My 66 Sport Fury 383 engine is a knock'n. I am going to rebuild it but I wish to help the performance. I already have an aluminum intake and edelbrock 750 carb, aluminum water pump and housing from this I want as much power as I can produce and still have vacuum for the brakes and if possilbe still run the stock converter. I will run the stock heads but I will port match them and polish the exhaust ports, sorry I will be running stock log exhaust, TTI still not in the cards. Need advice on compression with what style piston, cam choices, any tricks to the heads etc. Thank you, Brian
Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 12:39AM
Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 516
Brian, larger exhaust valves, if you've got the 1.60" valves. Anything to help the engine pump more AF mixture in and OUT will help you...and get some hardend exhaust seats installed, while you're at it.
What kind of $ are you looking to spend,because just a stock rebuild w/mostly stock,but quality parts and a good machine shop bill,will put you in the $600-1,000 range.All i can say is,when you get it machined,make sure the cylinders are ROUND and get it BALANCED by a quality machine shop.You would not believe how bad the stock mopar engines were balanced.I think that was the start of the first sourceing out labour in another country,that chrysler had saved a few pennies on(this is only an observation of mine,and i am not Bittteerrrr).Glen
Joined: Sun Feb 05 2006, 11:51PM
Location: Pa
Posts: 3064
My 383 (#'s matcher for my Roadrunner) has been Redi-Stripped, which brought it back to like-new cast iron inside and out, decked, align bored, bored .030", new Michigan 77 bearings, crank polished, honed with torque plates, forged aluminum Speed Pro pistons, rods resized and bushed for full-floating wrist pins, professionally balanced by a race shop separate from the machinist so it was done right, and fitted with a Mopar Performance Restoration cam for the 383 RR & SuperBee engines with a double roller timing chain. The oiling system is opened up to Hemi specs. The heads will be Mopar Stage VI 's and the compression is 10.5 to 1. I'll be using the stock HI-PO exhaust manifolds and the heads require a RB intake to fit the raised ports. If I change to a custom computer-cut Crane cam I'll put my max wedge intake and headers on it with a F.A.S.T. EFI kit and really go nuts!
If you use some of these basic ideas on your 383, you will have a strong, smooth running engine that will wind out to 6000+ rpm and live to fight many battles.
Joined: Mon Oct 10 2005, 12:14PM
Location: Rochester IN
Posts: 152
When my 383 started going south, I looked at rebuild prices and a performance build is cheaper with a graveyard 440.
If you stay with the 383 stock flat tops are 9.2-1 with the 2bbl carb. It will be the pistons that will cost, if you go higher than stock. The heads & cam are the same between the 383 & 440.
If you are going to reuse most of your parts, you can do it on the cheap. If not, it will cost you. 440 parts are cheaper. I have about 1700$ in my 440 and I still don't have the parts to put it together. I have 650 just in the machine work & balancing. I still have my 383 and it will get done, but for the power a 440 is cheaper.
I am going with a Voodoo cam from Holly, I got my rebuild kit from Summit. The kit has pistons, rings, bearings, gaskets, oil pump, etc., but they don't offer much for the 383 in the kit form.
Just my opinion Good luck & have fun <span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited Sun Apr 23 2006, 07:51AM ]</span>