As I have mentioned before I need to have my engine rebuilt. I really want to supercharge my car, so I was thinking about having the shortblock redone so it can handle 15 psi or so from a vortech. Would this be worth doing if I didn't have headwork? Would I be making more power with a 383 with stock heads and a blower or NA with headwork? Thanks for any advice you can give me.

 

Stock heads with blower of course. Heads arent going to give you 150+hp on a LT1 383 stroker.

 

Well sure its going to make some power... but you can obviously make quite a bit of power NA, especially if you spent the same $ you'd have in a nice blower setup on a heavily worked over set of aftermarket castings.

Just gotta do what you want, I like blower stuff alot, had one, but I've found making comperable power naturally aspirated is more rewarding for me .

 

A friend of mine got the Vortec and I ended up with the ATI and it turns out he has had nothing but trouble with his SC. Do some shopping around and talk to different shops before you jump into it.

 

why on earth would you build a 383, especially a blown one, without putting money in the heads?

 

Mostly cause I don't have the money to do both. And I don't really want to wait and save up a few additional months when my car is sitting in the garage with a blown engine unable to even move until I have the engine rebuilt. I was just curious about the different options that I have when I finally am able to pony up the dough (atleast six months from now).

 

Ultimately, you can make much more hp yet maintain good drivability and "manners" with forced induction. If that's your eventual goal, the idea of building up the bottom end now and doing the top later makes perfect sense. That's what I did. If all you want is 400-450rwhp, stick with an NA buildup.

However, the added cost of a cam (plus springs and rockers) is pretty small, given that the motor will be out and apart anyway. So if the budget allows, doing at least that much is something you really ought to consider.

Rich Krause

 

One other reason that I want to go forced induction is that I live at about 4500 feet above sea level. And it is my understanding that FI really helps at these higher elevations. Any thoughts on that?

 

I have stock heads on my Blown Setup. It feels pretty good but the one thing you also have to think about when doing forced induction is getting the correcting tuning and upgrading your fuel system. That stuff is not cheap either so with the set up you mentioned earlier you are gonna need 50# Injectors, Bigger Intank Pump, an Ignition Box like MSD 6A and a good Tune to name a few. I had Bryan at PCMforless personally Street Tune my car. But you are looking into an easy grand at the stuff I mentioned above. I do drive my car every day (550+ Miles Weekly)and dont have any real issues with it. My car feels quick but I think it will be right where I want it to be after I fix the header leak I currently have and get a New MSD box (my old Msd box took a crap) and get it Dyno tuned with Wideband 02.

Thx,
Claude

 

I am running 38 lbs injectors...I don't think you would have to jump up as big as 50lbs.

 

very true, my friends turbo DSM in the denver area was spanking C5'. He cant due that here at sea level.

FI is much more immune to changes in elevation.

If you are looking for the 425 rwhp range, just do it NA.
If you are looking for the 650rwhp+ range, boost away!

 

are you putting the blower on at the same time you are getting the bottom end rebuilt?

 

That would be the way I would do it, yes.

 

you can afford a blower, but not heads? hmm... that doesnt make sense.

Also have you thought of the drivetrain upgrades needed?

It just doesnt make sense to me to put stock heads on any motor. Granted it doesnt matter as much with FI, but man are you gonna be working the blower hard to cram the air in there...especially the exhaust, the exhaust is gonna be overwhelmed

 

I say go for it. Then you can always pull the heads a year from now and get them worked with the money you save ...