Hello HAMBers! Please be patient with me, as this 'may' not fit in with the mainstream at***ude of the HAMB. Next weekend, I am picking up my newest project from my soon-to-be-brother-in-law... a 1964 Chevy Nova/Chevy II... whatever you want to call it. I am geting a SCREAMING deal on the car (he needs it gone) and the old motor and numerous parts. Now, onto my question... the motor he is giving me is a longblock 383 stroker SBC motor. Well, I say longblock, but it doesnt have any heads, intake, dizzy, or carb. However, it IS a 2 bolt main block. My plans for the car are to put it together to drive the **** out of it, and 'maybe' diss***emble later for extra stuff (g***er anyone?). Questions: 1) Will the 2 bolt main block hamper me in any way? I thought I read somewhaere that a 2 bolt main block with 4 bolt main caps is stranger than 4 bolt alltogether?? who knows... I'm on some of Germs' rock right now. 2) What can I mod/do to get this motor to spin as high revs as possible, SAFELY? future plans (FAR into the future) are possiblt a twin turbo setup... I would likek to be qable to hit 8 or 9 grand on the tach without detrimental results. 3) This car was originally a 6 cylinder stick ****** car... what manual trannies can 'easily' mate, and handle, a 350+ HP stroker motor? Please name something fairly reasonable... a Tremec (sp?) 6 speed just isnt in the budget right now... 4) Any rocomendations for the parts I need listed above (distributor, coil, intake, carb... Hell, it may even need a cam, now that I think about it)? Thanks everyone for any input you may have. ~Bryant
[ QUOTE ] 1) Will the 2 bolt main block hamper me in any way? I thought I read somewhaere that a 2 bolt main block with 4 bolt main caps is stranger than 4 bolt alltogether?? [/ QUOTE ] Sprint car guys were running,(in the iron block days), two bolt block machined for the splayed main caps. From what I was told, the main webs are thicker on the two bolt blocks and with the layout of the 4 bolts, the outer bolts didn't really do much anyway. If your going to turn 9 grand, about all your going to use from that engine will be the block.
A long block with heads etc is called a short block. Don't worry about the 2 bolt block,just put it together and drive it. Tell every one it's got 4 bolt mains,they will believe you. The only way to see 9000 rpm reliably,with a SBC,is to spend ALOT of money. Or get a 4 cyl tach. A T5 might be marginal on a motor that big.Depends on how you drive. Some people could break a crow bar in a sand box. Get a vacuum secondary carb,HEI distributor,Blue Max wires.
[ QUOTE ] The only way to see 9000 rpm reliably,with a SBC,is to spend ALOT of money. [/ QUOTE ] OK, for arguments sake, what WOULD it take for a SBC to hit 8 or 9 thousand RPM's in a relatively safe manner? I read somewhere that oil pressure is crucial, and that 10 PSI per 1,000 RPM's is a general formula to follow... would this be correct? And, as far as intake manifolds are concerned, any opinions on single plane, dual plane, tunnel ram monifolds? I hear that tunnel rams rob you of low end torque? Thanks again for any info! ~Bryant
To build an 8 or 9000 rpm 3.75" stroke small block you need a good steel crank, good aftermarket rods, special pistons, and someone who *really* knows what they're doing to put it all together. And you also need to be able to afford to replace it when it blows up. And to get it to breathe and make power at that rpm level you'll need some good flowing aftermarket heads, and a wild camshaft, preferably a roller setup. If you want to turn that kind of rpm on the cheap, look for a 283.... What are you gonna do with this car? Is it a street car? If so, aim for a lower rpm range, with a single or dual plane intake. If you just want to show off how high up the carbs sit, then you can run a tunnel ram, but it'll be a bear to drive. You have a lot of ****** choices, many older GM 4 speeds like the Muncie, T10, Saginaw, and several automatics, such as the powerglide (you can build these up to handle a lot of hp, for a lot of $$$), TH350 (easy way out), etc. The ****** needs to work with the engine, so if you decide you want a high rpm engine then you'll need either a manual ****** or a really high stall converter.
I shift my 406 at 7300 rpm, and I 'm not sure if you've ever heard a SBC at that RPM, but it sounds NASTY. I can't even imagine trying to live with the sound of a V8 at 9000!!!
