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383 Crate Engine - The Heart Of The MatterSmeding's Handbuilt, Dyno-Tested 383 Hot Rod Crate Motor From the February, 2009 issue of Custom Classic Trucks By Dakota Wentz
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Decisions, decisions, decisions...when it comes to building a truck, the one thing that never ends is bubbling in option A, B, C, or D. Choosing is just the name of the game. One area that necessitates some heavy pondering is the heart of the matter, the living, breathing pulse that lies beneath the hood, also known as the motor. When choosing a motor, the options tend to look like a neverending bowl of pasta. Between the various makes, cubic inches, horsepower ratings, carbureted, fuel injected, supercharged, and countless other options, one also has to decide on a shopbuilt motor, a crate motor, or a motor pulled from another source, such as a junkyard, swap meet, or whatever's down the street. All have their various advantages, which can make things tricky. But for the most part, truck owners seem to go with a shopbuilt or a crate motor. On the plus side of a shopbuilt motor, a dyno-tested engine is pieced together by hand to ensure you get what you paid for. Yet you pay for that hands-on touch. A crate motor is conveniently delivered to your door. However, most crate motors are mass-assembled on a set game plan, and dyno testing isn't even an afterthought. Oftentimes buyers really want something in the middle, and in those cases Smeding Performance in Rancho Cordova, California will get you a quals ity, convenient, and truly blueprinted heartbeat. Smeding Performance specializes in quality handbuilt dyno-tested crate motors. With over a dozen standardorder crate motors for Chevy and Ford applications, it's pretty safe to say the crew at Smeding have crate motors down to a science. All Smeding motors are built from brand-new parts built to Smeding's specs. Instead of buying performance parts from various manufacturers, owner Ben Smeding designed the components in his motors, such as pistons, cranks, camshafts, and more, to his liking.Because Smeding engineered its motors around its design, each motor is truly a quality blueprinted piece. On top of that, every Smeding motor is hand-assembled by a Smeding technician. Taking things one step further, every Smeding motor takes a trip to Smeding's in-house dyno to make sure the motor is in top running order and performing as designed, and to break in the motor for optimum driving. Therefore, all a customer has to do is drop the motor in and let it rip. Smeding's family of crate motors ranges from small-block Chevys and Fords all the way up to monstrous 572 Chevys and 427 Windsors. However, Smeding is best known for their arsenal of streetable stroker motors. Whether it's a stroked 383 Chevy or a 347 Ford, Smeding has various horsepower-rated strokers to suit any small-block-minded fan with a taste for big-block torque. Besides offering their set crate motors along with various blown crate motors, Smeding will also outfit your motor with fuel injection, three-deuces, Webers, serpentine belt systems, different valve covers, and so on. We got word that Smeding was debuting a brand-new crate motor, dubbed the Hot Rod, in their lineup. Granted, Smeding already has a motor named the Hot Rod, but this is the new and improved aluminum-headed Hot Rod. Upon hearing the news of the new Smeding 383 stroker with aluminum heads, an estimated 400 hp, and a price tag right at $5,500, we headed up to their shop to take a look. As it turns out, we were there for the new motor's christening. This 383 is the first one to roll off the line. Check out what goes nto getting a handbuilt, dyno-tested and tuned premium crate motor that's good to go the day it arrives at your door. Then check back next month when we'll finish up the build and hit the dyno to see if the estimated 400 hp is fact or fiction.  Each Smeding 383 motor starts...  Each Smeding 383 motor starts off life as a brand-new late-model GM Performance Parts block with four-bolt mains. The blocks have also been clearanced for the stroker assembly.  To ensure that each and every...  To ensure that each and every crate motor is built to Smeding's specs, the blocks are then transferred to the enginehoning machine. From there, a Smeding technician bolts up the torque plates to each side of the block and diamond-hones each cylinder to 4.003 inches....  ...By honing each block, the...  ...By honing each block, the results are superior ring seals, less friction, faster breakin, and longer life.  The next stop on the engine's...  The next stop on the engine's journey is balancing the crankshaft and components. First off, Smeding weighs each assembled rod and piston and calculates the numbers.  From there they transfer the...  