How much can a stock 383 handle?

[69dodge383]

I have a 383 from a 1967 monaco in my 1969 charger. Right now it still has the 516 heads. I have upgraded the 2 barrel to a 4 barrel holley 770 cfm and the intake is a dual plane weiand.

I want to cam up this motor (hughes whiplash cam) and eventually add a set of 440 source heads. I also have a tunnel ram I want to add down the road to give the looks of the fast and furious car instead of having the cost of a blower.

So how much can I get out of this stock bottom end without having damage occur? I have heard these 383's can take a lot of abuse due to the forged internals.

Can anyone weigh in on this?

Thanks

Doug

Doug

[ACUDANUT]

440 source heads ? 
All big blocks can use the BB/RB heads.  I personally like the 906 heads.

[Challenger340]

I have a 383 from a 1967 monaco in my 1969 charger. Right now it still has the 516 heads. I have upgraded the 2 barrel to a 4 barrel holley 770 cfm and the intake is a dual plane weiand.

I want to cam up this motor (hughes whiplash cam) and eventually add a set of 440 source heads. I also have a tunnel ram I want to add down the road to give the looks of the fast and furious car instead of having the cost of a blower.

So how much can I get out of this stock bottom end without having damage occur? I have heard these 383's can take a lot of abuse due to the forged internals.

Can anyone weigh in on this?

Thanks

Doug

Doug

Forged internals yes, but unfortunately...stock connecting rod bolts, the eventual weak link.
Do the Stealth Valves clear the 4.250 bore ? Might want to check at any rate to be sure....

I would suggest shifting somewhere well BELOW 5500rpm on a regular basis when driving like you stole it, 52-5300 about best for longevity.
At those rpm's, not much of a Camshaft is required, and even less of the Heads will be maximized.
Yes,
you could start going to 6K rpm to take better advantage of the new Heads & Cam with the stock bottom end, but it's a crapshoot, more "when" than "if" it'll let go depending upon the Engine condition.

[69dodge383]

@ ACUDANUT, when I said 440 source heads, this is what I was refering to:
http://store.440source.com/Stealth-Aluminum-Cylinder-Head-COMPLETE-SINGLE-HEAD/productinfo/200-1055/

I do have access to a set of 906 heads that were on the original 383 that came out of the car.

I have also found a 440 long block from 1968 that a guy has about 20 miles from me for $500, he said it was in a 68 newport and had 58000 miles when pulled.

Thanks for your responses.

Doug

[c00nhunterjoe]

I have a stck bottom ended 383 with the exception og being 30 over. It handles my thrashing with. 4 speed and is a consistant 12 second car or stock port iron heads.same untouched engine since 2001. Many many miles driven, very reliable streetable engine. I love my 383.

[69dodge383]

did you upgrade the cam? if so, what did you go with?

thanks

Doug

[Challenger340]

I have a stck bottom ended 383 with the exception og being 30 over. It handles my thrashing with. 4 speed and is a consistant 12 second car or stock port iron heads.same untouched engine since 2001. Many many miles driven, very reliable streetable engine. I love my 383.

So did they change the Rod Bolts when "whomever" rebuilt it and bored it .030 over ??

No matter, even stock 383's handle rpm's quite well, just saying...if anything is gonna let go..IMO, it will be a Rob Bolt eventually.

[firefighter3931]

I have a stck bottom ended 383 with the exception og being 30 over. It handles my thrashing with. 4 speed and is a consistant 12 second car or stock port iron heads.same untouched engine since 2001. Many many miles driven, very reliable streetable engine. I love my 383.

So did they change the Rod Bolts when "whomever" rebuilt it and bored it .030 over ??

No matter, even stock 383's handle rpm's quite well, just saying...if anything is gonna let go..IMO, it will be a Rob Bolt eventually.

Rod bolts are the weak link. 



Ron

[69dodge383]

@Challenger340, you are right in what you say, has to be the rod bolts, when i get ready to rebuild, i will go with the ARP bolts. i checked the 440source.com tech dept and the heads will only fit a 383 if it is bored .030, good insight on that one.

comp cams camquest 6 software projects the following

530HP @ 6500RPM 498TQ @ 5000RPM with
stock bore 383
906 heads ported with gain of 10 cfm across the board over stock
2.14 : 1.81 valves
9.25:1 compression
high flow tunnel ram with 770 cfm carb
large tube open headers
hughes whiplash cam

450HP @ 6000RPM 460TQ @ 5000RPM - this has a much flatter torque line than the tunnel ram
stock bore 383
906 heads with stock ports
2.14 : 1.81 valves
9.25:1 compression
high flow dual plane with 770 cfm carb
large tube open headers
hughes whiplash cam

[heal0048]

I just swapped the Comp Cams Xtreme Energy 268 cam for the Hughes Whiplash in my 383 and I am much happier now.  It will be a few weeks before I can get some data at the track on how much of a difference it made.

