Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
10-02-2004, 09:57 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: AACO, MD
Posts: 2,168
Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
Finally had some time to sit down and get the pics downloaded/resized/uploaded. I've been working on this most nights for the last week or so til around 10 at night, minus a couple nights spent dicking with my truck problems...in a later post yet to make. 
Anyhooter...here she is. The blue looks odd in the pics, because w/ the flash, it comes out as a cyan color, so I corrected it in photoshop, but if I don't use the flash, you can't see crap under the fluorescent lights in the pics, I dunno, it sucks like that.
Pic from the Bret @ Bauer Racing Engines (SStrokerAce) before I picked it up. That top plug in the timing cover is where the spline to drive the water pump used to come out, gear driven off the cam gear. Now that I've got a CSI Electric pump, don't need that hole or gear in there anymore. The masking tape left behind some crappy sticky residue, but GOO GONE is the BEST **** ever made. Made my hoses look practically brand new too!
My intake, timing cover, and valve covers are all powdercoated black.
First thing I did was polish those fuel rails. Came out TONS better looking. I used Turtle Wax rubbing compound, then I used Blue Magic after. On my water pump, I glass beaded it, then hit it with a wire wheel. The engine stand is from Jegs, cost like $54 or something, they've got one with wheels too! As you can see I decided to go with the Canton 7qt Road Race pan as well. I have to bend the dipstick tube though, as it's hitting the header.
Shot inside the intake, of the ported runners. I've still got to get a pic of the outside. It's not only ported but welded. He builds up material on the outside to give more material to port through in order to get a straighter shot down to the heads.
I can't WAIT to hang these off this bad boy! They won't fit with it on the engine stand though, have to wait until it's in the engine cradle. Jet Hot built & coated long tubes.
Couple shots with the valve cover off, since I had to take 3 bolts out anyways to put the Delteq coilpack ignition bracket on there. Comp Pro Magnum 1.6:1 Roller Rockers, Comp Hi-Tech Hardened Pushrods, Isky adjustable Guide Plates, Comp "R" Lifters, Comp Titanium Retainers, Comp Hardened Spring Seats, Comp 977 Double Springs, and the Comp Super Locks I think they are.
TB gasket was MIA, so I had to make my own damn thing, didn't feel like waiting for a new one to come! Not TOO shabby, it'll work for now hehe.
I'm going to get a Cold Air Intake, or K&N FIPK setup for it, but I don't have the funds available yet. I'll also eventually get a nicer elbow for it, but for now this'll do, it doesn't do much different than any of the others. The 'donkey ****', I removed that because I don't need it, and because it hits the electric water pump, but needed SOMETHING to fill the hole there...Nothing a bottle of L'OREAL VIVE shampoo can't fix! hehe. I cut it off flush with the rubber boot, put a ring of blue RTV around it, and a hose clamp.
Here's with the accessories on. They really make everything else look UGLY! Money/time/boredom permitting, I will take them off eventually and get them polished/powdercoated/painted etc. to match everything else, but I just don't got the time for that right now, nor the money. I just want to get the damn thing RUNNING! I did my best to clean them up though.
It took me 5 tries to get a damn serpentine belt for it. 64.2 too big, 61.5 too small, 62 too small, 63.7 too big...guess I can't get it at O'Reilly's. Another place had a 63" that fit. That was a pain in the *** going back and forth.
The Harmonic Damper is SFI spec'c Pioneer Hub & Damper unit, $$$ is all I gotta say. I kept the AC, Power Steering, this IS a street car
Gimme a few minutes to get the rest of the pics up.
Anyhooter...here she is. The blue looks odd in the pics, because w/ the flash, it comes out as a cyan color, so I corrected it in photoshop, but if I don't use the flash, you can't see crap under the fluorescent lights in the pics, I dunno, it sucks like that.
Pic from the Bret @ Bauer Racing Engines (SStrokerAce) before I picked it up. That top plug in the timing cover is where the spline to drive the water pump used to come out, gear driven off the cam gear. Now that I've got a CSI Electric pump, don't need that hole or gear in there anymore. The masking tape left behind some crappy sticky residue, but GOO GONE is the BEST **** ever made. Made my hoses look practically brand new too!
My intake, timing cover, and valve covers are all powdercoated black.
