Hey guys, I'm sort of new with the engine building scene. I'm looking to build a 383 stroker small block for my '66 Chevelle. Can any of you guys stir up a few recipes for me that might dip me into the low 12's or high 11's?

The car has a 4.11 Gear with Auburn Posi, and a TH350 with Shift kit and 2800 stall convertor as of now. Right now with the bench seat, iron head small block (283) the car weighs in at 3440# with me in it (165 lbs). I would like to keep it mildy streetable, wouldnt have to drive it to the track but would love that option (45 minutes away). As long as I can get around town, I'd be happy.

I would like the car to have aluminum heads (as to which brand, I'm unsure of?) I would like a nice forged crank, forged rods, and a nice set of pistons. I'm looking to get around 10.5 compression. Want to pump gas it. Anyone have any suggestions? I would like to keep the build up around 4 G's. Is it possible?

Thanks,
Joe Phillips
(Sorry for the book)

Anyone? Cam, heads, intake, carb, crank, pistons and rods?

BUMP

check out wheeler performance out of Florida. they have decent assembled shortblocks in 383,388.. etc... Check out AFR or Edelbrock cylinder heads, good stuff..is this going to be primarily a street driven car?

Hi Westy,

Yes this car will mostly be street driven, but not alot of highway use. As I live pretty far out in the country.

You might want to see what Brian (Motor Martyr) has for a shortblock (His complete drivetrain combo powers his Camaro into the 11s, but he uses Iron heads), or email Norman (Marooned) for his 10sec "ratkiller" combo, same goes for Sheetmetal.

Email these guys, they've got great running stroker small blocks. Check out what they did to get where they are (make sure to ask about the rest of the drivetrain, the engine can't do the whole job alone) and if they're faster than you want to go, ask if they've had a slower version of the combo or just tame down their combo in some way.

Hope you figure this out, if you get it to run 12s, tell me how you got it there. I want to power mine into the 13s with a stroker.

Eric 68 has a 383 combo that has ran 11.30's @ 121mph, thats with 3.55 gears and at 121mph i see 10's in his future, hes talked about how if he went to a 4.11 hed probably go even deeper but he wants it to be semi street friendly. Hes a good guy to talk to and gives alot of detailed advice and reasoning behind it. Hed be my choice to talk with.
Motor Martyr has a good pump gas 383 iron head combo if your looking to save a couple hundred bucks.

Thanks guys, I wish Marooned and Martyr would chime in on the thread, because my email is a little screwed at the moment.

Anyway we can get them guys in here? Along with Eric68, I would love to hear all of your combo's so I can make a choice on how to get the car into the 11's.

Thanks,
Joe Phillips

get the best heads you can afford. thats where your power will be. Dave

at that weight it should be fairly easy to get low 12's even with a hydraulic cam and a dual plane intake. as mentioned already, invest in the cylinder heads, that's where the power is. AFR 195's would be my first choice for aluminum. my best friend is running 11.90's with this set up: 10.5 to 1 383, cast crank, 350rods, cast pistons, CC XE284 hydraulic flat tappet cam, rpm air gap intake, Dart Pro 1 230cc (way too big, we thought), 750dp, th350 3500stall, 3.73 gears, Hooker 1 3/4" S/C's and 3" exhaust with Dynomax Hemi turbo mufflers. it made 365hp at the rear wheels. his best is like 11.91@112 i believe. 10.81 on 150hp nitrous. car weighs 3450lbs. nothing special or trick about it, and pretty cheap to build.

Well guys, I've looked at some options and tell me what you guys think about this mill.

-Eagle 4340 Crank, 3.750 stroke
-Eagle I beam rods, 5.700 legnth
-Keith Black Hypereutectic pistons, 4.030 bore with a .100" dome, 2 valve reliefs. Jegs says that these pistons make 12.9:1 with a 58 CC head.
-ARP Fasteners


-AFR195 68 CC Heads (Can anyone help me calculate the compression ratio with the pistons I have selected and the 68 CC heads?)
-(Read further for cam troubles!)


