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Just got the word from the machine shop......Bad crack in my block. Now I got the reason I needed to go with a new 383 stroker motor. Now I gotta start researching everything I can find about what to buy. My head is spinning already!!
You will love the 383 regardless. They are popular for a reason. My car has it's 2nd 383. I dropped the first one in around 1996. I beat it like a red headed stepchild for years.
You will love the 383 regardless. They are popular for a reason. My car has it's 2nd 383. I dropped the first one in around 1996. I beat it like a red headed stepchild for years.
Oh Yeah!! I cant wait. Man there is alot of choices out there....Ive been looking at short blocks. Gm is going around $3200 with balancer, flexplate etc. Many others around 1500- 2000. I'm still trying to find out whats the best avenue to take. Then there is head choices....like I said before my head is spinning!!
Oh Yeah!! I cant wait. Man there is alot of choices out there....Ive been looking at short blocks. Gm is going around $3200 with balancer, flexplate etc. Many others around 1500- 2000. I'm still trying to find out whats the best avenue to take. Then there is head choices....like I said before my head is spinning!!
Quality parts buy insurance. That is most of the price difference. It does not make sense to get the best money can buy for our needs. A 1 pc rear main seal factory block is a weak, flimsy piece of crap compared to the old blocks, or race blocks. I have a friend that put a $2,200 crank in a factory 89 block . Add the rods and pistons and his rotating assembly was almost 4 grand!My advice is to try to put together a nice consistant, proven combo. Cast crank, stock rebuilt rods with arp bolts and $500 set of srp pistons work fine for most of us. Upgrade from there (if you choose).
Quality parts buy insurance. That is most of the price difference. It does not make sense to get the best money can buy for our needs. A 1 pc rear main seal factory block is a weak, flimsy piece of crap compared to the old blocks, or race blocks. I have a friend that put a $2,200 crank in a factory 89 block . Add the rods and pistons and his rotating assembly was almost 4 grand!My advice is to try to put together a nice consistant, proven combo. Cast crank, stock rebuilt rods with arp bolts and $500 set of srp pistons work fine for most of us. Upgrade from there (if you choose).
Which block would you recommend Pete? Are you saying I can reuse my old rods, but just have them rebuilt? I'm gonna have lots of questions, and thanks in advance for any replies.
Which block would you recommend Pete? Are you saying I can reuse my old rods, but just have them rebuilt? I'm gonna have lots of questions, and thanks in advance for any replies.
For a typical 383, your block (assuming it was not cracked) is suitable. Rebuilding your stock rods and installing arp bolts are about all you need.
A factory 4 bolt replacement is a nice option to have, but I have been running studded 2 bolts for years. Never a problem for me.
There is a silver lining to every dark cloud
We (my son and I) had a 383 stroker in a 87 Monte Carlo
It rocked
It was carbed and I always wanted to do an injected one
Please post early and often so I can live vicariously through you
Those crate motors look hard to beat
although I would be tempted to do a turbo or twin turbo setup
Just got the word from the machine shop......Bad crack in my block. Now I got the reason I needed to go with a new 383 stroker motor.
What does a cracked block have to do with justification for a 383? The fact that it was in the machine shop provided that. With the need for a new block, you NOW have a good excuse for a 421, or a 434.
Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner! That is definitely how you should be thinking!
Maybe here is an interesting time to bring up a question:
Everybody does forged pistons for piece of mind. I did hypereutectics (<$), now a few k miles later, the couple guys I know with forged are having oil consumption problems and I don't have any.
Is perhaps forged pistons only something worth having if you really need them? Is the expansion/contraction rates of forged vs hypers the difference?
In the end, I don't think with the proven 383/219/SR combo you need a forged bottom end. A lot of money saved there that can be spent on good head/intake work.
Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner! That is definitely how you should be thinking!
Maybe here is an interesting time to bring up a question:
Everybody does forged pistons for piece of mind. I did hypereutectics (<$), now a few k miles later, the couple guys I know with forged are having oil consumption problems and I don't have any.
Is perhaps forged pistons only something worth having if you really need them? Is the expansion/contraction rates of forged vs hypers the difference?
In the end, I don't think with the proven 383/219/SR combo you need a forged bottom end. A lot of money saved there that can be spent on good head/intake work.
I think most of the oil consumption happens on cold start up. Alot of forged pistons have skirt clearances of .0035 or larger. Most cast stuff is .001 or less. My kb's were hypers, but used buckets of oil. They were set at .003 (as per keith blac)k. Ring end gaps were required to be apprx .038 on the top ring. Motor ran strong and lived through alot. The pistons clucked like a chicken and oil usage was 1 qt per 800 miles at best.