From there they transfer the weight of each assembled rod and piston to its corresponding position on the crankshaft via clamped-on bob weights. The crank is also balanced with the flywheel and harmonic balancer bolted on. With all eight rod assemblies connected to the crank, it is then spun on the Hines digital balancer. While spinning, the machine reads out the specs on both ends of the crank on separate graphs on the computer monitor....  ...From there, the machine...  ...From there, the machine points out the degree of rotation where grams of metal need to be removed from the crank. At that point, Smeding drills out the appropriate amount of metal from the counterweight on the crank until both ends spin in unison. Using this digital balancer, Smeding can balance the components within one gram of accuracy.  Next up, Ben Smeding takes...  Next up, Ben Smeding takes the reins and begins the assembly process.  Before Ben gets to work, he...  Before Ben gets to work, he does a onceover on the block and double-checks all the clearances using dial calipers.  Like a bunch of tourists waiting...  Like a bunch of tourists waiting in line at Disneyland, the various components await their turn.  The Smeding pistons were designed...  The Smeding pistons were designed for performance and fit. Smeding designed a tight-fitting high-silicone hypereutectic aluminum piston that features duro- hield graphite-coated skirts for reduced friction. They also have a zero deck height for maximum combustion quench and full-floating wrist pins. Not to mention the pistons are outfitted with a moly-faced ductile upper ring, a reversed-taper beveled second ring, and a light-tension threepiece oil ring.  Each rod in the 383 is forged...  Each rod in the 383 is forged from highgrade 4340 steel. They measure 5.7 inches from center to center, feature bronze pin bushings, and have 190,000-psi rod bolts. Smeding also clearances each rod in the stroker motor for clean and clear rotations.  A trick aspect to the crate...  A trick aspect to the crate motors is this .020 hole in the oil gallery plugs. Because of the nature of hot rodders who only drive their vehicles occasionally, the motors build up air pressure in the block after sitting for a period of time, which then turns into a slight harmless ticking noise on start-up. To alleviate the annoying tick, Smeding equips their motors with these plugs that let air escape and prevent pressure buildup.  Next up, Ben slides the camshaft,...  Next up, Ben slides the camshaft, which was designed for the engine, into place. The 383's camshaft is a hydraulic roller cam with heat-treated lobes and a 111 lobe center. The cam clocks in with a .501-inch intake/.508- inch exhaust lift and 221 intake/228 exhaust duration at .050-inch.  With the cam in, the main...  With the cam in, the main bearings are installed and lubed.  The 383's Smeding-designed...  The 383's Smeding-designed crank is made from high-grade 4340 forged steel with a nitride surface treatment. To get the desired cubic inches, it features a 3.800-inch stroke and is micro-polished and chamfered.  Here's a close-up of how each...  Here's a close-up of how each crank is balanced. The drilled holes are where metal has been removed to ensure a balanced rotation.  In addition, here's a close-up...  In addition, here's a close-up of how the crank has been micro-polished and chamfered for smooth and efficient rotation when connected to the rods.  With the crank and cam in...  With the crank and cam in place, Ben installs the timing chain set. Once again, instead of going with a run-of-the-mill part, Smeding uses a heat-treated chain with true rolling seamless links.  Instead of using a two-piece...  Instead of using a two-piece rear main seal, Smeding equips the engines with a late-style one-piece rear main seal.  The next order of business...  The next order of business is to install the piston/rod assembly, but first, Ben sets the high-silicone bearings in place.  Ben then slides the pistons...  Ben then slides the pistons and rods into the cylinders and mounts them to the crank.  With everything in place,...  With everything in place, Ben makes sure the camshaft is degreed in to assure proper valve timing and maximum efficiency.  Ben then bolts up the chrome...  Ben then bolts up the chrome timing chain cover, which comes standard on all Smeding crate motors.  Rounding out the bottom-end...  Rounding out the bottom-end assembly is the oil pump. To ensure it works properly, the pickup tube is tack welded to the oil pump before it's torqued into place.  Lastly, Ben bolts on the chrome...  Lastly, Ben bolts on the chrome oil pan and seals it up using a one-piece silicon rubber oil pan gasket with steel grommets. That rounds out the motor's bottom end. Next month we'll assemble the top end and hit the dyno.
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The Thinker??? - Haul Monitor
Ryan talks about the friendly badgering that goes on around the shop and overcoming obstacles that seemly pop up out of nowhere during a project....
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