• 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.

383 Build

red 69 runner

Well-Known Member
Local time
10:09 AM
Joined
Dec 7, 2011
Messages
689
Reaction score
253
Location
pasadena Maryland
So I had this great idea to have new 383 built for my road runner so I could save the numbers matching motor for when I die and the wife sells all my stuff she can say here is the original numbers matching motor,This was 2 1/2 years ago. The 1st candidate for the project was a 1970 short block that I got from a friend it had been in a shed from the time it was put together and sat and got pretty rusty,it was 30 over and had a cast crank so I didnt want to use the cast crank and another friend said he had a forged steel crank for a 383 and I gave him $150. bucks for it so now we were ready to start when after seeing how rusty the 30 over short block was the guy I got the crank from said hey I got the whole motor that crank was out of and I will sell it to you if you want this was a 1965 383 original bore and was not all rusty so in my mind this would be a better motor to rebuild. The engine builder i am using is a guy that a friend introduced me to ,he has a good reputation and has been in business for about 36 years,so after he had it shot peened and machined you think hey how long does it take to put a motor together,well here is where the trouble started I explained I did not want a race motor I wanted to have a new motor that I can put pump gas in and get in and drive anywhere but a little more than the rated 335HP of my stock 383,he said no problem we can do that. SO I am not a builder and take his advise based on his reputation he says I have a set of alluminum Venolia pistons brand new for a 383 that were left from a project that never got built and gave me a good price on them so they are what we are using they are 60 over I questioned why 60 over on a standard bore I was thinking it would have to be 30 over at the least and I have heard 60 may create over heating problems but he said these motors can go bigger with no trouble so I agreed,now he grind a notch at the top of the cylander that he says makes better flow with the wedge combustion chamber so I said you are the doctor it must be ok so then he says he made the notches to low and the venolia pistons will not work. It just so happens he is building another 383 and its 60 over and that guy bought his own pistons and they will work on my block so he switched blocks,the other one is a 1968 383,so now I have the 1968 motor and my crank from my 1965 motor,I got sick in april 2019 and was out of commission for the rest of the year so he put my project on the back burner and assembled the other motor(my original block I brought him)so now he is putting mine together and is having a problem with the counter weights hitting the block and is taking off material to make it work,he is telling me that the crank I brought him is from a 1959 383 which is a RB motor from what I read.The guy I got the block and the crank from said it was the only motor he ever disassembled and it was an original factory assembled motor.I am about done with the whole project and will probably taking a loss and tell the builder he can keep it since the parts i brought him are not my parts any more. Can any body tell me if the 2 engines cranks would be differant from 1965 to 1968,sorry for this being long but I am getting frustrated with this whole project and need some answers.thanks in advance.
 
A 1959 crank will have 8 holes with no threads at the rear for the converter to bolt into. And the flange will stick out further. So compare this to your other cranks and see what you have.

Any 1962 and newer crank will have 6 threaded holes at rear crank flange.
 
A 1959 crank will have 8 holes with no threads at the rear for the converter to bolt into. And the flange will stick out further. So compare this to your other cranks and see what you have.

Any 1962 and newer crank will have 6 threaded holes at rear crank flange.
I just looked at a picture I have of it and it is 6 bolts.
 
All forged cranks from “B” engines are equivalent. 65 = 68. Whole deal sounds fishy. I have a 361 crank from ‘64 if you end up needing one. Seems like the engine builder should be footing the bill.
 
All forged cranks from “B” engines are equivalent. 65 = 68. Whole deal sounds fishy. I have a 361 crank from ‘64 if you end up needing one. Seems like the engine builder should be footing the bill.
Oh he is taking off the material to make it work but its taking forever,I made the mistake of paying him as we went along and now he has gotten his money and there is no big payday when its done,so live and learn,I almost want to tell him to take the other one apart and try the crank in the block it left the factory in.
 
There’s something wrong. No material ever needs to come off to put one 383 crank into another, excepting goofy late 50’s cranks. Of course that’ll give you a 440 at .060 over. Those pistons won’t work though. And the 8 bolt flange won’t either.
 
There’s something wrong. No material ever needs to come off to put one 383 crank into another, excepting goofy late 50’s cranks. Of course that’ll give you a 440 at .060 over. Those pistons won’t work though. And the 8 bolt flange won’t either.
Yeah I'll check the next time I am there but the pic I have shows 6 bolt holes,who the hell knows maybe the guy that turned the crank got it mixed up with another one
 
Yup.

That whole deal went south as soon as those venolia pistons got added to the mix.

I’d seriously look at taking it somewhere else.
At this point there is no other option than just let it get finished by him,All of these machine shop guys are the same so I might as well stick it out here you never know what could be done if you want to pack up all you stuff and go somewhere else.I got the answer I was looking for. the differance in a late 50's crank and one from '65 on up
 
More on what you wanted to know. 1962 and up B engine cranks should be the same.

The 1959-1960 383 RB crank has 3.75 stroke and 2.75 main journals.

The B engine 383 has 3.375 stroke 2.625 main journals.

So if you did have that 1959 RB 383 crank the mains are to big to go in a B engine block. Same problem as using a 440 crank in one.

good luck with your project 383 and the machinist.
 
Yup.

That whole deal went south as soon as those venolia pistons got added to the mix.

I’d seriously look at taking it somewhere else.
Someone was looking to dump some pistons he couldnt use. Why use Speed Pro 2315's or even a set of KB's when you can have special Venolias from his attic in .060 over.
 
At this point there is no other option than just let it get finished by him,All of these machine shop guys are the same......

Wow. I'm not really sure what you mean by this. If I understand your meaning here, you are incorrectly painting with a very broad brush. There are turds out there for sure, but I have used 5 machine shops over the past 30 years. I have or had great relationships with them all. Honest mistakes happen from time to time and a good shop will take care of it.

You do have options. But those options will likely cost you more money. You'll just need to decide what to do based on the cost-risk benefit.
 
Bottom line is you got fucked. sorry but thats what happened. best you could do is smeer his name every chance you get. must have been a chev small block guru. any normal shop could build a 383 in their sleep. You could ask for your money back and tell him if he doesnt give it back you will quit your job and spend the rest of your life fuckin up the rest of his life......and you already quit you job...good luck
 
I hear these stories wayyyyyy to often. It is NOT out of line to ask if the shop has done MOPAR 383 engines before and if you could speak to several "happy" customers. And when they tell you it will be done on FRIDAY,ask which friday.............
It has gotten to the point that we need a completion contract to get machine,body & chassis shops to agree to so we don't end up in jail.
Been there and done that:realcrazy::(
With that being said,there is a shop in Wappinger Falls that has run MOPARS himself,,,,,,,Vignogna Performance @ 845-298-9041. There is another excellent choice in NJ,Mike Bosonti @ 973-267-4364. You also have Porter Racing in Vermont that is also a member here. His screen name is PR heads. He can be reached @ 802-951-1955.
I would NEVER send a fellow Mopar guy to anyone that could leave a **** stain:lol::thumbsup::usflag:
 
Last edited:
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top