Well, i finally got a 350 block. I've decided to make it a 383 however i had a few questions. Oh, btw, this engine will be for street/strip but mostly streetable. LOL, if possible! Well here they are: (oh, and the total hp and tq should be somewhere around 490, HOPEFULLY!!! LOL)
1. Should i go with a forged or a cast crank.
2. The compression should be around 10.0, my teacher said that this could cause detonation with iron heads, is this true and if so, what do u recommend?

Ummm, i think thats it for now, this is my first engine build-up and i am SO excited!!!!! LOL, i'm 16 also so if i have some unobtainable goals about the engine, please tell me! LOL Thanks!

If the engine will be N/A it's entire life, quality cast pieces will suffice. 10:1 compression with aluminum heads, as a general statement, should be okay. There area a few factors to consider, including camshaft selection, which will affect the DCR and ultimately how much compression you'll be able to run without detonation.

Sounds like a fun project.

LOL, thanks for the quick reply but here is a little amature question: what do you mean by "If the engine will be N/A it's entire life"? And "affect the DCR"? LOL, sorry, i know quite about, just not abreviations, but i might as well ask so i can learn! Thanks again!

N/A = naturally aspirated (i.e. no nitrous or forced induction)

DCR = Dynamic Compression Ratio

LOL, ok, thanks for bearing with me!!

I agree that a cast crank will do the job. I suggest using forged pistons since they will tolerate any detonation you might have much better than cast pistons. As 1hot67 said, the cam you select will determine how much compression you can run. My iron headed 350 has 10.5:1 and runs on pump gas. I could even run more compression with the cam I have and still use pump gas. (Specs are linked in my sig.)

To get to 490hp, which is a bunch, you'll need to run a fairly large cam. For this cam to make that much power, it will need quite a bit of compression. Follow the link in my sig to read about compression, cams, and octane.

Rian - pay close attention to what Pat has to say on this subject. He knows what he's talking about. His method works. Lot's of us have used it to select our camshafts and those of projects we have built for others. Sounds like your teacher is a little old school. "Can't run 10:1 on pump gas with iron heads". Not true.... I'm doing it and so are many others. The CAM selection and Quench are the keys. Good luck.


Troy.

I've been researching 383 shortblocks myself, I think the best bet for a cam is a Voodoo 276 which will work nicely with 9.5+ compression and only improve with 10+

Oh, i just got the new Hot ROD magazine and its like a sign!! LOL, they built up a 383 with 500 tq and 500 hp. Has anyone else looked at this? LOL, and thanks for the help, i probably shouldnt get head of myslef i have a few more urgent questions:
The block i have came from a junkyard and looks very good except it has a very miniscule amount of surface rust on it. I obviously cant sand it all off, so what would you recommend? I was thinking of taking it to get an acid wash but am open to suggestions. Also, just to be safe, i wanted to make sure there are no cracks or anything, so is there a test that a local machine shop could perform? Thanks again!

The machine shop will clean and check the block as well as install new CAM bearings and freeze plugs.

You will then need to bring the block home and clean it thoroughly with hot soapy water. Make sure you get into all the oil passages. You only get one chance to clean your parts - be very maticulous. Any leftover grit or dirt could potentially ruin your rebuild.

After you get it washed, wipe down the cylinder walls with oil so they don't rust. Dry it thoroughly and then mask and paint the exterior.

After it dries, bag it up to keep it clean until you are ready to start your assembly process.

Ask lots of questions - especially of your machinist. If you aren't comfortable with certain areas - get help from an experianced builder or have the machinist perform those tasks.

Good luck,

Troy.

If you need a good mechanic that knows all the ins and outs of chevelles (he has owned a few) see Tom of Superior Automotive in Temecula.

Oh, i just got the new Hot ROD magazine and its like a sign!! LOL, they built up a 383 with 500 tq and 500 hp. Has anyone else looked at this?

It would be interesting to have 10 shade-tree engine builders assemble an identical engine and dyno it at their local engine dyno. I'll bet that the Westec dynoed/pro-built engine comes out about 50 hp ahead of the others.
We had an awesome sounding 427 aluminum headed, Dominator carbed, roller cammed 69 Camaro on the dyno recently that made 370 rwhp. Accounting for the 20% or so loss in the drivetrain, it was making about 462 flywheel hp.

Ok, thanks, i'll check out some shops tomorrow. BTW, what are some price ranges i should be expecting for the cleaning, bearings, plugs, and test? Thanks again!

anyone?

bump

"The machine shop will clean and check the block as well as install new CAM bearings and freeze plugs."

Does anyone know how much this costs on average? I want to have a general idea of cost before i get it done. Thanks

Just guessing but you should plan on about $100 or so including the bearings and plugs. You could call your machine shop and ask them.

Ok, yea i was going to but i wanted SOME estimate to compare it to so if they say like 300, i know that they are a rip off!! Thanks

Just quick, I used Pat's method and I'm running nearnly 11:1 compression with iron heads on my 498 and it's working out great.

---Chris

Ok, well, planning to go anyday now! LOL, i'm a procrastinator if you guys didnt know! And i was wondering, do the bearings depend on the type of crank? Like if i want to put a 383 do i have to tell them that? Also, how do you remove freeze plugs? My luck will be the guy will want like 50 bucks extra if he has to do it! LOL, thanks again!