327 or 383 stroker????

[flyinbryan06]

should i go with a 327 or a 383 stroker?? im shooting for appx 400hp, and i dont plan on usinga stock engine(obviously) also if i have a 97 4.3 is is easier to go fuel injected or carbed??

im deff doing this swap this winter so i have a ton of ?'s b4 i get into it :-)

[Eric]

go with 383 , easier to hit 400 hp or more

[Danny_SS]

383 is a better choice. This engine has a longer stroke which will allow you to run bigger heads and a bigger cam while maintaining a smoother idle. More CI and stroke also means a lot more torque. Torque is what moves you and what allows you to run plenty of overdrive (like the new Vette) and get good mileage from a huge engine.
Take a look at the ZZ383 crate engine from GM performance parts that makes like 425hp!
Lingenfelter has some really nice 383 engines and packages as well. 383 LTI engines are sick too!
Fuel injection will work better and be more efficient. Carb is just cheaper.

[Dimemaster]

There's no substitute for cubic inches. All else being equal, a 383 will make 50-60 more horsepower and 50-60 more lbs/ft than a 327, and do it at nearly 1000rpm less, which saves the valve train. Up to a point. The small-journal 327 block won't live long when output tops the 400hp point. Here's an example of each extreme of normally aspirated street smallblocks:

After building 200-225 smallblocks over a course of 35 years, for various purposes, for myself and others, I've decided my favorite Gen I street smallblock is a 383. I start with a 2-bolt 350 block with splayed 4-bolt main cap conversion and girdle, deflanged, magnafluxed, align honed, decked, bored 0.030 over, brass freeze plugs, and screw-in oil plugs. To this I add a billet 4-inch crank and rods on Federal-Mogul bearings, 9.5:1 hypereutetic pistons, moly rings, gear driven Edelbrock Performer RPM roller cam and complete valve train, including aluminum 1.6 needle bearing roller rockers (double check valve-to-piston and valve spring coil clearances!) with stud girdles. the only non-Edelbrock valve train parts I use are Rhoads variable duration roller lifters. An Edelbrock Performer RPM Pro-Flo EFI with a 4V air valve passes the fuel/air mixture to E-Tec heads that have been disassembled, polished, and port matched. An MSDS HEI ignition lights the fire, and porcelain-coated 1 3/4-inch primary Sanderson headers with part of the collectors replaced with dual generic 3-inch high-flow cats, 2 1/2 inch true duals with crossover, and generic turbo mufflers with 2 1/2 inch pass tubes.

Such an engine backed by a Richmond Gear 5 speed and a 3.70 8.5 rear will put a bit over 400hp and 400lbs/ft on the ground, will run fine on 93 octane pump gas without additives, will idle all day at 800rpm, will return 20+mpg on the highway, and will handle a 225hp 3-stage nitrous shot without damage , if set up with appropriate electronic control systems and a rev limiter. The OBDII can even be fooled into passing Texas inspection.

With a suspension and weight distrubution set up for cornering, such an S10 on P255/45R17 street tires will turn 12s easily, and a high 11 when everything goes just right. Traction is a problem. Same set-up with DOT drag radials or slicks will get you the occasional high 10s. Top speed normally aspirated with proper aerodynamic improvements will be somewhere in the 160-170mph range for the second gens, about 10mph less for the less aerodynamic first gens. A pro street setup with 4.11 gears will see high 9s, low 10s at 140+. Pretty damn decent for a street-legal (including emissions) pickup truck.

That said, Yesenia is in love with my 91 Blazer. It will be hers when she is old enough to drive. I'm building a 268 smallblock for it. Reasoning is less internal friction than a bigger engine should return better fuel mileage. Parts are in the shop, but just a little to busy right now to get out there and put it together. I'd build a smaller engine on an early 262 block, but I'm limited to 91 or newer blocks to pass inspection, and the smallest Gen I block 91 or later is the 305. Therefore, I started with a 98 Vortec 305. This is intended to be economical, dependable, and comfortable daily transportation, nothing more.

Bore is 3.77 inches, stroke is 3 inches, rod length is 6.0 inches. The block has been deflanged, magnafluxed, decked, bearing spacers installed to fit early 2.3-inch small bearings, align honed, and bored 0.030. Crank has been magnafluxed, cross drilled, chamfered, shot peened, straightened, balanced, and offset ground to reduce the stroke to 3 inches, with journals turned to fit the early style 2.1-inch small bearings. The rods have been deflanged, magnafluxed, balanced total mass and end-to-end, and bushed for the early style small bearings. Pistons are hyperteutetic 8.4:1, weight matched, and the skirts bonded graphite coated.

Here's where things get tricky. The stock cam has been reground to increase duration a little, increase lift a lot, reduce overlap a little, and make use of Rhodes roller lifters. 1.5 needle bearing rockers with roller tips will reduce valve train friction in the aluminum Edelbrock Performer heads, which have been cleaned up and fitted with polished valves, relatively low pressure springs, and titanium retainers, and will be port matched to the Edelbrock Pro-Flo with the 2V air valve before installation. Yep, I know the Vortec heads ultimately out flow the Edelbrocks, but the Edelbrocks rock when it comes to off-idle throttle response. This engine does NOT require large ports, just ports that make a good shot at low velocities right into the combustion chamber, and a small combustion chamber volume to keep the compression up. Besides, the Edelbrock heads are the ONLY aluminum heads that are compatible with the power characteristics desired for this engine. These are street heads, not making any pretense to be race parts.

Ignition will be Accel/MSD HEI. I haven't found a suitable set of 1 1/2 primary long tube headers, so I'll probably make my own with 1/2-inch flanges from seamless stainless. Dual high-flow cats behind an H-pipe, 2 1/2 inch true duals with turbo mufflers will complete the install.

This engine should make 240-250hp@3800, 270-280 lbs/ft@from 2000 to 5500rpm at the wheels, idle so smooth you wouldn't know it's running except for the ticking of the lifters, deliver rock solid dependability, and return well over 25mpg over a 250,000+ mile life. Just what an old man needs to appease his worries when sending a young lady off to high school and college.

[s10mafia50]

Havnt people mad the reverse of the 383 before, using a 400sbc block and 350 crank? If you like revvs that would be the way to go. I beleive i have heard of it as being a 377? I think.
Andrew

[flyinbryan06]

im deff. going 383..this is going to be sick, im gonna get a mid 90s camaro 6 speed tranny to go with it..:-D

[s10mafia50]

Totally awesome, I wanna do a 6sp swap when my clutch finally goes out(damn 80hp extra) I salute you for the 383, and if possible go with an LT1. Have fun, drive fast!!!
Andrew

[Dimemaster]

Yes, 400 block with 350 crank is 377cid. 400 blocks are weak because of the siamesed bores. All else being equal, more revs, same horsepower, less torque.