basics of starting a 383 sbc combo planing

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
jjay2145 said:
I'm needing some help with my 383 stroker of all the block is Bored 30 over the stroker kit is a 3.75 inch stroke with 6-inch rods and -10 CC dish top pistons the heads I went with some edelBrock E210 witch are a 64 CC chamber and a 210 cc intake runner with maximum lift 650. I have 1.5 roller rockers I also have an elder Brock RPM air gap intake I need some help figuring out my compression ratio to know if I have to run pump gas or racing fuel and I need some help on picking out a cam thanks



youll need to post a great deal more info to get a valid suggestion, as to the best matching cam, yes you can get a really good matching cam suggestion, but without knowing exactly what your intended use for the engine is and what the application is your going to get at best guess work.
simply because all the components must be matched to an intended power range and rpm band, and of course the components must be made for that intended application and rpm/power band.
yes I have to admit that when I personally swapped from a stock stall speed converter
,in my 383 sbc corvette and a 3200 rpm stall speed converter the difference in performance was amazingly better.
swap too a 3.73:1 rear gear and you've noticeably further enhanced that seat of the pants and slam in the back acceleration.
people tend to not fully appreciate the fact that the performance cars drive train gearing, power to weight ratio and the converter stall
(in the case of automatic transmission) must match the engine torque curve if the car is to perform to anything close to its best potential
keep in mind theres a big difference between STATIC compression and DYNAMIC COMPRESSION,for a street performance car , a static compression near 9:1-9.6:1 and a dynamic compression in the 8:1-8.2:1 range with aluminum heads is a ball park range to shoot for.
it helps a great deal if you take the time and effort to find a trust worthy and reasonably priced local machine shop , and trust me when I say this is critical, and yes, the machinist will seem to point out endless things that should be done to increase durability, or just allow proper component function,and a good machinist will try to guide you in component selection to help avoid mis-matched parts and low quality parts being used, yes quality parts and machine work, ALWAYS COST more than you may expect them too!
a week spent reading reference material before you start buying parts will likely save you thousands of dollars and weeks of wasted work, the more carefully you research and detail what you want to accomplish the more likely youll find the finished engine build, you build matches your intended results.
knowing exactly what parts you need and WHY you selected them goes a long way towards building an engine that will match your needs
DEAL IN PROVEN FACTS NEVER GUESS , NEVER ASSUME
first step.
before you start panicking and potentially wasting money and time.
would be to assemble a single piston and rod assembly without rings,
but ideally with some old bearings on the crank and connecting rod and install the cam, in the block
( indexed with a simple,dot to dot timing on the timing gear sets should be ok at this point)
its all a learning process, you want too simply want to mentally take a step back, take a deep breath or two,
and start testing to find out whats working correctly,in your current combo,
whats not working up to your expectations,and if its not meeting your goals, logically calculate what should change,
and then calculate what can be adjusted or if necessary parts that can be logically replaced, and re-tested,
if that required too improve the performance.
don,t make the all too common mistake of thinking adding horsepower is the only route to improved performance.
suspension mods, better shocks, better brakes, a stiffer frame, larger diameter and wider tires, and drive train gearing and removing weight,
and correctly setting up the cars chassis to more effectively apply weight transfer ratios,
swapping to lower weight parts,or stronger , or more durable parts, use of stronger drive train components, better matched gear ratios, all help
some of the newer stroker rods do in most cases let you avoid the use of a smaller base circle cam, but because there's dozens of different connecting rod designs and different types of rods and rod bolts clearances vary a good deal,
as alway you'll need to check & verify the clearances, once the cam is degreed in, and rods are installed in your particular engine.

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move that connecting rod and piston to all 8 locations and very carefully verify clearances (remember the rod clearance bevel faces the crank counter weight and the piston valve clearances face the outer block)through the full 720 degree rotational cycle, remember the cam spins at 1/2 the crank speed so the cam lobe comes close to the rod every other rotation,
and actually verify you DO, have or DON,T have a potential clearance problem
theres zero sense in runninbg around pulling your hair out and screaming until,
theres actually a PROVEN ISSUE too SOLVE (THERE MAY NOT BE!)
now if you find theres an issue to be solved you proceed using facts
and while your checking the cam lobe to connecting rod clearance check the connecting rod to block clearance ....yes the same minimum .060-.080 clearance is suggested
lobeclear.jpg

