OK finally got my 94 running and it is leaking coolant and the engine backfiring, and now it won't start, antifreeze in the oil. My question is this,
I have the car in my shop I'm going to take the intake and heads off too take a peak. I want to do a 383, My first question is where is a good place to get a Short block or even long block LT1/LT4? and if i get a short block what heads should I use? Right now my main focus is the block. I don't trust this block because about 2 month ago i went down to start the car up and it was locked up and then it turned over. Before it went tonight it was backfiring and would hardly idle. Now it has 0 oil pressure and full of steam from exhaust when cranking.

Overall I'm looking to go for MAX 500Hp Range.
I have a 4l60E & 3.07 D36...im not worried they will eventually be replaced
just need help pointed in the right direction

 

NA, to build a 383 correct is going to cost at least 8k reaching the 500 HP range. This HP level will be fairly easy to reach with the 383. you will need to bore .030 blue print & Zero deck the block. I do not see why you would not re-use your current LT1 block. Unless your block is cracked. It is very unlikely you would need another LT1 block. In the event you need a LT1 core. This should not to to hard to find. I would look at the Z28 blocks. Better choice to install splayed billet main caps. keeping that stroker VERY Secure. Depending on the cam choice. you may need 3.23 - 3.73 gears

AFR heads are about the best for the LT series. But very expensive.
I could not justify the price to power ratio.

Injectors and a tune will be mandatory.

your going to need to beef up the 4l60E a bit. stall converter
the Dana 36 will be in serious jeopardy with the torque / HP combo

 

not too confident in the block right now, engine cranks but holds a lot, obviously now it won't even start. tomorrow I'm going to hope to rip it apart for the most part. If my block is good what should be the first 5 steps to get going. I'm running an electric water pump so i can use a double roller chain

what about 400HP 383..i don't really want to spend 8K, 400 seems a lot more budget friendly

 

400 HP on a 383 will be very easy.. After the block is ripped apart. No obvious damage. Bring the block to a dominate dirt track engine builder. Step one Magnaflux. After validation. Your stock LT1 heads can be re-worked. http://elliottsportworks.com. Has very good results with LT1's.You can also consider porting the OE intake. Lloyd has a excellent selection of proven custom grind cams. I highly Recommend Splayed caps. Well worth the extra protection per dollar. Select your choice of part's. 9.5 - 10 compression. Will be more than enough. With the fast stroke 383. Get the block blue printed. Internals balanced. If you can assemble. this will save lots of labor. The sleeve type ring compressors. Are simply awesome. Be very meticulous measuring your ring gap. Measure everything. Perfection is your theme. Do not rush anything. If you do not assemble. The Dirt track engine guy's.. Well there engines win for a reason.. This should be a great start. Llyod is a great man to talk to if you have any questions. He will set you in the right path. Also get a fluid damper to protect your investment.

 

Ok thanks, will see how good everything is because it overheated as well, i had my electric water pump hooked up, not permanently and the ground wire came off the alligator clip when i was looking for something in the shop and smelled antifreeze and ran out and turned it off, wasn't for long but enough for the antifreeze to boil out and over... but to be honest i think this problem has been ongoing....Like i said 2 months ago it locked up hard one morning while cranking..but after it locked i waited 2 minutes and it cranked fine....but was def a lockup in the rotating assembly. month later the opt hi res went out where it sat at the marina where i work and i converted it to LTCC and Electric water pump and new opt. But after the install and checking everything over...firing order etc it started but would hold and backfiring like a sob.
Finally yesterday after fooling around with it getting it to run it die on idle then stalled. Last cranking the sound changed and pure white smoke out the exhaust...pulled dipstick and saw a little milky oil on very tip of dipstick. So I'm going to pull it out this week coming up and start stripping it down and looking for a machine shop. thanks for the insight...ill def have more questions when i get going

