspension work. The more power and torque, the more money into drive train and suspension.

 

Definitely understandable... I will be investing in a T/A this summer. I want a 5-speed, with the suspension package; I want to get from 400 to 550hp out of it if possible... Im a little confused on which type of 89' to buy since the GTA's dont come in manual. And I have about a $3,000- $4,000 dollar budget for an engine. Any tips would be helpful. Thank you

 

Keep in mind.....

If your running EFI, tuning to support the bigger engine can can costly,ands with TPI....Its gonna be hard to hit the 1hp per cubic inch goal.

 

A 5 speed won't last too long with that kind of power. If you want a manual transmission, the next common upgrade is to a T56 to handle that power. GM never offered the T5 behind anything bigger/stronger than a 305.

 

haha wow i'm getting a headache... but ive learned soo much since i posted this thread. soo what do you suggest would be the best set up to achieve that goal?

 

First, look for a 89 firebird formula, they are lighter than the GTA and TAs and they came with a 5 speed tranny in some of them. You'll definitly want the T56 if you want to stay with manual tranny. The T56 will last longer with that kind of power, then you have to worry about suspension, 12 bolt or 9" rear end and there goes your budget.

 

Lets say you ask 100 senior third-gen owners; What set up would they most likely choose:

1)GTA with automatic tranny and swapped engine.
2)Firebird Formula with T56 manual tranny and swapped engine.
3)If there is something better than option 1 or 2.... tell me what it would be.

 

Option #1. OH WAIT! I already have 2 of the tree....I'm 2/3 of the way there!

 

Hahaha you lucky, lucky man lol... I am so tron over this decision its insane... Its mostly because I know I will be investing 10's of thousands of dollars into this car over the next few years. Seriously any tips/suggestions would help. Thanks fellow third-gen enthusiasts!

 

For the mid 400s and up, expect to put about equal amounts into the drivetrain as the engine itself. That's about what mine came out to when it first started out, back in the high 400 to low 500 hp figures.

If you're dead locked on EFI, as Apeiron aluded to, aftermarket EFI (which would be needed for the power range you desire), is quite expensive. Upwards of $2k for the intake setup and tuning stuff. If carb is an option, much cheaper. Either works, just depends how deep the pockets go.