I have to ask, Why are you useing a carb? I understand some of the guys that auto-x with the smaller strokes that are reving past 7500 but even most of them just go with the fast system.

 

Well, i didn't really know that about the price of rotating assemblies being about the same. I always thought that the 396 kits were more expensive. Combination motorsports sells both kits and they are about the same price with a difference of around 200.00 per kit. I guess it just comes down to if you got the extra money, go with the 396. You are correct also, after spending that much what is an additional 500.00

how is the reliability of the 396 motors?
Another one of the reasons I decided on the 383 setup, is I notice more people who daily drive their cars normally choose the 383 kits whereas more track only cars go with the 396/409s. Now obviously I am sure the 396/409s can be made to run beautifully on the street, it was just another little thing I noticed to help influence my decision.

 

I ended up deciding to go with a carb for a number of reasons. Aside from wanting to head down a road less travelled (you don't see too many carb't LT1's), one, the thought of being able to open my hood and not see a 1000 wires and sensors and a big black computer box stuffed in the corner, was very appealing to me.

I've always loved the clean look of the engine compartment on older muscle cars. You lift the hood and there's an engine. That's it and that's all. Plenty of space to work on your car or detail the engine compartment.

Pop the hood on your average late model fuel injected car (like an LS1) and you don't even know what your looking at. Just miles of wires and plastic covers and sensors etc. cluttering up everything. Todays engines are UGLY.

I also like the simplicity of an old fashined carb'd motor. The way I see it, the more wires and sensors and computer control gadgets and gizmoes a car has, the more oppertunities there are for something to go wrong and the harder and more expensive it will be to find and repair the problem.

Carb's (in my opinion) are easier and a good bit cheaper to "tune" properly. With FI You have to own a Laptop ($$$) the proper software to program everything ($$$) the programable ECM ($$$) and all the other crap that goes with it aswell ($$$). You also have to know what your doing. And if you don't then it'll cost you some major $$$ to get somebody else to do it for you. (Just hope that THEY know what they're doing

With a carb, it's just so basic. You need a screwdriver, some jets + 15 - 20 minutes of spare time. I've lost track of how many guys I've seen on the dyno, tuning their F.I. cars for 3-4 hours with their sophisticated computers and electronics only to end up with an extra 10HP and really bad drivability. At the same time, I've lost track of how many times I've seen guys pick up 25+ HP and excellent drivability with their carb'd cars by just swapping in different jets in about 10 minutes.

Don't get me wrong, fuel injection, I'm sure, is more efficient then a carb will ever be. No doubt about that. It may even run smoother than a carb'd car aswell, but all of that above depends ENTIRELY on whether the the ECM is programed EXACTLY to match your set-up which almost never happens.
Computer tuning usually solves some problems at the expense of creating others.

Maybe one day I'll switch back to F.I. but for now, I'm gonna try out my luck with a good old fashioned carb I'm really interested to see what the results will be for a 396 LT1 with a 750 DEMON! (+ I just love to **** everyone off by putting a carb on a FI car )

 

FWIW SRP make's a off the shelf piston for a 3.875/5.85 rod combo.. I just happen to have a set laying around.. anyone want a 396? here's the pan rails on my short block.. its really not all that much material removed.. http://www.streetsleepers.com/images...s/DCP_2621.JPG ..dont mind the eagle h beam's they ahve been replaced w/ oliver's!.. . Feel free to look at the other things i have on that site under my photo gallery.. It's quite obvious that what started out as a simple R&R the motor.. Turned into quite a undertaking. All said and done i have 45K tied up into the car right now and still no heads... So any project can easily go too far as i have.. Gotta have strong will to say when "your" enough" is.. I'm still waiting for mine..

