Just for laughs 150.00$ 1967 383

[mguner]

Back in the 90's, had a friend that bored a 383 70 over and put a set of standard bore 440 pistons from a 76 new Yorker in it. The low comp. 440 pistons were almost zero deck. It ran real good for a cheap build. The only bad thing is no valve reliefs. He ran the 484 purple shaft in it with small valves. Just an idea. I built a 440 along those years in 2008 and checked the deck height before I pulled the pistons. They were .160 in the hole. Crazy low comp. Its a wander the last years of the 440 made any power.

Did that with 0.040 low compression slugs in a 400. Zero deck and had a steel crank balanced to it. Screamed!

 

[txstang84]

Anything new on this one?

 

[73 Swinger 8]

Keep it coming, very interesting thread!

 

[moparmat2000]

I have a friend who got a first gen 354 hemi out of a scrap yard. They buy n sell by the pound. It was an irrigation pump engine w a 1bbl carb. Had an automotive style back end bellhousing mating surface on the block. Lots of em for industrial use didnt, and were cast n machined for a pto, and an engagement gearbox. Looked like it sat not running in a field for years. He scored it for scrap weight. Had them pluck it off a pile of junk with the big magnet and set it on his trailer. He sold it to a guy building a deuce. I dont think it even turned with a breaker bar on it.

 

[moparnut777]

nothing new to report at this time , removing pistons from rods and just working to get cash to send block to machine shop. Blew my back out 3 yrs ago and trying to keep my mopar dream alive... lol will get some pics up of the piston removel found a easy way to get this done wasting the pistons but have no use for the old ones .

 

[txstang84]

Those pics should prove entertaining

 

[moparnut777]

LOL maybe but nothing to hard , a ball joint press and some WD40 works wonders . Had some 440 rods with pistons to test it out with , worked great took all of an hr to remove 7 pistons.

 

[451Cuda]

Go to your nearest farm supply store, get a stock tank big enough to drop a block into and 2 gallons of molasses. Lower the entire engine in, pour in the molasses, and fill rest of the way with water. After a few days of soaking most of the surface rust should be loose, so lift it out, scrub off all you can, lower it back in. Repeat until it's fresh clean cast iron. Molasses is an agent of chelation for iron, which means it reverses oxidation.

Or...since 383's are cheap and easy to find - buy a nicer one.

 

[moparnut777]

Cant learn any thing from easy . just my 2 cents .Thanks for the molasses tip

 

[Abodybomber]

Go to your nearest farm supply store, get a stock tank big enough to drop a block into and 2 gallons of molasses. Lower the entire engine in, pour in the molasses, and fill rest of the way with water. After a few days of soaking most of the surface rust should be loose, so lift it out, scrub off all you can, lower it back in. Repeat until it's fresh clean cast iron. Molasses is an agent of chelation for iron, which means it reverses oxidation.

Or...since 383's are cheap and easy to find - buy a nicer one.

That's old school,and as cheap as it gets....

 

[txstang84]

Cool deal, interesting method for cleaning rust--I'll have to keep this in mind. Those rods do look pretty nasty though...if you do use them, I'd think new bolts would be a requirement.

 

[moparnut777]

yep on the rods . everything going to machine shop to be checked and recon. Oh yea those rods are for a 440 , have a set of mopar HP (6 pak) rods all recon and ARP bolts sitting in a box waitin to go !

 

[SpikeWills69]

I like this thread. :coffee2: I have a 400 block that was a "little" cleaner than your 383. stripped and in storage, waiting to go to machinist some day to see if it's any good. :cheers:

 

[Breadburner]

Take all that cast iron and have it hot tanked.....

 

[txstang84]

yep on the rods . everything going to machine shop to be checked and recon. Oh yea those rods are for a 440 , have a set of mopar HP (6 pak) rods all recon and ARP bolts sitting in a box waitin to go !

So, what kind of pistons were you planning to use? Those 6 pack rods are longer and very heavy by comparison...might have some issues while balancing.

