Building a 383 stroker
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Joined: Jun 2009
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From: Victoria - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Building a 383 stroker I've been thinking about building a 383 for a while now, and now that the engine is out, I finally bit the bullet and told my engine builder that we're going to go ahead and do it (good bye paycheques for the next few months...)
I've never built anything like this, and have a few questions. He mentioned going with a 5.7 rod, or a 6.0 rod. I have no idea what the heck that ment, and he's not big on explanations, can anyone fill me in? Also, what pistons are people using? Any tips/hints? Its not much of a street car anymore, and I'd like to be able to pull the most power out of it that I can.
Amanda
I've never built anything like this, and have a few questions. He mentioned going with a 5.7 rod, or a 6.0 rod. I have no idea what the heck that ment, and he's not big on explanations, can anyone fill me in? Also, what pistons are people using? Any tips/hints? Its not much of a street car anymore, and I'd like to be able to pull the most power out of it that I can.
Amanda
What you might want to do is research what other people have used and gauge their results. My 383 short block is the following:
4-bolt zero-decked block, Ohio forged 4340 3.75" crank, forged Scat I-beam rods, forged SRP -5cc flat-top pistons.
Top to bottom from a good engine builder it cost me around $3600.
4-bolt zero-decked block, Ohio forged 4340 3.75" crank, forged Scat I-beam rods, forged SRP -5cc flat-top pistons.
Top to bottom from a good engine builder it cost me around $3600.
Yea figure out if you are going N/A, boost, or NOS first. these affect some of the parts you need.
I did a 2bolt main block with an eagle ballanced rotating kit (NOT BY CHOICE) with 3.75 cast crank, 5.7 eagle I beam rods, forged pistion -16cc with LE2 heads and custom cam, ls7 lifters, proform self aligning full roller rockers, trick flow pushrods. summit opti stock LT1 intake and 52mm tb. runs good for a street engine.
I did a 2bolt main block with an eagle ballanced rotating kit (NOT BY CHOICE) with 3.75 cast crank, 5.7 eagle I beam rods, forged pistion -16cc with LE2 heads and custom cam, ls7 lifters, proform self aligning full roller rockers, trick flow pushrods. summit opti stock LT1 intake and 52mm tb. runs good for a street engine.
I went with a 4 bolt splayed block decked to .005 with a callies racemaster 3.75 crank, compstar 6 inch h beam rods, and mahle forged -16 inverted dome pistons. The advantage to a 6 inch rod is that is allows you to use a smaller lighter piston to reduce some reciprocating mass but the disadvantages are in nitrous applications because the compression height on the smaller piston leaves you less material at the top of the piston and is much easier to burn a hole in 
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I went with a 4 bolt splayed block decked to .005 with a callies racemaster 3.75 crank, compstar 6 inch h beam rods, and mahle forged -16 inverted dome pistons. The advantage to a 6 inch rod is that is allows you to use a smaller lighter piston to reduce some reciprocating mass but the disadvantages are in nitrous applications because the compression height on the smaller piston leaves you less material at the top of the piston and is much easier to burn a hole in
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Yeah you got a point, dwell time at TDC and BDC is also increased with a 6 inch rod and side loading is decreased as mentioned earlier.
+1 on getting the top end to flow well...I know of a guy with a '97z from around here that has a 383 with totally factory LT1 heads...he was baffled when he saw his little gains at the track
...LE2's should do the trick, and get the intake manifold worked over from LE while yur at it too...he should also be able to help you pick out a cam...
btw...you spell "paycheques" funny
...LE2's should do the trick, and get the intake manifold worked over from LE while yur at it too...he should also be able to help you pick out a cam...btw...you spell "paycheques" funny
Thread Starter
TECH Regular
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 428
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From: Victoria - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Yea figure out if you are going N/A, boost, or NOS first. these affect some of the parts you need.
I did a 2bolt main block with an eagle ballanced rotating kit (NOT BY CHOICE) with 3.75 cast crank, 5.7 eagle I beam rods, forged pistion -16cc with LE2 heads and custom cam, ls7 lifters, proform self aligning full roller rockers, trick flow pushrods. summit opti stock LT1 intake and 52mm tb. runs good for a street engine.
I did a 2bolt main block with an eagle ballanced rotating kit (NOT BY CHOICE) with 3.75 cast crank, 5.7 eagle I beam rods, forged pistion -16cc with LE2 heads and custom cam, ls7 lifters, proform self aligning full roller rockers, trick flow pushrods. summit opti stock LT1 intake and 52mm tb. runs good for a street engine.
What's wrong with the eagle kit?
How much? PM me please!
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jun 2009
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From: Victoria - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Yes, if you feel like making a trek down to the island, I'll put ya up at our place and show you around town. We'll be putting the engine back in sometime in May, probably the very end of May. Feel like a vacation? 
It'd be nice to have an F-body guy there, when we pulled it out, no one really knew what they were doing! lol 
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From: Ohio
Some sort of forged piston would be good for piece of mind, and make sure they do not make the ring gaps Purely for N/A, but make sure they do not make them huge like your throwing 10 lbs of nitrous down it in the 1/4 lol.
Eagle cast kit is very shotty quality, well the eagle cast crank is. I personally will not buy eagle but I also don't build motors on a normal basis.
+1 on getting the top end to flow well...I know of a guy with a '97z from around here that has a 383 with totally factory LT1 heads...he was baffled when he saw his little gains at the track...LE2's should do the trick, and get the intake manifold worked over from LE while yur at it too...he should also be able to help you pick out a cam...
...LE2's should do the trick, and get the intake manifold worked over from LE while yur at it too...he should also be able to help you pick out a cam... Thread Starter
TECH Regular
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 428
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From: Victoria - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
If you will be using a "small" (whatever that is? lol)
Some sort of forged piston would be good for piece of mind, and make sure they do not make the ring gaps Purely for N/A, but make sure they do not make them huge like your throwing 10 lbs of nitrous down it in the 1/4 lol.
Eagle cast kit is very shotty quality, well the eagle cast crank is. I personally will not buy eagle but I also don't build motors on a normal basis.
If he was baffled what he was running he must not of done very much research lol. It always makes me laugh when someone says they have a huge built engine, you ask them whats done to it and you get things like "cam, bored .030, strokes", then you ask them what size cam and they tell you "two sizes bigger than stock" or something like that.
Some sort of forged piston would be good for piece of mind, and make sure they do not make the ring gaps Purely for N/A, but make sure they do not make them huge like your throwing 10 lbs of nitrous down it in the 1/4 lol.
Eagle cast kit is very shotty quality, well the eagle cast crank is. I personally will not buy eagle but I also don't build motors on a normal basis.
If he was baffled what he was running he must not of done very much research lol. It always makes me laugh when someone says they have a huge built engine, you ask them whats done to it and you get things like "cam, bored .030, strokes", then you ask them what size cam and they tell you "two sizes bigger than stock" or something like that.
I'm getting a Scat crank.
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From: Ohio
I would get a forged piston of some sort, you do not need a purpose built nitrous piston, but a good forged piston will be good for you if you plan on going 150. Make sure you inform your engine builder of that so he can gap the rings accordingly.
