Who has used a 440 crank in a 383 block?

[Kern Dog]

.7854. Your formula is slightly off. (Well, it is in the first time, anyway)
But I agree. 433 and change.

I had the numbers typed in wrong. I have always used .7854.

 

[PROSTOCKTOM]

I use this formula: Bore squared x Stroke x Pi x 2 and this will give you cubic inch to the exact decimal point.

Tom

 

[Lefty71]

Bore another 10 thou..... full circle back to a 440.

Minus a few pounds

 

[Bee1971]

383 - 440 Source Kit .030 Over = 432 CID

I built it myself years ago already

Pistons they gave me

 

[Kern Dog]

383 - 440 Source Kit .030 Over = 432 CID

I built it myself years ago already

Pistons they gave me

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Nice....Is that a Barracuda?
What are the specifics of the rest of the engine build?

 

[MarkLevi]

Bore squared x Stroke x Pi x 2 and this will give you cubic inch to the exact decimal point.

This isn't exact, and it is only close for an 8 cylinder - nothing else.
Cylindrical volume is πr²*H (H=height=stroke) for one cylinder - then multiply that by cylinder-count.
If you don't know Pi (and your calculator lacks the function), the number is a fraction: 22/7 = 3.142.... (approximating an irrational non-repeating decimal)
For this exercise; Bore radius '2.125' squared * Pi * 3.75 = ~53.22ci per cyl.; times 8 = 425.64ci

 

[Bee1971]

Nice....Is that a Barracuda?
What are the specifics of the rest of the engine build?

If I remember correctly - Pistons where about .023 in the hole

Used there chamfered B engine full groove main bearings

ARP Bolts internally

Edelbrock E Street Heads 5090 - 75cc

Fel Pro .039 Perma Torque Head Gaskets

10.5 to 1 - 195 PSI Cranking on all eight

Comp XE - 275HL Cam Lifters

16 - 18 - 34 Total Timing

Edelbrock AVS 2 800 CFM

Have to run 93 Octane 10% Ethanol here in WI

Numbers Matching Block , hence at the time probably why I decided to keep it low key at 432

Thought really hard about the 496 kit

Almost said screw it all together after waiting over six months for the machine work on the block to get done - 440 Source Kit obviously was delivered already

Was going to buy another completed motor at the time , honestly looking back I wished I would of

 

[Kern Dog]

That is great! Thanks for responding. That is a great looking car. I saw the ridges at the edges of the fenders and thought Barracuda.

 

[Bee1971]

For B Bodies Only

LOL

 

[HawkRod]

Rod to stroke ratio was mentioned but not really discussed.

As soon as you get into stroker engines, you should be concerned about the rod to stroke ratio. A general rule is you need to be at 1.5 or higher. So for example a 4" stroke should have a minimum of a 6" rod. This ratio affects piston speed and the angle of the connecting rods, plus more.

In any engine, obviously the depth of the bore is fixed. So as you increase the stroke, and in turn increase the rod length, the only way to fit it in is to shorten the piston. This is why you see short little pistons in many stroker engines, including where the wrist pin moves up into the oil control rings necessitating support rails.

 

[33 IMP]

In the late 80's before crank, rod and piston kits were available an old guy used a 440 crank in a 400 block. He used a big block Chevy rod and a Ford piston. I'm not sure
on all the specs and part numbers but at that time the crank was trick. Machined to fit 400 mains and a Chevy rod journal. Another oddity was it was .045 over bore.

I saw it running in his car and it said it ran better than all of his other 440's.

He has since passed on and his grandson has everything but has no money or talent to make use of any of it.

Personally I had a 383 that has standard bore 72 low compression 440 pistons in it with a stock 375 hp cam and 906 heads. 335 hp 383 intake and exhaust manifolds.
It ran very very good for stock parts.

460 Ford flat top, .030 over would be a .048 overbore of a 400 Mopar. With a stock bbc rod, It would be almost .200 in the hole.
A 6.350 (200 long) bbc chevy rod would be .017 out of the hole, assuming a blueprinted deck, would work fine with an open chamber bbm head.
But then again, who knows what shenanigans were done by the crank grinder.
Offset grind for more stroke, and use standard bbc rods maybe?
Interesting build.
Edit: I thought about this some more. Maybe he used 429 (not boss) pistons. Same bore as a 460, shorter stroke, so more compression height to pistons, maybe not near as deep in the hole as 460s would be with a stock bbc rod. (Pin end of bbc rod would have to be bored/honed for bigger Ford piston pin).