 

[Steve A]

Maybe, but those 440-6 rods are only .410" longer and a helluva lot stronger. The pistons will have a compression height shorter by the same amount so probably pretty close to a wash on balance but definitely needs to be checked. Pistons are available for stock stroke 383 with 440 rods. If you had a 440 crank to turn the mains and counter weights, Low deck 426 or 431 with a .030 overbore in a 383 wrapper. Good rod to stroke ratio and compression height for longevity. Just food for thought.

 

[moparnut777]

I have a 1966 440 block strip down ready to go to the machine shop. A 1975 400 waiting to stroke to 500 cid , an this 383 i could not pass up for the cost, and will go into a 67 convet cuda as a 383 S clone that i am restoring . any way thats the dream.Slow an steady will win .the day

 

[moparnut777]

The 440 and 400 are in way better shape than the 383 . but i feel the 383 would be a better choice for the cuda.

 

[pishta]

if you got a battery charger, you could lift the rust via electrolysis. dunk block in said stock tank, put in 2 cups of washing soda (not baking soda) and fill to top of block. clip battery charger - to block and + to a few sticks of rebar at the corners. Let it sit overnight, skimming off the crud that floats to the surface, check and repeat. Works great. Its line of sight so some may need to be repositioned.

 

[moper]

Maybe, but those 440-6 rods are only .410" longer and a helluva lot stronger.

Some clarifications...
The 440 rod is longer than the B wedge rods because of the deck height varience between B and RB.
The six pac rod as a unit is weaker. Only the rod beam section is stronger because it's thicker. Unfortunately the weakest point of any rod is the bolt bosses and the bolts themselves. Six pac rods use the same 5/16 bolts and nuts aas the LYs, but they are a lot heavier. So the small bolt has more weight to hold. So overall the LY rod is stronger.

In terms of this build - I'd get a set of B wedge rods and use available parts to rebuild it assuming the lifter bores are intact and the rest of the block isn't cracked.

 

[moparnut777]

lol the 440 rods are for the 440 and i will use the 383 stock rods if in good shape . Looking to run 10.5 for CR not sure on pistons at this point some KB and cam choice is still up in there air . looking for around 440 hr. But . need more infor on what i will end up doing. some parts i have ,some i need to get.

 

[txstang84]

lol the 440 rods are for the 440 and i will use the 383 stock rods if in good shape . Looking to run 10.5 for CR not sure on pistons at this point some KB and cam choice is still up in there air . looking for around 440 hr. But . need more infor on what i will end up doing. some parts i have ,some i need to get.

Ok, I was confused there for a minute...didn't recall a 440 being mentioned, suffering from CRS I guess. If you're looking to get 10.5:1 in a 383, you'll need a dome...even with 516 or 915 heads, and zero decked true flat top pistons, you won't get more than about 9.8..unless you shave the crap out of close chambered heads. The KB domes should get you there...I think rustyratrod built a 383 with those pistons and he was planning on running open chamber heads if memory serves...otherwise it's gonna be custom.

 

[txstang84]

Maybe, but those 440-6 rods are only .410" longer and a helluva lot stronger. The pistons will have a compression height shorter by the same amount so probably pretty close to a wash on balance but definitely needs to be checked. Pistons are available for stock stroke 383 with 440 rods. If you had a 440 crank to turn the mains and counter weights, Low deck 426 or 431 with a .030 overbore in a 383 wrapper. Good rod to stroke ratio and compression height for longevity. Just food for thought.

I'll second moper's assertion...

Furthermore, the weight difference is 7oz between the 383 and 6 pack rods...that's nearly 200 grams per rod, so the piston would have to weigh 200 grams less than a stock piston unless you wanna start adding some metal to the crank...

 

[Abodybomber]

All apart yeep pee, now to run a tap thru the major bolt holes then need to do some work to fund next faze . bore is ok after straight edge check

Looking at the cam bore pics,no major core shift there...

 

[moparnut777]

Just want to thank every one for there input, it is really helping me to form this build.