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...earances-and-journal-surface.9955/#post-38385

rods that use bolts with nuts like pictured below will be weakened if excessively clearance ground
rod-grinding.jpe

stroker profile rods offer more clearance to cam lobes, and yes the stroker clearanced profile rods are available in both (h) and (I ) beam designs
scatrdx.jpg


generally its a minor easily done clearance job
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camlcc5.jpg

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http://www.scatcrankshafts.com/index.htm
don,t forget to verify the cam to connecting rod clearances
a cams VALVE LIFT is determined by the DISTANCE the lifter moves as the cam rotates under the lifter base as it moves from the cam lobe base circle
(the closest the lifter comes to the cams center line)
up to the cam lobes ramp to the lobes peak,
(the furthest the lifter up off or from the cams center line)

don,t forget to carefully check the piston skirt to crank counter weight clearance, it should be a MINIMUM of .080 thousands
heres some pictures taken of an engine assembly that use a crank designed for a MINIMUM of a 6.25" connecting rod that was used with a 6.135" connecting rod


p140811.jpg

http://www.enginebuildermag.com/201...ton-compression-height-and-crankshaft-stroke/
deckh.jpg

deckh.png



piston1.jpg

you can clearly see where the piston pin boss was being hit bye the counter weights, even though the builder checked one piston and found it had .025 clearance during assembly
pistontocrankclearance.jpg


yes it costs more but BUT the quality of the steel and machine work tends to be far more consistent, so I generally advise use of a SCAT FORGED 4340 steel crank ,internally balanced for use with 6" connecting rods using 7/16" ARP rod bolts,
I've found the cost well worth the increased quality and lack of clearance issues

MATERIAL....................TENSILE STRENGTH.....PSI.
CAST
CAST IRON.....................APROX 75,000
NODULAR IRON................APROX 95,000
CAST STEEL...................APROX 105,000
FORGED
5140 forged steel.............APROX 115,000
4130.forged.....................aprox 123,000
4340 forged.....................aprox 143,000

piston2.jpg


When your planing to build a performance car, I've found it helps,
you see progress being made and prevents you from getting discouraged as easily,
if you work on accumulating components for each of the 8 basic sub assemblies,
and checking off your list those components and grouping those on a separate shelf,
as doing so tends to allow you to see more consistent progress,
being made, and you get a feeling your getting someplace.

(1) BLOCK (bearings, freeze plugs main caps and machine work)

(2) ROTATING ASSEMBLY (crank, rods pistons, rings, flywheel,damper etc.)

(3) CYLINDER HEADS and VALVE TRAIN ( valves, valve springs, cam, timing gears, rockers, valve guides, push-rods lifters . etc.)

(4)INDUCTION(manifold, throttle body, sensors, carbs, supercharger, injection , fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator injectors etc.)

(5) DRIVE TRAIN ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS(clutch, stall converter, transmission ETC.)

(6) ignition system (distributor,coils, ignition wires, magneto etc.)

(7) LUBE SYSTEM (oil pan, oil pump, windage tray,oil cooler, ETC.)
these threads and links and sub-links might help

(8) EXHAUST (headers and exhaust system, mufflers ETC.)
rebuilt or new chevy 383 crank
http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/project-cars/sucp-0706-small-block-chevy-stroker-kit/

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mor-38350_w.jpg

On oil pans I prefer studs, and an oil pan back plate
panback1.jpg

fel-0534510t.jpg

you might want to Use with P/N 12553058 RH and P/N 12553059 LH oil pan reinforcement plates to distribute the bolt stress on the oil pan rail for 1985 and earlier oil pans P/N 14088501 (LH) and P/N 14088502 (RH).1986 and newer
I think the hamburger oil pan is a better value At $242 than most of the common mid priced oil pans
notice the better oil control features
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ham-1088/overview/
ham-1088.jpg




http://www.milodon.com/oil-pans/street-oil-pans-sbchevy.asp

http://www.jegs.com/p/Moroso/Moroso-Street-Strip-Oil-Pans/763991/10002/-1

https://www.summitracing.com/search/brand/hamburgers-performance/part-type/oil-pans

https://www.cantonracingproducts.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=1301

http://www.stefsperformance.net/ste...oil-pans/aluminum-oil-pans-pumps#!prettyPhoto

youll want to take the time to do the math and compare components, lets for a second assume your,debating these two heads,
if you compare the 195cc vs 210cc AFR heads, all the way
theres a significant improvement in flow and a negligible decrease in port flow speed
theres always a compromise made between cost and potential power,
and obviously you want to match components to the intended power and rpm range,
but having seen a bunch of 383 builds use both AFR heads,
I think the 210cc choice here, is a no brainer if you can afford the price.