First thing I did was polish those fuel rails. Came out TONS better looking. I used Turtle Wax rubbing compound, then I used Blue Magic after. On my water pump, I glass beaded it, then hit it with a wire wheel. The engine stand is from Jegs, cost like $54 or something, they've got one with wheels too! As you can see I decided to go with the Canton 7qt Road Race pan as well. I have to bend the dipstick tube though, as it's hitting the header.
Shot inside the intake, of the ported runners. I've still got to get a pic of the outside. It's not only ported but welded. He builds up material on the outside to give more material to port through in order to get a straighter shot down to the heads.
I can't WAIT to hang these off this bad boy! They won't fit with it on the engine stand though, have to wait until it's in the engine cradle. Jet Hot built & coated long tubes.
Couple shots with the valve cover off, since I had to take 3 bolts out anyways to put the Delteq coilpack ignition bracket on there. Comp Pro Magnum 1.6:1 Roller Rockers, Comp Hi-Tech Hardened Pushrods, Isky adjustable Guide Plates, Comp "R" Lifters, Comp Titanium Retainers, Comp Hardened Spring Seats, Comp 977 Double Springs, and the Comp Super Locks I think they are.
TB gasket was MIA, so I had to make my own damn thing, didn't feel like waiting for a new one to come! Not TOO shabby, it'll work for now hehe.
I'm going to get a Cold Air Intake, or K&N FIPK setup for it, but I don't have the funds available yet. I'll also eventually get a nicer elbow for it, but for now this'll do, it doesn't do much different than any of the others. The 'donkey ****', I removed that because I don't need it, and because it hits the electric water pump, but needed SOMETHING to fill the hole there...Nothing a bottle of L'OREAL VIVE shampoo can't fix! hehe. I cut it off flush with the rubber boot, put a ring of blue RTV around it, and a hose clamp.
Here's with the accessories on. They really make everything else look UGLY! Money/time/boredom permitting, I will take them off eventually and get them polished/powdercoated/painted etc. to match everything else, but I just don't got the time for that right now, nor the money. I just want to get the damn thing RUNNING! I did my best to clean them up though.
It took me 5 tries to get a damn serpentine belt for it. 64.2 too big, 61.5 too small, 62 too small, 63.7 too big...guess I can't get it at O'Reilly's. Another place had a 63" that fit. That was a pain in the *** going back and forth.
The Harmonic Damper is SFI spec'c Pioneer Hub & Damper unit, $$$ is all I gotta say. I kept the AC, Power Steering, this IS a street car
Gimme a few minutes to get the rest of the pics up.
10-02-2004, 10:20 PM
#2
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: AACO, MD
Posts: 2,168
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
OK, here's with everything on it, all the vaccuum **** sorted out, and the coolant lines where they go.
It's hard ENOUGH to remember where everything goes after a year and a half, it's even HARDER to also figure out what to knock off to get rid of the EGR and AIR systems, as well as bypass coolant out of the throttle body. Got it all squared away though.
Even got a blue vaccuum cap for the EGR port on the side of the intake LOL.
Man this throttle body from Arizona Speed & Marine is a work of art!!! 58mm.
I'm not too happy with the Delteq bracket design (The coil packs). I have to bolt the bracket onto the valve cover first, then put 8 self tapping screws through the coil packs (2 each) into the bracket. So to take off the bracket I have to take the coil packs off, then the bracket. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have screwed them in OFF the valvecover, then ground down the protruding self-tapping bolt afterwards, because now I have dig-marks in the valve cover where the screws poked through. I have to reset the lash after the first running, so that's going to be a PITA taking that crap off. But, you bet I'm going to grind down the rest of the bracket this time. Delteq you listening? Sit the bracket higher away from the valve cover, or put a little note in your instructions! LOL. $40 powdercoat job ruined, blah.
It's hard ENOUGH to remember where everything goes after a year and a half, it's even HARDER to also figure out what to knock off to get rid of the EGR and AIR systems, as well as bypass coolant out of the throttle body. Got it all squared away though.
Even got a blue vaccuum cap for the EGR port on the side of the intake LOL.
Man this throttle body from Arizona Speed & Marine is a work of art!!! 58mm.
