name that brand!!!???

[t2h_68]

Need more help......... i need to find out what brand my rods and pistons are so i can try to match the old with the new(i have a 383 with 60 over forged dome topped pistons ive broke 2 rods and have 3 bad pistons Im tring to get away with buying replacements individually) i need to know if some one can help me find out what brand they are. On the piston face there is a part number L2293.060 on the bottom of the piston(under the wrist pin are a set of numbers it looks like this B
231-98
on one side of the rod(length ways) it says DF 32 and MS 3049
and on the other side it says(length ways) 1737692 and has BH going cross ways.
If anyone can help please respond thank you very much
Ben
Ps check out my other post "my challenger and a broke 383"
Bye

[deadhorse66]

T2h_68, I read your other thread, and I understand that you are probably still grieving over the untimely demise of your 383, but it is time to just let it go, man. Under your circumstances, I would do everything involved in a rebuild including bore, align hone, resurface, new pistons, rings, etc.--AND THAT IS AT A MINIMUM. Since you cannot really find pistons with more than .060" oversize, your block is pretty much scrap iron. To do it right you need to start over with a less molested block. This is just my opinion, but you need to forget your old short block--push it over in the corner and use it as a conversation piece. I know that 383s are fine engines, I own three of them myself, but I would trade two of them for one complete 440 in a heartbeat. Now would be as good a time as any to make the switch unless you are worried about being numbers-correct. I don't have any of my literature handy, so I can't help you with the parts I.D. right now, but if you post some pics it might help someone else to solve your problem.

[pishta]

I bet you got TRW pistons because of the L prefix. Couldnt tell on the rods. This is a table of NHRA accepted pistons in stock class

383 1962
TRW L2350F
SEALED 2257
CP PISTONS M11-CP

383 60-71 ALL 4-BBL.
TRW L2315F
TRW L3057F
SEALED POWER 2257P
ROSS 74233

[6 packin]

Deadhorse has a good point. The key to making power in every engine is strong straight round bores which do not deflect or run hot. Find a new block standard size should not be hard to find being 383 was built the most as the Big blocks by Mother. You will have a piece of mind 2

[dkn1997]

at least get a 400, everything would bolt up and you would get 17 free cubes. a running 400 will cost less than the new parts you will need for the 383. sounds like you are asking for trouble trying to piece back together what you have. even to do what you propose will require pulling the motor, complete disassembly, and at least boiling the block to make sure you got all the metal out. since you already have to do all that, why not locate another block, etc....

[gotcha]

t2h_68


The pistons sound like a TRW number, but are usually followed by the letter F as in Forged.

The rods have been in 3 different engines.

63-66 361
63-71 383
72-74 400

Hope this helps.

[Dart_Swinger]

i'd stay away from the 400's....based on what i've heard they're turd motors....but this is hearsay....just my .02

[ajmopar]

Basing opinion on hearsay will bite you in the a$$ every time. I have built several 400 mopars and had great success with all of them. Understanding that in stock form they were crippled with a really low compression ratio, making them scream is easy. With the biggest bore of any production mopar, the potential is awesome. They are mopars after all. With that opinion, all 360s are turds too. I can prove to you that they are not either. With this kind of logic, Chevies are so poplular because they employ superior engineering. We all know that's a sick joke.

If you have any 400's or 360's to give away because they are turds, let me know. End of sermon.

[deadhorse66]

Originally posted by Dart_Swinger
i'd stay away from the 400's....based on what i've heard they're turd motors....but this is hearsay....just my .02

Listen to aj--he knows what he is talking about. A 400 is basically just a 383 with a lot more bore. Stick some good flat topped pistons in and slap a good flowing set of heads on and make at least 350 horsepower VERY easily if you do it right. The only downfall to 400s is the fact that most were equipped with cast crankshafts, and that does not concern most folks making less than 450 horsepower. Even with that, the cast predicament can easily be remedied with a very common forged 383 reciprocating assy.

[6pakman]

they were very thin walled to. gotta be careful with them. have it sonic tested before you start.

[Tarrbabe]

Your pistons are TRW. The rods are stock HP 383 rods. I have a set of each in the garage.
The pistons are heavy by todays standards but this combination can rev to 7500 everyday if balanced properly.

[t2h_68]

thank you very much for all of the responses.. I dont know what to do yet looking for a block right now but ill keep ya posted.

[dwc43]

If your wanting to keep a numbers matching car together ( which you should ) I'd just resleeve all the cylinders. Any good shop can do this and it's not that exspensive either. If it's a matching car it will keep the value high and well worth the cost.