heres a chart FROM THE BOOK,HOW TO BUILD BIG-INCH CHEVY SMALL BLOCKS with some common cross sectional port sizes
(measured at the smallest part of the ports)

HeadsVsPortFlow.JPG


Potential HP based on Airflow (Hot Rod, Jun '99, p74):
Airflow at 28" of water x 0.257 x number of cylinders = potential HP
or required airflow based on HP:
HP / 0.257 / cylinders = required airflow

if we compare the head air flow rates between a 195cc and 210cc head on a 383-406 SBC and assuming a decent roller cam with the lift and duration,required, and intake that allows the heads to flow at their full potential,
195cc Street Head Flow Chart
.200 .300 .400 .500 .550
Int 146 201 247 275 280
Exh 119 166 197 213 218



210cc Race Ready Head Flow Chart
.200 .300 .400 .500 .550 .600 .650
Int 145 199 255 292 301 309 311
Exh 110 158 192 210 214 220 222


if you compare peak intake rated flow at .550 lift
280 cfm vs 301 cfm (about a 9% increase) youll see why
thats in theory potentially a 43 hp gain

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...hing-the-drive-train-to-the-engine-combo.741/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...electing-a-torque-converter-stall-speed.1715/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...late-gear-ratios-and-when-to-shift-calcs.555/

all it takes is a tiny bit of research and some math to calculate the ideal rear differential gearing, tires size etc. and transmission gear ratios, and you can certainly select the correct torque converter stall speed if you have a dyno graph of your engines power curve without much difficulty, an hour or so spent in reading and research will provide you with a great deal better performance from most cars.
and a couple days worth of research and doing some math on all of the power trains component parts will provide you with a wealth of info that can prevent you from making costly mistakes.



what transmission?
IF automatic will you use a non-stock. higher stall speed converter?
what rear gear ratio?
what tire diameter?
do you need to pass emission testing?
will you be towing anything heavy?
what altitude do you live at?
whats the truck used for?
is this a weekend toy or daily transportation?
posting a good deal more info on what your trying to accomplish,
a brief suggestion on your current personal skills,
and previous experience, access to tools, etc.,
budget limitations and other info will insure you get far more accurate advise!
Im not trying to be a P.I.T.A.
I'm only trying to match the completed project goals with the realistic expectations and budget and what knowledge and physical assets you have to work with.
matching the intake design to the application
what is the max piston speed, the rotating assembly and valve train are designed for?
getting the quench and valve train geometry and clearance correct,
matter to getting the engine built correctly.

SMALL BLOCK REFERENCE BOOKS YOULL WANT
start by buying these books and watching the video

http://www.themotorbookstore.com/resmchstvi.html
chevystep.jpg


maxperf.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/David-Vizards...8&qid=1456194032&sr=8-5&keywords=DAVID+VIZARD
HOW TO BUILD MAX PERFORMANCE CHEVY SMALL BLOCKS ON A BUDGET by DAVID VIZARD
.
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JOHN LINGENFELTER on modifying small-block chevy engines
http://www.amazon.com/Lingenfelter-...=1456193940&sr=8-1&keywords=JOHN+LINGENFELTER

smokeyy.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Smokey-Yunick...2&sr=8-1&keywords=smokey+yunick+power+secrets


jenkinsrace.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Chevrolet-Rac...ords=The-Chevrolet-Racing-Engine-Bill-Jenkins


http://www.northernautoparts.com/part/ek-ek1097alb

https://www.rbracing-rsr.com/compstaticcalc.html

http://www.csgnetwork.com/compcalc.html

always, if you deal with any machine shop, assume your dealing with a guy who really doesn,t give a crap,
and print out in fine detail , what you want done ,,EXACTLY....with specific dimensions and a diagram,
with ALL those dimensions printed boldly , try hard to get both a firm delivery date and a agreed upon total price
IN WRITING WITH HIS SIGNATURE, and several pictures of the parts and him holding the parts and a receipt
that the parts listed individually, to be worked on are in what ever condition they were in, TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES
this will be a minor P.I.T.A. but it will save you a whole lot of misunderstandings and arguments
never deal with any shop that says things like,
"come back next week I should get too it by then"
or "stuff like that generally costs about$300-$400, but I won,t know until I get into the project"
or won,t give a firm delivery date, price or sign a
receipt, or agree to a firm price... youll see why if you ignore this advice in spades

