livininharrow
Senior Member
its awesome you can do that with your son. i never had one but have a 42 year old daughter that knows a lot more about cars than most guys. lol have a great time with your project.
Plymouth 383ci Big Block question
- Thread starter Johnny Turbo
- Start date
Johnny Turbo
New Member
Thanks brother! Something tells me, she has you to thank for a lot of her car knowledge.
Dad life, there is NOTHING better.
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
Yes, Fatherhood is my Vocation, and I thank the Lord for it. I need two more C body Mopars so each of my daughters will have one. Since the oldest is just 9, there is time.
Johnny Turbo
New Member
I can agree to that.
Johnny Turbo
New Member
My oil 
.
So it's looking like a blown head gasket.
Next question, thought on having the factory heads fully rebuilt vs Edelbrock aluminum heads. Looks like i can get the Edelbrock heads for around $1400. (With discount code and military discount).
It has a stock cam lol but yes a tunnel ram.
I didn't/don't really want to install a new cam. This one is built more for looks (rat rod), than power.
I ask stock rebuilt heads vs aftermarket ready to install heads (new valves, springs, guides etc) because I hear the price difference isn't huge after paying a machine shop for a full rebuild and milling.
Your thoughts?
. So it's looking like a blown head gasket.
Next question, thought on having the factory heads fully rebuilt vs Edelbrock aluminum heads. Looks like i can get the Edelbrock heads for around $1400. (With discount code and military discount).
It has a stock cam lol but yes a tunnel ram.
I didn't/don't really want to install a new cam. This one is built more for looks (rat rod), than power.
I ask stock rebuilt heads vs aftermarket ready to install heads (new valves, springs, guides etc) because I hear the price difference isn't huge after paying a machine shop for a full rebuild and milling.
Your thoughts?
57fury440
Well-Known Member
I would take your heads to your machine shop and let them look at it. I had the heads on one of our cars done about 3 years ago. It was a 318 with 118,000 miles on it. They did not need much, and the price was under $400. The car now runs like a top. If your heads are stock and are not cracked it may cost you less than you think.
Johnny Turbo
New Member
My apologies, yes it's a 69 383ci 2 bbl. That someone with a sense of humor put on a tunnel ram intake.
The cam/ engine is stock other than the tunnel ram and the factory HP exhaust manifolds that came with the car and i installed them with a ITT H pipe
Johnny Turbo
New Member
Ok thanks! $400 give or take sounds very reasonable
Xcudame
New Member
440 Source Stealth heads are hard to beat for a near stock engine. And they look like 906 heads which you most likely have.
Stealth Aluminum Cylinder Head - COMPLETE - SINGLE HEAD
I think the heads definitely need to come off, but it may not be a head gasket. It could be a crack somewhere.
Stealth Aluminum Cylinder Head - COMPLETE - SINGLE HEAD
I think the heads definitely need to come off, but it may not be a head gasket. It could be a crack somewhere.
Johnny Turbo
New Member
Well now your talking. I agree, heads will come off once it warms up a bit and stops raining every other day.
Do you think these would bump the compression ratio (is the value dome area smaller on these i hope)?
Will stock push rods work? Again it has a stock cam and valve train in it now.
I may just go with these heads for the ease of install, weight reduction and power increase. May help my tunnel ram run more efficiently as well.(yes I know the tunnel ram is over kill. It was on the car when I bought it like I mentioned lol)
Xcudame
New Member
The Stealth head is fabricated to use all the stock hardware, pushrods, rocker arms and shafts. The combustion chambers are perhaps a couple of cubic centimeters (why do we use metric when discussing cylinder heads?) smaller - 80cc vs ~83 for 906 stock heads, but this will be compensated for by the thicker Fel-Pro 1009 gasket which is a must for aluminum heads and a block deck surface that hasn't been machined. Besides the 69 383 two barrel still has 9.2:1 compression ratio which is perfect for the sorry excuse of gasoline octane they give us now! Remember to get ARP Head bolts and small block Mopar spark plugs with the longer reach for the Stealth heads.
Fel-Pro 1009 Fel-Pro Performance Head Gaskets | Summit Racing
Fel-Pro 1009 Fel-Pro Performance Head Gaskets | Summit Racing
Johnny Turbo
New Member
I was reading Stealths write up on head gaskets. The flex pro 1009 used to be an issue. The refined the heads so now they work. I figured I was doing a head job, so I already ordered and got ARP head studs. Stealth offers head gaskets on their site. I'll check those out, because I already bought a full Flex pro engine gasket set. So I'll research what gaskets it came with when I open it.
I am definitely leaning towards those Stealth heads.
You're assuming that it's a bad head gasket. Have you pulled the plugs? Done a compression test on the engine?
Big block Mopars aren't generally known for bad head gaskets. That doesn't mean that's not the problem, I'm just saying that it would be a good idea to check a few things first.
Big block Mopars aren't generally known for bad head gaskets. That doesn't mean that's not the problem, I'm just saying that it would be a good idea to check a few things first.
Johnny Turbo
New Member
No i haven't done a compressiontest. I did bore scope the pistons/cylinders before i started it for the 1st time a few months back. They looked fine, some usual carbon and even cross hatching still left on the cylinder walls. It did run on initial start up for several minutes (until it warmed up, no over heating). It started up and ran fine when it was warm out (60 degrees fahrenheit) or more. Recently (when I posted this), I fired it up with it was cold and it sounded like one cylinder was hydro locked (heavy gallop on 1 cylinder). I checked the oil and saw the moisture in the oil. Since then I changed the oil, and started it up, with no sign of coolant in the water, but I'm guessing it's only a matter of time.
Other then a head gasket, cracked head or cylinder, I'm not sure what else it would be. I figured either way, the heads need to come off.
Xcudame
New Member
I'd do a compression check for sanity if nothing else. Doesn't take too long and it would show if one or two cylinders were low. Harder to blow a head gasket on a big block, but not impossible.
One thing I love about 440 Source is they listen to complaints and problems for their costumers and address them to make their products better.
One thing I love about 440 Source is they listen to complaints and problems for their costumers and address them to make their products better.
Johnny Turbo
New Member
Ok, suppose the compression comes out good on all cylinders. What would you suspect would cause coolant in the oil?
On the flip side what would you suspect if it was low on 1 or 2 cylinders?
Thanks
Johnny Turbo
New Member
To add to that, it seems to start ok but as it warms up, it starts to have a miss.
I am guessing that's when the coolant starts to warm up, build pressure and then start to find it's way into the oil.
I see no sign of oil in the radiator. No oil or coolant under the car. Oddly it doesn't seem to be steaming out the tail pipe either.
Johnny Turbo
New Member
One more thing. No sure if it helps.
The car idles cold at 65-70 psi oil pressure. Which is nice.
I cracked a 440 block in the valley area once.
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