Thread: trouble in 383 land-help

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hello to all. i've got a 383 4bbl in a 64 dodge 440 body that i just bought and when i first picked it up i gave i a short ride and i found that it was very flat (no power) it wouldn't even turn the wheels at all, checked the timming and the carb, no change.-like it was starting off in 2nd gear.any ideas ? thanks to all

I'm not trying to answer your question with more questions; but, I can't tell from your posting if the engine seems to be running fine other than no power or if it is definitely running like s#^+. So, without more info it's awful hard to say. Is it idleing ok? Does it act like it's starving for fuel or running rich or does it act more like a tranny/rear end problem? Is it an automatic tranny and if it is, is the tranny filled with fluid, and does it look black or smell burned? Have you pulled the rear end cover off to look at the rear end?

[QUOTE=DennyW]Next, possible exhaust restriction.QUOTE]

Yeah is there a banana stuck in the exhaust pipe? (Eddie Murphy in his most demanding role: Beverly Hills Cop)

Take the banana out of the tailpipe, then do a compression check on the engine.

thanks guy's. the trans does shift out in all gears and the engine is running fine, iv'e checked the exhaust and the rear end and all seems to be fine. it's not starving for fuel and it is strong plenty of snap and rpm's. it seems as if it is not building any power transferr to the rear wheels,(lack of power)it don't have over sized tires but it does have the original rear end, but that gear ratio won't keep it from having power enough to turn the wheels or launch the way it should i don't think anyway. reset the points and the timming,went through the carb and checked the electric's and all is good, thanks again and hope for somemore ideas (just never had a 383 that wouldent snap out of the hole)

Some of the old mopar's came out of the factory with 2.73 gears, that will turn any engine into a pooch off the line. What is the RPM at 60 mph? With that and the tire size could punch it into the computer and see about what the gear ratio is.

Only had one 383 in my life. It was mated to a 4 speed in a 69 barracuda formula S. It would nearly snap your head off coming off the line. Mine was a 330 hp 383 with a 10:1 CR, but many 383's in family cars were 270 hp with 9:1 or 9.2:1 CR. Not of the jump and run clan. Good engines, just not hi-perf out of the box. I really liked mine, but didn't hesitate a minute when offered a 426 hemi on a swap out. Just wish I would have kept it all, instead of throwing in the towel during the 1st Arab oil embargo.

When you say it won't turn the tire, do you mean it actually doesn't want to seem to turn the back tires at all? Or, do you mean that it won't break them lose in a brake stand and lay two big black strips of rubber on the pavement along with a whole bunch of smoke behind you and send the car sideways as it pushes you out of shape?

IF the first question asked above is more correct, I would say that since you are the one that is there with the motor, and seemed to be convinced it's not doing it's job, then run a compression test and see what you get. If the motor is just plain old and tired, that'll tell ya. I really think that your problem lies in the area of the tranny/rear end though. Either the torque convertor is shot and not multiplying the torqure delivered by the engine, the tranny is slipping real bad or something in your rear end/axle area isn't right. Are your rear wheel bearings binding/siezed? Or perhaps your brake shoes sticking?

IF the second question in the first paragraph above is closer to what you're saying, then I would say, change the rear gear ratio. Dave's right (as usual) 2.73's will make any motor seem like a "pooch".

Cheers,
Dutch

hello to all. i think that you are right that the problem is in the trans area, the motor is running fine and it's not that old and it seems to build all the power that it needs(so to speak) i think that i'll pull the trans and go through it and replace the converter. the car with that body should be able to break the tires from a stand still and no, braking the car won't do it either.everything else checked out ok.
thanks for the imput, time to jack her up. thanks again