Technical 383 stroker?

You have to use stroker pistons. The 400 and the 350 have different deck heights. The 5.7 rod (350) will be fine or the 5.565 of the 400 will also work. I would prefer the 5.7 myself. But using the shorter 400 rod will increase your port velocity (its engine/physics theory).

TMI right? no matter which was you go you will need stroker pistons unless i am seriously mistaken.

 

Ill grant you the timing tab , other than that ( & most everybody uses a bolt on pointer) 1955-1996 SBC timing covers are identical in fitment...

 

Or maybe if you want some grunt, a .060 over 454?

 

Stock 350 compression height pistons will work, but only if used with the very short 5.565" 400 rods and the stock 400 crank with the mains cut down to 350 diameter.

You can't go this route with any aftermarket crank since no one sells a 3.75" stroke SBC crank with counterweights that will clear the piston skirts at Botton Dead Center with the short 5.565" stock 400 SBC rod.....all the aftermarket cranks require a 5.7" or longer rod and thus require a different piston compression height(also called "pin height").

The reground stock crank, short 400 rod, flat top 350 piston route was what was used for the first 15 years or so that guys were putting 383" SBC's together starting in the late 1970's....a real "long rod" 5.7" 383 piston wasn't made in a off-t******lf unit by TRW until the late 1980's.
Many thousands of short 5.565" rod 383's were built back in the old days and ran just fine.....but you'll get a whole bunch of "you can't do that" today from guys who don't know any better.

Today it is certainly a better way to use a new stroker crank, 5.7" or longer capscrew rods, and new pistons....but the old school way still works if you've got the parts just laying around and want to play with it.
Cost of the heavy regrinding a stock 400 crank and rebuilding the short rods with new ARP bolts gets pretty close to just buying the new stroker crank and new 5.7" rods outright....so it doesn't make much financial sense the old school way anymore.

 

Brycen for what it's worth, if you not have a good running 350 then leave well enough alone. All that trouble and expense (even at the cheapest) is not worth it in the long run. 350, 377, 383, 400 it's all a ******* contest. I've done it and I'm no better, faster or quicker just broker and more tired.

Pat

 

If your looking for more cubes, why destroke a 400?????......

 

Guys get all jacked up saying “stroker” no thrill in saying I got a “borer”. The first good circle track engine I built for my son was a 377” after we hurt a 350 block with a 3.48 Eagle crank. Bought a Dart block @4.135”
That baby couldn’t run the number.

 

Buy a new Dart SHP and don’t look back.

 

Dart and Blueprint both sell new blocks if you just have to have one.

He beat me to it^^^^

 

Got it, that’s what I was wondering and was leaning on. I’ll ask, the short rod method only works with flat top pistons ? My engine currently has dome top installed.

 

Will look into them now! Thanks

 

Still and have been on the lookout for one lol

 

defiantly will take that into consideration! I’ve noticed that and seen a few people tell me that. I figured while I have it out of the car while it gets painted maybe I’d go into it a little more but it did run good and sounded good.

 

lol I do have a fresh 454 but that is for another restoration project soon as it returns home !

 

Not just flat top, it will work with a domed or dished 350 piston....I just used flat top as an example, since with 64cc head chambers a flat top 383 is a touch over 11.1:1 compression if zero decked.
If you've got the common LT-1 replacement 4cc domed piston, such as TRW L2304F, then with a 64cc head compression jumps to a touch over 12.3:1

If your 383's and 400's weren't a good bit more powerful than your 350's...then you're doing it wrong.

Unless cl*** restricted to 360-ish cubes, a 383 is the best thing you can do with a 350 block....and as far as cost, it is now to the point that regrinding a 100,000 mile stock crank and resizing/new performance bolts in stock, 5 milliion cycles rods for that 355 costs just as much as a new stroker crank and new, better than stock rods....since you're buying pistons anyway with no cost difference there then the stroker route doesn't really cost you any more...in fact no more if you already planned to also replace that worn out harmonic damper and buy a new flexplate.

The only way I agree keep the 350 is if you buy a car with it fresh and needing no work...but if you are rebuilding more than just a hone and re-ring/re-bearing rebuild the 383 is the path to take, don't bother reconditioning stock cranks and rods anymore.

 

Update thanks for all the reply’s guys! I appreciate it. Going to find a 383 kit and just use that glad I asked before hauling parts to the machine shop lol