383 stroker

[zibs71]

I'm thinking of going the 383 stroker route. Right now I have a 350 4 bolt main. Can anyone point me in the right direction as to what I all need to do this.


zibs71

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by zibs71

I'm thinking of going the 383 stroker route. Right now I have a 350 4 bolt main. Can anyone point me in the right direction as to what I all need to do this.


zibs71

Start by reading this:

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/pro...y-stroker-kit/

[zibs71]

Ty fitz I just read that b4 I posted lol


zibs71

[GASoline71]

First and foremost... if you're going to use your 350 block, make sure you have a good reputable machine shop that has the ability to clearance the block for the longer stroke crank and rods. Don't just go with any machinist... do your homework.

Might even be beneficial to get a long block already clearanced and reay to go from somewhere like Summit Racing.

Gary

[JustLiveIt]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

First and foremost... if you're going to use your 350 block, make sure you have a good reputable machine shop that has the ability to clearance the block for the longer stroke crank and rods. Don't just go with any machinist... do your homework.

Might even be beneficial to get a long block already clearanced and reay to go from somewhere like Summit Racing.

Gary

I agree with GASoline71. My block had a moderate core shift and clearancing the block had to be done very carefully. In the end we also spot faced the rods a tiny tiny bit and machined the rod bolt heads down a tiny bit to get the clearance in the bad areas. Every little bit counts! But you need someone who knows what they are doing. We measured everything twice, checked and re-checked the cam timing, bore to piston clearance, bearing clearances etc. It seemed like overkill at the time but the engine fired on the first crank and (knock on wood) has run great for the first 500 miles! I love my 383 and am glad i went that route.

Machining the block and assembling the bottom end is where we spent a lot of time. A long block assembled for a 383 application will save you a lot of time and probably money too! This route still allows you to pick the heads, intake, and other cool stuff.

[Cercious]

I haven't done it yet, but stroking my 350 in my truck is one of the things I'm planning on doing sometime in the next year or two. So far what I've found is the most important thing is the clearance. I think cam clearance is an issue, too, if what I've read is right. The question I have is, is there a place I can buy a block with clearance already done, but without the rotating assembly? I'd actually like to build everything myself, personally, and buying a long block kind of robs me of that. Would also be good to be able to have my original block/rotating assembly as backup in case something goes wrong.

[snipescastle2]

Hi!
I just looked into a kit Northern Autoparts has a deal right now for a 383 stroker rotating assembly, Scat 9000 series crank (cast I believe) scat 6.0 Chevy rods (Cap screw Rods are a $24.00 option) and cnc'd Hypereutectic pistons,rings and bearings all for $822.00.....shipping to Missouri was quoted an extra $45......

I doubt you can beat that price, but worth checking into....
Ben

http://www.northernautoparts.com/part/ek-ek1803c

[snipescastle2]

Originally Posted by Cercious

I haven't done it yet, but stroking my 350 in my truck is one of the things I'm planning on doing sometime in the next year or two. So far what I've found is the most important thing is the clearance. I think cam clearance is an issue, too, if what I've read is right. The question I have is, is there a place I can buy a block with clearance already done, but without the rotating assembly? I'd actually like to build everything myself, personally, and buying a long block kind of robs me of that. Would also be good to be able to have my original block/rotating assembly as backup in case something goes wrong.

Competition products has blocks already machined, here is a link:

http://www.competitionproducts.com/F.../products/657/

p.s. you can get most of the machine work done and balanced at a good machine shop for what these guys are asking for the bare block......
Enjoy!
Ben

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by zibs71

Ty fitz I just read that b4 I posted lol


zibs71

So now you're an expert! Seriously, there are lots of machine shops out there with operators that can't chuck up a drill bit without messing things up. Ask around, join a club, get into the pits at the drags anyplace where you can get some knowledge about engine shops and engine builders near you. Almost any fool can slap an engine together and get it to start. The real trick is getting it to stay alive for 50,000 miles. I live in Tucson, AZ and the nearest machine shop I trust is in Anaheim California, 500 miles away. Go Figure.

[mrein3]

FWIW, I built a 383 in 2004. I still use it today. My truck is NOT a daily driver but I do plow in the winter and pull a 3200 or so pound bass boat around in the summer. Back in 2004 they were just coming up with low priced kits that were complete rotating assemblies. I had previously worked with an old school machine shop/engine builder guy that worked for cash out of his house. He had a used 400 crank that he didn't need and I had an itch to replace the cam eating 350 in my pickup after replacing the cam for the 3rd time in the 10 years I had owned it. Like snipescastle2 is talking about, if you know a local, competent machine shop, you'll come out way cheaper. I keep a text file with what I paid in a folder with pictures of my build. I wanted to assemble it myself but something got in the way and this old school guy I was working with was happy to put the bottom end together for me for $75.

I've posted this break down before. And remember, this was 2004 but that was before the economy went to heck so maybe this isn't too far out of whack with what it would cost today...