as you read through most of the builds listed and discussed on this web site,
youll eventually see a strong trend, towards what I and many other knowledgeable engine builders have been forced over time into recognizing.
the trend is simply that only engines built for max long term durability and max torque in the useful rpm range are making any financial sense.
as Ive stated many times, you have to finish a race to win it! and your never going to build a client base ,
if the engines you build make killer power on a dyno but need rebuilding in a couple months time.
theres several threads on builds here on this web site, and a great deal of time and research is devoted to extended durability, cooling and lubrication ,
and carefully selecting components, and machine work done, designed for max strength, for the dollars spent!
I used to ask guys
"would you prefer to build an engine that if you keep it well tuned and change the oil regularly,
will most likely still be running in 10-12 years, without changing major components, or
would you rather have an additional 25-30 hp,and need a rebuild every 3-6 years,
but have a much better chance it won,t last half that time span....
especially in a muscle car driven on the street,
where either engine choice will destroy street tires effortlessly,
and get you a ticket effortlessly for speeding any time you get stupid?"

READING THE LINKS AND SUB LINKS WHILE IT TAKES TIME WILL SAVE YOU A GREAT DEAL OF CASH AND WASTED TIME.
BUY THE BOOKS IN THE LINKS. and READ THEM
watch the video, and like I stated many times,
its the combo of the engines,
compression,
displacement ,
cam timing
and the exhaust scavenging ,
and the intake manifold design,
NOT the intake port cross sectional area,
that are the most critical factors, in the engines lower rpm and mid rpm torque.
but for damn sure an intake runner port can be small enough to noticeably restrict upper mid range and peak power significantly,
For 5 decades I've heard endlessly about how installing larger free flowing cylinder heads would devastate the engines ability to make any low or mid rpm torque.
especially when Id suggest using a set of smaller 300cc-320cc, aluminum,rectangle port heads on a 496 BBC, or 200 cc-210cc heads on a 406 sbc, I was asked to build
yet on every engine I've ever had built or had some guy ask me to look at, to see why it ran a great deal less impressively than he expected it too,
they brought into my shop its was very obvious (at least to me) that it was the combo of low compression, too little displacement, with too much cam duration ,
a restrictive exhaust or some guy who was trying to save money and continuing to use a stock stall speed torque converter, or retain a badly mis-matched 2.87:1-3.08:1 rear gear ratio,
with an engine that he miss matched components by slapping a large carburetor , and a single plane intake on,an engine that will rarely exceed 6000 rpm, that was the major reason.
if you want an engine combo to run your first step is to logically match the list of components you,ll use to the application,
and that requires you stop, engage the brain and think things through carefully,
and the most common way to screw up the process is to over cam a low compression engine,
have a restrictive exhaust or mis-match the drive train gearing to the engines power band.
the links below and the sub links they contain could easily take a week to read through but it would be time VERY WELL SPENT, and the knowledge gained will be far more useful than almost anything else you could do with that time in relation to the project

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/dynamic-vs-static-compression.727/

http://www.wallaceracing.com/Calculators.htm

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ads-tuned-intake-turbulence.12998/#post-67611

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...gine-to-match-the-cam-specs.11764/#post-55651

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...y-in-building-a-good-engine.11682/#post-54682

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/tbucket-engine-project-dart-shp.3814/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/repair-or-replace-350-crank.14181/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/bits-of-383-info.38/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ing-parts-and-a-logical-plan.7722/#post-51341

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/tips-on-building-a-383-sbc-stroker.428/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/finding-a-machine-shop.321/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/what-to-look-for-in-a-good-engine-combo.9930/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...e-springs-and-setting-up-the-valve-train.181/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/383-information-overload.11137/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/can-you-plan-for-quench.11298/

RELATED INFO
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4081&p=13147&hilit=quench+swirl#p13147

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=399&p=21603&hilit=compression+height+piston#p21603

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=5064&p=14370&hilit=compression+height+piston#p14370

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...piston-to-bore-clearance-on-your-block.14251/

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=3760&p=9968&hilit=compression+height+piston+measure+deck+height#p9968

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=509&p=11324&hilit=compression+height+piston+measure+deck+height#p11324
 
