383 rebuild parts list advice?

[DynaBro]

Dropped my block, caps, and rods off with the shop this week. Other than some really nice 906 heads that were ported and polished and all that I don't have a single part for the build. Wondering what people go with to get a reasonably beefed up 383 build that's still tame enough to cruise around town with and not break the bank.

1970 Supe Bee 383 A31 package (max cooling, 3.91 gearing, HEMI suspension) 4 speed.

 

[hunt2elk]

Have you considered a stroker kit from 440 Source? Pretty good bang for the buck imo.

 

[66fs]

Racer Brown camshaft, stainless exhaust valves, double roller timing set. Carb? Intake? Exhaust?

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Good advice above. First, see what the shop says about you rods, block, crank. On the cheap, look for an entire engine rebuild kit with the pistons you want. Ask here and get 100 cam recommendations

 

[WileE]

Ask here and get 100 cam recommendations

99.
post before already did so.

 

[Jerry Hall]

I think you need to know more about what's going to be done to the block and the machine shops recommendations. I would shoot for a compression ratio of 10-10.2 to 1 with good forged pistons. You stated 4-speed so unless you have power brakes the cam selection is wide open to the performance level you are seeking. I kept my cam selection to just slightly less than 500 lift so as not too on have to deal with valve train geometry, and also stayed with a hydraulic flat tapplet. I'm expecting a 60-70 hp increase over stock. The less you have to bore the block the better. My goal is a spirited driver, and stock appearing.

 

[68-500]

Personally I would get rid of the open chamber cylinder heads, if you want factory appearance get some 915’s. Second make sure you get pistons and block decked to zero. If after that you can build most anything you want on that. If you choose factory heads Id keep the valve lift around .500 and probably around 230* duration @.05.

 

[69 Sleeper Bee]

My machine shop asked me what I was looking for in performance which was a lot like @Jerry Hall above and he ordered everything for me. He got my compression at 9.8-1 to run comfortably on 93 octane. The cam is a .484 lift with stock valve train. I had a set of 915 heads that he refurbished with new valves and hardened seats.

 

[matthon]

I did 440 Source Stealth aluminum heads with a tunnel ram on a 383, 4 speed car.
Extremely drivable, drive it all the time, mounds of torque for reasonable $.

 

[DynaBro]

I'm not abandoning these heads. They've already got $1500 worth of work into them alone and I got them for $500. There's nothing 915s can do that can make up a difference like that. Even though I do want to retain a stock look. As far as the rest of it goes I'm not overly picky. I do need to source a crankshaft for starters.

 

[Runcharger]

If you need a crankshaft I would bite the bullet and buy a 440 source stroker kit.

 

[68-500]

I understand wanting to keep those heads. In that case I would then buy pistons with quench pads and do the my homework to get .040 quench distance. No quench is opening the door to detention and pre-ignition.

 

[F4R/T]

Not trying to hijack your thread but I’m doing the same thing with my 383. What is the furthest you guys go on an overbore? I have mine at the machine shop and it’s already .040 and he wants it to go further for clean up. I told him to hold on as I wanted to see it myself. It had been rebuilt but he wants everything his way kinda thing. I don’t like the idea of going over too far he also wants to run my crank to .020 and says that’s fine. It’s basically same rebuild as you guys just a little spirited driving that’s it. I’d rather have a standard crank in it. My concern was the hardened surface of the crank- loosing it.

 

[DynaBro]

Not trying to hijack your thread but I’m doing the same thing with my 383. What is the furthest you guys go on an overbore? I have mine at the machine shop and it’s already .040 and he wants it to go further for clean up. I told him to hold on as I wanted to see it myself. It had been rebuilt but he wants everything his way kinda thing. I don’t like the idea of going over too far he also wants to run my crank to .020 and says that’s fine. It’s basically same rebuild as you guys just a little spirited driving that’s it. I’d rather have a standard crank in it. My concern was the hardened surface of the crank- loosing it.

And just leave it or sleeve it? Mine blew the center rod and was obviously rebuilt a couple times previously and has sleeves due to the lower section of the cylinder wall pieces having cracked off. My guy had a whole building full of stuff from our era including HEMIs and a few Boss 429 motors that were in awful shape he was in the process of rebuilding and said it was no problem. There are modern sleeve options that install differently than the old ones.

 

[68-500]

Street car I wouldn’t think twice about .060 overbore and .020 under crankshaft. Nitrous or boosted or boosted would change my thinking.

 

[BSB67]

What’s your budget?

 

[DynaBro]

What’s your budget?

I don't want to get into insane territory for a 383, that's for sure. If it goes over 10K I'll be unhappy.

 

[451Mopar]

Off the shelf piston selection is pretty small for stock stroke, 0.030" over bore.
The KB400 Domed pistons are about the only off the shelf option if you want decent compression with the 906 heads.
If I recall from my 383, zero decked flat top pistons, and milled 906 heads the compression was still way less than 10:1
I would use a Hughes Engines cam.
If you go the flat top piston route KB162 pistons have valve reliefs (Don't use the speed-pro L2315 pistons, unless you plan to use a really small cam because they don't have valve reliefs.) The flat tops would likely be in the 9ish:1 compression ratio range, if doing something mild, but sounds like you have a bit invested in the heads and looking for more power that is why I mentioned the KB400 pistons.
I would guess you plan to run some gear and a higher stall torque converter, if so then something like the HUG SEH3236BL-10 cam would be a decent choice for a street car. Just a guess at this point, making too many assumptions about how you plan to build and use the engine?
You could go larger if you plan to do more racing. Or maybe a bit smaller if you need mor low end torque (lower stall/less gear). With the domed pistons, don't want too small of a cam as it might ping on pump gas.
If you plan on a mild build with a small duration cam, then the flat top pistons would be a good choice.

 

[66fs]

Yo

And just leave it or sleeve it? Mine blew the center rod and was obviously rebuilt a couple times previously and has sleeves due to the lower section of the cylinder wall pieces having cracked off. My guy had a whole building full of stuff from our era including HEMIs and a few Boss 429 motors that were in awful shape he was in the process of rebuilding and said it was no problem. There are modern sleeve options that install differently than the old ones.

You might want to find a better engine to start with. If you were closer, it would not be a problem getting a standard bore block. A .020 cut on the crank is no big deal, I do not think they were hardened from the factory. You might want to post A "wanted ad" for a big block near you.