http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...%202269%202884

on this page, there's a SBC 400 crank with 4" stroke instead of 3.75" is it possible to run this crank in a standard 400 block? what modifications are necessary? I'd assume that different rods are necessary, but any block work??

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1987 IROC-Z28 5.7 14.713@93.60
2001 PT Cruiser Touring Edition - Coming Soon
http://drive.to/thewraith
forward designs are one thing, but that thing looks like a ****ing shopping cart"
-- My brother, referring to the new MR2

 

Yes, that's what you're supposed to put it into.

You have to do basically all the same stuff you have to do to a 350 to make it into a 383. You'll have to check for clearance at the oil pan rails and the bottom of the cylinders, and possibly between the rods and the cam lobes. How much trouble you'll have depends on the rods.

I built a 434 for somebody not too long ago, got lucky on the cam and only had to do minor work elsewhere. It had that same crank, Eagle H-beam 6" rods, Lunati pistons, and a Comp XR282HR cam.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

What kind of Hp and torque did that stroker make? what kind of induction system was used? I am pondering putting one of these in my 89 RS.

 

it is tons of work to put that crank in a stock 400 block. if you only thought about it because you saw it in a catalog, it may not be for you. i don't know how much experience you have with motors, so don't take it personally, but i would stick to the 400. i have one in my S10 and it hauls. i don't mean to be a *****, but a 434 is a very expensive motor to build.

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88 S10
Dropped 3/4
18" Boyd Coddington Timeless 5s
Dart equipped 406
12.20 @ 115.25 mph

 

Don't know how much it put out, the guy tore up the 700-R4 behind it a couple of times real quick and then I moved and he hasn't told me how it's doing in any of his e-mails since then. It pulled pretty strong while his trans lasted, I will say that. It had an Accel Pro Ram, Edelbrock 6085 heads, 1.52 rockers (I couldn't get him to do that part right), and a Haltech E6GM. It was in a 87 Blazer, would break all 4 tires loose.

406 makes a good point. If you aren't REAL comfortable rebuilding motors in stock configuration, then a monster stroker project like that is not wise to tackle. There are all sorts of little variables you have to work through, endless little problems and conflicts to solve, things that don't fit right so you have to get something else and if you don't have experience you won't know what to get, problems that will crop up that you won't even know you have until it's too late to fix them without major expense and hassle, etc. etc. These things aren't like tinkertoys where you just buy the kit and bolt it together. You see people griping about "I bought this hottest part since sex and it doesn't fit" on this BBS, that's how they got there. If you don't know how to deal with those situations, a motor like that is going to be guaranteed frustration, disappointment, and way over budget.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

I will be having a very good machine shop do the work for me on this project. I am just wondering if it is worth it to go ahead with a 434 instead of just a 400. i'm going for mid eleven's maybe tens eventually on the street. Just wondering if the extra expense would me rewarded with hp and torque. I love torque!

 

Well, it's about 8% more CID, so it should be close to 8% more HP and torque. If you are building a 400 HP motor, then stroking it would turn it into a 430 HP one. Only you can decide if the extra expense is worth it.

Torque is a good thing.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

[This message has been edited by RB83L69 (edited March 27, 2001).]

 

Still cheaper and more reliable to just drop a mild big block in to get the same power.

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z Pro ET Bracket Race Car
383 stroker (carbed) with double hump cast iron heads and pump gas
461 Big Block installed and ready for the 2001 racing season

Best results before the 383 blew up
Best ET on a time slip: 11.857 altitude corrected to 11.163
Best MPH on a time slip: 117.87 altitude corrected to 126.10
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP based on power to weight ratio: 476.5
Best 60 foot: 1.662

Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

 

Don't you have to modify the suspension or frame to drop in a big block? Is that really a big deal? I think it would be. After that it wouldn't be any cheaper.

 

If you have you heart set on a 434, may I suggest you seriously consider buying either a new bowtie block or one of Dart's new small blocks. While you can grind on a production 400 block so it will clear that crank, like RB83L69 said you will run into problems and if you're not careful water. Both the Bowtie & Dart blocks are already clearanced for up to a ~4.00" stroke.
Also the cost of parts might require you to take out a second mortgage. More often than not, a small base circle cam($$$) is required to clear the stroker rods(more $$$). Since a small block Chevy has a deck height of roughly 9 inches, the piston(still more $$$) will be so short that the pin location will be into the oil ring. Over time you'll notice the pistons aren't sealing because they're rocking in the cylinder. Heads will be the next limiting factor for you engine. Ported & polished 305 heads aren't going to do it here. I would suggest at least AFR 210's (http://www.airflowresearch.com/headsup.html) but preferably something larger. I don't mean to scare you away from building a monster small block, I just want to in form you that there's more to it than just throwing parts together.

In my opinion you're better off building a decent big block and spend a few dollars in upgrading your chassis/suspension. Good luck in whatever you decide.


[This message has been edited by offroader (edited March 28, 2001).]

 

A big inch small block costs big money. There is absolutely no point in it for street applications. The guys using strokers like that are racing and running in a class that forces them to do such things in order to compete. Another thing they never tell you is that the 400 based stroker motors are never using factory blocks. They are bow tie blocks. It's simply not practicle.

If you want serious power for the street it would be easier and cheaper to build a supercharged 350 or 383 stroker or simply use a big block. Ultimately, the big block will be the most consistent performer through time and likely last the longest amount of time.

Why do you want to run 10s? If you want a real 10 second street car you better budget a chunk of money ($20,000 at a minimum) and be VERY good at suspension tuning and be willing to tune and fix your car on a weekly basis. It took $15K to make my Vette turn low 12s on street tires. I think you need to re-evaluate what you want compared to what is reasonable. A car running 12.xx seconds on street tires is pretty dang respectable.

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'89 Firebird RED!!!
B&M blown 468 big block
Tremec TKO 5-speed
Strange 12-bolt
Kenny Brown Competition Suspension

 

Anybody have any idea how much the frame and suspension mods to accommodate a big block cost? Also what about transmission?, would a TH350 bolt up?

 

The big block will drop right onto your motor mounts. The real cost comes in upgrading the drivetrain components to handle the power without failure. You need a tranny; rearend; basic suspension upgrades like control arms, panhard rod, and torque arm; subframe connectors; custom headers and custom exhuast, and a ton of other things that will nickel and dime you to death. I have an easy $15K to $20K in mods sunk in to my car. I stopped counting ages ago. It can be done cheaper but often you could get the same results with a strong 350 or 383 and make it a lot easier on yourself. It's only worthwhile to go for a big block if you build it nasty enough that you go beyond what you could do with a small block.

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'89 Firebird, RED!!!
B&M blown 468 big block
Tremec TKO 5-speed
Strange 12-bolt
Kenny Brown Competition Suspension
Read all about it!

 

I'm thinkin i might go ahead and say f*ck the street and go with a big block. any suggestons are appreciated.
Where can i get a tranny?
I can get a 454 that runs for around $600 complete. (Good deal?) I was thinkin about having it rebuilt and bored .030 over.
Maybe i'm crazy, but i wanna run fuel injection on it. Anybody know of a good system?