400 Crankshaft on 383

[TXcharger70]

OK i have a question I am taking apart my 383 and i know it was rebuilt about 5 yrs ago but i had no idea what was done to it.
This is what i know so far
it has a hotter cam not sure what type haven't got there yet
It is bored .40 over
Edelbrock performer intake, 750 holly, 906 heads

and i looked at the crankshaft and it has the markings 400 and 4027172-4 now i believe this is out of a 73-78 400cu passenger car from what i can find, now if this is true what advantage does it have i am asking cause i really don't know since its not a 383 crank correct?

[frederick]

No advantage, the 4027172 is a cast crank, which is not as strong as a forged crank.
Stroke is the same on the 400 as on a 383, so no increase in CI either.

If you've got the cam out you could check the lift with a caliper.
Measure from the base circle to the top of the lobe and subtract the measurement perpendicular to the lobe.
If the cam is still in the engine you'll need a dial gauge to measure lift, and/or duration.

What do you want to do with it?

Cheers,

Frederick

[TXcharger70]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I was just checking what was maybe done to the engine so that i had some sort of idea. Now i would like to really get some performance out of it. I have a buddy that still hasn't got back but he mentioned that he had a 440 but not sure how long that could take and what shape it is in . Oh and i am kind of impatient on waiting for things. so i am looking to stick the original 383 for now at least. maybe getting some aluminum heads and maybe even stroke it. Whats your thoughts on it?

[frederick]

If you are going to run the 440 eventually I would look into things that can be transfered from the 383 to the 440.

Cylinder head
Aluminum cylinder heads are a good idea then, they are the same for the 383 and 440.
Entry level heads are the 440 source and the Edelbrock RPM.

440 source are $899 a set:
http://www.440source.com/heads.htm
For peace of mind I'd ditch the valve locks and retainers and fit the comp cam items, that are also on that page.

Edelbrock RPM are $735.50 each, $1471 for the pair.
Get the 84cc version, #60929.

With both you'll need new spark plugs and head bolts.
If you're not a good mechanic or have a good machine shop that can check things, go with the Edelbrock heads.
If you do a search for the 440source heads you'll see why.

Headers
Another part you can also use on the 440 are headers, they can make a substantial amount of power over the standard manifolds.
The Edelbrock heads have angles spark plugs, so not every header fits, make sure before you buy them.

Camshaft
Flat tappet camshafts are not transferable between engine blocks, cause they develop a wear pattern which mates them with the lifters.
Roller cams can be used in another engine, but they are much more $$, besides the extra cubes of the 440 over the 383 means you can run a bigger camshaft.

Intake manifold
Intake manifold is different for the 440 and the 383.
The performer intake you've got now is basically an aluminum version of the standard cast iron intake.
Performer RPM is much better, performance wise.

Stroker kits are available from about $1900.
They will make it easier to get the compression up on a 383.

Cheers