After bolting the motor onto the dyno, Test 1 revealed the 383 made an amazing 427 lb-ft of torque at 3,100 rpm. Since this HT 383 engine was intended as a mild-mannered torque mixer, we began testing with a set of cast-iron exhaust manifolds, a true 2-½-inch exhaust system with a pair of DynoMax Super Turbo mufflers, and a torquey 650-cfm vacuum-secondary Holley, modified by Quick Fuel Technology. Our experience has been that GM Performance Parts engines are often slightly underrated, which means that often these mail-order crate engines can pull a few more lb-ft out of their hats. To do that, Part 1 will consist of a baseline test to ensure that our engine lives up its claims. We plan to run this motor through four installments to be sure that Ed Taylors Ventura Motorsports will squeeze every last ounce of torque and horsepower out of this rascal. Our next decision after we did the math was to test one of these GM Performance Parts motors.īut were jumping ahead of our story. Thats why we decided to call this engine the Twister. Multiplying 1.191 by 383 ci shows a potential for 456 lb-ft of torque! That friends, is serious torque. Dividing 423 lb-ft of torque by 355 ci equals 1.191 lb-ft per cubic inch. Moores 355 made 412 hp with the GM Performance Parts dual-plane and 423 lb-ft of torque. This engine promised excellent torque based on the success we witnessed with Tim Moores 355ci Vortec heads and Hot hydraulic-roller camequipped small-block, which made 422 hp with a single-plane intake (Hot, Hot, Hot Part II, Nov. You get all this for around $3,895 plus shipping.

All you have to do is add oil, pressure lube the engine, drop in a distributor and a carburetor, add some water pump pulleys, and youre ready to go. The engine comes completely assembled with an oil pan, timing chain cover, torsional balancer, iron water pump, valve covers, and an aluminum intake.

So we quickly called our local GM Performance Parts dealer and the truck engine showed up on our doorstep. GM Performance Parts merely mated a long-stroke crank with Vortec iron heads, slipped in a mild hydraulic roller cam, and topped it off with an aluminum dual-plane intake manifold.īeing the hard-core power junkies that we are, we knew the potential of the Vortec heads but realized we had never tested them on a 383. This stroker small-block was created as a torquey small-block for heavier street cars and trucks without the bulk or expense of a Rat motor. Recently, GM Performance Parts released another gem-in-a-crate in the form of the HT 383. That series was so popular that we decided to do it again. ∩9 issue, we started a seven-part Goodwrench Quest series (The Goodwrench Quest, Part 1: Dyno-Flogging GMs Budget 350 Crate Engine September, 1999) that eventually took us over 400 hp with a stone-stock 350ci short-block. In the best Tim Allen tradition, the secret password around the Chevy High Performance offices is: More Power! Back in the Sept.

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