383 Help/Questions, Long Storage, Unknown Parts

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matthon

matthon

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68 383 HP with 906 heads.

Picked this up and sold my other 383 because it appeared to be in better condition.
Apparently it was in long term storage, a few years maybe, and was going to rebuild.

Here goes:
What's up with the white-ish valve color, on all of them?
Why are the rods a rust color? They look like they have surface rust, but in the pics they look different.
Are the rods supposed to have play on the crank front to back?
Purple flakes in the pick-up screen, looks the same color as the cam, what's up with that?
What say you on the plugs? Some have some black stuff on them, they're all the same plug so my guess is they were run in it.
Turns over fine, is it safe to put a starter on it and check compression on the engine stand?

Oil pan was full, oil looked good. It had some minor sludge pieces which looked white-ish and further inspection revealed those to be insect carcasses.

Looks like it was rebuilt and they used the stock rockers, and possibly springs, but I have zero info on it.
Just want to check it out the right way and understand some things before I go any further and install it.

Thank you fabo.

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In at least one of the pics the rods look to have been painted. The purple paint on the cam could possibly come off. My understanding is the white exhaust valves are from heat, perhaps running a little lean. I think I'd tear it down and get everything checked.
 
matthon said:
68 383 HP with 906 heads.

Picked this up and sold my other 383 because it appeared to be in better condition.
Apparently it was in long term storage, a few years maybe, and was going to rebuild.

Here goes:


Why are the rods a rust color? They look like they have surface rust, but in the pics they look different.
I've seen those copper colored rods in small blocks before, nothing to worry about, just something the factory did from time to time...


Are the rods supposed to have play on the crank front to back?
Yes, that's called side play and there is a spec for that in the service manual... You want a little clearance between rods and the rods and crank, but not too much, that's why there is a side play spec...

Purple flakes in the pick-up screen, looks the same color as the cam, what's up with that?
Some of the paint from the cam may have come off... On the good side, it may be a purple shaft cam....

What say you on the plugs? Some have some black stuff on them, they're all the same plug so my guess is they were run in it.
Those plugs don't look too bad... May need to lean the mixture a bit, but not a show stopper...

Turns over fine, is it safe to put a starter on it and check compression on the engine stand?
Why not??? Go for it...


Oil pan was full, oil looked good. It had some minor sludge pieces which looked white-ish and further inspection revealed those to be insect carcasses.

Looks like it was rebuilt and they used the stock rockers, and possibly springs, but I have zero info on it.
Just want to check it out the right way and understand some things before I go any further and install it.

Thank you fabo.
Click to expand...
 
Put it in and run it. Looks good. I have seen those copper colored rods before, nothing wrong with them. The paint on the camshaft is because its a Mopar purple shaft I'll bet.
 
the rods have been resized after copper coating I have never seen a engine with all the rods resized some times 1 or 2 never all
 
That's probably a sealed power replacement cam. All of their "performance" versions for ChryCo engines have that rubberized paint on them, and it peels off easily. You are absolutely safe to get some oil in it and a blue bottle of STP on the cam to do a compression test. But I'm with Hellrats here. Get a little 20 weight motor oil in the cylinders to bring the rings back and run it. Maybe use a bore scope in the ports and plug holes to determine no accidental debris getting ready to beat a piston to death and run it, get everything freed/cleaned/oiled up/ran back in for the compression test.
 
I'll look for the side play specs, thank you.

Never heard of copper rods, now I can brag about them, it's got copper rods man, all 8, I'm a winner! People will think I'm a moron, lol.

I thought it looked lean.

teringer said:
the rods have been resized after copper coating
Click to expand...
That is where the surfaces of the rod and cap are ground, correct?
For what purpose?
And how can you tell from the pics?

It appears a few rods have been ground on the ends, clean metal not copper, and some spots on the crank iirc. That would be balancing, correct?
Garrett Ellison said:
blue bottle of STP on the cam
Click to expand...
Sounds good, I think I have some PennGrade, maybe not, but good advice.
Garrett Ellison said:
a little 20 weight motor oil in the cylinders to bring the rings back and run it.
Click to expand...
Haven't heard that before, will do, thank you.
Garrett Ellison said:
Maybe use a bore scope in the ports and plug holes to determine no accidental debris getting ready to beat a piston to death and run it, get everything freed/cleaned/oiled up/ran back in for the compression test.
Click to expand...
I was thinking I need to make sure of that, even though it spins over without issue.

Is there a way to determine a few other things without pulling the heads and/or running it:
What the pistons are, they do look new, to me anyway?
If it has been bored?
If the oil pump is in good working order?
If any valve seals or a head gasket is leaking?

I know, stupid questions, just curious since everyone can pick out so much detail from just the pics.
 
There are some bore scopes you can plug into a smart phone or tablet for pretty cheap. They’re a great investment if you buy used engines very often. The one I get to use on occasion was about $100. But they give enough detail to read piston numbers and spot any possible problems.
 
Garrett Ellison said:
That's probably a sealed power replacement cam. All of their "performance" versions for ChryCo engines have that rubberized paint on them, and it peels off easily. You are absolutely safe to get some oil in it and a blue bottle of STP on the cam to do a compression test. But I'm with Hellrats here. Get a little 20 weight motor oil in the cylinders to bring the rings back and run it. Maybe use a bore scope in the ports and plug holes to determine no accidental debris getting ready to beat a piston to death and run it, get everything freed/cleaned/oiled up/ran back in for the compression test.
Click to expand...
It's a Mopar Purple shaft cam. They all had that purple paint on them. My very first Purple Shaft was the mighty old 509 and it had purple paint on it.
 
Mine sat for 25 years. Was pleasantly surprised when opening it up. Mopar Purple 509/292. Never saw flakes from it in the pan. Never saw the copper colored rods before either. I say run it.

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Last edited:
1969383S said:
I say run it.
Click to expand...
You bet!
I'll check the side play specs, oil the cam, and oil the cylinders, spin it by hand a bunch of times, and I'll have to leave the rest for after winter, blah.

I have a 750, or is it an 850, Holley DP I can throw on it, and everything else to make it run.

Since it's going in an old b-body I want to paint it turquoise, and covering orange never goes well.

I'm debating throwing this on down the road. I've done it before, I'm not afraid.

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The copper is to build up the outside of the rod so they can grind it back to spec. They lower it in a vat of copper acetate and attach an electrode to it so the copper in solution plates the rod, makes it a few microns larger everywhere and then they resize it to factory specs. You usually only find one or 2 as stated. rod movement on the crank is normal and needed, just make sure its within spec of rod side clearance <.017. White is just high heat. Looks good, button it up and run it.
 
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