Enlighten me ye gurus…please

[bcOH67]

Thinking about pulling my engine in the next year or so so trying to get a game plan together. Keep in mind, I know next to nothing about engines and moding them.

I have a 67 charger with a 400 (?) currently. It is the 383 with 727 but the guy I bought it from says it was ‘stepped up a cam’ and called it a 400. It has headers, what kind…I have no idea. Holley 570. Edelbrock torker intake, heads have been ported. Just listing what he said it had.

So I guess my question is should I invest time in rebuilding this thing or buy a crate/new engine like a 440

Daily driver, pump gas, sounds BA, typical 500hp desire.

I know there’s a whole lot of personal preference and options, but I’m just looking for some guidance and do’s/dont’s

Thanks for any help!

 

[Curiousyellow71]

First try to identify what you have. A 383 or 400 should be stamped by the distributor on the pad shared with the head surface. Next figure out a budget.
Might start by buying a performance converter like Dynamic, FTI or PTC. You would be surprised how the proper convertor can wake up your car. It also is a lesser thing to tackle, if your lacking experience.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Nothing wrong with a 383 or a 400. The 440 would be an option. It takes a bit of work to get 500hp out of a 383 unless you use power adders....

This is a video of Nicks garage testing a 6 pack stroked 383... 426 ci 425hp nearly 500 foot pounds of torque.

A 4barrel 383 in 1969 made 335HP with HP manifolds you are asking for 165 hp gain.. Or a 170 HP gain for the 330 hp. Also the 400s were 255 Hp. They were smog era engines and were kicked in the nuts with lower compression than the older 383 which ended in 1971 year models and was replaced with the 400 for 1972.

But in reality you are doing good if you get 1 hp per cubic inch. So 383 HP for a 383 CI engine would be a decent gain.

 

[bcOH67]

Thanks guys! I just know it it the original 383, but they bored it and put a bigger cam.

Also should mention would love to convert to one of the tremec 5 speeds while I’m at it.

Money isn’t really an issue, just want to be smart and not waste it

 

[Curiousyellow71]

With money not a issue buy a stroker kit and find a machine shop that can help get it done.

 

[moparedtn]

Thanks guys! I just know it it the original 383, but they bored it and put a bigger cam.

Also should mention would love to convert to one of the tremec 5 speeds while I’m at it.

Money isn’t really an issue, just want to be smart and not waste it

Original engine is a PLUS. Let's get that out there first.
Is there something you don't like about how it runs now that makes you want to mess with it?

 

[BeepBeepRR]

If money is not an option.. Buy the 440 and keep the 383 as is. It will help the value of the car if you have the original drive train. But meanwhile you can have the fun with the 440.

 

[Dajkzo]

If it's the numbers matching 383, store it on an engine stand and have fun building whatever pleases you. A 440 block with a stroker kit and decent aftermarket heads will easily get you 500+ hp.

 

[bcOH67]

Mainly want to at least pull and rebuild because I feel like something’s not right with it. I don’t know who did the work or if they did a good job, but just don’t have confidence in it. Again, I don’t know why exactly, but just driving it and hearing it seems something’s off. And a fresh paint job won’t hurt

It also doesn’t have the grin factor I’m looking for and dumb as it sounds- it doesn’t sound as good as I imagine it should. Instead of sounding like an mopar monster haha, it sounds like an old car with a big engine. If that makes sense. And with what they said is in it, i fee it should at least sound decent.

What would be the benefit of a stroker vs just changing for a 440 for example?

 

[bcOH67]

Yeah I figure most people have their preferences and there’s more than one way to do it. Just want to make sure I don’t do anything stupid. Or have to do any kind of crazy mods to the chassis to make things work.

 

[moparedtn]

If that's the case, I agree with some of the others - pull that original engine and stash it away,
then go fetch a 440 and have at it.