I'm not too happy with the Delteq bracket design (The coil packs). I have to bolt the bracket onto the valve cover first, then put 8 self tapping screws through the coil packs (2 each) into the bracket. So to take off the bracket I have to take the coil packs off, then the bracket. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have screwed them in OFF the valvecover, then ground down the protruding self-tapping bolt afterwards, because now I have dig-marks in the valve cover where the screws poked through. I have to reset the lash after the first running, so that's going to be a PITA taking that crap off. But, you bet I'm going to grind down the rest of the bracket this time. Delteq you listening? Sit the bracket higher away from the valve cover, or put a little note in your instructions! LOL. $40 powdercoat job ruined, blah.
10-02-2004, 10:30 PM
#3
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: AACO, MD
Posts: 2,168
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
Last set of pics.
I got the car into my buddy's shop yesterday. They run a performance shop here in town called Xcessive Motorsports, NO relation to the ****ty Mustang hackjob that's in the magazines. They're good friends of mine, so they're letting me do the work in there. Plus now they can say "A 425+ RWHP Firebird *came out* of this shop"
I tell you what though, that carpet is MUCH nicer to work on than concrete! Except when you spill a quart of oil...Right Jon? hehe
I put a rim on top of a dually rim, and then put those under the rear tires. Then put some small jackstands under the front K-member, unbolted it, then jacked up each side of the car couple inches at a time, until the car would clear the K-member. Then I put the jack under the k-member, raised it off the small jackstands, down to the floor, and out from under the car. Probably put it back in close to the same way, but get the front of the car a little bit higher this time.
Oh, and I can't find my damn brake lines! I remember them hanging on my roof at my old house, but from there I dont' recall where they went. Maybe they're in storage, maybe they're at my dads house still, I'll have him check for them...this sucks!
Oh, and my suspension was FILTHY when I took it out, I was pissed! So afterwards I spent a good 1.5 hours cleaning it all back up! God I'm so pathetically meticulous.
I got the car into my buddy's shop yesterday. They run a performance shop here in town called Xcessive Motorsports, NO relation to the ****ty Mustang hackjob that's in the magazines. They're good friends of mine, so they're letting me do the work in there. Plus now they can say "A 425+ RWHP Firebird *came out* of this shop"
I tell you what though, that carpet is MUCH nicer to work on than concrete! Except when you spill a quart of oil...Right Jon? heheI put a rim on top of a dually rim, and then put those under the rear tires. Then put some small jackstands under the front K-member, unbolted it, then jacked up each side of the car couple inches at a time, until the car would clear the K-member. Then I put the jack under the k-member, raised it off the small jackstands, down to the floor, and out from under the car. Probably put it back in close to the same way, but get the front of the car a little bit higher this time.
Oh, and I can't find my damn brake lines!
I remember them hanging on my roof at my old house, but from there I dont' recall where they went. Maybe they're in storage, maybe they're at my dads house still, I'll have him check for them...this sucks!Oh, and my suspension was FILTHY when I took it out, I was pissed! So afterwards I spent a good 1.5 hours cleaning it all back up! God I'm so pathetically meticulous.
10-02-2004, 11:07 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 1,388
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
That is amazing. If my engine ever blows, Im gonna build a 383. I don't know too much about the process but how much trouble was it, how much did all the stuff cost, and how long did it take you from beginning to actually driving the car?
10-02-2004, 11:08 PM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Little Rock, AR
Posts: 27,709
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
The longest rebuild in history finally begins the home stretch! 
I know you swapped the k-member, but it's real easy to move it around with the wheels on it (and it doesn't raise it off the ground very much). You do have to watch out for the shocks tipping inward, though.
I know you swapped the k-member, but it's real easy to move it around with the wheels on it (and it doesn't raise it off the ground very much). You do have to watch out for the shocks tipping inward, though.
10-02-2004, 11:18 PM
#7
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: AACO, MD
Posts: 2,168
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
Longest in history It's been a LONG journey my friend! So much crap screwed up along the way it's not even funny, from the porting thru the water jacket, to the lost money orders, to not a single thing being done on time
It's feeling good now though! Last stretch!!
It's been a LONG journey my friend! So much crap screwed up along the way it's not even funny, from the porting thru the water jacket, to the lost money orders, to not a single thing being done on time It's feeling good now though! Last stretch!!
