383 stroker questions
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: Bennington NE
383 stroker questions
Debating on doing a 383 stroker kit on my 75. If I do, what are some of the better kits out there? Just bought my 75 and I need more power! Or if there are better options feel free to educate me!!!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,456
Likes: 102
From: Piedmont Va
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13,'19-'20
I used Scat 9000 crank (very cost effective for street use), Scat 4140 i beam stroker rods with ARP bolts, and Diamond Racing forged pistons (seduction and overkill for street).
If you are going to do 383 dont make the same mistakes I made on my first attempt:
1. Use some big port heads or the extra cubes wont get you much. I tried to port some GM iron 882 heads and it was choked up pretty bad.
2. Use a nice hi performance roller cam to go with those heads. I started with a Comp XE 268. Not a good choice!
I think my original head and cam combo would have been fine for 327/350 I think but not enough for the stroker and I was initally dissapointed. I upgraded to Howards Roller Cam and RHS pro-action aluminum heads and now she
Im sure others will chime in but this is my .02 today! Good luck!
If you are going to do 383 dont make the same mistakes I made on my first attempt:
1. Use some big port heads or the extra cubes wont get you much. I tried to port some GM iron 882 heads and it was choked up pretty bad.
2. Use a nice hi performance roller cam to go with those heads. I started with a Comp XE 268. Not a good choice!
I think my original head and cam combo would have been fine for 327/350 I think but not enough for the stroker and I was initally dissapointed. I upgraded to Howards Roller Cam and RHS pro-action aluminum heads and now she
Im sure others will chime in but this is my .02 today! Good luck!
Pro
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 625
Likes: 119
From: Denver CO
I bought a kit from Keith Black years ago on an end-of-race-season sale, and put it on the shelf (building a junk yard refugee).
Whatever kit you use, it is not a "drop in". The block must be clearanced for the larger counterweights and rod stroke. Certain cams will also cause clearance problems. I hope you're handy with a die grinder and have the air supply to run it for awhile.
After clearancing your crank, assemble your rods/pistons without the rings and trial fit for rod clearance. I found that my #1 counterweight bumped the bottom of the piston! Grinding to the counterweight was minimal enough not to require rebalancing,as small as the tip of your little finger, but a show-stopper none the less.
Repeat this clearance checking with the cam too. Beware certain Comp Cams that are had for a steal, there was an old batch a dozen years ago that weren't ground right (lobes) and will go "flat" in no time at all.
Go slow, don't cut corners and you'll have a very nice reliable motor.
Whatever kit you use, it is not a "drop in". The block must be clearanced for the larger counterweights and rod stroke. Certain cams will also cause clearance problems. I hope you're handy with a die grinder and have the air supply to run it for awhile.
After clearancing your crank, assemble your rods/pistons without the rings and trial fit for rod clearance. I found that my #1 counterweight bumped the bottom of the piston! Grinding to the counterweight was minimal enough not to require rebalancing,as small as the tip of your little finger, but a show-stopper none the less.
Repeat this clearance checking with the cam too. Beware certain Comp Cams that are had for a steal, there was an old batch a dozen years ago that weren't ground right (lobes) and will go "flat" in no time at all.
Go slow, don't cut corners and you'll have a very nice reliable motor.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 122
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
You can go cast or forged, internally balanced or externally balanced. A bare bones externally balanced, cast crank, hyper piston bottom end kit can be had for about $600. An internally balanced, forged bottom end with Callies compstar crank and rods and Mahle low expansion forged pistons will run about $1800-$2000. Top of the line forged crank with oliver rods and custom forged pistons is $4000 and up.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,299
Likes: 93
From: Tri-Cities TN
What is your power number you want? 375 to 400HP can be with achieved with a 350 to 360CID engine.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Guys have been turning down cranks and using stock rods for decades before the real good stuff came out.
Ill never use the capability of my h beams.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,456
Likes: 102
From: Piedmont Va
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13,'19-'20
There is some interesting reading in these super chevy pages. check out items 3 lots of good info on building a 383 on a budget with details on clearencing etc. Section 4 also contains good insight!
http://www.superchevy.com/technical/...0_engine_tips/
http://www.superchevy.com/technical/...0_engine_tips/
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
If you're new to thee 383 thing, this article is some great reading:
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...l_block_chevy/
Scott
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...l_block_chevy/
Scott