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383 parts help

66bluewhale

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mission viejo, CA
i recently bought a low mile 383 long block. it missing some things like valve cover, oil pan, water pump, timing chain cover harmonic dampener, plugs and wires, fuel pump and some other things. i want to just get it running, i dont want to get parts that are going to give me head aches down the road. what brand do you guys recommend?

also i am doing an hei conversion as well. wondering which distributor recommended
hei web sites im looking at:

hotrod.com/how-to/engine/1311-convert-a-ford-or-chrysle-rignition-to-gm-hei/

allpar.com/fix/electronic-ignition.html

i'm looking to just get it running so i can drop it in my 68 satellite.

thanks for the help guys
 
Do you know why this long block is missing so much? I would find out why it is in its present condition before spending much on it. That and what is in your Satillite now? Can you take parts from it when the time comes?
 
My car doesnt have an engine. I bought this engine to put back together and do it in. Mechanic I bought it off of said the owner was going to scrap it since he got a crate engine, so it was given to him as part of the labor. The previous owner kept what is missing from the engine.
 
You need to preform a cylinder leakdown test at minimum, oil presure check and check main and rod bearings. Make sure you are not installing someone's problem. Better to know what you have now as later when it is installed. What you have is complete enough for all the above.
 
You need to preform a cylinder leakdown test at minimum, oil presure check and check main and rod bearings. Make sure you are not installing someone's problem. Better to know what you have now as later when it is installed. What you have is complete enough for all the above.

X2 on that! I've been fighting just that with a running 383! Check it thoroughly!!
 
I will test the engine before putting it together and doing it in.
What brand is reliable for the parts I need?
 
Good parts do not have to be expensive or new. Check with the mechanic you bought the long block from for local sources. Would definitely go new on the harmonic balancer. The rest will depend upon what you think is needed and what you are willing to spend. Chrome and aluminum will make it look nicer but rarely make it run any better.
 
Looked at the engine with my mechanic today.
One exhaust port was showing oil leak, the other was leaking coolant. He beleives the wrong push rod boots were placed. The rocker arms are rock solid. We did a connotation test on the cylinder with the oil leak and it was leaking bad, from the bottom of the engine. He's highly advising me to not put any money into this engine.
I'm pretty bummed out
 
Looked at the engine with my mechanic today.
One exhaust port was showing oil leak, the other was leaking coolant. He beleives the wrong push rod boots were placed. The rocker arms are rock solid. We did a connotation test on the cylinder with the oil leak and it was leaking bad, from the bottom of the engine. He's highly advising me to not put any money into this engine.
I'm pretty bummed out

Check the for sale forum. I have what you might want...http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?83663-NorCal-383-For-Sale...

I am open to any and all offers. It needs to be gone...cr8crshr/Tuck
 
I hope that was a compression test and have never heard of a push rod boot. Have built many 383's since 1973 and they are not the junk engines some claim them to be. Do not get discouraged until its been taken apart and problems verified. But I would definitely fInd a different mechanic. He may know his trade but I am not buying any of it.
 
I hope that was a compression test and have never heard of a push rod boot. Have built many 383's since 1973 and they are not the junk engines some claim them to be. Do not get discouraged until its been taken apart and problems verified. But I would definitely fInd a different mechanic. He may know his trade but I am not buying any of it.
We did a compression test on the cylinder that showed traces of oil in the exhaust port. Sorry I ment the lifter, I forgot what it was called when I was typing. The rocker arms are tight. He thinks they put the wrong size. My boss took a look at the engine and he told me it is a truck engine b/c of the square exhaust ports. I didn't know there were truck 383 & car 383.
So mopar 3 b what is your opinion? I'M stuck with this engine. What would you say are my options?

We work together, he's our master mechanic. He has worked on mopars , but he doesn't specialize in them
 
The engine blocks are the same. I would find a set of 73 or newer car cylinder heads. These will have harder valve seats and do a valve job. Beyond that you will have to find out what the last guy has done to the short block.
 
I found a pair of cylinder heads casting # 3751213

What about the rocker arms being tight and possibly the wrong lifters. Could they have just been over tightened?
We turned the camshaft and the rockets had no play, they were rock hard

- - - Updated - - -

I just looked up the casting # is from a motor home.

I'm reading the hrm article cylinder heads pt1
 
Forgive me, but it is tough to get a read here on the specifics of what you really have here. Either your master mechanic is using the wrong terminology here or you are misremembering his words, because none of it really makes much sense to me.

A pushrods boot leaking oil on on exhaust port. do you mean valve seal? Also, there is no way to tighten the rocker arms, so it seems to me they might be frozen due to rust? Another possibility is someone used the wrong rocker shafts. The guy who built my motor used shafts out of some other make. Would have destroyed the motor of I hadn't caught it.

Did he mean that someone overtightened the rocker shafts, which made them out of round, causing the rocker arms to bind? If this is the case, plenty of people have OEM shafts and rockers laying around for cheap.

- - - Updated - - -

I found a pair of cylinder heads casting # 3751213

What about the rocker arms being tight and possibly the wrong lifters. Could they have just been over tightened?
We turned the camshaft and the rockets had no play, they were rock hard

- - - Updated - - -

I just looked up the casting # is from a motor home.

I'm reading the hrm article cylinder heads pt1

Motor home block is the same as any other 383.

Btw, what was the result of the compression test? What PSI were you reading?
 
I would be more worried about the coolant in the port. Where did that come from? I would do a leak down test. That will find bad rings, bad intake or exhaust valve seal, bad head gasket. There is no adjustment for valve lash, so the only way it can change is through push rod length. If your cam was flat you would have excessive lash. The 383 is a bullet proof motor due to its lower piston velocity. As far as cams go I run a Mopar Purple Shaft in my 69 Roadrunner. 284 degree/.484 lift. Very streetable with a little lope. Good from 2800-6000 rpm. Lots of torque for a heavy car.
 
Sorry, Let me try again. So I bought a long block. I put it up on an engine stand the other day. Noticed the LH exhaust port, I beleive third from the front showing oil. On the opposite side I think it's the second from the front, Showing water. I'll post pics tomorrow.

We placed the piston on tdc. The one showing traces of oil. We connected the compression tester. It was reading a high leak. Not exactly sure on the number. We could hear the air escaping from the bottom of the engine. Going past the piston.
We moved the camshaft the rocker arms were rock solid. He said something about possibly the wrong lifter was placed.
He told me it was a junk engine.
 
Back the rocker shaft bolts out until there is no pressure on the lifters and do a leak down test. Possibly bent valves or pistons with holes in their tops. If you still hear air pull the heads and find out why as at this point there is not a hole lot to $ loss and the RV heads need to be changed anyway. A leak down test will tell you more at this point than a compression check. If it is junk take it apart anyway you can not hurt it any and will give you an idea how BB & RB blocks are put together.
 
what are the chances that my block could be cracked? i was talking to my tech and he believes the block could be cracked. Thats possibly why the exhaust port is showing coolant. i will be inspecting the long block further into it soon.

as for the leak down test. the piston was placed TDC, the one showing oil in the exhaust port. it is leaking by the piston. he told me it my need to have a sleeve welded in the chamber if the cylinder cant be bored over.
 
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