Well, I got the itch to talk to the company that put my 383 stroker kit together. I had been looking into different heads for it since I got some money to spend and wanted to know how much room for upgrading there is with that kit before I go too far and buy parts. I got the kit from StrokerMotor.com in Dallas, TX. At the time I was in my first year of college and didn't have a lot of money to spend. I also knew that the machine work was going to add up. So I ended up getting a basic kit with the upgrade pistons, not knowing how basic it was. :eek: Got a guy on the phone. He pretty much told me that it's a good rotating assembly for a truck and he wouldn't go any higher than 400 HP and 5500 RPM with it. :( That's a big turnoff. Heck, I think i've heard of guy's that drop the clutch for the launch close up to 5000 rpm. graemlins/sad.gif It's just got the Nodular Iron crank, 5.7" I-Beams, and KB Hypers. So is that all the rpm and HP that I can safely go with this rotating assembly, or did he just say that to sell me a different kit because at first I acted like I was interested in the kit? How can stock engine's spin up higher than that? I can just think back when I thought I had a reasonable engine and I was all physched. It did spin the tire pretty good with 2.73's though. smile.gif

Guys, don't make my mistake and cheap out on stuff. I know you guys won't but I just thought that i'd throw that in there. :D Now I have to suffer.

So that got me to thinking. :D Should I reuse the block and put in a different rotating assembly that can allow me some upgrades in future if necessary? I was thinking Forged 4340 H-Beam Rods, 4340 Crank, and Forged Pistons would be the way to go, in case I want to use spray in the future or just for durability. I also was thinking of building it into a 408, 4.030" x 4.00", with 6" Rods. That's possible, right? I'm not having any luck finding any rotating assemblys with 4.00" stroke cranks, but I can find just the cranks seperately.

Let me know your opinions on what I should do. I kind of want to get different pistons anyway so I can fine tune my compression better, so I don't have to run this purple racin' fuel. Really been worried about detonation with these pistons and I just want to start all over. I've got the car parked in a different shed now so it's a little easier to work on. If this happens i'm going to take the body off I think and do some other work while I do the slow build-up. Always been wanting to do that anyway. ;)

Thanks!

The parts you have are a good choice for a mild budget street motor. They're just about one notch above stock ones. The guy's RPM recommendation is a bit conservative, but not too much so.

Any time you stroke a motor, you lose RPM capability, compared to a shorter stroke using the same grade of parts. So yes, a 350 built with those same parts might go 6000 reliably, but at the same level of risk, you need to lower the RPMs a bit if you lengthen the stroke.

There's a BIG difference in price between what you've got, and 4340 parts. About a factor of 3 to 4. So if you spent $500 to get what you have, be prepared to spend $1500-2000 for what you're talking about, just in parts. That doesn't count machine work.

It takes alot of work to get a 4" stroke into a stock block. Additionally, you'll probably need a small base circle cam (more $$$). If you have no experience building stroker motors, that wouldn't be a good first project; and if you have to pay somebody for all that, expect it to run up at least a $300 grinding bill, by the hour.

A much cheaper way to come up with 400 CI is to simply buy a 400 block and build a 400. You can buy stock 400 stroke cranks in various upgraded forms all day long, and there's lots of off-the-shelf pistons for that engine, in any configuration you can imagine.

Mostly, this hobby is about HP/$$$. What you're talking about doing is an extremely ineffective way of using your $$$ to come up with HP. The way to come up with the most power for the $$$$ is to put your money in heads and induction and GEARS, and build only enough bottom end to survive what the induction will produce. It is NOT to spend giant gigabucks on the short block first, and then have nothing left over for heads. Heads are the best place to put your $$$$.

check out this link...look a couple of posts down to Grumpyvettes post...this maybe a good option
http://www.chevytalk.org/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB64&Number=377662&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=31&fpart=1&vc=1&PHPSESSID=

I forgot to add, according to DD2000 right now i'm sitting at around 421 HP @ 6000 RPM and 424 Ft Lbs @ 4500 rpm with a Holley 600, Dual-Plane, 10.7:1 CR, 7.85:1 DCR, 292H, Small-Tube Headers, and worked-on GM castings. How many Ft Lbs do you think this rotating assembly is capable of?

I've got the money for the rotating assembly if I go to 4340. It's just then I will have to save up for heads unless I don't go overboard on the rotating assembly. I've got around $2000-$3000 ($2000 on the safe side) right now, but of course it wouldn't have to get spent. smile.gif I can't quite remember but I think the Rotating Assembly kit that I have now was $1000 before the piston upgrades from the Badgers or whatever to the KB's. I think the machine work for the block plus balancing was around $1000 as well. Hard to believe it was that much but that's what i'm thinking. Correct me if i'm wrong. I figured that I have somewhere around $3000 in the engine.

How do you normally pick out parts for an engine? What's the order? Maybe i'm doing this backwards.

Trever