Holy stroker delima!

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doogievlg

doogievlg

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I am planning on pulling my motor and rebuilding it this winter. I am have trouble deciding which way to go with it. Right now the motor is a 360 with a Eddie 650 avs, Eddie performer rpm intake, mp distributor, stock unknown heads, mp .484 cam. I originally just wanted to do some flat top pistons and get Eddie aluminum heads. Now I am kicking around the idea of buying a stroker kit that comes with pistons and sticking with my stock heads. The car is a street car that has been to the track and I am planning on making the car into a bracket car running low 12s. Would you go straight to the stroker or do heads and pistons first?
 
i'd rebuild a 2nd motor. then you can drop it in when ready, and your car remains a driver :D

you say the car is going to be a bracket car... are you going to use pump gas or race gas? that makes a big difference on your build

also like others have pointed out in other threads, if you are serious about racing, get the chassis right first, then add the power.

but no matter what you do, i would not pull the current motor out then start rebuilding it. it can take months and months. and months. murphy's law will kick in as soon as you pull it.
 
The track is closed for a while here in Ohio so ill pull it in November and hope to have it in by April. I am putting adjustable shocks and call tracks on the back as well. The car has subframe connectors.

I am really wanting to keep it on pump gas. Maybe a 9.5:1 would be good. My weak point is going to be my rear end but this thread is just for the motor. I understand what goes into building a race car but this is just going to be a street strip bracket car. Nothing fast.
 
I have a Holley 750 but it has the vacume secondaries so I don't know if that would help me out right now. I have a friend who will sell me his 750 dp if I wanted it but right now the motor wouldn't notice that I don't think.
 
How streetable is a 408. 98% of my driving is real short trips. Nothing over 10 miles and it hasn't been on the highway in 4 years. Will I be ok just cruising around town with a 408. Would it even be worth it with just stock crap heads.
 
1wild&crazyguy said:
Stock heads will work, you can always bolt on better heads later....but the bottom end is not so bolt on in the quick change depot.

Stroke it.
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x2. But - make sure your builder knows your future intentions becuase the piston choice and deck height will be crutial to make it work right later. Also - don't plan to run much gear with the stock heads. It will have a boatload of low end so run it like a turbo and let it pull a mild gear.
 
Are you talking about the machine work? Other than the machining I am doing everything.
 
doogievlg said:
How streetable is a 408. 98% of my driving is real short trips. Nothing over 10 miles and it hasn't been on the highway in 4 years. Will I be ok just cruising around town with a 408. Would it even be worth it with just stock crap heads.
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Just like with any build, if you use a combination of parts that is streetable, then yes, it will be perfectly fine. It's not like making the step to 408 will put it into pro stock classification unless you use parts that aren't street friendly; e.g., cams >245* @ 050, full tilt ported heads, really high stall. If anything having a healthy 408 would make those short trips lots of fun...despite it's thirst for fuel.

The only way I'd "want" to run stock "crap" heads on an engine would be if I ran out of money and options...
 
Then choose your parts well, and don't start buying stuff until you can take the thing apart and get some volume measurements from the heads. You'll need to upgrade the camshaft (meaning lifters and springs with it) along with the carb, and do a little work to the heads to make them reliable so be prepared money-wise.
 
You can increase port volume 5cc's on a factory cast head just by gasket matching half the port 'floor,roof,divider wall ' and carving the roof kink out.
If factory ports are too small cross sectional wise ...then just do the above.
Volume and c.s are closely related , friends...

I tell you what though...you can run a really big carburetor with lil ports..lol
 
moper said:
Then choose your parts well, and don't start buying stuff until you can take the thing apart and get some volume measurements from the heads. You'll need to upgrade the camshaft (meaning lifters and springs with it) along with the carb, and do a little work to the heads to make them reliable so be prepared money-wise.
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I am pretty sure I put mp lifters in it when I did the cam. The carb isn't a issue, I can throw the 750 on at any time. The heads are the only unknown area. I may just try to save enough and just get the Eddie heads at the same time.
 
I'm not looking to spend that much. That's why I am debating between head and pistons or just the stroker kit. I am trying to keep this below 3000 including machine work.
 
doogievlg said:
I have a Holley 750 but it has the vacume secondaries so I don't know if that would help me out right now. I have a friend who will sell me his 750 dp if I wanted it but right now the motor wouldn't notice that I don't think.
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Put on the 750 vac sec,, and see what a grin that puts on your face,, then decide..
 
if the goal is only low 12s, a stroker is overkill. too many people are spending money needlessly on a number easily obtained by a stock stroke motor. if you build a stroker, set your goal faster. jmo build the 360 and invest in the heads.
 
doogievlg said:
I'm not looking to spend that much. That's why I am debating between head and pistons or just the stroker kit. I am trying to keep this below 3000 including machine work.
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Not going to happen - at least not at any level I'd feel satisfied with. My advice would be to stay with the 360 w/factory heads given the budget.
 
that is a tight buget to do a stroker. better find good used parts, then re condition the parts and pay for labor at machine shop. poof be gone your 3 grand. and you get to do the final assembly work. :D
 
doogievlg said:
I'm not looking to spend that much. That's why I am debating between head and pistons or just the stroker kit. I am trying to keep this below 3000 including machine work.
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the dude wanted 4800, and is somewhat local. it's actually a good deal if you add it all up.

your budget is 3000. his deal has the stroker kit, the alloy heads, carb to pan, machine work all done.

the only bad thing (would kill the deal for me) is not the 1800 price difference... it's the 11.5:1 which means no street gas unless you swap the carb to an E85 unit and have E85 available to you.
but the good thing is that an 11.5:1 motor would blow out any 9.5:1 build lol.
 
I would just do heads (eddys or something) and keep the 360, a good solid cam, you will be in the low 12's easy. I race with 2 guys that have 360's with decent size solid cams, eddy heads...one runs 12.05 in the 1/4, the other runs 7.2's in the 1/8 (mid 11's in the 1/4).

If you just want low 12's, that is my advice.
 
I think that's where I am headed. Between school bills and other crap the stroker just seems a little unrealistic. I should have no problem doing the heads pistons and maybe a cam for under three.
 
moparlover said:
the dude wanted 4800, and is somewhat local. it's actually a good deal if you add it all up.

your budget is 3000. his deal has the stroker kit, the alloy heads, carb to pan, machine work all done.

the only bad thing (would kill the deal for me) is not the 1800 price difference... it's the 11.5:1 which means no street gas unless you swap the carb to an E85 unit and have E85 available to you.
but the good thing is that an 11.5:1 motor would blow out any 9.5:1 build lol.
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We just got e85 at the speedway down the street but an 11.5:1 motor seems like it would be a handful on the streets and I honestly don't know if I would feel comfortable having that much power on a Friday night on public street. I may sound like a pussy but I don't want to wrap my dart around a tree or telephone poll. The fastest car I have drive was in the twelves.
 
hemibee said:
that is a tight buget to do a stroker. better find good used parts, then re condition the parts and pay for labor at machine shop. poof be gone your 3 grand. and you get to do the final assembly work. :D
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thats right,3 grand will build an anemic stroker.keep the 360 get some nice heads and cam .stroke it down the road when you have more funds....
 
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