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Modifying 383, need advice

fwi

fwi

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I have a stock 1969 383 which is getting some mods, dual quad tunnel ram intake, a pair of 660 Holleys and headers It already has MSD AL7-2 ignition and dual electric fuel pumps (it was a race car with a built 440 which is gone).
What cam would best work with this setup and anything else that has to be done. Not planning on racing it, just street use.
 
For street I'd trade the tunnel ram for a single 4 bbl & intake. Is it an auto or 4 speed?
 
The tunnel ram is really not the correct setup for street. A TM6 with a 750 DP would work very well with a little tuning.
 
You'll get lots of differing cam choices...
But thats a lot of CFM even for a pretty stout 383. Do you already have the setup? Or can you knock it down to 0-9776 Holleys? They are still 900 total, 2 390's are a little harder to set, but at least you're at 780.
Awww, forget all That!
Build it like you were 19 again, big carbs, big cam, and loud.
Then drive it like you were 19!
Have fun :lol:
 
Tunnel ram dual quads are a pain to tune by compare of a single 4, but don't let anybody kid you, there excellent intbe street.

Cam choice would be easier if you know your tire size, converter stall & compression ratio.
 
Cam choice would be easier if you know your tire size, converter stall & compression ratio.

All that stuff is nonsense to a 19 yr old.
:rofl:






Ok, burst a bubble here
Yeah you should probably think about that stuff too
Jeez:(
 
Gotta say, I've never ran a TR on the street but a buddy of mine borrowed my setup that I used on a 10.60 car for street use. After some tuning, he loved it and I had a hard time getting my 440 TR back! He did run smaller carbs than I did on the 1/4 mile. Anyways, that's twice I've loaned out carbs/intake setups and then had a hard time getting the stuff back. For all those that have never ran a TR on the street or track.......stay quiet :D I will say that I've been around several 'low' rise intake setups with 2 4's and they generally sucked. The biggest drawback to a TR on the street is the height. Gotta run a hood with a hole or no hood at all or....a big scoop.
 
It currently has a Weiand dual plane with Holley 650 on it, I am doing a gasser and I want the authentic look more than reliability. Tires are M/T 29.5 cheater slicks, 727 has 3000 stall, compression ??
IMG_3028.JPG
 
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thats kind a little motor for all that , so i ran a 509 in mine back in the day in my 66 383 . no bottom end , but did it run in the r's . needs good heads mine were ported to the best od then . needs a 4spd and gears ! is this for the wagon project ?
 
Cranky said:
Gotta say, I've never ran a TR on the street but a buddy of mine borrowed my setup that I used on a 10.60 car for street use. After some tuning, he loved it and I had a hard time getting my 440 TR back! He did run smaller carbs than I did on the 1/4 mile. Anyways, that's twice I've loaned out carbs/intake setups and then had a hard time getting the stuff back. For all those that have never ran a TR on the street or track.......stay quiet :D I will say that I've been around several 'low' rise intake setups with 2 4's and they generally sucked. The biggest drawback to a TR on the street is the height. Gotta run a hood with a hole or no hood at all or....a big scoop.
Click to expand...

I just happen to have a perfectly good hole in my hood and nothing to put through it :thumbsup:

IMG_3600.JPG
 
Cranky is right, they can be cranky.
But staring out the windshield at that mechanical wonder raises your testosterone level instantly.
Patience and tuning- repeat at least 15X
Then go whole hog, and throw a BDS 8-71 on.
 
On man....sure wish I was building the motor I wanted to with the low deck TR. Keep in mind that short stroke motors like the 383/400 like rpm and if you build the engine and valve train to do that, they scream and scream nicely! My combo was going to be a forged crank 400 with Eddy heads, good rods and a .660 lift roller cam. A stock stroke 383/400 can rpm 1000 rpm more than a 440 and still have the same piston speed as a stock stroke 440. Light weight pistons is a plus along with a light weight valve train. Titanium retainers used to be the choice but from what i understand, nowadays, you can get steel retainers that are pretty light (just a bit heavier than titanium) and they last much longer. I don't see any reason to do super light weight valves etc for rpm in the 7500 range but it would be a plus although much more expensive. Tickling 7500 for very short periods should be doable. Heck, I was turning 7300 at the stripe with a 440 in the early 80's and it lasted all season and parts nowadays are much better....gee, it sucks getting old and being in the middle of a freakin divorce....
 
moparwacko said:
Cranky is right, they can be cranky.
But staring out the windshield at that mechanical wonder raises your testosterone level instantly.
Patience and tuning- repeat at least 15X
Then go whole hog, and throw a BDS 8-71 on.
Click to expand...
I was really impressed at how well my car fired up and idled not to mention driving it around the pits. I usually went the long way back to my trailer after a pass because driving the car around was just joyful! Always wanted to build something similar for the street. Yeah, it was radical for the day but these days, it wouldn't be so radical when you look at all the computer cars out there but how many 10 second computer cars are there. Sure, AC and all that other crap is nice on those cars but what fun is that! A hot rod isn't fun to me unless the engine is loping and attracting all kinds of attention because of the sound etc then when you nail it, it sends women and children and some men running! :D
 
i rev'd mine to 7700 , but big cr , well done heads . but there injection out there for that low deck and your hole to fill . efi units that match the early hilborns . hilborn was going to take the bb chevy setup and cut the valley tray off and re-pattern for the wedge head , port spacing is close . not sure if they ever did . and it would like way cooler then a tunnel n twin fours hanging out your hood .
 
I ran Wieand tunnel rams on my 400 low deck 452's and on the 440's with 650 DP carbs. A little tuning with the shooters & nearly stock jets worked well. Home ported 906 & 915 heads. The single 4 850 setups do work quite well too.
 
I need cam info, can I keep the stock 906 heads, valves and rockers?
 
fwi said:
I need cam info, can I keep the stock 906 heads, valves and rockers?
Click to expand...
I built a nice 383 package using the 906 heads it had 10:1 compression ratio, lunati cam 284/284,727 w/2800 stahl and my rear axle was 3:23 to 1 I would have liked a 3:91 but the 3:23 was in there already and it did well on the street. The heads were milled to clean them up and the block decked also. I had a 750 CFM Eldebrock card and the performer intake. Plenty of low end torque and good street manners.
 
Pocket port the 906 heads with a good new valve job. The Comp Cams XS 274S is a fine grind. Not too big, but gives good torque. If you have 3.55 gears or deeper, a single plane manifold with a 750 DP Holley will work well.
 
fwi said:
I just happen to have a perfectly good hole in my hood and nothing to put through it :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

A blower would fill it! And it'd make that 383 scream.
 
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