Questions for a 396
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,110
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From: JUPITER FLORIDA
Questions for a 396
I did a search for building a 396. It sound like there are ways to work around having to put block filler in the water jackets. Is this possible? I.E. Longer stroke and bored only .30.
What would the price difference be (estimate) between machine work for a 396 and a 383?
Just curious becaue in the future I want to build one of the two. If its a big price difference I would just stick with the 383.
What would the price difference be (estimate) between machine work for a 396 and a 383?
Just curious becaue in the future I want to build one of the two. If its a big price difference I would just stick with the 383.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,518
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I did a search for building a 396. It sound like there are ways to work around having to put block filler in the water jackets. Is this possible? I.E. Longer stroke and bored only .30.
What would the price difference be (estimate) between machine work for a 396 and a 383?
Just curious becaue in the future I want to build one of the two. If its a big price difference I would just stick with the 383.
What would the price difference be (estimate) between machine work for a 396 and a 383?
Just curious becaue in the future I want to build one of the two. If its a big price difference I would just stick with the 383.
Add $150 to the machine shop bill to do a partial fill, and for the additional grinding needed.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 10,956
Likes: 681
From: Marlboro country MA
I came up to this same question recently. I wanted to stroke my LT1 to a 396, but my builder talked me into sticking with a 383 rebuild. His reasons were:
1. Parts are much more available for 383's than for 396's. Cheaper, too.
2. Cost for a 396 was going to be $1500 to $2000 more, when taking into account the much greater amount of clearance work added to the higher parts cost.
3. Longevity for a 396 is significantly less than for a 383.
YMMV. Choose well.
1. Parts are much more available for 383's than for 396's. Cheaper, too.
2. Cost for a 396 was going to be $1500 to $2000 more, when taking into account the much greater amount of clearance work added to the higher parts cost.
3. Longevity for a 396 is significantly less than for a 383.
YMMV. Choose well.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,146
Likes: 3
From: The Motor City
The best block filler on the planet is called Embeco 885. We have used it for 20 years and it coefficient of expansion is close to cast iron it will NEVER pull away from the walls or give you distortion problems and it dissipates heat a lot better than anything else I have seen or used.. Its a metallic grout that was designed in the 60s for the Saturn 5 launch pad to hold the steal girders. The girders would get so hot they would blow out the regular concrete so they formulated this stuff. It has metal suspended in the mixture so its tricky to get mixed right and you don't want to rattle the block to much. Mix it thick and it will work perfect. You can by a 100 pound bag for what 5 gallons of the other stuff costs and I am not to sure that's its not the same stuff! You can pick it up or order it just about anywhere. It used to be the BIG secret the Super Stock guys used many years ago.
I would never rock a modern after market block. There cylinder walls are plenty rigid. If you have to use a stock block for drag racing its easy power. If you do what we call a low fill like less than half way up and use a good oil cooler you can drive it on the street. I had friend of mine who had a Camero that was drove on the street with a half fill for years and even drove it back and forth to Texas a few time from Kansas. The Oil cooler is a must though. Without it, your sure to burn it up. I have seen as much as 20 HP with a full fill ( right up the water hole but no higher) just so you have about one inch of water flowing around the top of the cylinders. If you have never done it before yourself, refer it to someone who has! Its a very quick way to ruin a good block if you don't know what your doing. If you have a block with blind bolt holes and you fill it just a little to high, you cut off all water circulation and then you have and expensive boat anchor.
_________________
Darin Morgan
R&D-Cylinder Head Dept.
Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
1120 Enterprise Place
Arlington Texas 76001
817-467-7171
FAX-468-3147
I would never rock a modern after market block. There cylinder walls are plenty rigid. If you have to use a stock block for drag racing its easy power. If you do what we call a low fill like less than half way up and use a good oil cooler you can drive it on the street. I had friend of mine who had a Camero that was drove on the street with a half fill for years and even drove it back and forth to Texas a few time from Kansas. The Oil cooler is a must though. Without it, your sure to burn it up. I have seen as much as 20 HP with a full fill ( right up the water hole but no higher) just so you have about one inch of water flowing around the top of the cylinders. If you have never done it before yourself, refer it to someone who has! Its a very quick way to ruin a good block if you don't know what your doing. If you have a block with blind bolt holes and you fill it just a little to high, you cut off all water circulation and then you have and expensive boat anchor.
_________________
Darin Morgan
R&D-Cylinder Head Dept.
Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
1120 Enterprise Place
Arlington Texas 76001
817-467-7171
FAX-468-3147
Last edited by mseven; May 18, 2008 at 12:58 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,382
Likes: 2
From: Kathleen FL
The extra grinding, expense of parts and the risk of doing the block fill wrong is yet another reason why I don't want to stroke above a 383. Now if it was a Dart Little M, that would be another story, but I feel that a grand for a bare block is still a bit over my budget. And with the 396+ motors, you would be limited on rod choices. If you use rods too short, it would put a lot of sideloading on the cylinder walls in which you would have to limit higher sustained rpms. Use 6" rods and your piston choice would also be limited.
