What is a 383 stroker and how do you build one?

[Youngbuck7072]

just want to know what makes a 383 stroker a 383 stroker. i know that its just a 350 thats been stroked, but what does that mean? what is the HP and torque gain? and how do you build one and what specs do you need. pictures of your 383 would be great too.

[69 longhorn]

Well, old school was basically a .030 over 350 with a 400 sb crank with the mains turned down to fit. This old school stroker also used the shorter,400 sb rods. Today, there many aftermarket 383 cranks that are as cheap as grinding the old 400 crank, & most kits use the longer 5.7(350 rod). this does require some clearancing in the lower end of the block, & on the rod bolts , for cam clearance. Also , these run a 400 sb balancer & flexplate, & a shelf stroker piston(special pin height). by going with a 3 3/4 " stroke, vs the stock 3.48 stoke on a 350 , you add cubes & tork. A properly setup 383 will pull a lot more tork than a 350, & @ a much lower rpm range. As far as specs.....its just depends on what you want(daily dr,or weekend toy). crazyAL

[Youngbuck7072]

well, i have seen vids on youtube of them and they look sick as hell, i kinda want a dailey driver that can get down when needed

[GMCBubba]

just so we're all on the same page... a 383 LOOKS no different than a 350. they are the SAME block. all changes are internal. if what you see are people with TALL valve covers, that is only needed to accommodate certain types of rockers and stud girdles. nothing to do with engine size.

[Youngbuck7072]

no. i mean like, they sound sick and they LOOK like they can get down

[pockets]

the nice thing about today is you don't have to source a 400 crank, flexplate and all that. you can get complete kits that include all new parts. I got mine from Summit Racing which is an Eagle assembly that includes the flexplate, balancer and everything else.

[BarryB]

Originally Posted by pockets

the nice thing about today is you don't have to source a 400 crank, flexplate and all that. you can get complete kits that include all new parts. I got mine from Summit Racing which is an Eagle assembly that includes the flexplate, balancer and everything else.

I had my motor work done for a 383 long time ago, block and all the parts are still sitting on the shelve waiting and waiting. After saying all, This was before the kits were really readily available. If I had known about a kit with all the right parts already, that is the route I would go. I haven't heard any bad things about eagle stroker kits. there reasonablly priced also.you get it , and it's ready to bolt in, granted you have the machine work already done to the block. it will have to be bored .030 over bore and clearanced for the larger stroke.

[GMCBubba]

Originally Posted by Youngbuck7072

no. i mean like, they sound sick and they LOOK like they can get down

well, that's what i'm hoping for. bought a used stroker from a board member and am VERY excited about getting it all in. still accumulating lots of parts to finish up the swap. now all that's left is to decide on a new transmission.

from all that i've read it should be the ideal truck small block. cheaper small block parts/accessories with tons of low end torque. i'm not making a race motor, so low RPM power and street driveability are key.

[Schralper]

what is a 383? Expensive if done right, namely cyl heads
how do you build one? pay a good machine shop/ machinist $$ to do it

[Youngbuck7072]

where in oregon do you live schrapler?

[Schralper]

Originally Posted by Youngbuck7072

where in oregon do you live schrapler?

pm'd ya
anywho might wanna check w/ southworth off like 6th & garfield?
i've been happy w/ their work.
my bro sez Drummond machine in Pleasant hill is pretty good, i'm gonna try'em w/ redoin 1, yes 1 of, my current 383's. wanna get it machined 2 bolt to 4 bolt splayed for turbo.
FYI - seriously there is no way to do a $2-3000 383. you'd be better building a stout 355. i've tried & $4K is the least I could reasonably spend. My newest is over $6K for solid 550ish HP. Sure stock heads, up to 350HP?, will work but you'd be shooting yourself in the foot, yes the right foot, @ that point.
my .03 (yep .01 better than .02)

[Youngbuck7072]

Originally Posted by Schralper

pm'd ya
anywho might wanna check w/ southworth off like 6th & garfield?
i've been happy w/ their work.
my bro sez Drummond machine in Pleasant hill is pretty good, i'm gonna try'em w/ redoin 1, yes 1 of, my current 383's. wanna get it machined 2 bolt to 4 bolt splayed for turbo.
FYI - seriously there is no way to do a $2-3000 383. you'd be better building a stout 355. i've tried & $4K is the least I could reasonably spend. My newest is over $6K for solid 550ish HP. Sure stock heads, up to 350HP?, will work but you'd be shooting yourself in the foot, yes the right foot, @ that point.
my .03 (yep .01 better than .02)

cant wait to see it in a rig after its done

[Youngbuck7072]

and this might be a stupid question, but can you 383'erize a 350 four bolt main

[ERASER5]

Yes.

