Ok. I am about to purchase a LT1 Engine Block. Bored and Cleaned, for $80. I am thinking about going with a 383 stroker kit. Who all has done this before, and what is needed. I am going to try to build the engine myself, and use it as a great learning experience. so what is needed to build a 383? specific kits on certain sites would be helpful. thanks... and just to let you know i have a budget of about 1400 right now, but i dont plan on spending all of it now, this is gonna be a year long prolly longer project, so im not in much of a hurry to buy all the stuff... but as of now, i found the block for $80, a ported intake manifold already bored for a 58mm tb for $75, a 58mm tb for $150, and Vortec heads for $150. Some pretty good deals to my knowledge.

 

Will Vortec heads work with an LT1? I don't think they will but I could be wrong. You will need a 3.75" stroke crank, some clearancing of the block to make sure the rods won't hit.

And, you got that block bored and cleaned for $80??? You might want to have that checked out as far as dimensions go and see if it truly is ready to go. How far is it bored out? It needs to have a 4.030" bore diameter with the 3.75" stroke to be a 383

 

Correct.... Vortec heads (or any Gen 1 SBC head) will not work on an LT1 block unless they are converted to reverse flow cooling. About $250. Stock LT1 heads flow almost as well and weigh less, anyway. A little "economy" porting, and they will outflow the cast iron Vortecs substantially.

 

You'll make more power on that budget with a stock crank 350 than a 383.

 

the listing says the vortec heads are came off a 1996 impala ss, which also head the lt1. which is why i thought they would work... but if you guys say not, then it must be wrong. the guy said the block was bored "30 over" his son got it bored and cleaned to put in his 95 t/a, but ended up going with and ls1. so im gonna obviously check the enigine out myself, but i doubt its got issues. so with a bare block, already bored and cleaned. Where should i start?!? like i said, ive found those intake parts on craigslist here in town, and figure if im gonna do this, i might as well get the bigger intake tb just in case i decide to go boost later on... plus for 225 for the tb and ported intake, thats a steal.

 

The person who sold them to you was wrong. If they listed them as "vortec heads are came off a 1996 impala ss" (huh?).... they listed them incorrectly. GM made a cast iron Gen 2 SBC reverse-flow cooling LT1 head and put it on the B-Bodys. They were such good heads, then then copied them, and made a conventional Gen 1 SBC conventional flow coolant head, and called it a Vortec head.

If you bought a set of cast iron LT1 heads for a B-Body (Impala SS, Roadmaster, Fleetwood), they will bolt on directly. They will flow about 10% better than the much lighter, LT1 aluminum heads used on the F-Bodys and Corvettes. They may limit the amount of timing advance you can run, compared to the aluminum heads, but they will be thermally more efficient. They are more difficult to port than the aluminum heads. And they are NOT Vortec heads.

 

They also have a 64 cc combustion chamber compared to the LT1s 55 to 58 cc.

 

ok. so no vortec heads. so putting all that away. where should i start. i just bought the how to rebuild lt1/lt4 book. so im gonna give that a god lookin over, but in the time between, what are you guys ' opinions on what i should do first with it...