-I'm still looking for main caps, but I have heard a little about the Milodon Caps and would love to hear anything else from you guys, if you have any suggestions for caps.
-I would also like to hear your guys opinions on bearings I should use for this motor.
-Also looking for a nice balancer. The block I was told is an "early 70's camaro high nickel block".
-I would like to try a nice solid cam. What would be the style of lift for my application? Solid roller? Crane, Comp cams, Lunati... etc.? Is it not a good idea to run a Dual plane intake with a solid cam?
-Would it be alright to run a mechanical style Fuel pump on this motor? (If not using nitrous)Or should would it really be a good idea to go electrical?

I'm going to keep the Edelbrock Dual Plane Intake that I have. (EPS intake)
I am thinking about the Holley 750 DP carb.
I will have a MSD Pro Billet distributor on the car with vacuum advance.
MSD 7al Box along with blaster coil.

The car will have no powersteering and no power brakes.

Hit me with your suggestions!

Thanks,
Joe Phillips

Those pistons would give you about 11.3CR with 68cc chambers.

bump, Marooned, MartyR, Eric68, are you guys out there?

I guess I've decided to go with the 74cc heads to help lower my compression for pump gas. Slowpoke, can you re calculate throwing in the 74cc heads instead of the 68's?

Thanks,
Joe Phillips

Link posted

(EDIT)

That's what I was looking for, thanks RM!

Looks like I'm going to be going solid roller, if I can follow his ways and make it last on the street!

Thanks,
Joe Phillips

If I could start all over again, I would just go the crate motor route. I just gathered all my parts over the period of about a year and a half then took it all to a reputable machine shop for assembly. For what I paid in parts and labor for my motor I could have had a dyno tuned, turn-key 450 h.p. stroker motor like this one (http://www.speedomotive.com/450%20H.P.%20SBC%20STREET%20WARRIOR.htm)

Originally posted by Jp-15:
That's what I was looking for, thanks RM!
No problem! ;)

JP,
I wouldnt use a solid roller in your combo unless this motor your building is going into a dedicated street/strip ride used strictly to drive to the track, race, then drive home, in other words, a minimal of street use.

My combo is:

Brian’s Stroker "Street" Small Block

350 +.040" 4 bolt block 3.75” Stroke crank= 385ci
-SRP Forged Pistons #138094 with Plasma Moly file fit rings
-9.8:1 CR
-350 block “0” deck, Blueprinted
-Clevite 77 bearings
-Fel-Pro Gaskets
-Eagle Cask Crank 3.75" Stroke External balance
-Crower Sportsman 6” cap screw Rods ARP main studs
-Milodon louvered Windage tray
-GM Stock oil pan and pickup
-Melling Standard oil pump
-Cloyes true Roller timing set
-World Products Sportsman II 200cc intake port heads 72cc combustion chambers fitted with Race Flo 2.02/1.60 back-cut valves bowl blend
-Performer RPM intake manifold
-Holley 750 with Proform Main Body
-4 hole spacer 1/2” tall
-Holley carb Heat Shield
-Crower Cams #00321 (Ground on a 108LSA) Solid Flat tappet 242/248 Dur .050” .482/.504" valve lift Crane double Valve Springs #99893-16
-Rocker Arms- Crower Stainless Steel 1.5
-Comp One Piece .080” wall 5/16” Pushrods
-MSD Ready-to-run Pro Billet Blaster II chrome coil
-Headers- 1-5/8” primary 3” collector, 33” average primary tube length
Scavenger style collector
-3” head pipe/H style crossover Dynomax Oval UltraFlo mufflers, 3” dumps.
-Carter 172gph mechanical pump plumbed to 3/8" fuel line.
-Mobil 1 5W-30 oil, Ford F-type transmission fluid Coastal 75w-90 Gear oil
-Autolite AR-135 spark plugs
-TH-350 by STR, ATI 10” Treemaster Converter, 4.10 gears Cheetah shifter
-Summit Steel OEM style damper
-Koni Street Adjustable front shocks set full soft
-Moog 6314 springs (For 67-69 camaro applications)
16.44” …………………….free height
.601”………………………..wire dia.
289 lbs/in………………..rate
1744………………………..total load

Best ET 11.60 with a 1.61 60ft in a 3260lb 67’ Camaro

Martyr- You would suggest Solid flat tappet instead?