10-02-2004, 11:41 PM
#8
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: waterford, MI - USA
Posts: 3,738
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
cool, get that thing fired up. I finally got mine done this week and have put 140 mi.s on it so far. waitin till around 200 mi.s at least before I really open it up. but it feels VERY good when just goosing it. your gonna love it!
chris
chris
10-03-2004, 12:41 AM
#9
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 6,518
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
Good pics Dave.
Luckily Dave had everything there and all we had to do was check the machine work that was done already, then finish the rest of the machine work, and put everything together w/ a little powder coating here and there. Between the Ai head/cam package and the rest of the work he put into that motor it should scream.
Bret
Luckily Dave had everything there and all we had to do was check the machine work that was done already, then finish the rest of the machine work, and put everything together w/ a little powder coating here and there. Between the Ai head/cam package and the rest of the work he put into that motor it should scream.
Bret
10-03-2004, 01:12 AM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: MN/WI
Posts: 1,454
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
Looks very nice, I just took my new 383 for a drive today. It already has 115 miles on it, and I can already tell it will be a monster. I will be very interested to see how your car does on the track/dyno.
Chris
Chris
10-03-2004, 01:48 AM
#11
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: dalton Ga.
Posts: 1,013
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
That's one of the nicest, cleanest engines I've ever seen! Hope you're open to sudjestions..........THE ONLY thing I can see that would make it look a little better would be polishing the alternator. It would take alot of sanding but with all the work you've put into that peice of ...................art 
I think it would make it look better. Like I said before though, that is a VERY nice engine. Great job, good luck.
I think it would make it look better. Like I said before though, that is a VERY nice engine. Great job, good luck.
10-03-2004, 11:00 AM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Kingsport, TN
Posts: 1,889
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
I'm going to laugh when you have an opti seal leak and everything gets covered in grime in about 50 miles.
lol Looks good. Hope it does well for you.
lol Looks good. Hope it does well for you.
10-03-2004, 11:53 AM
#13
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: AACO, MD
Posts: 2,168
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
Thanks guys! It's been a long time coming for sure! Thanks shoebox, I'll probably put the wheels back on it then. I need to stabilize the rear wheels a bit more first before I get the front jacked up higher
I need to find my brake hardlines that go on the K-member, I don't know what I did with them.
wned:
I need to find my brake hardlines that go on the K-member, I don't know what I did with them.
wned:
10-03-2004, 12:39 PM
#15
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: AACO, MD
Posts: 2,168
Re: Finally got some pics up of the 383 Stroker! Beautiful!
I'm VERY impressed with the bolt kit. I got it from www.alloyboltz.com , I found them on eBay. Their normal price is a little higher than the ebay price, but they dress it up very well!
They are polished stainless, allen head bolts.
http://alloyboltz.com/images/lt1.jpg
http://alloyboltz.com/cgi-bin/alzsto...talogno=A-5438
They are polished stainless, allen head bolts.
Dress Up Your Small Block Chevy LT-1 Tuned Port Engine With This 162 Piece Stainless Steel Allen Bolt TPI Engine Dress Up Kit. This Kit Is Guaranteed To Fit Stock Engines!
These Allen Bolts Are For The Entire Engine From The Top Plate To The Oil Pan. The kit also includes Mil Spec Stainless AN flat washers where they belong which will fit in the tightest spots. This kit consists of Allen bolts for the following:
Top plate, Center bolt valve covers, Timing cover, Thermostat Housing, Fuel Rails, Throttle Body, Throttle Bracket, Oil Pan, Intake to Heads including studs, Water Pump, Map Sensor, and an EGR Stud Kit.
These Allen Bolts Are For The Entire Engine From The Top Plate To The Oil Pan. The kit also includes Mil Spec Stainless AN flat washers where they belong which will fit in the tightest spots. This kit consists of Allen bolts for the following:
Top plate, Center bolt valve covers, Timing cover, Thermostat Housing, Fuel Rails, Throttle Body, Throttle Bracket, Oil Pan, Intake to Heads including studs, Water Pump, Map Sensor, and an EGR Stud Kit.
http://alloyboltz.com/cgi-bin/alzsto...talogno=A-5438