Evening,
this is to anyone willing to help or has ever done this swap...

I will be buying a 383 stroker as soon as I put my money together... the thing is... I'm worried about what all will need to be done to adapt this engine with my car... I plan on buying just the Archie Econo. kit to use with this swap... but theres a lot more stuff that I think needs to be done to properly run this engine...

If someone who has actually installed this engine could talk with me about it, tell me what all I will need, costs, pros and cons... that sort of stuff... I would be grateful...

thanks

------------------

Sorry i can't help you but i just wanted to say that that is an awsome SIG!

Your car looks great.

-Phil

------------------

86 SE V6 under constuction
"A good friend will come bail you out of jail...but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying...Man, that was great!"

There is a guy was doing this, he has the building project on here. Look it up in the search. You should find it.

Later

thanks for the compliment on my car Phil. =)

Rob... i know of the..i think its the IMSA car that is being built from the ground up has a 383 in it... but they are building it to hard race standards and its a new frame and everything so it would be (i think) different then just a normal swap............... or is there someone else also doing it? thanks for the heads up.

383 stroker is nothing new. I have an older Archie video of a customer swap with a 383 dual-quads and NOS.

My understanding, you'll just need a balanced flywheel.

http://www.dirtyratracing.org/thedirtyratv8swap.htm

Check this site out, its all about a guys 383ci buildup!

about the flywheel it all depends on whether or not your Crank is internaly balanced. A lot of the new Stroker Cranks are internaly balanced. As long as you dont use an old 400 crank which would require the balanced flywheel

Im kinda looking at this swap as a LONG term swap too.

Later

[This message has been edited by CaddyRob (edited 05-24-2003).]

Cool! Thanks for clearing that up CaddyRob.

Dude, first I got to say that I love the car in your sig. T-top Formula! I had one that I totaled under a semi. Don't ever doubt the integrity of that little car!

Now, the stroker. If you do a 383 you need to be sure to get an internally balanced crank. I used a SCAT forged crank with SCAT forged rods in my combo. It’s all internally balanced. The 400 balancer will not fit. You have to use Archie’s harmonic balancer to have any chance of clearing the frame rail. In my case I used a Milodon gear drive which pushed the harmonic balancer out about 1/4 inch. I had to notch the frame rail. You'll probably run into a few clearance issues with the V8. One I found was (depending if you run A/C) is the clearance of the alternator to the firewall. Solved it by using a shorter belt. Anywho, it’s a fun project but it does take some time and $$$. Also plumbing the water pump is a pain as well. There have been a few creative solutions posted on the forum. I chose to use the CSI remote water pump with block nipples and AN fittings. Even with that I had to dimple the strut tower a little to be able to get the fittings on. I'm at a point in the conversion where everything is physically mounted in the car and plumbed. I went a little overboard on my conversion, but at the time I had the $$$. I wanted to do it right. I'm now unemployed. Glad I got all I needed when I could. Be prepared to run to your local hardware store at least a couple of times a day to get various bits and pieces. If you need anything let me know. It's one of those been there, done that deals Email me at rob.renee@comcast.net. I don't check this section of the forum often.

Later,

Rob D.

------------------

383 V8 installed awaiting final hookup and light-off!! YEEEHAWWW!!!!
2.5" Drop
11" Brakes
17" Revolutions
RCC Coilover Suspension
Updated May 19 '03 www.dirtyratracing.org

I may be alone here, but i would say if you haven't bought a 383 yet, buy a 377... its a 400 block with a 350 crank... you can build those things to turn 10,000 rpms without beatin itself to **** ... the 383 is notorious to blow itself to hell once you rev it... now if you're not lookin to rev, then the 383 is a beast... just IMHO the 377 is a stronger engine and dont beat itself to hell... heh...

now i'm not knocking the 383... friend of mines got one in his '69 maro and its badass... just a REAL low redline but a real stout bottom end... i just believe the 377 will rev more and is a stouter engine...

-DRye

[edited 'cuz i can't type or spell... lol]

[This message has been edited by D-Ri2k4 (edited 05-25-2003).]

I havent done the 383 in a fiero but I have built a few of them and I actually was going to build one for this 86gt, Then I started thinking about it. The tranny isnt designed to handle the torque of a v8 and a 383 is even more then a 350. so I oppted for a 350. However if you are going to do it you might want to check into P.A.W. which is performance automotive warehouse. They sell a bolton weight to use with an 350 flywheel. thus eliminating the need for the 400 flywheel. But in the feiro 4cyl flywheel swap You are going to have the whole thing balanced together anyway!

You can't use the adapter weight on an archie flywheel, if you do the ring gear will hit the transmission.
Better go for the internally balanced stuff.
I think the 400 block is pretty sensitive to overheating and it is easy to get a V8 hot in a fiero.
All it takes is overheating once to warp the siamesed cylinders in the 400 block.
The 350 has water between the cylinders and is a bit more forgiving.
But that is just my opinion.

tstroud

does anyone know where i could order a complete crate 377 stroker or a 3800sc???

besides ebay... i dont trust ebay as far as i could throw it

------------------

quote Originally posted by D-Ri2k4: I may be alone here, but i would say if you haven't bought a 383 yet, buy a 377... its a 400 block with a 350 crank... you can build those things to turn 10,000 rpms without beatin itself to **** ... the 383 is notorious to blow itself to hell once you rev it... now if you're not lookin to rev, then the 383 is a beast... just IMHO the 377 is a stronger engine and dont beat itself to hell... heh...

Not true about the revs, it just depends how well you build it. About ten years ago my dad and I ran an alcohol burning 383 in an IMCA modified. It would turn 7200 rpm all day long with no problems.

I'd go for the 383 over the 377 because, as tstroud said, the 400 block has siamesed cylinder walls.

------------------
Doug Chase
'88 Fiero Formula 5-spd (autocrosser)
'88 Fiero GT 5-spd (daily driver)
'85 Fiero GT 5-spd (rally car)
'87 Fiero SE V6 5-spd (for sale $2200)
'88 Fiero Formula 5-spd (parts car / future rally car #2)
Custom roll cage fabrication available
Custom exhaust fabrication available

http://www.enginefactory.com/ http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/headline.asp?hid=B12AS4328

350 and 383 crate motors

------------------

--Adam--
1987 Blue GT 5-speed
IM AOL: FieroGT5speed
16 years old and already selling my stuff to pay for repairs to my Fiero...which i sold my stuff to buy in the first place

[This message has been edited by GTFiero1 (edited 05-26-2003).]

anywhere else?

Powerhouse automotive, summit and jegs sells rotating assemblies If you want I can build you one! It wouldnt be the first by far! and I can do it for half the price of a crate motor depending on the ingredients! My las 383 short block ARP's 4bolt block x rods and keith black pistons, cleveite bearings, balanced and blue printed. went for $1300 and is running 10.l8 int he 1/4.And I can do it cheaper than that!

Here ya' go.

One thousand seven hundred and twenty one hits. Choose your poison.
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=%22crate+engines%22&FORM=SMCRT

Good luck!

I wouldnt worry about revs. I dont think ive even kicked in the 4 bbls yet and its a rocket. I been trying to take it a little ez since I been having tranny probs. I dont think its tranny itself, I think the guys are not building it right since its lost 3rd each time just cruising down the interstate. Hopefully their 3rd rebuild will not have a problem. I didnt want to do mine for racing, just a super bottom end for driving mostly around town and going to car shows.

Around here anyway, you can order a 355, 383, 402 or 502 crate right from Chevy parts counter.

[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 05-27-2003).]