To turn that kind of RPM, you'll need absolute top dollar for everything. Especially the valve train. The current thought that I've been getting from engine builders now is that oil pressure robs HP. They are saying that if everything in matched and ballanced perfect, you only need 35 to 40lb. Personally myself I like to see that needle move a little farther than that.
The point of a 383 is it's a stroker, it's for grunt more than revs. If you want revs, build the opposite, put a 350 crank in a 400, de-stroke it.
A two bolt mains 383 is based on a 350 block...the 400 two bolt blocks were often thought to be stronger than the four bolt 400 blocks, but four bolt 350 blocks are preffered over two bolt 350 blocks. That said, there is NO reason to think that a 350 two bolt block won't live in a stout street/strip application, but what you remembered hearing about two bolt blocks being stronger applies to 400 blocks. Building a 383 and then wanting it to spin nine grand is like buying a lifted 4x4 for slalom racing...it's just totally impractical! (Okay...I think building a 383 Chevy at all is kinda dumb...man up and use the damn 400 block...don't be afraid of the extra cubes!) To build a sick revving small block, you want a short stroke motor filled with the best components money can buy! Likely a 331 or 302 cubic inch screamer with a steel crank, aluminum rods, main cap studs and straps and high dollar roller valvetrain will get you there...but such a combo would be best suited for a flyweight car with super steep gearing. To play around on the street, you want realistic gearing with gobs of torque and mid range power...a 350 or a 400 will get you there...and cost you far less...just shift out at six grand or so and leave the stratospheric revs to the four bangers and motorcycles!
I built a 383 a few years ago for my 66 Chevy II that was originally a 6 cylinder / powerglide car. I was running a TH400 with a shift kit and a 2400 stall converter and 4.11's. The car hauled ***! I left it looking totally stock, right down to the dog dish hubcaps. That 383 is meant more for low-end torque rather that high RPM's. 2-bolt will be fine. Dont forget you will need a special oil pan and pick-up for that Chevy II. Check Moroso or Milodon for that. Also, you my want to go to a different front coil spring for the V8's weight. On my 66, I had to get factory V8 motor mount towers. On the Chevy II's with V8 the motor sat a little offset to the p***enger side to allow room for steering components on the driver side. Not sure if you would need to do this on your 64 or not.
The stroker motor will NOT turn high revs. They are low end torque monsters. I had one once and it was the most powerful engine I've ever owned ( with traction problems it propelled my Chevy into mid/high 13's ) I was running a eldebrock airgap intake 750 Holley , Hei distributor without va*** advance. 280H comp cam with 1.6 roller rockers. As for the 2 bolt part since the engine shouldn't turn high RPM's you don't really need a 4 bolt. If you don't want to run that engine I'll take it off your hands
Also do yourself a favor and get rid of the factory front suspension. You can do it yourself if your a fabricator with a fully equipt shop, but the practical way is with a Morrison or Heidt's front clip. You get rack and pinion steering, way better suspension, and you can use generic oil pans. It will also get the car lower so it will handle, and be able to use a lot of different tire/wheel combinations. That said, why would you want to wind the engine to 9,000RPM? Is this something that you think sounds cool, or do you have a specific goal in mind? As an example, 1/4 mile modified Production/Gas cl*** racing and NASCAR tracks require that kind of RPM, but there is no place on the street to use it unless you just want to impress your friends. The engines that are built for this application cost anywhere from $20,000-$50,000. Is this your engine budget? If not then look for something more suited for everyday driving. Frank
Look for this: Sorry for the slightly spammy taste, but it's good info, and it's only like 13 bucks on Amazon. Steve.
[ QUOTE ] Also do yourself a favor and get rid of the factory front suspension. You can do it yourself if your a fabricator with a fully equipt shop, but the practical way is with a Morrison or Heidt's front clip. You get rack and pinion steering, way better suspension, and you can use generic oil pans. It will also get the car lower so it will handle, and be able to use a lot of different tire/wheel combinations. [/ QUOTE ] I have the Heidt's subframe on my 62 Chevy II, and I love it... it's expensive, but VERY well engineered. Take some dough out of your 9000 rpm engine budget to buy the subframe, then just spin the motor to 6500! I think you'd be MUCH happier in the long run!
Also don't waste your money building a 383 with the 400 (shorter) rods. If you don't step up to at least the 5.7 rods and pistons with the higher pin location to compensate for the longer length your wasting your time. 383's with the short rods don't run any better than 350's so save your money. Frank
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