 

[sam dupont]

Go with the five speed and a 410 rear, that'll give you the grin you're looking for and let you travel at about 3,000 rpms on the interstate

 

[Runner 68]

Personally I'm a fan of the low deck B motors. Great stroker blocks. The 400 is better than the 383 to stroke. The 400 has the biggest stock bore of any big block Mopar. Hard to find a virgin 400 these days. I just sold one for $1,200. Complete motor never touched. Funny, we used to throw them away back in the day.
500 inch from a 400 in my current build. 850 Carb, Trick Flow heads and intake, nice VooDoo cam, solid flat tappits, 620HP-700 pounds of torque on pump gas. Rev monster too.
There are many advantages of a low deck over the 440.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Personally I'm a fan of the low deck B motors. Great stroker blocks. The 400 is better than the 383 to stroke. Hard to find a virgin 400 these days. I just sold one for $1,200. Complete motor never touched. Funny, we used to throw them away back in the day.
500 inch from a 400 in my current build. 850 Carb, Trick Flow heads and intake, nice VooDoo cam, solid flat tappits, 620HP-700 pounds of torque on pump gas. Rev monster too.
There are many advantages of a low deck over the 440.

Yup, find a 400 & stroke it.... Low decks are stronger than tall decks... On a 67 there are no numbers matching... Only date codes....

Honestly, I'd check compression on all eight & see what the numbers say... If the numbers are good, leave the engine alone for now... Instead do the Tremec 5 spd & 3.91's or 4.10's with a Sure Grip...

That will give you a lot of smiles & if you find it's not enough then put together a 400 stroked to 500 & you'll be down for a weekend while swapping the engine...

 

[Geoff 2]

Since the 383 comes with ported heads & Torker intake, best bang for the buck is to get a 440 stroker kit [ 438 actually with a 383 +060 block]. Yes, the 400 block has a slightly bigger bore, but the seat-of-the-pants would not notice the difference between a 383 +060 & a 400 block used as a basis for a stroker.
Going to the wider 440 makes for a tighter fit in the engine bay, plus the Torker 383 intake does not fit the 440.

There is also another important benefit that the 383 block has over the 440: the rod/stroke ratio. Chrys 383-440 have the largest r/s ratio of all the popular BB engines. Great for high rpms, not so good for low end. By using a stroker crank in a 383, you reduce the r/s ratio for better low end, all else being equal. The Chargers are heavy cars & need all the low end they can get.

 

[moparedtn]

We do love helping other people spend their money, eh?

 

[hunt2elk]

I am a huge fan of the stroked 400 blocks. Very easy to make decent power with a kit from 440 Source. The blocks are stronger than a 440, plus the biggest advantage to me is that they are smaller. Makes hood clearance issues a non factor as well.

 

[vance.dykes]

Thinking about pulling my engine in the next year or so so trying to get a game plan together. Keep in mind, I know next to nothing about engines and moding them.

I have a 67 charger with a 400 (?) currently. It is the 383 with 727 but the guy I bought it from says it was ‘stepped up a cam’ and called it a 400. It has headers, what kind…I have no idea. Holley 570. Edelbrock torker intake, heads have been ported. Just listing what he said it had.

So I guess my question is should I invest time in rebuilding this thing or buy a crate/new engine like a 440

Daily driver, pump gas, sounds BA, typical 500hp desire.

I know there’s a whole lot of personal preference and options, but I’m just looking for some guidance and do’s/dont’s

Thanks for any help!

get a service manual and read it then read it again so you will know what you are asking.

 

[bcOH67]

I have a fsm and have read through it. I must have skipped over the section where it talks about pros and cons of rebuilding your current engine vs replacing it for various reasons. I’ll check it out again, thanks!

 

[vance.dykes]

I have a fsm and have read through it. I must have skipped over the section where it talks about pros and cons of rebuilding your current engine vs replacing it for various reasons. I’ll check it out again, thanks!

depending on what the engine you have and what it will need to rebuild you take the specks and see what you have then see what you want to do then look at the the coast and then get it done. if you want more info on witch engine you want get the mopar engine book then the list of parts to do what you want then the money will tell what you can afford is the pro or con only you know what you want.