Contemplating a 396 LT1 Build for a winter project...

[BlackWidowSS]

Just wanted to get some opinions. I have been researching what it takes and what routse I wanna go be it a 383, 396, or 409 stroker. 383 is too common for what I want...yes I know it makes power and all, but every other person I talk to has a 383 cause its so much cheaper and easier...a 409 is too big...this is still a daily driver for now and I dont wanna do THAT much machining...so I am thinking 396 Stroker.

I am new to the idea of stroking an engine so I am learning so please go easy on me here lol, but am I correct?

Also I am looking at prices. I am going to forge it of course, and it COULD be used as a setup for a F1SC or something along those lines later...but for now a Stroker with Nitrous. I know this will be pricey, but its a project and I will be purchasing a seperate block to do this so I am not without a car while building it or if something goes wrong.

Now my next question. Be it 383 or 396, how well will my CURRENT setup work for this? What WILL jive and what WONT? I know the cam and pushrods wont...what else? Heads? Intake? etc

I currently have the LE2 heads with 2.00 int/1.56 exh 52cc chambers, Comp Cams Ultra Pro Mag 1.6 NSA Roller Rockers, and Patriot Extreme .660 Springs.

I have a 58mm TB, and ported intake manifold, LPP LT Headers, 3" Exhaust, SVO 30# Injectors, Walbro 255 Fuel Pump, LS7 Lifters

What else do I need? Should I P&P my heads more? etc.

Thanks for the assist guys.

[OVA1]

Well, I'm in the final stages of doing just that...

Here's what I did and what I'd do different, if I had it to do over again...

First, I bought an LT1 short block for $200 and had it boiled and all the machining done, for around $600. If I had to do it all over, I'd buy the Edit: Summit (SUM-150100) 383 4-bolt shortblock for $650. I haven't called to see if the milling will accept the 3.875 crank, but I expect it probably will and if it doesn't, the local milling costs would be minimal. Re edit: That block will not work... my bad. It's a gen-1 SBC and not a Gen2 suitable for the LT1.

I bought an Eagle 3.875 crank for around or a little over $500 from a private seller... It was brand new and never installed.
I bought Eagle forged 6" H-beam rods for around $550... retail.
SRP -5cc slugs for around another +/-$500, again, retail.

About two years ago now, I bought a set of AFR 195 LT-4 heads, including valve train... they were ported and decked to 54.8 CC chamber and I bought a ported Lt-4 intake. Paid around $1500 for the heads, $300 for the intake. Months ago, I bought a lightly used opti, for a hundred bucks... and paid retail for a comp small circle base cam and lifters around $500. Ran across a set of Ford 42# greentops, which should run 44#s on the increased chevy FP, for another $100... and paid a couple of hundred for a 58mm Throttlebody, which we'll bolt up to a TB wet plate, for the Nano system, which includes an Edlebrock controller. We installed the Walbro 255 Fuel Pump some months back... so that's already taken care of. Added an oil cooler and some misc. gauges, fuel regulator, etc... mostly picked up from the classifieds.

Pretty happy with most of that, as I set a heroic effort to find the rods and pistons I needed in the classifieds, and while I find plenty of ham and lots of eggs... never any ham and eggs.

I went with 6" rods to lesson the side loads, despite intending to spray the new system. We'll jet it to 150 shot and that'll be that and I doubt that will present too much of an issue with the forged SRP slugs, despite the shallowish tops.

The drivetrain is a spooled S60 with 5.13s, a perfomabuilt lvl 2 tranny and a yank SS3600 stall...

I've used PCM-4-Less for the mailorder tune for years... they do a great job. And if I can find someone down here that is a reputable LT-1 tuner, we'll have it tuned at their dyno. As it stands right now, I am not aware of any. Tons of Mustang tuners...

I expect we'll end up somewhere north of 450 RWHP N/A with similar torque... which should put us somewhere around the low 7s N/a and mid 6s on the sauce, down at our local track and readily able to reel up most of the Vettes and Euro peddlers which are in abundance down here, on the street.

