This fall I plan to be installing a stroker kit. I will have the machine work done by a pro...but I would like to build the engine myself. Is this a totally crazy idea? I would do it in the shop at my college. I have read alot about them and I think it could be done. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys

 

My dad and I just bought a new block/rotating assembly. The only thing that came assembled was the crank/pistons in the block. Everything else, we did in the garage. Granted hes been working on cars all his life, but it wasn't too hard. Good luck

 

I'd say read every write-up you can get your hands on. Buy "Rebuilding the LT1/LT4". Nothing is impossible. Take your time, ask questions. Good luck.

 

I would have a pro do it.

If it was a stock rebuild you would be o.k. things need to be done right in hi performance stuff or it will blow up twice *** fast

 

For a 383, if it were me personally, I would have the shop machine and assemble the whole shortblock and I would install the heads and other stuff.

 

I would say thats fine but consider valve geometry and doing all the valve train right.......there is alot to getting it right.

Alot depends on what you know and what your willing to learn/ screw up and learn the hard way. I learn alot the hard way.....so thats why I say let someone else do it..

 

yup, its nice to have someone else to blame

 

I would be sending the crank pistons rods etc to the machine shop along with the block, and I would be buying new heads so some of the more complicated stuff will be taken care of. I think I'm going to go for it...if I screw it up I'll just have to ride my bike or pimp around in my 86 baby blue mercury lynx with a big bad 1.9L.

 

Yeah I just did it, by myself, in my garage at home. I got the shortblock assembled from the machine shop, clearanced a pan, installed trickflow heads, rockers, measured for pushrods, ... all the way to the intake. I learned a lot, and had to redo a few things, but now it's a beast, and it feels even better knowing that I built it.

 

im thinkin of all this same stuff and it seems many here say they have the crank and rods and pistons installed at the shop with the machining but to me that seems like the easy stuff just torque it all down right and clock the rings correctly...or no? should i be more concerned about that stuff? it just seems like pushrods and rocker adjustment would be more challenging stuff but i wanna learn more u kno?

 

If it's your first motor I'd leave the shortblock assembly to the pros. There's
more to it than just tossing it in and torquing down.

I bought my shortblock and built the rest of the engine in my garage top to bottom.

I plan to build a shortblock one of these days but i'll probably start on a beater car type.