383 SBC-1 designed by David Vizard

[MAP]

For sale: 383 SBC 1 motor designed by engine design expert extraordinaire David Vizard* and extensively computer-modeled. As shown below, total amount invested $11k. (Gulp! I almost wished I hadn't added those receipts to find out...)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://s663.photobucket.com/user/mapirc/media/383_Ad/100_1095.jpg.html)

High quality parts were used throughout: 3970010 high-tin GM block, forged everything, roller everything, AFR 195 "Eliminator" CNC heads, 10.5:1 SCR, Edelbrock RPM Air-Gap port-matched to heads, custom Comp Cams hydraulic roller designed for maximum torque and good low-speed output. Goal was absolute maximum performance consistent with 25mpg with a carburetor, 60 mph hwy cruising. Modeling (Engine Analyzer Pro) showed 26 mpg with target drivetrain, 510 lb-ft peak at 4,000 rpm and 470 hp pk at 5,800 rpm. David predicts 500 lb-ft and 460 hp pk. In a 3,500 lb A/G Body, David predicts “4.0 sec 0-60, but traction-limited deal, otherwise 3.2 sec.”

This motor has an interesting history: it was originally targeted to be a 500 hp design with a longish duration CC hydraulic roller cam, and I drove the car with this motor for about 500 miles. It was a beast to drive: it could easily smoke the tires if you stabbed the throttle at 80 mph. But I got tired of only 10 mpg. This was with the wrong gearing and the wrong torque converter, but I still knew the cam was too big. So out came the motor and this was when I brought-in Mr. Vizard for extensive consultation for the 25 mpg cruising target, as I intended the car to be a daily driver. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to tap into his vast knowledge base. Starting with the existing short block, on went a new set of the Eliminator heads and an unusual hydraulic roller cam spec'd by David (basically, short duration and high lift with aggressive lift ramps,) and the Air Gap manifold. Per his recommendation, the Edelbrock Thunder AVS (800 CFM) carb was spec'd along with Crane's all-electonic distributor, that with a simple setting of two small dials on the distributor base, yields an innumerable combination of mechanical and vacuum-advance curves. A lot of time and TLC went into the execution of this engine.

The new motor was finished a few years ago, but too much time has passed and the collateral project of building a "super" Monte Carlo SS has likewise never materialized. At this point I think I'm still a long, long way from getting back to car building, so with more than just a little sadness and regret, I’m putting this motor up for sale. The new motor hasn’t been fired up, but the short block has its original 500 miles during which it burned zero oil.

Please see the last section for prices because I want to be flexible to accommodate the buyer's preferences.

*David Vizard has authored about 40 books on engines. He holds 40 patents, has written some 4,000 articles and has conducted more than 200,000 dyno pulls. He is one of the original designers of the British Super Sonic Transport.




More photos: click on thumbnails to enlarge

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Parts in base long block:

Eagle CRS6000 B3DE 6" forged rods
Exclusively ARP fasteners throughout motor
JE (SRP) forged pistons SRP-138093-030
Pins 927-2750 full floating
Rings J100F8-4030SP, gapped
SFI-64262 all steel crankshaft dampener
4340 Scat forged steel crank
AFR 1038 CNC heads milled flat for 10.5:1 SCR, AFR lash caps
Comp Cams hydraulic roller CS 3188/3312 custom camshaft
Comp Cams 853-16 hydraulic roller lifters with crossbars
Comp Cams custom-length pushrods
Comp Cams "Beehive" springs, retainers, and locks
Crane "Gold Race" narrow-body 1.6:1 roller rockers
L98 Corvette magnesium valve covers
Cloyes 9-229 "quick button" timing cover
Edelbrock mechanical fuel pump
3970010 high-tin block, 2-bolt (David Vizard says 100hp max NOx shot is safe with this block.) Bored/honed with torque plates.
Edelbrock RPM Air Gap intake manifold, extensively port/runner matched to heads
Milodon 31503 road-race oil pan
Edelbrock 8811 water pump
CSI starter

Price structure:

a. Long block (no carb, ignition, alternator, headers); Cost me $8.7k, sell for $4.9k.

b. Edelbrock AVS 18134 800 CFM, Endurashine, new in box - never saw gasoline - add $400 (Current cost at Summit: $540)

c. Crane electronic ignition system, new in boxes:
1000-1051 GM small cap distributor
730-0892 LX-92 performance coil
6000-6440 ignition control box
6000-6425 boost control module
9000-0110 boost sensor
Add $800 (Current cost at Summit: $995)

d. Hedman 65218 headers, with collectors (no coatings) - add $400 (Current cost at Summit: $534)

e. Powermaster 18207 ALT-CS-130D alternator, chromed, new in box - add $160 (Current cost at Summit: $200)

Please note items b-e will not be available separately until/unless the long block assembly (at least) has been spoken for. Shipping: local pickup in Yuma, AZ is preferable, but I'll get the motor on a pallet if shipping is needed. Buyer must arrange shipping with a truck lift from my residential address. Inquiries, please e-mail: mapler(at)adelphia(dot)net.