As far as reliability.. Depends.. I'm sure the diff. between a 383 and a 396 are very minor.. Like stated before i'm not the say all expert on reliability but i feel if it's done the right way you should have no problem's w/ your bottom end lasting you 50K miles.. Its the other stuff such as N20, Boost, and Screwed up tune's that are going to dictate the longevity of your motor.. and you don't have to buy the best part's either.. Just have to stick to a plan.. I overbuild everything.. I don't want no worries nor do i wanna be that "guy" who oiled down the track...

 

I think that you should go with the 383 and be done with it. I have always heard that 396's are not as reliable as a 383 because of the piston/rod angle. Also always heard that they burn more oil, smoke more, and wear out faster. The extra clearancing just makes the block that much weaker as well.

If its gonna be a 2-3 day a week driven car then I think the 383 would suit you better in the long run.. But, thats just my opinion.

 

[QUOTE='93 formy ...]I ended up deciding to go with a carb for a number of reasons. Aside from wanting to do head down a road less travelled (you don't see too many carb't LT1's), one, the thought of being able to open my hood and not see a 1000 wires and sensors and a big black computer box stuffed in the corner, was very appealing to me.
[QUOTE]


Diferent strokes, but I had to ask, good luck with and I wish you the best. BTW FWIW I have tore off a FI system and gone carb in the past but it was a 84 crossfire system that just got the better of me so I ripped it off the car and went with a carb.

 

another reason to go carb'd is the stock intake/tbody cant flow as much as a single plain\carb. so if its gonna rev. high, you can pick up some major HP and move the torque curve up which will help launch at the track alot. so it depends on what your building and gonna use it for. I feel the same as texasTA. carb'd eng. s are just waaaayyy simpler to work on, look a ton better for the shows/cruise night, and cost alot less in the end. but the trade off is gas mileage, and driveability with weather changes. cause the FI automatically adj.s for that, and you have to manually adj. the carb yourself when it goes from warm to cold. which isnt something TexasTA doesnt have to worry about according to his screenname. \\\jealous!///

and as far as the orig. post, to some the extra $500-600 puts the whole project over the edge. in my case, I didnt have ANY money budgeted for a build cause I just blew all my money on the whole valvetrain/heads before my motor decided to finish itself off.

 

93 I've got 5500 in the shortblock...

 

So far I've got $3700 Canadian ($3000 US) in the short block.

That includes the Rotating assembly/Canton Oil Pan/and Billet steel 4 bolt splayed caps. I'll find out what the machine work is going to cost me soon enough

On top of that, I'm looking at the following:

AFR LT4 210cc competition heads
Cam
intake manifold
Carb
Distributer
Water pump
starter
valve covers
alternator relocation bracket

and I'm sure a coulple other things I'm not even aware of just yet

Hopefully I'll have the $$ to finish the project in time for spring..

 

My short block ended up at $2900 for everything including splayed mains. $2100 for the rotating assy including cam and al bearings, $600 for machine work including the work for the splayed mains and line boring and $200 for the splayed mains.

 

ok, here's something not on your list. how about a full set of custom gauges cause w/o the pcm, the only gauges that will work are fuel level and oil press. poss. coolant temp.
chris

 

That, and new carpeting new sound system and since I won't be able to use the power windows anymore, I need a pair of manual window cranks and all the other crap that goes with it. I also want to re-uphoster the interior and possibly add a rollcage.

Then ther's the issue of the tranny, and for sure a 9" and a new drive shaft. and Subframe connectors, lowering springs , lower control arm relocation brackets, oh and 4 new tires aswell. Jesus, this hobby's expensive

 

My assembly/clearencing was 600.00 (I think my builder charges 100.00 for clearencing a 383). Machine work was 950.00 (That included the work for the splayed caps).

 

this is alot more realistic price. a little more then I paid for all my machine work, but I assembled and clearanced it myself. I think I paid around $600 total for my machine work. bored,honed, decked, cleaned, cam bearings, freeze pluts

 

$600 sounds about right.. I'm getting everything done to my 4bolt SBC block that you just named plus getting it O-ringed & Notched for $725 and thats from one of the best machine shops in the state if not The Best!