I'm looking to do a total buildup on a green block. This is a really basic, rough out of the parts I am considering using. Anyone with any experience or helpful input, please post your thoughts.

GMPP Sportsman Bowtie 4.000" bore 400 main block

Callie DragonSlayer 3.750 5.700

(2pc rear seal)

Manley Connecting Rods

KB Pistons 1/16,1/16,3/16

Ackley+Childs rings

GMPP FastBurn heads

CompCam Magnum Rollers

Manley Chromoly pushers

ARP all around

Felpro gaskets


So I'm looking for suggestions for cam specs, and any other helpful input anyone may have.

 

Nice parts. What are your goals for the motor, how are you going to use it, what fuel will you run, FI or carb, etc.?

Rich Krause

 

It will be essentially a street/strip car, and I intend to use FI (throttlebody or EFI).

I intend to run it on 97 octane.

This is to be a summer long project, starting in about 2 weeks. I plan to document the entire buildup process into either a website or a guide of some kind, intended to teach first timers the process.

 

Anyone know of any group buys from any of the companies I listed above?

 

It seems like a big expense for a non-stock block to use only moderate heads. You could build the same with a stock block safely without problem & cheaper. With those heads you are building a 450-500hp 383. Save a $1000 from the block & put it into some good heads.

Also the 400 mains will increase the bearing speed (& add unnecessary crank weight) over the 350 size. I would use the 350 main size.

If you insist on buying an aftermarket block, why not get the 4.125 bore & get some extra cubes as well?

KB pistons are hypereutectic..... Stay away from nitrous or forced induction with these. They are strong, but do not like detonation.

I would either build a stock block on a budget with those heads & use some SRP or equivalent pistons to stand up to some abuse .... or go with a good (Dart, Motown etc.) 4.125 bore block with AFR heads or similar to make a more race oriented setup.

Good luck with your buildup.

 

Save yourself a lot of headaches and just buy a crate engine that you like. Rattling off a bunch of parts doesn't always get you the engine that you want. As mentioned above, spending too much on one item could be better spent on something else. Chances are buying some "high performance" part won't do you any better than buying a lessor brand part that will do the same thing for less money.

Building a street engine is a lot different than building a race engine. Street engines are built and designed for very high mileage. Buying race parts for a street engine removes much of the poor quality of factory parts but spending too much on a part that's not needed is overkill.

When I go buy parts for my race engine I know what I want, I know the parts are more expensive and I know I'm going to pay for them only once. I spent around $1000 just for pistons that are in my current engine.

When building a street or street/strip engine, a factory block, crank and con rods are usually more than enough.

 

Thanks alot for the advice guys. Ok so use a stock block, LT or LS do you think? The chasis is a 93 so an LT would remove some installation headaches. Also you mentioned investing in a set of good headers over the after market block, know any good buys? I've always used the fastburns. The info on the KB pistons was helpful as well as I was unaware of their dislike of forced induction as I was planning on a vortech strim supre charger somewhere down the road.

 

Actually your parts list shouldn't really be naming the parts.

Manley rods would be better said 4340 or 5340 I beam rods.
KB pistons would be better said Hypereutectic 10:1, 9:1 etc pistons.
Callie DragonSlayer 3.750 would be better said Aftermarket Stroker crank.
Etc

That way you/we have a better understanding on the type of parts you want to use. One brand isn't usually any better than another when comparing similar stuff like that. Other things like ARP bolts and Felpro gaskets is just a gimmie and should normally be expected. They add nothing to the performance of the engine but do add to the reliabilty of it.

 

Thanks for all the great tips guys. This is my first complete build from a bare block. I will be posting a new parts list very soon along with a new goal summary as well. Hope I can still count on the helpful input!

 

My thoughts, for what they're worth:

1) Use forged pistons. It is better to spend more money up front on good pistons than to wish you had later, when you want to use a power adder.

2) Stay with fairly economical parts on the bottom end without actually using crap. Eagle is a nice choice. For instance, that Callies Dragonslayer crank is a real nice piece, but do you really need it? The place to spend the money here is on the machine work and block prep. Line boring of course. Zero decking is a very good idea too, because you can tighten up your quench much more if you have a consistant height. Balancing is money well spent. Spend a little more on quality pistons. Try to keep your rod/piston/pin combo as light as you can manage.

3) Buy the best heads you can afford. Pretty much "buck up" and spend as much here as you can. Not for the sake of just p¡ssing away money of course, but your heads are where the power is.

 

Yeah, thats pretty much the dominant bits of advice. I didn't know much regarding the limitations of the pistons I had selected. But yeah, everyone seems to be telling me to spend on the headers, and b efrugal elsewhere. Anyone in the northeast have any shops to recommend for doing the machine work?

 

New goals for the build:

Start from a bone stock LT1 and build a 450-500 n/a bhp stroker.
The goal fuel will be pump gas.
The car will be streetable.
Hope to bring it down to low 11's.
Eventually supercharge it.

parts list o follow. Any suggestions please post em.

 

Pretty much the same exact suggestions.

The changes would be more about the specific heads and cam you use.

Work with a good shop, with a good rep.

My PERSONAL opinion is that; other than spending a lot of time selecting your head/cam combo, make sure you balance the block really well, do the line bore and the zero deck, keep your quench tight, and your combustion chamber small.

 

I can see from you're post that you have accounted for some of the parts I am listing below but this is good knowledge for some of the other guys that are thinking about the 383 engine build up. I also had the option to get a 400 block but I started calculation what Intake and carb would cost on top of my LT1 build and bowed out of that option.

I am $7,000 into my 383 'engine' build and still not done and that is a moderate build. Scat Crank, but quality forged pistons, Forged Eagle Rods and top of the line bearings.
It is the extra things you don't think about until your engine builder tells you what you need:

Buy as many ARP bolt as you can get to fit on the motor and get a Deep oil pan, HV/HP oil pump, new pick up for 7 qt oil pan, baffles. Good heads? yep and along with that go good SS valves, comp 999 spring, Titanium retainers, locks and a good porting job.
The machine shop is going to get $1000 for machining and balancing the motor, your going to need some 36 to 42 pound SVO injectors to feed it. SFI approved flex plate, balancer. Don't forget that Cloyes double roller, 95 timing chain cover, CSI water pump because now you can't run the WP with the cam gear. Gotta get a set of 1.6 comp RR's. Now your investment is too important to be using the stock gauges, you now need Auto Meter; oil pressure (temp if you think you need one), water temp, transmission temp. Oh, the transmission, if your running an automatic, either beef it up or get a TH350 or 400, the the stock rear end needs to be tossed and get a good after market, because it is going south with that much HP. There is more, but that is enough.
Oh, the 93 computer is only good for 7000 rpms and there is no data mapped for fuel or spark; FAST = $2500?


Just letting you know what your in for. My first estimate was $11,500.

Jim