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Ive been down this road dozens of times so Ill point out the first step is to disassemble and carefully inspect the condition of the current components and to realize that you can,t assume that any particular part can realistically be re-used without a careful inspection, of its current condition.
At this point you really don,t know if its a blown head gasket, cracked cylinder or cracked cylinder head casting and you don,t know if the block needs to be decked or the heads can be rebuilt or need replacing.
NEVER WALK INTO A PROJECT BLINDLY, DO YOUR RESEARCH, AND UNDERSTAND WHATS REQUIRED
I can tell you from decades of experience that the combination of likely new components, gaskets,fasteners, machine work required etc. will very likely exceed the cost of a crate engine IF you need the heads re-built and block re-machined, as just a set of new bearings, gaskets and a balanced rotating assembly with larger diameter pistons and rings that fit a block requiring a slight over-bore to account for wear will add up very rapidly.

porting O.E.M. chevy stock heads CORRECTLY, is time consuming and generally a waste of time and money now that you can buy aftermarket cylinder heads that significantly out perform even ported stock heads, at a price thats not that much more than professionally done port work plus a cylinder head valve job, with new seats and valve guides would very easily exceed!

I can supply you with lots of options and related linked info on how to build several dozen different know effective engine combos but if your working on a fairly limited budget and don,t have access to a reasonably extensive set of tools and have a decent place to work, and several weeks time to wait for ordered parts, machine work, to be done, and parts too arrive , and have the knowledge to accurately check and verify that the parts you order and the machine work you have had done was done correctly, your likely too find that purchasing and installing a crate engine will be cheaper in the long run,(too most people UN-BELIEVABLY) until they total up the parts cost and machine work bills.

sure you can rebuild your current engine and have something that kicks a$$ and takes names, but if done correctly it won,t be cheap and it takes more time than many guys ever imagined , simply because parts and machine work costs add up rapidly and most people can,t get parts and machine work done at the discount prices the commercial engine re-builders work with, nor does the average guy have access to the tools required.

Ive spent the last 45 plus years rebuilding and modifying engines for myself and some of the local guys and theres a huge difference between , buying parts out of a catalog,slapping parts together, and CORRECT ENGINE BUILDING, which requires a long list of tools and experience, or at least a good deal of research.

obviously you have numerous options but sitting down and making a list, ALL of the parts, fasteners,gaskets,machine work,and total up those prices of what you want to use as far as components and getting some accurate price quotes from the local machine shop would generally be a good place to start off so you have some idea as to the cost and time frame and your less likely to have massive price sticker shock when your quoted the various options


related

[URL]http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/bits-of-383-info.38/


http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...cs-of-starting-a-383-sbc-combo-planing.12168/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/precision-measuring-tools.1390/#post-52466

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ber-of-people-that-don-t-use-resources.12125/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/tips-on-building-a-383-sbc-stroker.428/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/stroker-tips-by-len-emanuelson.1249/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...train-clearances-and-problems.528/#post-57678

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...gine-to-match-the-cam-specs.11764/#post-55651

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/finding-a-machine-shop.321/#post-55314

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...y-in-building-a-good-engine.11682/#post-54682
[/URL]


http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/the-new-215cc-vortec-heads.266/#post-35948

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...tio-your-feedback-is-needed.10698/#post-46493

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...octane-for-compression-ratio.2718/#post-35581

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ow-to-reduce-its-likely-hood.9816/#post-37278

HERES A FEW DECENT MAGAZINE BUILDS
SBC
http://www.airflowresearch.com/articles ... 5/A-P1.htm
http://www.airflowresearch.com/articles ... 9/A-P1.htm
http://www.airflowresearch.com/articles ... 8/A-P1.htm
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=4378
 
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yeah I'm fully aware that many guys simply remove the old cylinder heads slap on a new head gasket, buy a couple new heads and without much if any other prep, they simply bolt the parts together and drive the car....thats the start of a process that very frequently results in a rather expensive lesson in what can and probably will go wrong without the proper measuring, clean-up and inspection going on during the engine re-assembly
Quench%20and%20Squish%20area%20explained.jpg

you might be amazed at the info the threads and sub links contain
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/tbucket-engine-project-dart-shp.3814/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/engine-assembly-check-list.111/#post-55504

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ing-parts-and-a-logical-plan.7722/#post-51341

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/can-you-plan-for-quench.11298/#post-51312

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/head-gasket-related.1859/#post-50617

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...oving-gaskets-the-wrong-way.10464/#post-43962

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/tumble-and-swirl-quench-squish.4081/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...olishing-combustion-chambers.2630/#post-50238

