383 build

[tlowery]

Ok so I have a 70 383 with a mild hughes cam. Motor runs good just not very much power. The 440 I built for my roadrunner is a hoss and I'm thinking about building this 383 maybe as a back up or you know because we like tinkering. I have a set of worked over 915s as well. What say you about a solid cam high reving 383. Drop me some builds to think about. Thanks!

 

[tlowery]

Ok so I have a 70 383 with a mild hughes cam. Motor runs good just not very much power. The 440 I built for my roadrunner is a hoss and I'm thinking about building this 383 maybe as a back up or you know because we like tinkering. I have a set of worked over 915s as well. What say you about a solid cam high reving 383. Drop me some builds to think about. Thanks!

View attachment 1539500

My 440 is 30 over 11:1, ported stage 4 heads, comp 286/294 .544 .541 roller cam and rockers. Performer rpm with 850 holley. It runs great and would want this 383 to be atleast on part with it. Or more

 

[Cranky]

Did you or whoever built the 83 degree in the cam? If a cam is retarded a bit, the low end usually suffers but usually runs well on top but if it's retarded too much, it won't perform very well at all.....

 

[tlowery]

Did you or whoever built the 83 degree in the cam? If a cam is retarded a bit, the low end usually suffers but usually runs well on top but if it's retarded too much, it won't perform very well at all.....y

I didn't degree it when I installed it. Just straight up. It runs just fine too. Just no where near the power of the 440 in the car now. The 383 is just sitting in the shop floor begging for attention.

 

[Cranky]

I didn't degree it when I installed it. Just straight up. It runs just fine too. Just no where near the power of the 440 in the car now. The 383 is just sitting in the shop floor begging for attention.

Not saying the cam isn't on the money but when you trust the machines that ground the cam, made the timing gears and if your balancer is marked right.....you just don't know exactly where the cam will land. Whenever I build an engine (which I haven't done in awhile), I'll plot the cam out (stock or not) and determine where I want to set it after finding true TDC and making sure the balancer is right. I know a few guys that used the 'straight up dot method' before and got a rude awakening when things weren't right.

 

[Runner 68]

Ok so I have a 70 383 with a mild hughes cam. Motor runs good just not very much power. The 440 I built for my roadrunner is a hoss and I'm thinking about building this 383 maybe as a back up or you know because we like tinkering. I have a set of worked over 915s as well. What say you about a solid cam high reving 383. Drop me some builds to think about. Thanks!

View attachment 1539500

Watch the Paint!!! Jesus.
Stroke a 400. Better block than the 383.

 

[tlowery]

Watch the Paint!!! Jesus.
Stroke a 400. Better block than the 383.

Lol it's 20 year old paint and we drive the wheels off it

 

[tlowery]

Not saying the cam isn't on the money but when you trust the machines that ground the cam, made the timing gears and if your balancer is marked right.....you just don't know exactly where the cam will land. Whenever I build an engine (which I have done in awhile), I'll plot the cam out (stock or not) and determine where I want to set it after finding true TDC and making sure the balancer is right. I know a few guys that used the 'straight up dot method' before and got a rude awakening when things weren't right.

I know what you're saying and I promise for what it is this way is fine. It pulls good to 5500. We are getting off topic, the 383 isn't in the car now a 500+hp 440 is. I'm just saying hit me with some racy 383 builds to think about over winter.

 

[pnora]

Not saying the cam isn't on the money but when you trust the machines that ground the cam, made the timing gears and if your balancer is marked right.....you just don't know exactly where the cam will land. Whenever I build an engine (which I have done in awhile), I'll plot the cam out (stock or not) and determine where I want to set it after finding true TDC and making sure the balancer is right. I know a few guys that used the 'straight up dot method' before and got a rude awakening when things weren't right.

We found out a long time ago running the dots did not cut it. I trust no chain and gears. I degree everything.

 

[tlowery]

We found out a long time ago running the dots did not cut it. I trust no chain and gears. I degree everything.

Again, I understand that. That's not the point of the thread. The thread is for what to do with the motor now as it's just sitting I'm the floor. A mild 383 does nothing for me

 

[Cranky]

Again, I understand that. That's not the point of the thread. The thread is for what to do with the motor now as it's just sitting I'm the floor. A mild 383 does nothing for me

Like Runner said in post 6, do a 400 block. Even a stock stroke 400 will make more power and the larger than a 440 bore 400 works well with larger valves. Anyways, the 383 will do good too. How radical do you want to go? Also, rather go with a roller cam. Yeah, more expensive but the first time you wipe out a cam and have to tear down the engine again to clean out all the crap, you'll end up spending the money anyways. 915 head are cool in my book so long as you don't have to spend a lot of bucks on refurbishing them. How much compression are you looking for? 10-1? With the right cam, that's doable. 383's like rpm.....basically, they are a short stroke big block and with good parts, 7k isn't a problem but I wouldn't do that with stock rods.

 

[DanielSlocum]

you need very good heads, lots of compression, and at least a 6500 rpm capable cam/valvetrain to get 500 hp out of a 383 imo.
also a very good single plane intake and a big carb. then you will need 4.10 gears and a 3500 stall for an automatic to make it work with 3600+ ibs.
nos would quickly change that equation. good luck.

 

[Outsider]

Big cubic inch difference, but the shorter stroke can be utilized for a quicker revving, higher rpm motor with the right components.

 

[Geoff 2]

Post #13 says it all. The 383/400 has a very short stroke & long rod [ shorter stroke than a 350 Chebby ].

Those factors are good for high rpm power. Hooooooowever, the low end will suffer greatly when all the components are biased towards making high rpm power. The 383 is already 60 cubes down [ 1 litre ] on a 440 & along with the proportionate loss of tq.

 

[RemCharger]

I know what you're saying and I promise for what it is this way is fine. It pulls good to 5500. We are getting off topic, the 383 isn't in the car now a 500+hp 440 is. I'm just saying hit me with some racy 383 builds to think about over winter.

Again, I understand that. That's not the point of the thread. The thread is for what to do with the motor now as it's just sitting I'm the floor. A mild 383 does nothing for me

The stumbling block will be the fuel, because you need compression.
The heads will be ,ok, if max ported. Bigger heads would be great.
It's a good idea, I like angry lil 383s

 

[RemCharger]

Cam question