• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Remember the Hot Rod Magazine 383 build?

I like it. I did basically the same type build in 69-70. I went with a much bigger cam (barely streetable) and switched to 915 heads with maximum valve sizes and port work. I will tell anyone that I think a 383 is very underrated. It took my 67 Satellite into the high 10's and never blew. A few trips to over 8K.
 
The engine in my Charger is quite similar only .020 over with the .455 cam and HP manifolds. [9.4 : 1]
It's been together for 23 years and has about 35K on it.
We will be driving it to Carlisle in a few weeks.
 
XE285HL-10. This is a fairly serious hydraulic profile, rated at 285/297 degrees gross duration and spec'ing out at 241/247 degrees duration at .050 inches, with .545/.545-inch lift on a 110-degree lobe separation. The cam was degree'd in at four degrees advance and topped with a set of matching Comp lifters. We were still budget-conscious with this engine and elected to retain the stock 383's valvetrain. Unlike some competitive brands of engines, the big-block Mopar hydraulic shaft-mount system is rugged. We upped the valvesprings at the same time to Comp's PN 924 dual-spring assemblies since the high lift cam requires more spring than the stock 383 cam. We used an on-the-head spring compressor from Powerhouse to make quick work of the job.

Hot rod article

Wow - Pretty healthy Cam running factory valve train rocker arms
 
The engine in my Charger is quite similar only .020 over with the .455 cam and HP manifolds. [9.4 : 1]
It's been together for 23 years and has about 35K on it.
We will be driving it to Carlisle in a few weeks.
That's an excellent 383 street cam. Bet you get decent MPG too.
 
It was technically in 'Mopar Muscle', before they were sponged up by HRM...but that's irrelevant I know. I still have that issue; probably read that article a thousand times out of boredom.
Best part of that issue, was waay in the back in 'The McCandless Files' write up where he built a mild street 440, with a 9 to 1 bottom end, the then-common 274 XE cam, and bolted on unported Edelbrock heads and intake. Made a few ticks over 450 hp. I more or less copied that build on a previous 440 build and it was a nice street engine, performed pretty much just like 'ol Herb said it would...

I don't recall Hot Rod running a 750 either..
Right. They started with a factory AVS they figured for 600cfm, then swapped to an 850 Demon. They agreed it would be over-carbed in the real world, but good for their dyno test.
 
Last edited:
A decent sized fast rate hyd cam...... utilizing any kind of “normal-ish” hydraulic lifters....... in a 383 with decent induction....... is going to leave power on the table.

My prediction is the lifters will start giving up before the motor reaches the natural peak(or potential peak) rpm of the induction system.
 
A decent sized fast rate hyd cam...... utilizing any kind of “normal-ish” hydraulic lifters....... in a 383 with decent induction....... is going to leave power on the table.

My prediction is the lifters will start giving up before the motor reaches the natural peak(or potential peak) rpm of the induction system.
Hence why I went with a Solid on my 451, the hydraulics just ran out of steam, To the tune of 35hp
 
A decent sized fast rate hyd cam...... utilizing any kind of “normal-ish” hydraulic lifters....... in a 383 with decent induction....... is going to leave power on the table.

My prediction is the lifters will start giving up before the motor reaches the natural peak(or potential peak) rpm of the induction system.
Decades ago, a stock bottom end, 906 headed 383 with a single plane and 750 holley proved that theory. It was a total pig.
 
For a refresher on how it doesn’t matter how good the cam is if the lifters can’t keep up......
Check out the old MM article from Dulcich on the “mild mannered mauler” from 2005.

It’s the only magazine article I recall seeing where they didn’t really sugar coat what happens....... and even made a few attempts at solving it.
 
Correct, as he says in the video.
There was a certain amount of sarcasm to my statement as he tends to make a lot of incomplete or unfinished videos. My guess is to keep piling additional content on YouTube as it probably pays much better than the shop....
383 are torque monsters :thumbsup:
Not really.. but probably with a76mm bolted on it.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top