 

what stroker kit do you recommend? I'm assuming after the block tests out ok i will have to give the machine shop the kit to fit and blueprint it all. Im going to have them install cam bearings...i hate doing them lol done a bunch rebuilding Mercury Mercruisers and was a PITA.
For heads ill either go with AFR 195s or elliot. I definitely want 1.6AL Roller rockers. Has to run on 93 Pump gas. would like to be able to daily drive it in the summer and fall

 

Generally speaking - the LT1/LT4 blocks are pretty decent - oh and BTW - there are no aftermarket blocks that are set up for reverse flow cooling systems...so you really do't have much of a choice unless you want to go back to a Gen I SBC combo. If you overheated the motor badly - the odds are far better that you warped the aluminum heads than that you warped the block. Even if the block were lightly warped - the machine shop can fix that EASILY with a light decking.

You might want to contact Chad Golen at Golen Engine works (at least look at their website) - he builds a lot of LT1 motors - his short blocks are pretty reasonably priced. I bought a 383 from him - and after I got it - I peeked inside, and the upgrades I paid for were there !!! When you do a 383 - you typically have to clearance a few of the cylinder bores to make room for the big ends of the connecting rods with the bigger stroke - if you don't know what you're doing - you can hit the water jacket, so I really wouldn't recommend doing this step yourself.

No question AFR heads are good - and also no question that the AFR LT1/LT4 heads aren't cheap. You can contact Lloyd Elliot about porting your stock heads - he did a set for me - and that 383 motor made 500 HP on Chad Golen's dyno.

As for the guts of the stroker motor - I recommend 4340 Forged rods and a 4340 forged crank. Make sure that you have good ARP rod bolts in the Rods (I'd recommend at least their ARP 2000 series bolts). As for what brand of Crank - Rods to use - there are as many opinions as there are engine builders - Eagle is about the least expensive, then there's SCAT and maybe half a dozen more (Manley, Calles, Lunati etc. etc. etc.). I went with SCAT, (supposedly - almost everything is forged overseas - but I was told that SCAT cranks / rods are machined in the US - where I don't think Eagle is. I would also go with ARP main studs (those need to be installed when the block is line bored as bolts cause a different amount of deflection). As for Pistons - you want forged pistons in your motor - personally I like Mahle, but there are many of other options out there as well. The rotating assembly will NEEDS to be balanced as well. Some people swear by Total Seal rings - I skipped that particular expense. When assembling - I recommend not skimping on the head gaskets - there are lots of known head gasket problems with the LT motors - as the cooling systems run hot - even when the fans are reprogrammed to turn on at reasonable temps - again APR head bolts would be the minimum I would use.

I'm sure many others will chime in - there is a wealth of experience on this forum - listen to some other opinions and then talk to the guy who's going to build the engine.

 

I checked golen out and yea the price isn't that bad at all. but if my block tests good, Can't I just buy a good decent stroker kit bring it to the machine shop and have them notch the block and make any adjustments, then blueprint it and balance the assembly? I have no worries about doing the work myself as far as installing all the parts and all. I'd prefer to have a block that is clean, good reworked for a 383 stroker kit, Cam bearings installed, balanced and blueprinted. Then I can install the crank, rods, pistons etc. Once thats all done I can save up for the Cam and heads. at this point the car went from a weekend car to a project car lol, got a big list for it but will have to do it little by little. If it turns out to be cheaper and easier Golen seems to be a good choice

 

You certainly can bring it to a local machine shop or engine builder to have some or all of the work done !!!

I suggested that you check out Golen because he's pretty well respected in the C4 area and you now have a price reference.

For another price reference - check out CNC Motorsports, and Schifroff racing engines for rotating assemblies ...

 

I really advise validating the machine shops rep. I have experienced very POOR work not sure how many stay in business. I cleared my block myself. 1st 383 build. I have a snap on cam bearing tool. It's not that bad. I also recommend 4340 internals like Purple92 suggested. this is NOT a area to go cheap. I purchased a callies kit SRP forged pistons, the 3.75 crank was out of stock. CNC motorsports substituted with a Lunati pro crank. I believe the kit was $16xx I would also skip the total seal theory. File fit rings with the summit diamond wheel along with precision measuring. Will give great results. My JE pro rings. I noticed were stronger. They were not brittle like some plasma moly I have experienced.
ARP bolts is a good recommendation. MLS head gaskets are my choice. I installed Pro Gram engineering billet splayed caps to lock my crank in place. let us know if you go with golen OR your Magnaflux results. Howards Cams looks very tempting if i build another motor.

