Building a low comp. engine

[Ryan Stout]

Should I go 383 now while I'm doing it or just do a forged 355 build? I want about 9:1 compression and able to hold 650rwhp without me cringing every time I go WOT afraid I'm gonna break it. 4 bolt mains is a must, already talked to Lloyd about getting me a cam. It'll cost me next to nothing to make it a 383 right now, but its the supporting mods that are gonna kill me. I'm already set up for a 355, not the massive amounts of torque a 383 will make though. Thanks!

[njrextreme]

If its not a daily driver, id say build it up to the 383. Take some time buying all the parts and then start on it. If you need it on the road soon, go w/ the 355. You know you will be kicking yourself when your not happy w/ the 355.

[BLOWNDFIZ]

Go 383. Since you are goinf gorged everything the cost difference in the cranks is negligible.

[Jay_rich]

Mine is a 383, its great but you need a crazy dish piston to keep the compression down with a stock head!
Get some nice JE pistons, eagle crank and rods should would as I am using all this stuff haha

Jay

[Ryan Stout]

What do you recommend for pistons? I was thinking of SRP's 31cc dished pistons and a somewhat thick head gasket, but IMO it would be better to run a deeper piston with a thinner (than what a 31cc would use) gasket.

[Jay_rich]

What do you recommend for pistons? I was thinking of SRP's 31cc dished pistons and a somewhat thick head gasket, but IMO it would be better to run a deeper piston with a thinner (than what a 31cc would use) gasket.

Mine is JE-28CC, .043 SCE copper gaskets and AFR 195 65CC comb chamber. I am at 8.65:1
Block has been Zero decked too.

Jay

[CALL911]

I have custom Diamond pistons personally and would highly reccomend them.

As far as your original question goes; most guys just go with the 383. The 383 will not really yeild you any more HP than the 355, but it will give you more torque. Don't worry about the strength of one to another as you can make either easily hold WAY more than your goal of 650 RWHP. But if you were already planning on a 355, theres again really not going to be a ton of difference other than you will loose a bit of potential torque.

[Ryan Stout]

So let me ask this, what would I really be gaining from a 383 rather than a 355?
I don't need any more torque thats for sure, I'd just like to make the same power from a low boost 383 as a higher boost 355. I have an alky setup I can always toss on the car if need be with the 355 though, and I can do a stock heads 355 setup and save a little cash to get a S60...

[CALL911]

How much torque would depend on the setup of the 383 (heads, cam, intake ect.). The less restrictive the parts, the more torque you would see. As far as actual HP, the 355 can make just as much as the 383. Like I said before, your not really going to see an increase in HP from the 383 from the 355, more or less just a torque difference.

[Ryan Stout]

I made 511tq at the wheels on my last 70mm setup before I went with a MP76 and a better tune. The more I look into it, I might just go 355. Would a 383 be any more unreliable? I've heard that if you spin a 383 to 6000rpm, its about like spinning a 355 to about 7500 due to the longer stroke and how much farther the rods and pistons have to travel in the same amount of time. I'd like to be able to cruise up to Indy (about 60 miles) without worrying if I'll break while playing around up there. Just weighing all my options before I really go through with it.

Thanks for the help Call911