well I`m still trying to get my 383 going after 4 YEARS!!! of working on it, But I think I`m going to get it done for this summer YAY!!, just wonderin what power levels she`ll put out??

Kb flat top with valve reliefes
Scat 9000 cast steel stroker crank
461 Camel backs with dual springs 2.02 1.60 64CC camber (they`ve been planed though so maybe 62 cc camber)
Victor jr intake
10.5:1 compression
Holley/BG carb 750 ms, dp
not sure on the cam though I`m thinking the the Comp cams Magnum 306S, 306 duration, 260 @ .050, .555 lift and 110 LSA it`s a solid flat tappet

everything but the cam I have already, I was going to use Chevy Bowtie`s but I paid $700 of the $1000 so I owed $300 and the guy moved so my Bowtie`s are gone . I`m hopeing for 400-450 hp outta this engine and also I`m thinking the intake might be to big for the heads since it was for the Bowties I never got, it`s an Bowtie vitor jr. do you think the RPM performer would be better?? or would that intake take away high RPM power?

 

cam too big for the heads, so is the intake. Did you flow the heads? I'm guessing something in the high 220's, low 230's duration wise on the cam is going to be the limit and you may want to think about a dual plane intake.

 

well I was thinking, What if I ported the heads and did a bowl job and a 3 angle valve job to the heads, that should make them flow alot better right?? I was looking at more cams and I saw this one it`s alittle smaller Comp cams XS282S Dur 282/290 Dur @.050 244/252 lift .520/.540 if I do the head work and will I be able to run my Victor jr and this cam?

 

that is a lot of cam, with that much overlap, I have my doubts of it even running under 1200RPM idle with your 383. Take out 15 degrees, keep the tighter LSA and call it a day. Your second choice sounds much better

 

The flow numbers nasty gave you are what your heads would flow ported and massaged, old technology is a bear. Smaller cam and dual plane high rise intake will be your freind with those fossils on top. I assume you want to run pump gas so you need to figure out how far down in the hole pistons sit, how big your cc are on the heads you'll be using, and then start looking at duration for a smaller cam to keep what compression you have in the motor to optimize. Right now with that large of a cam your dynamic compression will be quite a bit lower and will not work with that cam-too much overlap/compression loss.

Mismatched combo to say the least, the heads are THE most importatnt thing for a motor so every deccsion for parts you must ask the heads first if they will like it. Poor flowing heads and large cam and "low compression" ...wont work.

 

the second cam choice I put up is ment for a 9.5:1 engine mine is 10.5:1 so I`m a point above the min compression for that cam the XS282S. I REALY wish I had my Bowties

 

Have you thought about consulting a reputable engine builder to guide you in your project?

 

Ya I am, But what you guys are telling me and what he`s telling me are different, I tell you what he told me:

he said too go with a .520 lift cam with the 461`s and my victor jr and my flat top pistions and I`d be over 450 hp, up here where I live the camel backs are the head to have, when I go to ancaster swap meet you`ll find camel backs like mine for $1000-$1500 a pair I`ve talked to ALOT of people with camel backs and they LOVE them, So I bought my pair and got a hell of a deal $600 for the pair complete with daul Solid cam springs, but every one I talk to on here hates them, I figured being from the 60`s where power levels where huge they`d be a good head, maybe I`ll put them up for sale for 1500 and see what I get for them and buy a pair of Iron eagles or Bowties??

 

[QUOTE=IHI]The flow numbers nasty gave you are what your heads would flow ported and massaged, old technology is a bear.

Well I was looking around on the net found a set of 461 heads that had factory ports like mine and they flowed 224 cfm stock so thats not too bad the 882`s flow 200 cfm and the L98 heads are a horrible 199 cfm

I do have a set of 882`s and a set of 624`s (I think they`re 624???)

Also saw a set of race heads they flowed 742 cfm with a price of $8000 lol

 

Not going to start a pizzing match about dinasour heads, they were a good head for their era. But with all the new castings on the market, better more efficent designs than flow as good as the old designs out of the box. Now start tacking on what it costs to revamp those old fuelie heads to get back to ground zero, then factor in the amount of money it takes to install larger valves, gasket match and hog out, your going to run into alot of cash for a dated less effecient design. To each their own, but I would have to assume if those heads are that popular in your area there is probably a large dirt track/roundy round crowd and the machinist you've consulted with most likely deals in volume with those types of clients. We have one shop locally that caters largely to mud packers and his way of thinking is still 20 yrs old. Ask him what cam to run in a hot street motor-he replies with the 350/350 cam LOL!! Just like the fuelie heads of ole that cam was one of the better for that era, but by todays standards that old single pattern ground bump stick will not hold a candle to the newer grinds. Reputable engine shops in general will never push a 40 yr old head over the newer castings since the newer one have much more potential for less investment.

Depending on where you get your information flow sheets vary ALOT. It depends on what bench the heads were tested on, if they tested at 25 "or 28", which cylinder they tested, etc...Many online flow charts use numbers submitted by manufactuers, and once you really get knee deep and start doing research you'll find many of the manufactuers hype up numbers and false advertise. Dart Pro 1 230cc heads come to mind which actually flowed only 268cfm at 28" on our head shops Super Flow 600 when Dart claims them to be just over 300cfm as does Holley HP series carbs which is advertised at 950cfm but actually only wet flows 830cfm, both tout large cfm's but in reality they're both waay under when actually put on a bench. At least Holley was honest enough to admit to it and why them over advertise-to protect the public from themselves and over carbing engines-which is fine for the daily driver crowd, but does racers nothing since formulas dont mean squat on a race track.

