Well guys I gotta pull my 383 stroker out of my '87 Camaro to see what my oil burning problem is. I am still using the stock feedback carb setup and the computer. I also live in Cali so I have SMOG to worry about too.

I have two choices for rebuilds to replace the oil burnin' 383. One is the original roller 305 from the Camaro. The other is a '92 350 non-roller block from a truck.

Right now I get all my machine work for free from a friend.

If go with the 305 it will be bored 0.030" over, a rebuild kit with hyper 9.0:1 pistons, moly rings, stock Vortec or LT-1 cam (which one??), 1.6:1 roller rockers, the heads will be cut for 1.94" intake valves and ported and polished.
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If I go with the 350, it will also be bored 0.030", a rebuilt kit for hyper 8.5-9.0:1, moly rings, Summit .400" lift cam, stock rockers, and stock heads (1.94/1.5" valves).

Up top either motors will use a Performer intake (w/EGR), stock feedback Q-jet, etc, etc....all factory items.

I also already have SMOG-legal Edelbrock Headers, Hypertech Stage 3 chip, and 3" exhaust, and a Flowmaster muffler. Will also be receiving a 3.73 posi rear soon (replacing the open 2.73 rear).

So, what do you guys think? 305 or 350? Please list your reasons why too. Thanks guys.

 

The 92 should have a roller block. They didn't use roller cams, but the blocks were roller-ready from 87 up.

 

That's what I thought too, so I nailed it without removing the intake first. Both the date code and the casting number confirm the year of the block. It has the raised lifter bores, but not the 3 little "towers" in the middle/over the cam. Without those, no OEM roller setup.

 

Anyone else have an idea? Thanks guys.

 

That's odd. I thought that the towers were there but just not machined/tapped.

 

The truck engines didn't get the roller cams even when they have centerbolt valve cover heads (from my expereince, not saying there were absolutely NO roller cam truck motors). Sometimes they got switched between passenger cars and trucks, however. I had a centerbolt valve cover TBI RS once that came with a flat tappet cam and I am 99% certain it came from the factory that way!

BTW- ALWAYS go with the bigger cubes! Factory roller cam setups were about fuel economy (reduced friction) not higher performance. Aftermarket flat tappet cams are dirt cheap. Rollers are expensive.

 

Theres no replacement for displacement.....get the 350. That way if you ever wanna mod it heavily you'll have more potential to work with.

 

Uhm... its been well-documented and proven that roller cams make more power. Its not just an emissions thing. The roller lifters help it follow the cam lobes better, and that allows for steeper ramps, and faster valve opening, allowing for more air to enter the combustion chamber sooner.
Plus, the cost of a flat-tappet cam plus a new set of lifters every time is almost the cost of a roller cam. I cant explain why roller cams are so much more expensive, but I bet its got something to do with the reason why CD's are so much more expensive, still.

Why do you have to replace the 383 with a smaller engine? Why not reuse the 383?

 

Because I need my daily-driver back ASAP. I have little idea what's causing my oil burning problem in the 383. Rebuilding the 305 or 350 while still running the 383, then swaping the rebuilt engine is my only way I can go.

I think I might go the flat tappet cam 350 route.