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/having-a-realistic-plan.9040/#post-32314

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...k-about-in-your-engine-combo.3156/#post-43958

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...the-links-you-posted-grumpy.12020/#post-57503

not all the links relate to your build but may be helpful
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Moroso-37800-Chevy-Block-Deck-Plug-Kit,590.html

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/engines-drivetrain/83818-block-plug-basics/

https://www.chevyhardcore.com/tech-...g-101-getting-started-with-your-engine-build/

https://www.chevrolet.com/performance/engine-components/small-block/race-blocks

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-1210-chevrolet-350-small-block-comparison/

https://www.dragzine.com/news/engine-machining-101-getting-started-with-your-engine-build/

https://www.chevydiy.com/big-block-chevrolet-engine-step-step-rebuid-machine-shop-guide/

https://www.chevydiy.com/machine-shop-guide-build-chevy-small-block-engines/

http://www.budgetenginerebuilders.com/machining-services/

https://www.steveschmidtracing.com/machine-shop
 
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Even If I had the cash to buy I am still Leary of Crate Engines Grumpy.
Rather Build my own.
I know exact what's inside & blueprint clearances setup used.
 
while ID agree with you generally,that youll need to shop carefully as theres more than a few vendors selling less than quality products,
there are some sources Ive used when the object was to get a car up and running as quickly as I could, and Ive easily installed over 20 plus G.M. crate engines over the last decade with zero problems



but installing a crate engine when you know that you ,personally can, locate and carefully assemble better quality parts , is a bit frustrating because you (or at least I) always feel that youve made a huge compromise in quality, and your totally dependent on the work quality done by Lord only knows who! and you've got almost no control over the parts that were selected or clearances etc.
it helps a great deal if you take the time and effort to find a trust worthy and reasonably priced local machine shop , and trust me when I say this is critical, and yes, the machinist will seem to point out endless things that should be done to increase durability, or just allow proper component function,and a good machinist will try to guide you in component selection to help avoid mis-matched parts and low quality parts being used, yes quality parts and machine work, ALWAYS COST more than you may expect them too!
If your one, of those guys that think you'll buy a crate engine, and just take it apart, verify and re-assemble the engine as it will only cost you the time required and a gasket set to ease your mind.....don,t bother,
you'll sleep much better if you just assume everything's been done correctly rather than know the facts. (its amazing how durable the crate engines are) especially if its intended to power daily transportation, and your not running the car like your a 1920 bootleg whisky delivery car, with the federal revenuers 300 yards behind you!
and I can assure you your very UN-likely to have any issues most G.M. crate engines run fine for years

IF your machine shop is pushing Eagle vs SCAT,they probably don,t have nearly the same % mark up, thats most likely WHY
I've used over a dozen SCAT forged rotating assemblies with complete satisfaction.
both SBC and BBC
IF you do some careful shopping you'll find that decent connecting rods are available at semi reasonable prices, I would insist on 7/16" ARP rod bolts and 4340 forged steel, and suggest SCAT, as a lower cost but good value connecting rod source





http://www.scatcrankshafts.com/rotating-assembies/rotating-assembly-product-search/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...a-scat-rotating-assembly-be.11495/#post-52962

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-displacement-street-engine.10961/#post-48185

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...re-you-getting-for-your-cash.9986/#post-46530

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/scat-vs-eagle.5877/#post-17912

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...pes-of-crankshaft-steel.204/page-2#post-46231

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/bits-of-383-info.38/#post-11766

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...troker-tips-by-len-emanuelson.1249/#post-2674

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ing-rod-strength-h-vs-i-beam.1168/#post-41255

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/bearing-clearances.2726/#post-26199


When your planing to build a performance car, I've found it helps,
you see progress being made and prevents you from getting discouraged as easily,
if you work on accumulating components for each of the 8 basic sub assemblies,
and checking off your list those components and grouping those on a separate shelf,
as doing so tends to allow you to see more consistent progress,
being made, and you get a feeling your getting someplace.

(1) BLOCK (bearings, freeze plugs main caps and machine work)

(2) ROTATING ASSEMBLY (crank, rods pistons, rings, flywheel,damper etc.)

(3) CYLINDER HEADS and VALVE TRAIN ( valves, valve springs, cam, timing gears, rockers, valve guides, push-rods lifters . etc.)

(4)INDUCTION(manifold, throttle body, sensors, carbs, supercharger, injection , fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator injectors etc.)

(5) DRIVE TRAIN ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS(clutch, stall converter, transmission ETC.)