10.6ish CR with the 74cc heads.

I think you'd be better off with a flat top piston and the smaller combustion chamber than the domed piston and bigger chamber. Everything I've read emphasizes on staying away from domes on a small block unless absolutely necessary.

As far as KB goes you can get a 7cc FT piston that would yield 10.46CR with the 68cc head and .035 quench. This is a little lower than the 10.6CR but I've read that dome pistons impede flame travel, not sure if the .2CR can make up in compression what is lost due to poor flame travel?

Thanks for the kind words Nick . . . I keep it streetabble because I HAVE TO LOL -- I don't have a truck or trailer so I drive it back and forth from the track.

Here's my combo . . .

'72 350 truck block bored to 4.060, line honed and decked. (don't bore any further than you have to, 4.030" is actually better)
SRP flat top forged pistons, Hastings 1/16" moly rings. Make 11.3:1 with 64cc heads. 68 cc heads would drop compression down to 10.8:1 with a 4.060" bore or 10.7 with a 4.030" bore.
Eagle SIR 5.7" connecting rods, Clevite bearings set at .002"-.0025" clearance
Eagle cast 3.75" stroke crank. Extenally balanced
Heads are Trick Flow 23* heads with minor port work. Just a basic cleanup around the valve guides and bowl. Opened up slightly at the pushrod opening and slightly raised the roof of the port. AFR 195's or another head that flows 260I/190E cfm at .550" lift will work.
Combustion chambers are polished, my quench height is a tight .034" (pistons are .008" in the hole, using a .026" head gasket)
CV products oil pan (kicked out sump with internal windage tray and scraper)
Moroso blueprinted standard volume oil pump.
Cam is a custom Comp street roller. It is the XR286R street roller ground on a 108* LSA and installed at 104* ICL. The advertised duration is 286/292, duration @ .050 is 248/254*, .576/.582" gross lift with 1.5:1 rockers.
Comp Super roller lifters with High Pressure Pin Oiling (not the Endurex lifters). I have run these 2000+ street miles and so far so good. Crower Severe Duty or Isky Red Zone are a lot more expensive but are a safe choice.
Comp 977 springs set up at 1.850". Spring pressure is 155# on the seat 400# over the nose.
Comp solid bar stud girdle. Not necessarily needed but they help valvetrain stability some at high RPMs
Crane Energizer 1.5:1 roller rockers. Crane Gold would be a better choice but the Energizers are good to 500# spring pressure per Crane.
Edelbrock Victor Jr intake, 1" open spacer. Minor cleanup work in the plenum and match ported on the top and sides only.
Speed demon 750 carb. Stock jets. Ram Air box by Air Inlet Systems.
MSD ignition (stock HEI will work with a good advance curve and super coil) 34* total timing all in by 2600 RPM.
Hedman 1-3/4" headers, 3" out through X pipe, then cutouts, then 2-1/2" Flowmaster tail pipes with Dynomax Ultraflow mufflers. (have not run it with the X pipe or cutouts yet)
Coan 10" competition converter. Foot brakes to 3200 flashes higher
Rear gear is 8.2" 10 bolt with 3.73 gears and Eaton posi. A 4.11 and 8" converter would probably go faster but would be too much on the street for my tastes.
Home built TH350 transmission.
Hoosier QTP tires. 26.4" tall, 10" tread.
SSM lift bars in back, Caltracs or good slapper bars work well too.

The combo could be tamed down a bit by dropping the compression a point and using less cam. I used to run a Comp Magnum 282s and 10.3:1 compression which got me into the high 11's and was very street friendly.

