383

[low budget]

Take it the rest of the way down and rebuild it.  The pics don't show the valves, but I'd say they are a mess also.  The water jackets looked plugged and full of rust.  Just bite the bullet and fix it right the first time. 

[hotrod24]

yea i know you are right but i was trying lol but i am going to take the heads off and see how bad it is. i am sure it want be good.

thanks for the reply

[jimbo]

If you really want to use it, take it inside, disassemble it and get the parts tanked at a machine shop that doesn't have such ridiculous prices.
You won't even be certain it has the stroker crank and rods in it until you take it apart.  I looks like you had all stock heads and valvetrain, with an older holley intake and some budget longtubes, so who knows.

[hotrod24]

yea have come down to just rebuilding it, but i have been busy with the cab and frame so i have not had time to take the heads off but i have been looking in to a engine stand so i can check it out better and i think you are right about the heads but it had a elder brock carb on it.

[hotrod24]

 ok well i was thinking on the two engines i have that i thought was a 350 and a 383 the 350 is on my 78 frame and the 383 is on the ground now i was told about the 350 that it maybe a 305 but i did not pay that any attention so i checked the casting numbers 14093627 well it is a 305  sucks it says that it is a 87-94 engine but i new that because of the center bolt heads so i dont know what to do with the 305 i was going to put it in my 78 grand prix but i dont know now anyway on to the 383 that was suppost to be a 350 bored out to a 383 well i found 3 numbers for it 3970010 all the same number and it blew my mind that it could be a 302,327,350 it is prob the 350 but who knows i need to know if there is a way on finding out which one it is?

[low budget]

This is what I came up with:
                 yrs.         size         HP levels       
3970010   68 - 79   350 & 327   145-375      2&4-Bolt mains/Truck/Hi Perf

Hope this helps a little...

[hotrod24]

so its a 350?

[hotrod24]

well i finally borrowed a cherry picker to do a few things and move my motors well the 383 just started pouring water when i picked it up out the back as you can see in the pics there is no freeze plugs there so i guess thats where it was coming from and you can look and see it is rusting pretty bad

[Donut]

so its a 350?

Maybe not, a 383 is a 350 block with a 400 crank.  I haven't read through this thread in a while, but I think I'd plan on tearing that down, if nothing else just to verify that it's not a ball of rust internally.

[hotrod24]

yea i plane on tearing it down i just dont know if i should do it where it is or get a engine stand i found some on ebay at a good price so i might just do that

[Donut]

A stand would help.  Check Craigslist or similar for a used one.  A clean place to work would help also.  How are you making out with your slab?

[hotrod24]

yea speaking of clean i am trying to do that now lol but the slab i am working on that also i just got to get this frame tore down and out of the way i thought it would be much easyer to just tear it on down and move it peace by peace so i can build a form but i think it will be later in the year i hope it is not to cold lol

[hotrod24]

well the 383 is going to be in peace by the end of the week i have talked to a few people and they said oh my i bet that thing is no good so i am going to see with a stand or without

wish me the best

[ccz145a]

Good luck hotrod. Just get a piece of plastic to keep it covered and you'll do fine.

[Donut]

Good luck, like ccz145a said cover it well.  My 350 spent winter and spring under a pine tree.  When I put it up, I used tape to try to plug holes keeping debris to a minimum.