Like anywhere else, the bigger the breathers the better to a point, cam up to match your heads and keep the pointy end first.

Hope that helps and best of luck to ya with your build.

[97lt1camaro]

Where do you see that 383 shortblock for 600 on jegs?

Sorry to hijack.

[OVA1]

Where do you see that 383 shortblock for 600 on jegs?

Sorry to hijack.


It's in the catalog. I'll grab it and pm ya with the particulars.

My bad... it was Summit and it is $650. I edited the above post to include the corrected price and Summit part#.

THIS IS NOT AN LT1 Gen-2 Block... my bad.

[RamAir95TA]

That's not an LT1 block.

[BlackWidowSS]

I agree, that is not an LT1 Block. I DO NOT want to get rid of my LT1. Therefore I will not buy something like the Summit 383 Block.

[OVA1]

That's not an LT1 block.


Whew! Good call! I was just flipping through the catalog a few days after I picked up my shortblock and ran across this block and thought "Go figure..." as I moved on to the oil pan dept...

BUT! The point is... that had I to do it over, and HAD I the ready -non divorce qualified- cash to do it with... I'd have just gone with a milled remanned, short block option.

In reading back over the thread, I noticed that I didn't include the charges for machine work, which started at 570 for the basic essentials of tanking, plugs, etc... and by the time I had him assemble everything, I was over $1500 not including the internals which I provided for the costs noted above.

Golan offers a 396 LT1 SB assembled for $4000... That's ridiculously close to what I have in my 2-bolt, along with all of the hassle. My problem is that while I was able to pony up the $500 here and there, over a period of several months, there was NO WAY... to fly a $4000 check past the Anti-Z Forces, that surround me.:secret:

Just food for thought... as always, every driver/builder needs to do their own homework, using the input of the herd as nothing more than a guide... and get to where they're headin' by whatever means is available to them. I was forced into the hook & crook method... but would have readily taken the stroke a check method, where such was an option.

[94basemodel]

Would a 396 build hold up to boost well with forged internals? Is there alot of machining involved. Im in the same boat as SSCamaro30Ann.

[Z28pr0jekt]

It depends on the amount of boost and the compression of the engine.

BUT it is a risk because the cylinder walls will already be pretty thin due to the machine work so it is a risk.

Honestly you either built a motor for na/n2o or you build a boost motor.

A boost motor off boost will likely be a dog

[RamAir95TA]

A 396 has the same thickness cylinder walls as a 383, so that's not really an issue. It's when you start going .060" where it can be a concern.

[Z28pr0jekt]

MY apologies cylinder walls isn't what I meant, misspoken. The water jackets are already at risk due to the machining and the pressure under boost can worsen that situation

[OVA1]

MY apologies cylinder walls isn't what I meant, misspoken. The water jackets are already at risk due to the machining and the pressure under boost can worsen that situation

Whuh? ...

Sure milling for clearance will reduce the wall to the cooling jacket, but that system remains at the same pressure... so there's no changes in the cooling channels, beyond the miniscule increase in block flex, under peak power.

It's true that a thinner wall is more subject fo failure than a thicker wall, but the odds are fairly small to infinitesimal. And when you compare that risk against the sure fire, 100% odds of increased torque where one increases displacement, it's a way to go.

Those who need to be certain, should pay the additional expense to have their block candidate sonic tested... That will tell you all ya need to know about the respective wall thicknesses in order to make an educated decision. I don't know how many people actually do that; but while it's not uncommon, I'd say its a firm minority.

Perhaps others will disagree, but that's how I see it.

[94basemodel]

I was looking at 18psi or so in street trim a no more than 9.5:1 static compression. My goal is at least 620rwhp and am crossed between a 355 or a stroker. I know it would be a dog n/a and thats why I built a high compression heads cam setup in the meantime but it looks like I just threw a rod(havent pulled the motor yet) so I am still trying to determine what Im going to do. Thanks for the input and sorry for the thread jacking.