[GRX]

Originally Posted by Youngbuck7072

and this might be a stupid question, but can you 383'erize a 350 four bolt main

Of course. Not much advantage though since the outer bolts in a stock block aren't splayed (angled outward).

[llowlife]

Youngbuck, if you are going to build a stroker motor I strongly recommend you find someone with good experience to help you. No offense intended because we all had to start somewhere but according to your signature getting this wrong could cost you several thousand dollars. A rod or block interference problem will get very ugly very quickly. Not to mention what a rod bolt head will do to a camshaft or too small a valve interface.etc, etc,etc. there is a fair amount to check and remember and recheck and grind and remeasure and etc. There are kits out there I believe (never used one) that can simplify the process but everything still needs to be checked as if anything goes wrong it is your fault. I am not trying to talk you out of anything but a 350 would be a good first motor to build. Get the book "How to rebuild your smallblock chevy" by David Vizard and read it...then read it again. I built my first race motor over 30 years ago and I will still sit down and read this book from time to time. Also "Power secrets" by Smokey Yunick is an excellent book. If you have questions please ask.

[Youngbuck7072]

Originally Posted by llowlife

Youngbuck, if you are going to build a stroker motor I strongly recommend you find someone with good experience to help you. No offense intended because we all had to start somewhere but according to your signature getting this wrong could cost you several thousand dollars. A rod or block interference problem will get very ugly very quickly. Not to mention what a rod bolt head will do to a camshaft or too small a valve interface.etc, etc,etc. there is a fair amount to check and remember and recheck and grind and remeasure and etc. There are kits out there I believe (never used one) that can simplify the process but everything still needs to be checked as if anything goes wrong it is your fault. I am not trying to talk you out of anything but a 350 would be a good first motor to build. Get the book "How to rebuild your smallblock chevy" by David Vizard and read it...then read it again. I built my first race motor over 30 years ago and I will still sit down and read this book from time to time. Also "Power secrets" by Smokey Yunick is an excellent book. If you have questions please ask.

thanks low life, and yah, there is no way i would attempt to build a 383 at this time in my life. The motor thats in my frankenchevy is a brand new crate motor so it doesnt need to be rebuilt , but i wouldnt mind finding a cheep 400 or 350 and rebuilding it, just to see if i can. the only problem is that i don't have the facility to do it,......yet. another cool one would be a 396, but a cheap one is hard to find in my area(most of them are in camaroes).oh, and if you have an extra copy of either one of those books, can i have it??

[llowlife]

Originally Posted by Youngbuck7072

if you have an extra copy of either one of those books, can i have it??

I may have one, eventually I may run across it and i will remember our conversation.

[Youngbuck7072]

Originally Posted by llowlife

I may have one, eventually I may run across it and i will remember our conversation.

sweet, thanks man

[Ticker]

It's absolutely possible to do a low-budget 383 and if you need to replace and/or machine the crank at overhaul, it's just about a wash with the cost of doing a 355.

[skeeterbug]

i agree w/ u schralper on the price of a stout 383 build, i am currently having one built, already over 5k in it. by the time its all said and done my motor is going to run me over 6g's, but im cool w/ that for an all forged aluminum headed roller motor pushin over 525 hp. good luck on you build hope it all works out for the best for ya.

[Ticker]

It's just not that hard to build 383s any more. There's no need to turn down a 400 crank or use spacer bearings given the ready availability and low price of aftermarket cast cranks. Stroker-clearance rods are also inexpensive - often right in there with having stock rods resized. Clearance for the rotating assembly is a light touch with the right rods and many shops do it for free or very low cost as they know exactly where to do it.

I've built dozens of low-buck 383s with cast cranks and stroker-clearanced rods for about the same price of a comperable 355. As noted, the price of the crank is a wash if you have to buy or turn the crank, the rods are about a wash, the rest of the rotating ass'y is the same price. Generally you're looking at maybe $200 to clearance the block.

For a mild 383, mondo heads are also not required and Vortecs will feed a 383 up to around 400 HP or so. If you're overhauling an SBC...you should do a 383 - no question.

The overhaul book referenced is an older version, and a good one:

Amazon.com: How to Rebuild Your Small-Block Chevy...
There's another book I recommend these days that's far more detailed and up to date. It's not perfect, but it's really good

Amazon.com: How to Rebuild the Small-Block...

[Wasted Income]

A 383 stroker is something that was rendered outdated with the advent of the LSx motors

[pockets]

come on, you know that's nonsense

a 1st gen SBC is still cheaper to build and install than LS-based motors in most cases. Not that I wouldn't mind having an LS motor...

[Wasted Income]

Stirring the pot