It's your money, but IMO if that's what your consulting shop is pushing, I'd look elsewhere. 450hp with described parts is very optimistic using ancient iron, and from past experience to have a shop really do a nice job on an old set of those heads you could get yourelf into a great set of aluminum heads.

 

your right we do have a HUGE dirt track thing goin on here, there`s 2 dirt tracks 20 mins away from me. I don`t think he pushed them on me, I went to his shop and asked if he had a set he had 3 sets and built a set for me, BUT he is a huge fan of the 461`s, But you do sound like you know what your sayin and I`m just getting into engine building so I don`t know much . But every shop around here push`s the 461 heads EVERYONE, oh well. I`ll put the 461`s up for sell and hope for a 1000 for them, ancaster`s coming up in april ,

So what heads would you recommed? , the Bowties, Dart Iron eagles, World sportsman`s?? other? I`m tring to keep it under $1500 can for a pair. My intake is meant for the Bowtie`s though, since it`s a Bowtie Victor Jr

 

I love my AFR's, when i flowed them they actually flowed within 1-2cfm of what they advertised in their magazine throughout lift range, have heard similar stories from others as well. I got lucky and picke dmine up with new head bolts, head gaskets, intake gaskets off ebay for $1350 delivered and they checked out. You might have to wait for a deal, but they're out there.

Also a big buzz around Pro Topline now that they have been bought out, many racers are having excellent results with good flow numbers out of the box. Guess next would be Edlebrock/Brodix since they flow closer to advertised than Dart's typically do from the book I was looking through at our head shop comparing mine to others.

I fell bad for you havingbeen in your shoes years ago in HS. We had only one machine shop I knew of locally and he's a mud packers builder. something for nothing and using whatever you have laying around to make it run, stuck in the dark ages with no intentions of ever changing. I stop in there to buy misc. bs once in awhile and amuse myself evey trip by asking cam questions, fuel system questions, or engine combination questions. Reworked 305 heads on a 355 with a 350/350 or 375/350 cam are his automatic responses LOL!! Must be why he's marketed himslef into the corner and the serious money guys go elsewhere.

 

AFR`s are my 1st choice I wanted the CNC 210`s with the 2.08/1.60 valves angle plug , from what I understand the AFR`s are the best SBC head right now unless you want to spend HUGE money, the 1 thing that keeps me from having them the price tag, I found one place that sells them in ontario and there $2500 + tax , I can`t afford that not even close , so the AFR`s are out unless I find a KILLER deal on them which won`t happen, I can`t buy off of E-bay since I don`t have a credit card and I`d be afraid of the fee`s for crossing the boarder any way. I almost had the iron Bowtie`s with 2.05 valves and ported but the shop moved and I lost them, the guy claimed the Bowtie`s made 585 hp on his drag car, but a rule change made them illegal so I bought them for $1000 paid 700 of it and never saw the guy again and the shop was closed.

As for the edelbrock RPM performer heads those are $2200+ tax at a local shop, the Iron Eagles are $1500 at the shop I bought the 461`s at.

I havn`t priced brodix but I`m guessing there $2000+ same with the pro topline`s

Maybe I`ll just throw the 350 I have togher and put the 461`s and my performer intake with my .470 lift cam I have laying around the cam is a dirt track cam made for the .470 lift rule lol I have 2 of them so lets see I have the 461`s the 882`s and 3 cast iron SBC intakes and 2 dirt track cams. wow all these dirt track stuff and I want to drag something not quit right about this LOL, well I think you killed my dream of getting my 383 going this year oh well, theres no way I can afford any of the heads you said and I still have about $1000 to go to baliance the rotating assemebly, so I guess 350 thrown togher with all the parts I have laying around here I come So I guess the 383 will stay in my kitchen on the floor lol yes I have almost a whole 383 in my house, block, heads, crank ect.. I have $5000 in this engine so I`m afraid to keep it in the garage so it stays in my house, my parents must love that lol

 

Dont let anybody stop you from building the 383, if you have the parts to assemble the short block, by all means do it. You can always switch heads/cam in the future which is very easy on a sbc-1 day project and your back on the road. Granted it wont be optimized but the added cubes/stroke will get you moving quicker than the 355 will.

That way you can use what ya got for minimal investment to get the project going and allow mom to wash the dishes without stepping over car parts Then start saving your money for better heads. Keep to horsepower is heads, cam, carb in that order. All my motor was is a bone stock 350 block, cast factory rods, cast factory crank, and hyperutecs. VERY cheap and crappey short block, I stuck all the money in the heads cam and valvetrain which made some pretty decent pwr for the $3500 total investment since most everything was ebay parts LOL!! Lasted 2 seasons, over 1800 passes and 5-6K street miles before the end of the crank broke off at the timing gear sprocket which i blame on the stock damper.

I've shipped a few things to canada and man, you guys make alot of money up there or something, I had a brand new fuel pump from Aeromotive a guy from canada bought for $60 over what Jegs sells them for, then paid like $60 shipping to boot. Sold a set of slicks to a guy up there and shipping alone was $130

 

I`m tellin ya man Hi-po car parts are NOT cheap up here, we buy used stuff for what you guys pay for new stuff, My carb alone was 500 USED, and that was a deal my carbs worth at least 700-800, I knew the guy so he gave me I deal, I`ve heard canadian`s make more ??? I don`t know, I was makeing 15 hour cleaning schools, now I`m at 10 hour at a local shop, min wage here is 8/hour

I`ll try to get the 383 going, I don`t know if I can I`ll get a pair of Dart Iron eagles they gotta be better then the 461`s right??, thats the only head I could afford right now unless I find a set of heads at ancaster this april