So this weekend i decided i might start to put the 383 together.
I gave the block a final steam clean at work on Friday, it'd been washed by the machinist, but i always give the block a good steam clean myself before i put it together.
So, first thing is first, crank in.
That went in nicely and spins freely.
With that in, i fitted the pistons to the rods. These are full floating rods, so i can fit them myself without much trouble (don't need to be pressed in like press fit rods). They have whats known as a spirolock to hold the gudgeon pin in the piston. One each side. I havn't done these for a while, they are a bit tedious, but once i'd done a couple i got the hang of it again. However, once i'd done it 16 times, i was a bit over it
Done.
Then i fitted the rings (no pics, not really much to see) and banged the pistons in the holes.
That's about where i left it last night, all went well.
Then this morning, i fitted the camshaft, timing chain and roller lifters. Note the bars holding the lifters together to stop them turning around, this is because it's an early block and the lifters are what's known as retrofit roller lifters. Factory roller cam engines don't have this (Holden or Chev), they have a different set up. Also note the cam button to stop the cam walking out, again this is because it's retrofitted.
And that is where i hit my first hitch of the build. Turned the crank slowly about 1 and a half revolutions and it stopped turning. Number 2 rod touched one of the front cam lobes. This is pretty common on 383 stroker Chevs, depending on the set up, it might not happen, but on mine it did. It only *just* clipped the lobe. It was so minute it didn't even mark the lobe or the rod. So, i blued up the cam lobe and brought it around slowly again and i found where it hit. So, back out with number 2 piston and rod for a light bit of clearancing. Took a tiny bit off the rod (only where the back of the rod bolt is), cleaned and fitted it again, problem solved. All the rest of the rods and lobes clear fine.
With that all done, i sat a head on and loosely bolted it down. Put the pushrods in (supplied in the cam kit) on number 1 cylinder, fitted the rockers and found the pushrods are too short (i was 99% sure they wouldn't fit, i don't even know why they are supplied in the kit as there are so many variables), so now i need to measure up for the right pushrods. That's where i left it today as i don't have an adjustable pushrod here, we have one at work. Stay tuned, i'll be doing that this week.
