Yeah, I'm new. Sorting out my next build. '67 Satellite w/383 ,833. To get a lighter piston in engine with 3.375" stroke. Can you use a 6.768" rod to get a short compression height? I can't do the math. Ross Pistons lists one for a 400 w/3.375 str. and 6.768 rod w/ .990 pin. Very light. Who's done this in a 383?

 

Welcome to the site Shifter... Not sure what your trying to build? But stop, your making my head hurt.... Get a 383 Stroker kit... Not bad in Price.. and go that route, would be my suggestion. This other way sounds way to costly to me...

Just my 2 cent......

Maybe look into a 383 kit from these guys???? Food for thought....
http://www.musclemotorsracing.com/new-page/

Or

http://www.mrlperformance.com/about.html

 

Get a stroker kit as Bob suggested We are not trying to build a Chevy that you rebuild every year.
It just depends on your use ? Street ?? drag race ???

 

What is the compression height of that 400 piston? Are you sure it's listed that stroke and not 3.75"?

If your only trying to change stroke /rod ratio and get a lighter piston as a bonus, I'm not understanding the reasoning. A 1.545"compression height piston is looking custom.

 

Street / strip on a tight budget. I'm thinking re-using block, crank and heads. Diamond sells the light weight pistons that Ross didn't. Add rods, solid cam (got adj. rockers). I have a good steel crank save money there. After rebalance it should rev thru the roof.

 

I see...
If all is good, and the block will go 0.030 over....
Cast flat tops pistons
You can use the factory rods and crank with a good balanced rotating asm.
906 heads with some good port work..
Comp Ultia-Pro Magnum rockers..
some good Ball & Ball puchrods..
Comp .502/5.11 236/242 Cam and cam kit.
Edelbrock 383 Victor intake
750 Holley Vac/Sec
Put about 34* of total timing in it.
Compression should end up something 10.0.1... should Run good on pump gas. Should make about 350H.P. or about that...
And you only need to spin it to 5,500 RPM..

Id say you might be in the build 4,500 -5,000 bucks.. as a rough guestimate.
Mine looked like it came out with a final number of 6,550, when it was all said and done... You know.. Water pump, hoses, carb, intake, headers, All these things add up above the cost of just the engine Long block build up...
But I have a good advantage.. I have the Pomona Swap meet and the Long beach High performance Swap meets to help in the search.....

Good Luck... Keep us posted on what you decided to do...

 

I understand what you're trying to do, I built a long rod 298 Ford and ended up with a 360 gram piston. I was after the lowest parasitic power loss. With only 292 cid it made 455 hp and 445 tq. all under 6500 rpm..

 

I screwed together a '71 340, forged flat top (740 grams), J heads, torker, solid cam motor in '84. Spin it to 8800rpm. Still together. I see 383 with about same stroke. Diamond forged at 520 grams, Scat 440 rods about the same weight as stock 383 rods, stock heads, torker, solid .564/.576 242/246 cam, 750 holley. Seems to me both share the same stroke. The 383 has advantages, displacement, lighter pistons, better stroke / rod ratio, stronger bottom end and better oiling than my 340. It ought to rev at the track and decent driver in town. Or not. IDK.

 

the hard part might be going from a 4.250 to a 4.340 bore. not sure if a 383 can go that far. Maybe

 

I see it being a custom piston, I don't think you could bore a 383 .090 over, now start with a 400 block and go .030 over.

Or just get a kit and make it a 500".

 

Diamond has them on the shelf PN 51907/51908 ( or so their web catalog claims ) at 4.280 and 4.310. I haven't called them yet.

 

Looks good, .029" down for decking.

 

Shifter>>> What did you decide to do? I was wanting to do the same thing,I want to keep my 383,dont want a stroker,I think with the 383 crank turned down for BB chevy rod journal & 440 length that eagle makes for BB mopar will shave a lil more weight off,Love the looks of the long rod with short lightweight piston,I bet that thing will rev,I built one lightweight 350 chevy a while back & nothing different than lightweight & loose bearing clearances & that thing was a Beast!