 

[w.Hudson]

460 Ford flat top, .030 over would be a .048 overbore of a 400 Mopar. With a stock bbc rod, It would be almost .200 in the hole.
A 6.350 (200 long) bbc chevy rod would be .017 out of the hole, assuming a blueprinted deck, would work fine with an open chamber bbm head.
But then again, who knows what shenanigans were done by the crank grinder.
Offset grind for more stroke, and use standard bbc rods maybe?
Interesting build.

I'm fairly sure that he used a factory Chevy rod in it. I recall him talking about the larger 7/16 rod bolts for strength

I did reach out to a family member and offered to buy the car and motor but haven't heard anything back on it.

 

[RemCharger]

The cheapest easiest is still a 440 with some big Ole pistons , like a L2295 and the biggest port heads you can get. No need to become an at home novice engineer.

 

[dfrazz]

Frankly, if I was gonna stroke a 383, a 496 would be my choice. Other than that, I'd just leave it a 383.

This is what I have in my ‘68, plenty of tq down low.

 

[Kern Dog]

The cheapest easiest is still a 440 with some big Ole pistons , like a L2295 and the biggest port heads you can get. No need to become an at home novice engineer.

I'm not against that. I just stumbled upon this modified crank and thought if it were a simple deal, I'd pull the engine to swap cranks. I didn't know what it actually entailed.
Before the affordable longer stroke cranks became available, stuff like this was more popular from what I understand.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

I recently took in a load of parts including a couple of 383 engines and a 440 crankshaft that was supposedly cut down to fit a 383 block.
I'm not 100% clear on how this works. Are the main journal sizes different between the B and the RB series engines?
The longer stroke 440 crank is obviously used to add significant cubic inches due to the added stroke but which length rods are usually used?
I have a set of 440 rods and two sets of 383 rods. I'm guessing that the 440 rods are what people use.
Pistons are another question. They'd be the bore size of the cylinders but are the pin heights different?
I have a rebuilt 383 in a car with maybe 200 miles on the rebuild. It runs great but isn't all that fast.
It is probably a silly question but can a 440 crank actually be swapped into this 383 block without changing pistons?

Before you go any farther measure the modified crank you have, rods/mains and counterbalances. If the mains were cut observe what the fillet looks like... for higher hp builds a wider radius prevents cracks. We broke a 451 crank because the fillet was too sharp when they cut it.

A 440 cranks larger counterbalance usually rubs on the block. You can have the counterbalance turned down to B size(may be already) or take a grinder and make clearance in the block. Both methods work.

As far as rods/pistons I have not seen any 3.75 strokers that don't use 440 6.76 length rods? Some have a .990 pin some stock 1.094 mopar pin.

 

[Kern Dog]

Last week I used my cheap Harbor Freight press to push the pins out of 2 sets of stock pistons. I was surprised to feel how heavy the pins are in these engines. One piston had a pin so stiff, I bent the rod trying to press it out. I've seen my machinist heat up the little end of rods before pressing them in but what do you do for a piston and rod already together? I didn't care about saving these stock pistons. Some crumbled a bit at the skirts since i did a somewhat crude and uncaring method of removal.

 

[Geoff 2]

Folks should think about stroker engine combinations that outperform engines from the same company that have the same cu in. A Chrys 408 stroker v a Chrys 400; a 383 Chev; 347 Ford.
It's the rod/stroke ratio as I alluded to in my post & Hawk rod in post #30. It is also the reason for this warning.

 

[HawkRod]

Last week I used my cheap Harbor Freight press to push the pins out of 2 sets of stock pistons. I was surprised to feel how heavy the pins are in these engines. One piston had a pin so stiff, I bent the rod trying to press it out. I've seen my machinist heat up the little end of rods before pressing them in but what do you do for a piston and rod already together? I didn't care about saving these stock pistons. Some crumbled a bit at the skirts since i did a somewhat crude and uncaring method of removal.

Breaking pistons is common, but bending rods? It sounds like you are holding the rod, and you shouldn't touch the rod.
Lay the piston in press with the pin pointing up.
The bottom of the piston must be supported (ideally with a half round cradle that has a hole in it to allow the pin to come through). Better yet, a small piece of metal that just goes around the area of the piston where the pin comes out - this is the strongest area.
Then push the pin on the top side through the piston down and out of the rod.

 

[1KoolBee]

Or offset grind rods to BBC Journals and 3.91 stroke, use 6.700 BBC rods and diamond 51950 pistons for 451. Side clearance will be big unless you find rods (Manley 14279-disco’d) or crank (440 source) designed for this combo. Some people have done this with standard parts and side clearance apparently not an issue if you control rod bearing clearance.