JP15, i have a brand new set, never used, JE custom cut 8cc pistons for 5.7 rods with pins and locks i can part with for what a set of srp would cost. the C/R works out to 10.5 with a 0 deck height and a .039 gasket with 64cc heads. and a few other never used parts for a 383 i never used. Dave

Sheetmetal, you have mail.

JP,
yes i would suggest a Solid Flat tappet cam if this is going to see alot of street duty.

If you are looking for 12.0, or high 11's then you dont need a solid roller.

If you are looking for 11.00 and high 10's, then yes you might consider a solid roller, 8" ATI converter and 4.10 or 4.56 gears.

Depends on how much street duty vs. track time it will see.
How much do you plan to drive it on the street?

we have a 383 vette that runs 11.2-11.3 at 121+ mph with a race weight of 3375 with him in it and a 3.55 rear gear getting 20 mpg on the street through a full exhaust to boot

It will be seeing more street duty then track time, for sure. I'm not looking for a 10 second car. Just a respectable high 11, low 12. I'd be EXTREMELY happy with 11.90's. I already have the 4.11 gear. I will take your advice marty, and go with the solid flat tappet.

Alright here's what I've got so far. I need a little help on the cam selection, but I think I have the plans set up alright. Feel free to suggest on additions, or removals of any part at any time. Thanks!

-Eagle 3.750 stroke 4130 crank
-Eagle 5.700 SIR I beam Rods (Bushing style)(using the rod bolts from eagle)
-Keith Black .030 over Flat top 2 Valve pistons (bushing style pins) (11.7:1 with 58 CC dome)
-Milodon main caps
-Clevite Main bearings
-Milodon 7 qt Stroker oil pan
-Milodon High Volume Oil pump
-Cloyes Hex A-just Timing set

-Air Flow Research 195 Aluminum Heads 68CC Domes
(2.02 1.60 Valves)
-Ferrara Stainless Valves
-Crower Stainless Rockers 1.6 Ratio

-Edelbrock Dual Plane EPS Intake
-Holley 750 Double pumper
-Holley black electric fuel pump (w/ regulator, 7PSI constant)
-MSD Pro Billet Distributor with vacuum advance
-MSD 6AL Box with Blaster coil

CAM-
Alright, I have looked at crane cams, comp cams, and lunati thus far. I have found a couple of the comp cam's I like so far. Tell me if these would go with my application.(4.11 gear, 2800 stall) Both cams are solid flat tappet cams. I would be using the recommended Comp cams springs, and a set of Comp cams Solid lifters. I dont want to overcam, but definetly no need to undercam. The heads say they are good for .550. I believe these numbers are with 1.5 rockers. Will this get me in a bind with the heads if I move up to a 1.6 rocker?


CS 294S-10
Intake lift- .525
Exhaust lift- .525
Exhaust Duration (@.50)- 248
Intake Duration (@.50)- 248
LSA-110

CS 280S-8
Intake lift- .507
Exhaust lift- .532
Exhaust Duration (@.50)- 242
Intake Duration (@.50)- 250
LSA-108

Do these sounds alright?

Thanks,
Joe Phillips

Joe,
My preference in cranks is Scat over Eagle simply because I have seen much better quality control from Scat as Scat does all the finish grinding & profiling in house on their forged cranks.
I prefer a 6" rod as it makes internal balancing simple.
Not a big deal but the closer you get the weight to where it belongs the better when balancing.

I would probably go with an Isky 525-A 247/254 .507/.525 ground on a 108. 1.6 intake rocker.

Change the piston to an JE/SRP flat top as they are stronger & lighter.
You will have about 10.5 at zero deck with the AFR head & a .040 gasket not 11.7.

The AFR's come with a hyd flat tappet spring but they will work with a smaller solid. Their solid spring is a bit much for a street deal.
Unless they have changed in the last couple of months they use REV valves in the SB heads & Ferrea in the BB heads.

Why are you changing main caps?

If you email me I can probably save you a few dollars on the AFR's ;)

Wolfplace, you have mail.


Thanks,
Joe Phillips