If you are rebuilding a Gen 1 large journal small block and you need to do any crank work at all, you might as well look at upgrading to a 383 stroker because it is basically free cubic inches. The 383 stroker rotating assemblies on the market is the same price as standard assemblies and there is very little machining needed for these kits. In our case, we have a Chevrolet 350 L48 out of a 1971 Corvette that was rated at 270 hp. Compared to today’s corvettes, this one compares more to the speed of a Chevette. We decided to start over completely and build a nice 450 hp 383 stroker that would fit under the hood of our Corvette and also be very reliable.
What Parts Do You Need?
Everyones build will be a bit different because of parts that can be used, chosen or rebuilt. You have many options for upgrades including roller rockers, roller lifters, forged pistons and even forced induction. We opted for a naturally aspirated roller motor since this car would not be a daily driver and cold starts would be easier on a fairly aggressive cam with the roller valvetrain.
Below are links to all the parts we purchased to build our Corvette L48 350 into a nice 383 stroker. This includes all new hardware and all we are using is the block.
- FEL-1205 GASKETS INTAKE
- SUM-G001 CAM BUTTON SPACER SBC
- SUM-G1792 CAM LOCKING PLATE
- TFS-21400003 ROLLER LIFTER
- TFS-30410013-M72 Trick Flow Super 23 195 Cylinder Heads
- TFS-31400510 ROLLER ROCKER 1/5 3/8 SBC
- TFS-31400915 SBC EXC 400 GASKET SET-EARLY
- TFS-31478500 SBC BILLET TIMING CHAIN SET
- ARP-134-3601 SBC HEAD BOLT KIT 6PT
- CCA-08-600-8 CAMSHAFT CS 283T HR-107 T THUMPER
- CCA-412M DISTRIBUTOR GEAR
- CLO-9-221 TIMING COVER (2PC)
- EDL-5001 MANIFOLD TORKER II SBC NON-EGR
- EDL-8812 WATER PUMP ALUMINUM
- ESP-62305030 383 ROTATING ASSEMBLY
- HLY-12-834 FUEL PUMP MECHANICAL
- JET-35003 Q-JET CARB STAGE 3
- MCH-523 POWER STEERING PULLEY
- MCH-6030 SBC SWP PULLEY SET V-BELTS
- MEL-IS-55E OIL PUMP DRIVE CHEVY SB
- MEL-M55A OIL PUMP MELLING BOX
- MIL-18600 OIL PUMP PICKUP STOCK SBC
- MIL-30700 OIL PAN SBC STOCK PAN
- MSD-5553 STREET FIRE WIRE
- PIO-872021 HARMONIC BALANCER
- PNX-40011 COIL FLAME-THROWER (1.5 OHM) B
- PNX-91181 IGNITOR II DELCO 8 CYL
- PRO-141-638 LINEAR WIRE LOOMS S/B V8
- PRO-141-924 SLANT EDGE VALVE COVERS
- PWM-27294 ONE WIRE ALTERNATOR
- PWM-9000 HIGH TORQUE STARTER
- SME-2015 CHEVY OIL FILTER ADAPTER
- SUM-163625 SBC TIMING POINTER 6 1/4 DAMPER
- SUM-400505 BILLET DIST HOLD DOWN
- SUM-G5223 MAROON CAP/ROTOR KIT GM SOCKET
- ARP-134-5401 KIT MAIN STUD CHEVY
- ARP-134-8701 FUEL PUMP PUSH ROD KIT
- ARP-230-7001 STUD OIL PUMP
- ARP-234-2501 BALANCER BOLT KIT CHEVY
- ARP-400-7603 COVER STUD KIT
- ARP-430-7401 12PT THERMOSTAT HOSING BOLT KIT
- ARP-434-1801 OIL PAN BOLT KIT
- ARP-434-2102 INTAKE BOLTS
- ARP-434-3203 WATER PUMP BOLT KIT
- ENS-3-1114G MOTOR MOUNT GRAPHITE EACH
- ARP-100-2801 FLYWHEEL BOLT KIT
- DUR-CH-8 BEARING CAMSHAFT
- PIO-PE108BR FREEZE PLUGS BRASS
Note that a few of the parts are specific to a C3 Corvette, like the water pump, very low intake manifold, Jet Carburetor and many of the distributor parts due to the mechanical RPM gauge. Our goal was a 10.0 to 10.5:1 compression motor. As it sits we are at about 10.1:1 and we might shave the heads down slightly. A C3 Corvette needs vacuum to run the headlamps since they lift, the wiper cover and many, many more items so a good camshaft that will produce power and vacuum were important. There are also dome dress-up parts in there such as valve covers and pulleys. This just makes sense to do now rather than try to refurbish some of the 40 plus-year-old items that are the incorrect size for a higher revving motor.
We enjoy working with Summit Racing because of their service. We can call and talk to a real person and get sound advice on our specific build. We used that service many times on this project and on our Monte Carlo SS Transmission fix.
