Went

Hi all. I am going to end up with some unexpected money. I had a work injury that resulted in surgery. Thought the case was closed till I received a phone call from the insurer yesterday. A pain and suffering kind of thing. So my wife(she gives good advice...) says I should rebuild or replace the bottom end and make the whole motor fresh. So I'm thinking a 383 short block assembly. I've got:
Lingenfelter 74211 cam
roller lifters
Scorpion 1.6 roller rockers
Melrose header system
Edelbrock manifold 3860 intake
ASM runners
Pulling the trigger on AFR 195 heads (very soon)
700R4 transmission
3.07 rear end

Are there brands or manufactures to stay away from when buying a short block assembly? I'm not going to the track (well no plans...), just a street car. But the low mid range power/torque I read about sounds nice. I'm concerned with what to stay away from if ordering a assembled block.

Thanks guys once again, Went

aklim

Couple of questions. Who will tune it and did they recommend this combination? I'd like to make sure someone can tune it first and what they have had success with, assuming you decide to go with them. Could you get a nastier cam for those heads?

vette196

I'm doing a very similar set up that all started when I blew the #7 head gasket (damn ).....

I went with Lloyd Elliot LE2 package and the additional parts he recommended.

We pulled the oil pan last night to check out the lower end (see picture), don't want to go through all of this to have a problem with the lower end 5K miles down the road. No 383, just a refresh, new bearing/seals and have it tanked(?). The look of that mustard coolant and oil mixture and cleaning it as well as the exterior block is not something I'm looking forward to, so out to a professional.

Went

Tom Wong at Wong's Performance Engineering will tune it. Tom recommended the heads and cam. I could run a bigger cam but Tom wasn't sure he could get it through a DEQ sniff test. I was told this cam will get past the sniff test here in Oregon without problems.

Went

vette196

ah the old sniffer test ...not a worry on my end

aklim

That sucks. Just a thought, ask Wong if he can make different tunes. Craig Moates designed the chip for DP-Tuner in the Powerstroke world and might have something that works so you can either have 2 chips or a switchable chip. So I have a high idle, stock tune, Tow tune and a smoke tune or economy. Maybe you can have 2 tunes? One to pass emissions and one to play? Check with Moates and see.

Went

Just talked with Jim Barch tonight. I'm going to have a 383 built. I gave him the go ahead to look for a block for the build. Jim thinks I'll do fine with the Lingenfelter 74219 cam or similar cam when it comes time to DEQ the car. I also pulled the trigger on a used Superram intake. I'll be selling some of the new parts I had bought now that I've changed directions. Feels good to get started on the engine.

Went

Hey everyone, I made a mistake...Jim's name is Jim Barth! I'd like to blame my phone but the mistake is on me.

Went

Went

Hey everyone, I made a mistake...Jim's name is Jim Barth! I'd like to blame my phone but the mistake is on me.

Went

STEVEN13

Jim built my 383 LTx (still on the stand).

He was a pleasure to deal with-kept me in the loop through-out the whole process.

Good luck with the build.
Steve

tpi 421 vette

I'm still looking for a block for you. I think you will like a 383 super ram engine. Torque everywhere, a great street car engine. And you don't have to use alot of cam in them, so they are still pretty fuel efficient, very responsive and have great street manners.

Drew95

This is good advice. I just finished a 3 yr long project putting a 396 Stroker LT4 in a 95. Changed/upgraded EVERYTHING. I don't even have an optispark anymore (except for cam position) - spark is coil packs now; electric water pump.

Had I known it was going to be this expensive and long a process, I'd have never done it. Original motor (built wrong), had to do over again at builder shop including 5 new pistons, rings, honed, dipped, all of it.

I could have bought C6.

A nice 383 for a c4 is perfect.

My dyno came out like this, running 4.10s with a ZF6:





That's about as good as it gets. I have AFR 225 heads, a Lloyd Elliot custom grind Lunati...ported/polished heads matched to intake....

400HP at wheels. That's it.

Fantastic torque line (flat and steady) but so is an LS and for a lot less than I spent.

Went

So Jim Barth has ordered a bunch of components for my 383 build. He found a very nice 4-bolt main block for me.
Engine parts Jim has ordered:
Scat series 9000 stroker crank
Scat Pro Stock 6" I-Beam Connecting Rods, forged 4340 steel
Bearing, main & rods
Keith Black pistons
Rings
Flex plate

Jim's ordering more parts after our discussion today, cam and crank balancer. Next, soon as I get more money together the engine will go to the machine shop.

Can't wait...Went

383vett