(6) ignition system (distributor,coils, ignition wires, magneto etc.)

(7) LUBE SYSTEM (oil pan, oil pump, windage tray,oil cooler, ETC.)
these threads and links and sub-links might help

(8) EXHAUST (headers and exhaust system, mufflers ETC.)
always, if you deal with any machine shop, assume your dealing with a guy who really doesn,t give a crap,
and print out in fine detail , what you want done ,,EXACTLY....with specific dimensions and a diagram,
with ALL those dimensions printed boldly , try hard to get both a firm delivery date and a agreed upon total price
IN WRITING WITH HIS SIGNATURE, and several pictures of the parts and him holding the parts and a receipt
that the parts listed individually, to be worked on are in what ever condition they were in, TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES
this will be a minor P.I.T.A. but it will save you a whole lot of misunderstandings and arguments
never deal with any shop that says things like,
"come back next week I should get too it by then"
or "stuff like that generally costs about$300-$400, but I won,t know until I get into the project"
or won,t give a firm delivery date, price or sign a
receipt, or agree to a firm price... youll see why if you ignore this advice in spades


READ THESE THREAD's
and don,t skip the sub linked info

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/engine-balancing.3900/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/engine-balancing.3900/#post-57940

CRATE ENGINES

http://www.jegs.com/c/Engines-Components_Engine-Assembled-Ready-to-Run/10763/10002/-1

http://www.tristarengines.com/catalog/high-performance-crate-engines/gm/383.html

https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/crate-engines

http://www.shafiroff.com/

http://www.tristarengines.com/catal...-engine.html?gclid=CIiE06P8j9MCFYaIswodlq8Ewg

http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/shop/crate-engines~6-10-344

http://rehermorrison.com/

http://www.herbertcams.com/herbert-cams-crate-engines/

http://www.proformanceunlimited.com/home3.html

http://www.jasperengines.com/crate-engines

http://blueprintengines.com/index.php/products/bp-gm-crate-engines-landing

http://www.gmperformancemotor.com/category/ENG.html

 
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while ID agree with you generally,that youll need to shop carefully as theres more than a few vendors selling less than quality products,
there are some sources Ive used when the object was to get a car up and running as quickly as I could, and Ive easily installed over 20 plus G.M. crate engines over the last decade with zero problems

http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines.html

but installing a crate engine when you know that you ,personally can, locate and carefully assemble better quality parts , is a bit frustrating because you (or at least I) always feel that youve made a huge compromise in quality, and your totally dependent on the work quality done by Lord only knows who! and youve got almost no control over the parts that were selected or clearances etc.

If Crate engines were so great they would stand up to Twin Turbo power adders 100 % guaranteed Grumpy.
30-50 psi boost.

The Pontiac V8 world is still going through the crate engine phase.
Some are OK.
Race Winning.....NO.

Quite a few home mechanics out there in Pontiac world yet.
 
You dont want to buid a stock block Pontiac V8 with Hydraulic roller lifters.
Huge supplier problem now.
Incorrect lifters supplied.

Solid Flat tappet or solid roller only.
 
http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines.html

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-0503-chevy-383-engine/

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/en...-build-a-383-small-block-engine-sledgehammer/

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/project-cars/sucp-0706-small-block-chevy-stroker-kit/

http://www.chevyhardcore.com/tech-stories/engine/building-the-little-383-small-block-that-could/


http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...gine-project-dart-shp.3814/page-35#post-23579

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-0808-383-stroker-small-block-chevy/



please let us know the parts list and machine work you have done,
and the eventual results you get and your driving impressions.
once the cars engine is installed and tuned and tested out.
you'll have much better results if you don,t randomly select parts,
and keep in mind a trusted machine shop, and listening too advice from an experienced machinist,
can help prevent you from a great many mistakes ,Try to find some friendly, knowledgeable older geezer,
with 30-45 plus years of experience building race engines
and if your going too build an engine for bracket racing,
you,ll want to get the static compression up to about 11.5:1-12.5:1 ( MINIMUM,)
while a manual transmission like a muncie has traditionally been used in performance muscle cars , the current technology with a higher than stock stall speed converter and a decently strong auto transmission like a properly built TH400 or $l80E makes the rather common 450-500 hp 383 small block a much more reasonable combo, with decent durability.
Ive built dozens of 383-406 SBC engines and properly configured and assembled 383-406 SBC engines are fully able to shred a stock 700r4/700r style auto transmission, over time as both transmissions were designed to operate with engines providing no more than 400 ft lbs of torque.

