thinking about doing a 396 for the camaro, just wanted to get some feedback or suggestions from anyone with knowledge or expierence.

 

It's been done many times... not as popular as a 383 though... 30 over and 3.875 stroke gets you there....... need the block clearanced though, like a 383 does as well. All your power will come from the top end really, not too much to be gained going from 383 to 396...

 

396 has a rather poor rod ratio and cant rev very high. It needs really good heads and a fat cam to rev over 6500.

 

Not to mention that the 396 piston ring land thickness is smaller than 383 pistons, therefore sacrificing ultimate strength.

 

Unless you build a 383 with 5.7" rods.

Nah, I know what you're getting at Josh.
Just keep in mind that guys rarely have piston strength problems in NA street motors.... nitrous and forced induction is a different ballgame with a different approach. Then you might opt for a shorter connecting rod and lower ring placement/more space.

The max piston speeds of a 396 (5.85 rod) at 7000 rpm are very close to the max piston speeds of a 355 (6.0 rod) at 7800 rpm. By the way, a 7800 rpm 355 race motor is in my experience a very reliable engine when built with quality components.

So don't get too hung up on the revs vs durability thing with a street engine build 396. Sure the engine will need good heads and it's going to need more cam if you want to turn more rpm but that's the way it goes.

I don't think there's much of an advantage there (383 vs 396) so cost-wise, I'd go 3.75 stroke.

-Mindgame

 

Very true, and I should have mentioned that. Right as usual MG!

 

Ok, this motor will have a 200 shot of the dope on it,after it is all said and done it should put 550 hp, and reving to 7500 is no use to me it's a street car, i'll be leaving at 6800 rpm, with the moser 12 bolt thats on the way. Anymore help or suggestions is really appreiciated.

 

yea my advice is don't skimp on the lower end part's... Eagle's stuff has been proven to be able to take a pounding as well as callies... Best bet is to get a budget of how much you want to spend!.. then add about 2K to that price.. and thats how much it should cost ya to get it done.. ....

 

Dont get to caught up in names, just cause you have the biggest badest parts doenst mean your car is going to run worth a damn or not break. My buddy runs a scat non forged 250$ crank, stock repolished 5.7 rods and some decent forged low compresion pistons in his 383 LT1. On a 54cc ported polished head it has static cr of like 9.5:1. That motor has seen a 250 wet shot on pump 93 for the past 4 years and has held perfect. If it had more compresion, yea, then he would prolly have had to spray on race/pump 93 mix. But when on it was spray, high 9 sec car easily. Another friend, ran a home built 383 in his six speed 96 Formula. Same scat non forged 3.75 crank, most base Eage rods and j.e piston. With a CC306 cam, it trapped 122 motor on a crappy launch, ported polished LT1 headed car mind you. On a 150 or so wet shot of n20 it was going a little over a 130. Proof you dont need the most expensive parts to run good, a lot people need to get off the boards and go down to the track. You'd be amazed at many set ups the message boards deem that will never run good do. You just need a good light car that can sixty foot its ***** off, because if it can do those to and make good power then it'll run. What you make on the dyno and hope to make doesnt really mean much other than it looks nice in your sig. I also know a guy (Mike Pablon @ Icon) who ran 117 motor, stock bottom end. On a 250 shot it was going 9.6s and running in the 130s.

 

You can find out a lot by doing a search on the topic. I prefer the 383, but there are advantages to each.

Rich Krause

 

so ok, i take it from all the replies no one has or has a friend who has a 396. I just wanted some ideas on the clearance issues, i know rod clearance will have to be addressed.

 

Well sure, the block is gonna need clearancing... pan rails, bottom of cylinder bores, a cam core with a small base circle, just your typical stroker stuff. There really isn't anything out of the ordinary about building a 396.

Are you going to be building this or is the machine shop?

-Mindgame

 

I am @ a machine shop.

 

I personally question the cost/benefit ratio of a 396, as compared to a 383.

Even at 2hp/cid, that's 26hp.

Assuming a 500hp 383, that extra 13 inches is only worth 17hp.

Not that 17hp is trivial, but it's debateable whether or not it's worth the extra expense, both in terms of initial layout, and in terms of faster wear and/or lower reliability. (Some may disagree that "lower reliability" is the correct description of the situation, but I think it's pretty clear what it means in this context.)


My personal opinon, and that's ALL it is, my personal opinion, is that you are better served by doing the following:

1) "Balance & Blueprint" the bottom end, and keep it as light as feasible.
2) Put some real time and consideration into your intake/heads/cam/exhaust package. And spend the money to do it right.
3) Buy some simulator software and run a bunch of different ideas. These ideas may not translate directly to real life, but they are very useful for comparison to each other.

 

I have examined the cost and being such I go to a school here in houston we get are parts at jobber prices so that has alot to do with the decision. I would have done it anyway but want ed to hear some replies, this has been a good thread and hopefully more Ideas and suggestions will continue to flow in. Thanks for all the info gang