l have a chevy 350 and l want a 383 stroker and l can get a 383 crank for $300, will it bolt up or do l need special pistons and rods? my engine is .040 over with flat top je pistons and stock 350 rods

No, the cranks counterweights wont clear the block

stick with the 350 crank put your money into a new set of heads
aluminum 202 or better go online to Jegs or summit racing

u can put the 383 crank in ur 350 but u r going to need some machining first. first the crank is actually a 400 small block crank with a 3.75 in. stroke. the counter wieghts will not clear the oil pan rails of the 350 block so u will have to have them clearanced. then the other thing is on a stock 400 crank the main jurnals r bigger so they will have to be turned down to meet the 350 mains although u can buy an after market cranke with the right size already the last thing is the pistons u have now r going to be scrap. because the installed height will be way to tall so u will have to get new ones espessaly for the stroker the only good news is that ur stock 5.7 in rods will work just fine & r actually better suited for that app. than to use a 6 in. rod but if you'd like they do make plenty of pistons to match both rod lengths. the bottom line is there is a fair bit of machineing needed to make a 383. & in all actuallity with just the right parts & a few extra bucks u can make that 350 have more hp. & torque than that 383 ever dreamed of & it will spin up faster & be more dureable doing it. but it is ur call & now hopefully u can make an informed choise. good luck.

In order to use the 383 stroker crank you will need the matching set of rods and pistons.

Here is a good article: http://lowridermagazine.com/tech/0405lrm_stroker/index.html

Its only logical that you need shorter rods. Lets say you have rods that are 7 inches center to center and you increase the crank by an extra 1/4 inch, you will have to shorten the rods or else the pistons will hit the heads because they wo not have the clearance.

You can get 383 stroker cranks for $175 now (scat 9000 cast which is stronger than a GM forged unit)

To build a 383, u must clearance the block. The counter weights will hit oil pan rails & bottom of a couple of cyl walls. So those places on block must be ground to fit

You will also need pistons for the longer 3.75'' stroke.

Your pistons now r made for 3.48'' stroke, add a crank with a 3.75'' stroke & ur pistons will be pushed up out of the block.

Your rods will work though, so thats some good news.

But now on some 383 builds the rod bolt shoulders will hit the cam if a larger lift cam is used, so u have to check that & grind/clearance rods as needed.. Or use a small base circle camshaft if u have contact.

(yes, u will need different rods to fit the crank, make sure u will have the correct piston- head clearance before u buy the rods)

This first depends on what engine u have - Gen I, later model, 2 bolt, 4 bolt, & how u would like to build it. There r a number of different ways to build either engine - for 4X4, street racing, ( l am guessing u do not want economy), drag racing, etc. etc.

When u decide what u want, then find the limits of ur application & engine, for example - 500hp to the wheels might be the absolute max u would run on a hi po street car. But then u would not want to run this 600+hp motor if it is a two bolt.

If u have a 4 bolt, you're safer & the build will run u cheaper overall. There is absolutely no reason not to build a 383. For 300$ of machine work & an extra 100-600$(depending on how much u want to spend) on the rotating assembly, u have easily outclassed the 350, especially in torque. While the 350 & 383 can both be built to high hp numbers, it is hard to reach that extra mid range torque with a 350. This will give u the edge against other motors with less displacement.

If all else is equal in both the 350 & 383 (heads, compression, etc), the camshaft & rpm range will be the determining factor. If u want a drivable 383, a lower 280 cam will give u the vacuum u need & a little more torque than a higher one, like a 292 duration, for example. Although this can be fixed by upgrading ur vacuum pump, etc. The 350 could run the higher duration cam with less effect on vacuum driven accessories. (the 350 & 383 with the same cam will produce similar HP numbers but the 383 will have more torque)

Also decide where the power is to be made in the RPM band, if u want a higher revving engine for similar power, the 350 may be ur answer. But then u will need to build it with higher quality materials to withstand higher RPMs. If u want the same power at a less RPM, the 383 is the right choice.

It basically comes down to the amount of money u spend. If u want a low budget engine with some good power, go with the 350. If u want to spend a bit more with a little more performance, build a 383. If u want all out performance, less than a 383 is crazy.