 

Ok sounds good, I'm going to start making a list now. I found a few good local machine shops...just leary of machine shops thats all. Im going to check into them. Im going to find a complete kit, send my block to machine shop probably friday and see what they say. Is decking the block ok if needed? Thanks again for the input. I think i may go with elliot 224/230 .573/.568 112 LSA for now along with a set of heads from him maybe the LT1 L2E heads for now. Im going to ask him about Al Rockers 1.6 ratio as well. I think ill be set right there and with a tune to match and a set of 1 3/4 Longtubes..Be back in business...Oh and a ported intake as well. What size injectors would be a match

 

your path is progressing very well. your cam choice. do not forget to mention you need a small based circle for the 6.0 rod length. Scorpion rockers are suggested by many. I have S.S. rollers.
is the LE cam specs based off of 1.5 or 1.6? 30 Lbs is a very good starting point up to 46Lbs for your injectors. But your tuner should give you the final answer.

 

The LE Cam is based off i believe 1.5...doesn't specify i'll have to call and find out. As far as the circle where would this have to be done? what about 5.7" Rods? i saw two kits one with the 6 and one with the 5.7" where did you get your rockers from, S.S seems interesting

 

If the deck is good. A minimal true deck surface will be just fine..
a typical 383 build is 3.75 crank, 6.0 rods. .030 bore. If you purchase the cam from Llyod's Comp Cam custom grinds. He will Know what you need. When you mention 383 small base circle Cam. The rockers i have are actually the ebay Comp Cam copies. I do recommend cleaning and inspecting. They might be slightly heavy but very solid. I can tell you some fulcrum bearings on other brands. Are horrific. The bearings literally turn into powder.

 

Make sure you discuss how you are going to drive it as well as your current stall and tranny (stock) and your 3.07 gear.You can do a motor that will work with these gears and never have to change them.Just don't over cam it.

A Golen shortblock is not a bad way to go for the money.You could also have your heads done and run a cam by Advanced Induction.
http://www.advancedinduction.com/LTX/AiLTxMain.php

More than one way to skin a cat so to speak.Try to get a plan with parts that work together with the setup(tranny/gears) that you plan to drive with.If you plan to daily drive it(or at least want it to be capable of that)with good manners make sure you make that known for cam selection.

 

Ps ask for a billet cam, i can tell you one of the main vendors purchased bad cores a few years back. The cams distributor gear was cut 2 deg off and would chew up your gear on the distributor.
There is still a gear in place to utilize your oil pump shaft.
The AI VS Lloyd. I would go with Lloyd. Certainly can look compare and call. The mild cam is suggested. Hence keeping your compression down and price. Larger cams. Will need gears, high stall. Dana 44. Ect. The 383 will produce power alone on the LT1 platform. The dana 36 will still be in jeopardy. 4l60e will still could use some upgrades. The cool part is 50% of the PCM tables are for the automatic. A trans tech should learn to tune. You can tune a shift kit without dropping the pan!!

 

What about pushrods & lifters? Would like to start fresh on them as well obviously

 

A guy here on the Forum has a LS3 built pushing 500 or more crank horsepower. CForce?

It eliminated my concerns about the Dana 36. Drag racing is another story.


This is an automatic Dana 36 and he said it's rock solid zero issues regarding its ability to handle the additional 200 horsepower.

 

This is good to know. Why else would most owners want 400-500hp. You typically are going to bring the car to the strip.
Of course if you drove the car around like a parade car. You would not break parts.

 

I'd disagree. I was making 420 RWHP with the motor and the ring gear broke. I decided not to fix it, limp along home and got a D44.