[Dart_Swinger]

now i'm not trying to start an arguement here but if it takes a 'good set of heads' to get a big block to 350 horse, then its a turd....i'm not saying building on is a waste of money or anything, but if your shopping for a block i feel you'd be farther ahead purchasing a 383 or a 440....heck, a 340 with a 'good set of heads' can make 350 horse and its lighter.

[deadhorse66]

Originally posted by Dart_Swinger
now i'm not trying to start an arguement here but if it takes a 'good set of heads' to get a big block to 350 horse, then its a turd....i'm not saying building on is a waste of money or anything, but if your shopping for a block i feel you'd be farther ahead purchasing a 383 or a 440....heck, a 340 with a 'good set of heads' can make 350 horse and its lighter.

Agreed--I am probably making that much with crappo 516 castings, I was just trying to point out that 400s were not turds, and can perform like their predecessors if armed with comparable equipment. Why wouldn't they? If you fit one with the (stock) 906 or 452 or 346 or whatever casting, and a piston which will make the same compression ratio as a 383, why wouldn't the larger 400 make at least as much if not more power? There is nothing to say that 383s would not be equally crappy if fitted with the same type of equipment as a smogger 400. If you want to just buy a stock one and drop it in, then yes, a 383 would be better if it is still in stock 68-70 form, but if I am going to invest in another engine, it will never see the underside of my hood without a thorough rebuild, and that is the perfect chance to make a 400 really shine. Remember that 383 HP engines were only rated at 335 horsepower (I know that is probably a little shy of actual flywheel HP), regardless it will take a tweak or mod or two to cross the 350 horsepower threshold. It will take more than a mod or two to get a 340 to develop more than one horsepower per cubic inch. That is why I ACTUALLY SUGGESTED a 440 with a out of the box rating of 370 horsepower.

Where is Dave? He will agree with me.

[t2h_68]

ok i talked to the guy last night and this is what he told me. he said that i could get a short block 440 for $400, Or a running 440 for $700. Now im wondering what to do. Im told that my heads will bolt on, but it has a brand new never run ajustable roller rockers on it and im assuming the short block would be basically stock. Would everything else i have bolt up? Intake headers distributor timing chain water pump Starter motor mounts bellhousing??(Im still new to this interchangeability)Im gonna need serious help on this one
Ben

[dkn1997]

I checked your other thread, and I did not see what heads you currently have on your 383-which ones?

even if you cannot use your head castings, stock 440 castings are not too expensive. the open chamber 440 heads flow similarly, 906,346,452 whatever. your valvetrain hardware should bolt up to anything you find.

On those interchange questions, someone else can jump in here for specifics. there is a book called "how to rebuild big block mopar engines" by don taylor that has a whole chapter on interchange in the B-R/B family.

I hope you are planning on rebuilding either one these 440's you are considering, or else you will be right back here after the next one grenades on you. I do not mean to sound snooty, but for that kind of money, they cannot be that good. good luck

[ehostler]

Your heads will bolt on to any B/RB engine. Everything that is on the outside of your 383 (minus untake) will bolt right on to a 440. That includes tranny, starter, PS pump, etc.

65Coronet has a 383 for sale, in the parts for sale area. He is in Alabama. Looks like a nice engine for $1,800. http://www.moparchat.com/forums/show...threadid=64382

originally posted by 65coronet

I have a complete air cleaner to oil pan, 69 383 HIPO for sale.

Bolt in and go!
Here are the specs:

69 bored .30 over
TRW forged pistons
1975 452 heads (ported & polished) w/super commando springs
windage tray
Assembly Balanced
High volume oil pump
Holley Street dominator intake/port matched to heads
rebuilt Holley 700 dbl pumper
moroso air breather
high output electronic ignition
chrome control box
New plug wires
New plugs
Starter
Water Pump

$1800.00

You couldn't build one for this.

I had this engine in my 65 Coronet, street driven with periodic strip duty and ran 9.00 in 1/8th.

The reason I am selling is, I put a 500 + HP 440 in her this year.
Would like to keep, but don't realy need her.

email: nova66et@aol.com

[dave571]

That 383 does sound like a good deal.

If you go for the short block, before you put your heads on, You'd better take them in and have them checked.

After reading the other thread from start to finish, there is very little chance that there is nothing wrong with them.

For that matter, a sticking guide may have caused your engine failure(as pointed out by cuda66273)

I'd by the 440 complete, and throw it in. then you've got options, and a spare set of heads.