[c00nhunterjoe]

My rod bolts are stock as I said "stock bottom end" I rebuilt the engine myself with the exception of boring the block and pressing new valve guides and seats in the heads. I did all other machine work to include the valve job. Being stock port heads I typicaly don't see over 5500 rpm. I didn't want a high rpm screamer. The goal was a cruise friendly reliable engine that made good power. In my opinion a 12 second turn key car that I can fire up with no choke and drive off on a 150 mile trip fits the bill.

Based on my time slips I should have somewhere around a 400 hp build. I was surprised at how good it runs. I have a 13.21 @ 104 on video with the slipping automatic, can't find any other slips.

My basic engine specs:
66 383 commando block bored .030
Stock forged crank ground .010\.010
Stock rods and bolts
Forged  flat tops (can't remember number but supposed to be 383 commando specs)
Racer brown 510 cam. .510 lift, 248 @ .050, 292 adv, 110 center
Rebuilt 906's with stock ports and valves. Springs matched cam. Stock rockers.
Edlebrock torker 383 intake
Holley 750 dp with 1 inch phenolic spacer.
Heddman 1 3\4 long tubes through 3 inch pipes into flowmaster 50 suv's and tailpipes.

Again, its turnkey and go, sounds great, good idle, plenty of power, super reliable. I love this engine and wouldn't trade it for a 440 any day of the week.

http://youtube.com/watch?p=CD53AA672390665D&v=IqkLPXXrohw right after 4 speed install, 3.23's in the rear. I have 4.30's now.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=j6pvgS9xf9Q from the rear

http://youtube.com/watch?p=CD53AA672390665D&v=te8dfDlOITo at the track in 2001 with a burned up 727 and 2.76's in the rear.

[bsakal]

Doug, (69dodge383),
I would do some homework on that engine before throwing a cam in it with those heads, especially with the tunnel ram install down the road. The 516 heads only have a 1.60 exhaust valve. Be careful with the cam selection, it's easy to overcam a low-compression 383 2bbl engine. IIRC, those stock cast pistons might be dished. I would bet it's barely 9:1 as it is.  If you swap to a 906 head, you will lose compression since the 516 is closed chambered. Not sure what the aluminum heads will do without taking actual measurements to figure out the CR. FYI, I just started taking apart the '71 383 that was in my '69 Charger, and the pistons are almost .080" below deck (and this was a rebuilt engine .040" over with cast flat tops).

Back in the '80's, I had a '68 Super Bee with a '76 440 in it (low compression, stock 452 heads and stock pistons). The only thing else that was changed were the head gaskets (Fel-Pro approx .039" compressed thickness, the heads were checked for straightness and not decked) I installed a small Crane Econopower (now called Powermax) cam in it with Direct Connection lifters (.427/.454 lift, 260/272 adv. duration, 204/216 @.050) It woke that engine right up. Cam was installed straight up. Tons of torque down low, it would just fry the tires. Here is the equivalent cam at a much better price... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-383-413-440-RV-Torque-Camshaft-Cam-Plymouth-Mopar-/330709795112?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D220964713521%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D7402401015440513895

I believe the factory cam for your 67 engine is only .425/.435 lift, approx 252/260 adv duration, approx 196/202 @ .050. The one I listed or the smaller Summit K6400 is the biggest I would try for that engine in stock trim (.442/.465 lift, 272/282 adv dur, 214/224 @.050) with the stock convertor.
I hope this helps.

[bsakal]

I want to add to my post,

Check out the Lunati Voodoo 60300 too.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Don't let a 9:1 motor scare you for cam sizes. I have a friend with a low compression 400 with a cam, intake and header swap and it pulls really strong. You just can't put a "funny car" cam in them and expect it to run good.

[Challenger340]

@Challenger340, you are right in what you say, has to be the rod bolts, when i get ready to rebuild, i will go with the ARP bolts. i checked the 440source.com tech dept and the heads will only fit a 383 if it is bored .030, good insight on that one.

comp cams camquest 6 software projects the following

530HP @ 6500RPM 498TQ @ 5000RPM with
stock bore 383
906 heads ported with gain of 10 cfm across the board over stock
2.14 : 1.81 valves
9.25:1 compression
high flow tunnel ram with 770 cfm carb
large tube open headers
hughes whiplash cam

450HP @ 6000RPM 460TQ @ 5000RPM - this has a much flatter torque line than the tunnel ram
stock bore 383
906 heads with stock ports
2.14 : 1.81 valves
9.25:1 compression
high flow dual plane with 770 cfm carb
large tube open headers
hughes whiplash cam

Yeah, depending upon the duration @ .050 events the second 450'ish hp engine is quite believable.....I've posted stock valve .030 over wee-83's that Engine Dyno'd in the 430hp Trq range in the proven combos section years ago....