Help me build my 383
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
Likes: 14
From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '12
Help me build my 383
Ok, I know this has been done hundreds of times before.
Most of the builds I've looked at in searching don't really fit what I think I want to do.
My 92 I'm pretty sure has swallowed a ring :-(
So its time to prep an engine to swap in
I want to start with an LT1 out of a camaro, caprice, impala.
I can get one from a u pull it place for about $150
I'll take it apart, what I need is help selecting the parts and machine work I need to make it all work.
Goal - as flat and high torque curve as I can get from 3 - 6K rpm
Needs to be very strong bottom end - car will be 90% road race, 10% street, 0% drag. Needs to run on 89 & 93 octane.
Need a strong crank for a 383, reccomendation for good rods, pistons etc.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a single mass flywheel, probably will 0 balance internals.
This will be built over the rest of this year with the goal to have it back on the road January.
Again this will be an LT1 build
Thanks in advance
Most of the builds I've looked at in searching don't really fit what I think I want to do.
My 92 I'm pretty sure has swallowed a ring :-(
So its time to prep an engine to swap in
I want to start with an LT1 out of a camaro, caprice, impala.
I can get one from a u pull it place for about $150
I'll take it apart, what I need is help selecting the parts and machine work I need to make it all work.
Goal - as flat and high torque curve as I can get from 3 - 6K rpm
Needs to be very strong bottom end - car will be 90% road race, 10% street, 0% drag. Needs to run on 89 & 93 octane.
Need a strong crank for a 383, reccomendation for good rods, pistons etc.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a single mass flywheel, probably will 0 balance internals.
This will be built over the rest of this year with the goal to have it back on the road January.
Again this will be an LT1 build
Thanks in advance
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,080
Likes: 2
From: Pittsburgh PA
ported LT1 intake matched to a set of ported LT1 heads through AI or Lloyd Elliot.
Get a custom grind cam to match those heads from one of them.
I'd go for a medium duration cam (high 220's to 230 or so on intake ) with abit of split in the exhaust duration on a tighter lsa. It will boost midrange and flatten that torque curve. My 230/245 cam on a 109 lsa made over 350lbft at the wheels from 3200 ish where the run started to over 5200 rpm with a peak of 371 on that run but its over 380wtq since that run was heatsoaked. Very flat torque curve with a strong rising hp curve. Just about any of the LT1 heads/cam packages will make a flat torque curve. If you can go with a converted HSR for LT1's i'd consider it since it will make more torque with its slightly longer runners. More low/midrange can be a good thing on a road car
As far as rotating assembly goes, I'd go with Callies Compstar stuff with ARP 2000 rod bolts and good road race oil pan with baffles. Definately internal balanced with neutral flywheel/etc. SRP/JE pistons are good. Mahle's are good if you dont run boost which from the sounds of it your not going to. Shoot for mid 10's to 1 compression with those aluminum heads. Tuned right it will eat 89 oct just fine. More timing for 93 can be used but it should be ok.
Get a custom grind cam to match those heads from one of them.
I'd go for a medium duration cam (high 220's to 230 or so on intake ) with abit of split in the exhaust duration on a tighter lsa. It will boost midrange and flatten that torque curve. My 230/245 cam on a 109 lsa made over 350lbft at the wheels from 3200 ish where the run started to over 5200 rpm with a peak of 371 on that run but its over 380wtq since that run was heatsoaked. Very flat torque curve with a strong rising hp curve. Just about any of the LT1 heads/cam packages will make a flat torque curve. If you can go with a converted HSR for LT1's i'd consider it since it will make more torque with its slightly longer runners. More low/midrange can be a good thing on a road car
As far as rotating assembly goes, I'd go with Callies Compstar stuff with ARP 2000 rod bolts and good road race oil pan with baffles. Definately internal balanced with neutral flywheel/etc. SRP/JE pistons are good. Mahle's are good if you dont run boost which from the sounds of it your not going to. Shoot for mid 10's to 1 compression with those aluminum heads. Tuned right it will eat 89 oct just fine. More timing for 93 can be used but it should be ok.