383 related parts & labor:
Crankshaft...................................200
400 Balancer (used).........................30
Balance job ..................................200
Cut con rods for cam clearance .........20
400 flywheel...................................30
clearance block for con rod clearance..15

ARP con rod bolts ............................38
Oil pump drive...................................8
Oil pump sump...................................9
Performance engine Kit: Sealed power moly rings,
Fel pro gaskets, con rod bearings, main bearings,
cam bearings, block plugs, 383 pistons, three piece
timing set, oil pump ........................317
R&R block plugs ...............................10
degrease block ................................35
deck block ......................................50
bore & deck-plate hone cyl(s).............80
deck-plate charge............................10
Remove, install, & fit cam bearings.......25
Recon con rods ...............................80
Pin fit new pistons............................28
Assemble short block ........................75
Sales tax ........................................26.13
Total ===>.................................$1286.13

The guy had to charge me sales tax on the parts like the timing set. I used "383 pistons" that allowed me to use my 350 rods. The wrist pin is higher up in the piston to allow for the longer stroke.

And don't get too wrapped up in needing a 4-bolt main block. I used a 2-bolt main block out of a 1971 Monte Carlo that I loved but MN salty roads got the better of. If you really want a 4-bolt block, I got a bare one I'll never use that I would let go for $50 if you pick it up.

And since EVERYBODY likes pictures and since I have the folder open, how about a before an after from 2004...

[SWFlyer]

Originally Posted by Fitz

I live in Tucson, AZ and the nearest machine shop I trust is in Anaheim California, 500 miles away. Go Figure.

Just for future reference can you pass on the name of the shop in Anaheim? I am in Brea, CA.

BTW, this is my first post!

[piecesparts]

I am presently on my third stroker engine in my fun truck. The first was put together by what all of th elocals said was the "BEST" kid to buiild a stroker engine, since he built a lot of Roundy Round track cars. That went very well (Bullsh4t), that kid was more interested in making some bucks and not investing it in the customers project. He purchased some off-the-wall parts form the paper flyers tha all of the machine shops get and put in lower grade roller rockers, and other parts. After 15,000 miles that enigne was showing signs of geredation. I then went to my next machine shop and through him we have now built a couple engines. Engine #2 was destroyed when I broke a rod on #3 cylinder, so the thought process we used on selecting rods was not the best. Engine #3 will take some more heartier abuse until it fails. I did H beam rods, forged crank and then used my upper end parts from the #2 engine build, which was Comp Cams rolloer cam and Magnum roller rockers. I like my storker engine for the power that it can develop, but when you build, do it right the first time and watch the quality of parts used.

[Big Kev-O]

Thinking about strokin it too. Bookmarked.

[bwright]

I bought my parts from here: http://www.skipwhiteperformance.com/...roduct=T&Sub=B

Products were good, service was ok.

[Cercious]

Originally Posted by snipescastle2

Competition products has blocks already machined, here is a link:

http://www.competitionproducts.com/F.../products/657/

p.s. you can get most of the machine work done and balanced at a good machine shop for what these guys are asking for the bare block......
Enjoy!
Ben

Thanks for the link... that's a bit more expensive than I would be wanting. I've been looking around for something that would be more around what I'd spend machining my current block... highly doubt that will happen, though. I've still got a couple years before I do this to my truck, so I'm going to spend that time talking to shops in the area to find one that I think I can trust. If someone in the DFW area has a shop they could recommend, that would be awesome, too.

[snipescastle2]

I hear you. it costs about $20 a hole for boring/honing, they will need your pistons to fit each cylinder while they are performing that step of machine work. boiling/thermal cleaning of your block, followed by shot blasting and magnafluxing (checking for cracks) should be about $75.00 more. then depending on whether you get the block align bored (good idea to do this anyway) that's about $80.00 more. balancing should run about 150.00 to $200.00 depending on the shop. then installing cam bearings,etc.... probably $700.00 in machine work. the Northern auto parts kits is a pretty good value.
Have a good one!
Ben

[my67c20]

Buy a new block that will accept roller lifters. While it might be nice today, guarantee that in the future if you want just a bit more power, you be wishing you had.

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by my67c20

Buy a new block that will accept roller lifters. While it might be nice today, guarantee that in the future if you want just a bit more power, you be wishing you had.

I totally agree with this. I will never rebuild a V8 again that isn't already set up for rollers or just have the block I'm using machined to accept them.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by SWFlyer

Just for future reference can you pass on the name of the shop in Anaheim? I am in Brea, CA.

BTW, this is my first post!

What a coincidence. I used to live in Diamond Bar. My cousin still lives in Yorba Linda.

Orange Engine Rebuilding.
1911 E Ball Rd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
(714)635-4030

Same location since 1971. They rebuilt the engine in my '63 splitwindow in 1976. Still running! Welcome to the board!

[69Rumbler]

^^ wow ...

[GASoline71]

Summit also sells 4 bolt main, 350 roller blocks, a;lready clearanced for 400 cranks. Again another option.

Gary