Thank you for reading my ad!

Best,
MAP

[MAP]

Someone wrote with good questions that I thought would be of broad interest:

Greetings,

I will try to answer your questions as best as I can:

When you say that modeling showed 26 mpg cruising what transmission and rear end were used in those calculations?

1. The modeling was all done with Performance Trends software. The drivetrain combination showing the best performance and 26mpg truly surprised me: a 2.73:1 differential gearing, with a 200R4 transmission in OD lockup. To me the FDR seemed improbably tall, but then some quick searching showed that Corvettes of something like a 2008 vintage (IIRC,) had a 2.73:1 stock rear with a 4L60E transmission, with virtually the same OD ratio as the 200R4 I had built specifically for this motor (which, by the way, will be for sale after the motor is sold.)

Second, what gas were you planning to run with the 10.5:1 CR and what did David say relative to whether or not you could use pump gas?

2. 91 octane premium. The choice of a rather high SCR with only 207/215 deg duration at 0.050" lobe lift was something David considered quite carefully - he felt given the knock curve of the fuel and permissible advance as a function of SCR, would overall favor that ratio. I had offered about 10.17:1 as an alternative, but he advised 10.5 - hence, the milling of the heads.

Third, how high can the motor rev safely?

3. About 6,000 rpm. Valve float would probably ensue a few hundred rpm above that. Modeling showed the torque peak at 4,000 rpm and the power peak at about 5,700 rpm. With the 25mpg hwy cruising target, prodigious high-rpm output was definitely not a top priority. But I wanted very good torque output, and modeling does shows this happens very nicely with more than 100% VE in the very broad vicinity of 4krpm, and low BSFC's. I can forward you the entire modeling results if you'd be interested - it would just take a bit of time to run the scans.

Fourth, why did you start with a two bolt block? Especially considering the total investment why didn’t you go for a four bolt main?

4. I had actually asked the short block builder for a four-bolt block, but he insisted the two-bolt block was the stronger of the two, because the outer bolts of a factory four-bolt configuration remove material in a critically stressed part of the block bulkheads. He told me his autopsies of split four-bolt blocks always showed the fractures in the vicinity of the outer bolt locations. (This may explain why later 4-bolt blocks splayed the outer bolts.) When I asked David about the 2-bolt vs. 4-bolt 3970010 question, he didn’t have a definite opinion, but with my background in mechanical engineering, my belief is that the price to be paid with a two-bolt block is increased distortion under load for the bearing caps, of a manner that causes the center of the cap to deflect away from the crank, and the sides to draw inward. But since all modern bearings are made with reduced thickness near the parting line, a good deal of cap distortion can be tolerated before the bearing edges start to scrape the crank, overheat, and ultimately cause bearing failure.

Lastly, what was it like to work with David Vizard? I’m just curious, I’ve read some of his books!

5. I have great admiration for David Vizard. He speaks slowly and with a gentle British accent, and he expresses his thought process in a very detailed, linear fashion. He's full of personal stories and anecdotes, and he likes to emphasize, "Always sweat the small stuff!" (Evidently because his doctor told him not to.) One of the things that always amazed me was no matter what combination he said would work well or at least in a certain way, when I went to model it - sure enough, his predictions were dead-on. In fact, when it came to the cam, I modeled his recommendation in a "virtual" design of experiment where I varied three factors (LSA, lobe center, and duration,) and his recommendation turned out to be the very best except that my model showed I should install his cam one degree retarded. Now that's what I call an outstanding call!

Do hope this helps.

MAP

[Matt k]

Let me know if you decide to sell the heads separate. I would be interested in them.

[MAP]

Thanks Matt, that's not my top preference, but I'll keep that in mind. In the meantime, I thought I'd add a bit more background since someone had probed a little further:

1. The Crane ignition system has already been set with what should be the best advance curves (corresponding to mechanical and vacuum,) for this cam with this motor.

2. I don't have the number handy to quote, but quench at TDC was set tight to help avoid knock.

3. The fuel economy modeling wasn't specific for AFR, but I presume the software is based on a standard stoichiometrically-correct mixture of 14.7:1. David was quite adamant about aiming for around 16-17:1 (the increased throttle opening with this AFR reduces pumping losses in the motor in a manner rather analogous to cold EGR.) For this reason I have available, if the buyer is interested, a wideband O2 sensor and meter to allow for this kind of tuning. Be aware that 16-17:1 does increase NOx emissions if you happen to live in an area where this is tested.

However, the carburetor as it is right now, is exactly as it came from Edelbrock, so all of this finessing remains hypothetical at the time of writing. You could tune for a standard 14-15:1 at cruising, which the carburetor may easily yield straight out of the box with the "lean-drop" method of idle mixture tuning, and probably be perfectly happy as with any motor, except you'd be leaving about 5% cruising mileage potential on the table by not specifically tuning for 16-17:1.

Thank you,
MAP

[MAP]

Long block sold - Mod's please pull ad - thank you!