and use race octane fuel, (do the required calculations) not crappy pump gas.
youll want to build the lightest weight car you can, because weight,
or increased mass takes more energy (hp) to accelerate,
building an engine to maximize torque over the intended rpm range,
and gearing the car too match that, and tuning the tires and suspension to use that available torque is key,
as it tends to maximize your cars potential.
grumpyvette said:
heres two well thought through engine builds, and several related links
grumpyvette said:
they will take a while to read through the links and sub-links
[color:red]but[/color]
if you take the time and effort to read all the LINKS and SUB LINKS YOULL LEARN A GOOD DEAL
ID suggest you select from heads from these sources
Jegs; 800/345-4545; Jegs.com

Summit Racing; 800/230-3030; SummitRacing.com

Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center; 800/456-0211; ScogginDickey.com


TRICKFLOW
http://www.trickflow.com/egnsearch.asp? ... 4294867081
http://www.trickflow.com/customerservice
1-330-630-1555 • 1-888-841-6556

BRODIX
http://www.brodix.com/heads/heads.html
479.394.1075

DART
http://www.dartheads.com/products/cylinder-heads
Dart Machinery; 248/362-1188; DartHeads.com


AIR FLOW RESEARCH
http://www.airflowresearch.com/
toll free: 877-892-8844
tel: 661-257-8124

Patriot Performance
Patriot Performance; 888/462-8276; Patriot-Performance.com


RHS
http://www.racingheadservice.com/rhs/cylinder-headshtml
Toll Free: 877-776-4323
Local: 901-259-1134

EDELBROCK
http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new ... main.shtml
Edelbrock; 310/781-2222; Edelbrock.com

BMP (world products)
http://www.theengineshop.com/products/cylinder-heads
Tel: 631-737-0372
Fax: 631-737-0467

BUTLER PERFORMANCE
http://www.butlerperformance.com/products/cylinder_heads/cylinder_head_labor.html
866-762-7527

BLUE PRINT ENGINES
http://www.blueprintengines.com/ind...sb-chevy-aluminum-cylinder-heads-cnc-machined
1800-483-4263

PRO-FILER
https://www.profilerperformance.com/
937‐846‐1333



“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”
Henry Ford

“Quality is like buying oats. If you want nice, clean, fresh oats, you must pay a fair price. However, if you can be satisfied with oats that have already been through the horse ... that comes a little cheaper.”

an hour to a week spent in careful research,
before you buy or install parts,
can save you months or frustration
and easily 300%-to 500% of the eventually,
cost incurred in buying cheaper parts,in this hobby!

BUILD THREADS

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/tbucket-engine-project-dart-shp.3814/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/renegade-intake-for-cross-fires.2796/


USEFUL RELATED LINKED INFO

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/what-to-look-for-in-a-good-engine-combo.9930/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...le-that-don-t-use-resources.12125/#post-58374

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/383-information-overload.11137/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/bjautos-383-build-pictures.9483/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/tips-on-building-a-383-sbc-stroker.428/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/stroker-tips-by-len-emanuelson.1249/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ty-thats-key-in-building-a-good-engine.11682/
That T Bucket build is a buddy of mine. That little T Bucket is one bad momma jamma. I remember when I first rode in it, even before he tuned it and got it spot on. I nearly peed myself that thing has so much torque.


http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/octane-boosters.613/#post-1379

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...temps-detonation-resistance.12842/#post-66647

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...octane-for-compression-ratio.2718/#post-35581

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/detonation-pre-ignition.208/#post-487

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/detonation-damage.2883/#post-31942

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/toluene-octane-calculator.11278/


http://www.race-cars.net/calculators/compression_calculator.html

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/a-few-calculator-links.7108/#post-27382

http://www.projectpontiac.com/ppsite15/compression-ratio-calculator

http://www.wallaceracing.com/dynamic-cr.php

http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/comprAdvHD.htm

http://performancetrends.com/Compression_Ratio_Calculator_V2.3.htm

http://www.wallaceracing.com/cr_test2.php

http://www.pcengines.com.au/calculators/Calculate dynamic Comp Ratio.htm

http://www.csgnetwork.com/compcalc.html

http://www.diamondracing.net/tools/

https://www.uempistons.com/index.php?main_page=calculators&type=comp

https://www.rbracing-rsr.com/compstaticcalc.html




 
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