As for 400's being crappy/turds, that's a load of crap.

They're great starter engines, that can be aquired for virtually nothing(I got mine for free)

I've built it like an early high-po 383(with a more modern cam) and have surprised more than a few people. Including a 66 charger with a 70 440 built to 70 magnum specs. He beat me by the skin of his teeth, with a 4speed and 3:21 gears. My Van's and auto and carries at least 1400lbs more weight, 3.55:1 gears.

A lot of 383's are pretty low on compression too. The open head is so large, that a domed piston is required to get 9.5:1 or better.

example: 4.250 stroke. 3.380 bore, .020" head gasket, piston come to within .030" of the deck, no valve reliefs or dishes, 88 to 90 cc 906 heads, and you've got a whopping 8.7 to one compression. I don't think they were ever advertised that low. (Try playing with the compression calculator at kb-silvolite.com and you'll start to question a lot of factory compression ratings)

I'm not knocking 383's. After all that's what I built my 400 after, but to say 400's are turds is simply false.

318's were never performer's either. I guess someone better tell that to cuda66273, because his car apparently doesn't know it.(judging by the ET's anyway)

[t2h_68]

Ok
i bought the running 440. It came out of a running 73 new yorker. We drove it to my house and just now got finished pulling it out(after some more practice it might not take all day) We had to cut off an exhaust pipe to get it out(limited tools, and took a while to borrow a hacksaw) It smokes a little but i think its because its running way too rich(old thermoquad) it had gas running down the front of the carb when we pulled the breather. ill be putting it in the challenger tomorrow. Will my holly carb also bolt right on?? Will there be anything i should look for that will cause problems. The guy i bought it from gave me a new(rebuilt?) tourqe converter to go with it. he told me it would be better to run it because it was balanced for the motor. I have a hemi HS converter that came out of my car that i was wanting to use but he told me to use this one. it had 70000 miles on the motor and i paid $700 for it. Is that a decent price???
Well all the help is appreciated
Thanx, Ben

[Dart]

Not to be a pain but is that a cast crank 440? Your converter will need the correct weight package installed (welded) to it before you can run it with the cast crank 440. Mid '72 is when they started using the cast crank and the balance is different. The way to tell the difference is by the thickness of the balancer. The cast crank blancer is about double the thickness of the forged crank 440. Fixing up your converter is easy to do, you will just need to get the wieght kit and have someone weld it on.

I would say $700 is a bit high for a cast crank 440. I bought a '75 440 that had 75k on it for $350. Especially since it sounds like you will need to go through this one. If that carb has been run for a long time in it's present condition odds are the rings are washed and aren't going to seal correctly even if you get the carb straightned out. The cast crank 440 is also low compression from a performance standpoint. I think the '73 is around 8 to 1, where a '68-72 would have been around 10 to 1. The difference in compression is worth at least 50 ponies in a mild build.

If the 400 was a "turd" why is that the best 452 stroker build? The '72 400 block is a good piece, but that is the timeframe that ALL the manufacturing processes were getting cheaper i.e. they started cutting corners on their engine manufacturing to save money.

[ehostler]

I would rebuild that 440 to beeter specs, before dropping it in. In its current state, it's only going to be good as a driver. Don't expect it to be more powerful than the 383 was. The lower compression of '73 is going to kill the performance. Bigger isn't always better.

[dkn1997]

I think that 700 was a pretty good deal (at least around here, they get 500 for a shortblock) especially because you got a running motor in a car-saves hassles like accessory bolt up, etc...

if that milage you quoted is original to the motor, and not after a rebuild, then that motor is nearing the end of its service life- if you take the heads off, you will probably find a nasty ridge, dished pistons (your comp is more like 7.5:1) rings have come a long way since then, and do not wear the bores as much as they used to.

I know where you are coming from, I have been there, you want to get the thing in and get it running, especially since you just bought the car-BUT- extra $ and work now will save you a ton of hassles later. you have a great foundation there- at least go through that short block- boil, deck, bore (if necessary), align bore the mains (if nesessary), recon the rods, new bearings, new pistons, oil pump. do this and get the heads checked to make sure they are serviceable and THEN drop it in. then you can worry about heads/intake swap later.

I only mention this because I see no need to take that motor out again-if you rebuild it now, YOU KNOW what you are dealing with. also, let the machine shop get the parts for you- this kind of stuff is notorious for being boxed wrong, or just plain bad-that way it is not your problem when you go to put the rods together and discover that 1/2 the nuts do not have threads tapped into them!