350 or 383??

[chevychic]

Hey all,

My husband found his jeep (1992 Wrangler. White with black soft top, all stock but in great shape. $3500)
So my truck can finally be semi-retired. My neighbor has been hanging onto a 350 for me for when I'm ready to clear out my basement and have some room to start tearing into it. My plan is to build it up while I drive my truck, get it finished, then drop it into my truck. The 350 that's in my truck will get freshened up and dropped into the jeep. We're talking a long term plan here
So my question is, what is the best way to go with my money?
I'm really thinking of taking this 350 block and building it up to a 383. My dad has some heads that he'll give me if I can just get them down here. I don't know the specs, but they're supposedly very good, expensive heads. I've been pricing 383 kits and am not sure what a good price range is for the results I want. I want a lot of low-end torque with good power at higher rpms. I've been pricing out kits that deliver the best power between 1200 and 5200 rpms. The kit I ran across in summit racing is just short of $1800 add that to the machining cost, cam kit, intake manifold, new carb and all the other goodies I'm going to need (seal/gasket kits, vacuum lines, hoses, etc) and my cost for a build up is looking pretty spendy.

Would it be a better option just to refresh this block, keep it a 350 and get a better cam kit with manifold or would I eventually just wish that I had spent the money on the build up kit and go 383? On average, what am I looking at spending for a good 383 build up vs refreshing the 350 and going with a bigger cam?
Everything will be done by me, with the help of another board member as needed, except for the machining of the block of course.

This truck will eventually see some light hauling, nothing extreme though. I would still like to have reasonable gas mileage.

Any input, suggestions, links, opinions, etc are appreciated as always

[N2TRUX]

As the old saying goes "there is no replacement for displacement". While there is no doubt with the right cam/intake/heads you can make more than enough power with a 350, the 383 would be better for your application. Since you are looking for torque that is going to be the "best" way to go as a rule.

On the other hand you seem concerened with what it will cost. If funds are a bit short you can get the most bang for your buck with a 350 build up.

If your budget would allow it, this would get my vote...
GM Performance Parts ZZ383 Crate Engine
Horsepower: 425 @ 5400 RPM
Torque: 460 lb-ft @ 4500 RPM
Cylinder Heads: Aluminum Fast Burn 62cc chamber, 210cc intake runners
Camshaft: hydraulic roller, 222°/230° @ .050'', .509''/.528'' lift, 112° centerlobe

[79BIG10]

Ken took my idea. Crate is the way to go. A warranty, guranteed performance and easy to drop in and no worry about bad block, unexpected costs etc. I love my crate and would do it again.

[AirMale]

From what I've seen that you have done on your own, you seem like a do it yourself person. Get a balanced rotating assembly for that 350 and build it yourself. I've seen some great deals on balanced 383 kits at www.ohiocrank.com I got my 548cu. shortblock from them and it's freakin awesome!

[1FaastC10]

the convenience of a crate motor is a great thing, however the ZZ383 is not what she's looking for. the HT383 might be a better choice for her. the ZZ is upper rpm oriented with its 210cc heads and higher power band. personally, i think a 9:1 383 with a set of Vortec heads would fit the bill nicely. actuate the valves with an XE262, and you're looking at a little over 400 ft/lb all the way up to 3500-4000, right where it needs to be. 325 ponies may not sound like much, but it will definitely get the job done. with that much torque, decent milage shouldnt be much of a problem. and the low compression will allow you to run the cheap stuff without problems.

[chevychic]

I'm actually not all that concerned with cost. I'm really just trying to get an idea so I can figure out a monthly budget to put towards this which will then tell me when I can expect to be done.

$1800 just seemed high for a .383 balanced kit when I first started looking at the Summit catalog.

Airmale's right, I would prefer to do it myself. But if I can get a Crate at the same price as doing it myself, I would go with the warranty and be done.

[Tom]

Too make a 383 all you need is a $200 scat 9000 series cast crank [good for 500hp and at least 6000rpm] and some 383 pistons [can be had cheap, my forged 11:1 coated flat tops cost me like $350 though] and you have a 383. You don't need speacial stroker rods, but you will need to check and make sure the cam dosen't hit the rod bolts or else you'll need to grind them down, so do that before you balance the assembly. NEVER buy a balanced rotating set, have it done on your own to make sure its good. The rest of the motor is standerd 350 stuff [minus the flywheel/flexplate and balancer which are 400 pieces]

I built the bottem end of my 388 with the scat crank, stock 5.7 rods with ARP bolts, forged pistons and the best bearings and gaskets I can get for about $1000 including the machine work, and I have no issues with slamming 6500rpm and 500hp outa it.

[SanitysBane]

hotrod did a build up the ht383 i think, that made 500 ft. lbs, heres the link http://hotrod.com/techarticles/66278/ thats what i would do personally, cause you can add it as you go,

[plumbcut]

I agree with Tom. For a truck engine you dont need the most expensive forged crank, pistons, etc... build a strong bottom end (any year 350 block (2 bolt) and a cast iron crank, and even stock GM rods) with complete machining and balancing, and whatever pistons you choose (hyper's IMHO) and then put the extra money into the heads and intake and ignition. That puppy will scream, even in a 5K pound truck. Get the bottom end figured out, then figure out what heads you can afford and which ones you want, then choose your cam.. some roller rockers, MSD ignition, hell- go with a roller cam too if you can afford it, and you'll have a STRONG motor thats reliable as anything you can buy. If you dont go too crazy with the cam (why would you-- its a truck.) you'll get decent gas mileage if you can keep your foot off the skinny pedal (easier said than done)...

with your tranny (OD) and tire size, you'll be turning some real low RPMS so you wanna build that sucker strong on the bottom end of the power band. the rest will work itself out. oh- dont rule out the ol' 400" small block either! Keep your eyes open and sometimes a stock longblock will pop up here and there.. THAT would be my personal choice, before a 350 or 383. Dont listen to the 400 nay-sayers.

plumbcut

[Prerunner1982]

uh oh Heather is your hubby trying to catch up to you now and get a real vehicle? Dont let him build that Jeep up and outperform you truck. Good luck with the 383 build up. Sorry I am no help. I havent reached that point yet...

[stan79chevy]

thats where ive been buying alot of stuff. usually a little cheaper than summit or jegs

www.northernautoparts.com

stan

[1FaastC10]

Originally Posted by plumbcut

Get the bottom end figured out, then figure out what heads you can afford and which ones you want, then choose your cam..

bad idea, start building with the cam. find one that suits your rpm range, and build around it. doing so will allow you get an idea of where detonation occurs, without actually having the engine detonate.

[plumbcut]

building a truck engine is not rocket science. There is a fairly limited list of cam specs that one would want for the type of engine she wants to build. With the possible exception of the pistons, you can get the bottom wrapped up at any point. this isnt dirt track or 1/4 mile race engine building- its a mild mannered small block truck motor. I will go a step further and say- you almost CANT go wrong with whatever parts you throw into this engine.. ive seen some real redneck hack jobs that really pull. SBC's arent the most popular engine amongst hobbiests, and there werent 50 zillion of them made for no reason...

pc

SBC = LIFE

[Tom]

Originally Posted by 1FaastC10

bad idea, start building with the cam. find one that suits your rpm range, and build around it. doing so will allow you get an idea of where detonation occurs, without actually having the engine detonate.

I disagree. Get the heads you want, then choose a cam that best fits the heads intake/exaust flow ratio and flow rates at given lifts. I did like your suggesting with my 388 build, and now I have to order a custom ground cam to match up correctly.