The 383 kit I am looking at is a B13454L.030 which has speed pro pistons for $719, or B13054L.030 which has KB pistons for $899.00 and he the tech guy said he can get me a 0 balance flywheel for $200. If I buy the kit what other parts do I need to get a reliable 1993 Z28 that has good horespower and RPMs reach at leat 6,200. I am trying to find the cheapeast parts as possible.

 

HEADS are the key. If you think cubes alone are going to get you power you are in for a hard lesson learned.

 

You kind of have a contridiction in terms when you say you want "good, reliable horsepower" yet you want to find the cheapest parts possible. The old saying: "you get what you pay for" couldn't apply more to car parts, especiaaly performance parts.

Guys have tried to slice up an engine build many, many different ways, thinking they will save money, but the bottom line is that good, reliable horsepower comes at a particular price...depending on what your definition of horsepower is. Spend some time searching this forum as this is THE BEST source of information available!!! Decide what your realistic goals are for your car first and also realize that you will probably want to continue to mod your car more in the future so try to make choices that will leave room for you to grow performance wise.

When choosing parts, stick with name brand parts and use the sponsors from this board as you will find that they not only offer the best prices, but their customer service is far superior as well. When looking at rotating assemblies, ensure that they are quality parts. Usually the big determining factor with rotating assembly choice is hyperutectic vs. forged pistons and cast vs. forged crank. Again, think hard about what you are going to expect from the new motor before deciding on the parts. Heads and valve train choices are very important with the LT-1 motor. There are some guys on this forum that are making some outragous power with nothing more than some head work and cam change.

Also realize that there are always a lot of incidential expenses that go along with a rebuild that are not always taken into consideration when you first start the project. Machine work is probably more imporant than the parts as you can have all the right parts, but if the machine work is done incorrectly or substandard, all the good parts will quickly turn into junk. Finally, assembly of the motor is the MOST crutical step in the process as incorrect procedures, DIRT inexperience, etc. will also lead to a very expensive paper weight.

All that being said (sorry for the long winded post!), spend some time on this forum and research your project well before making any quick decisions and you will be happy with the end results. Also remember that a budget is usually nothing more than just a starting place for most any car project! GOOD LUCK and have fun!!!

 

How can anyone add anything to that.....very well said ! Oh, and I can definitely backup what he said about the budget only being the starting point!

 

Dont buy eagle... dont buy eagle...

They wasted $4,000 of my money, and wont accept responsibilty for shipping me ****ty parts.

 

 

Seems to be lots of boosted guys using their kits without problems. Good bang for the buck no?

 

The money you would spend on a "cheap" 383 would be much better spent on good heads/cam/valvetrain on a stock bottom end - AND more power as well.

Think smart. Cubes does not equal power.

 

When looking at rotating assemblies consider balancing costs and such. In the end I think about the best value out there for a stroker is the Compstar Speedpack. Sure a forged Eagle kit appears cheaper but the balance on those WILL be off requiring more money spent at the machineshop. In the end it would be very close in price to the Compstar but I believe the Compstar parts far superior.

 

Could you elaborate on that? What was the problem?

 

i agree. you should spend the 2300 on a good set of ported TFS heads and a ported throttle body. of course you should have other supporting mods for this, but i'd get them now any ways...........unless you're having internal engine problems like blow-by or something.

if you want my opinion, i'm not satisfied with my 383 kit. i have a forged RA with hyperxx pistons. i can still run 7lbs boost or 150 shot of NOS and be fine, but i'm not satisfied with the money i put out and the HP i got out of it. i'd have been MUCH BETTER OFF, if not exactly where i'm at....with a set of ported LE heads or TFS heads. a good tune, some headers, gears and a decent TC would set you back less in $$$$$ and more in ###'s.

but if you're going with a stroker kit any way, get fully forged. either with eagle, SCAT (it's what i've got and i'm happy with it so far) or whoever makes the dragonslayer stuff...they're the best. my friend just got their fully forged 355 blower setup......it's nice..

 

The rotating assembly is the heart of the entire engine. If you're gonna budget anything, I would not pick the rotating assembly to skimp on. If you are planning more mods, skimp on those and use the saved money on the rotating assembly if you're on a smaller budget. I've gone budget on some things(Pacesetter headers, Magnaflow catback) and really splurged on others(Vigilante tc, ram air hood, valvetrain). My opinion, though, go all out on the rotating assembly.

 

It's amazing how what was once considered "exotic" race parts, such as 4340 cranks, etc. are now considered a necessity.

rich