A while back I posted a question about slapping a 502 into my 79 L82. Well I decided for monetary reasons that I would just go with a 383 Stroker. Well the motor is here. Now I need to decide what type of cam, carb, and headers I want for it... any suggestions or advice would be great. :cool:


[Modified by owen1832, 3:17 PM 2/5/2004]

 

What's your HP goal and how much do you want to spend?

 

the car has to be streetable I am going to use it as a DD in the summer time. I would like to keep it reasonable but at the same time I want it to be fast. I just don't want something that is going to require attention every five minutes. So money is not a huge problem but I would like to keep it reasonable. HP I would say around 400-450 the shop that built the motor said I would have a hard time getting it under 400. So I thinking around 450.

I have aluminum polished heads for it as well already.


[Modified by owen1832, 3:15 PM 2/5/2004]

 

What heads??

 

As carb - I would definetely use the

Holley 80528.. It's the HP series 750 double pumper with mech. secondaries..
For headers - I'd use Hooker sidemount headers and sidepipes (1 7/8 primary pipes and 4 inch sidepipes). They look good and give you great performance.. The cam selected depends a lot on your heads and valve size that you are using.

As Intake - I'd use a Holley Team G or a Victor Jr...


[Modified by GrandSportC3, 10:26 AM 2/5/2004]

 

I am not sure what brand they are off the top of my head. All I know is that they will fit the motor and are at the machine shop right now... I can try to find out. My biggest concern right now is ordering a cam and a carb for this thing. Bascically my mechanic who is going to finish the build of the motor had the heads already... so I have no idea what brand they are.

 

I am definitely not going to be using sidepipes on this thing. I burn myself enough on my harley. I was thinking some type of hooker header myself. I have never run them on any of my vehicles but I have heard they are great.

 

You need to list the setup- trans., stall if auto., rear gears, heads etc.

 

you gotta know what your heads will flow, to finish the combo, they all need
to work together, is the bottom end stock? 2 or 4 bolt, :confused:

 

ok more info for you gusy... trans is stock 4 speed. Already rebuilt the rear end that is done all heavy duty race comonents were used. The suspension is also done on the car with stage three racing components. the motor is a four bolt main and a completely new short block. I will find out about the heads today and post what they are. I have a new clutch (borg warner) and flywheel already that will work with the motor.

Bear with me hear guys I am a jeep guy... I am used to going 1 mph over boulders!

 

I called we are using the stock heads and they are being ported and polished.

 

If you are going to use the stock heads of the 79, to my knowledge there is no way you are going to get 450hp out of it. Invest in some aluminum heads like a set of AFR heads and your combo will come to life. If money is a problem try to get some camel backs with 2.02 1.60 valves. Just my 2 cents.

 

ok so what crabs cam setup would you suggest then?

 

Check out my car in the for sale section. It is similar to what you are thinking about. It runs on 93 octane gas.

 

What rear gears are you using. Those heads are going to be the downfall of the combo. Even if they are ported that will help but a good set of heads will really help. A cam in the 220 to 225 dur @ .050 and a lift of around 480 should be a good combo with good drivability and good for everyday driving. A 383 is more about torque than horsepower. You should be around 450 ft/lbs of torque with a combo like this.

 

I know acquiring a good set of heads it's a big expense but why do you want more displacement (from 350ci to 383ci) or more cam if the heads you are going to use are not going to flow any better. If acquiring a new set of aluminum heads (airflow research, trickflow, etc) is within your budget I would recommend you do so now so later you don't have to take it apart again. Also if you use a pair of aluminum heads you can add a little more compression without overheating problems. As far as the cam goes there a lot of many good different cams you can use. I would recommend Comp Cams xtreme energy 284 hydraulic or another decent cam to use is the Edelbrock Performer RPM both have a nice mean sound to it. I would put a good cam at this time so later when you upgrade the heads you don't have to take the engine out to change the cam. As far as the intake I suggest the Edelbrock Performer RPM. Don't forget that if you installed any of this cams you are going to have to replace at least 2400 stall torque converter. All guarantee you would love this combo. I had a 383 before with an extreme energy camshaft and a performer RPM intake. In the corvette club I go to there is a member with a 79 with 383 aluminum heads and the Edelbrock PERFORMER RPM kit (includes intake, cam, lifters) bolter to an auto transmission, 2400 stall torque converter, 3.55 gears. He ran a 12.80 with street tires He drives this car to all the cruises so it's no trailer queen. I hope this post of any help to you.
Enrique Lando
If you have any questions please feel free to email me at enriqueLando@aol.com