Small displacement, heavy, short stroke.
Why?
Brian
What about the 383 Chrysler, I thought I remember someone asking the same question some time ago, but didn't pay any attention. Are they good for a boat? Can they produce Horse power and torque?
Small displacement, heavy, short stroke.
Why?
Brian
Can you put a 383 in a boat? Sure. I've seen a couple.
If you wanna go mopar, you'd be better off throwing a 440 in a boat, though.
LO
If you want to go mopar you better be ready to fix it once a month. I know I had a 17' 1975 Mark III with a 440 suberbee package in it It was green and it jumped like no other that ****en baot was heavy as hell and moved had good lines we called her the frog.
wsuwrhr:
Small displacement, heavy, short stroke.
Why?
Brian There's a guy here at the lake that wants to give two of them away.
You can turn a 440 crank down to fit in the block and have the bigger stroke. If he is giving them away suck them up. They have steel cranks and you could probably sell parts off them. If you want to build a low deck, get an early 400 block, save the 383 rods, turn down the jornals on a 440 crank and get some kb's and build a 451, it will kick alot of chevy ass.
NOT a boat expert BUT with a decent HP and torque producing motor - you would want alot of rpms. My ultimate "package" would be a real sweet 30 over 400 with a lite-weight rotating assembly.
With a decent cam and the typical Bassett headers - it should see 8200 or so.
Blown472 knows what he's talkin' about. Every damn mopar had factory forged steel cranks through 1971 (1972 and 1973 440-6bbl's and 440 Police were forged cranks also).
If those FREE 383's are 383HiPerf's, they will already have the 440 heads on them, too (among other pluses).
LO
Mopars rule! I've had a couple of 383s in cars and they spin! And pull all the way to the top.
Too bad the mounts and bell housings for a boat are so expensive .
I know, I know...that's just a cop-out.
The stroke on the 383 is only 3.38" so they do like the rpm's. I have one sitting in my shop right now. I have thought about putting it in my boat just to see how it runs.