Hello all,

i am going to be ordering some parts soon and am looking for advice.

motor is stock 87 L98

i will be ordering
-brodix dragon slayer heads
-summit k1224 cam kit
-1.6 rocker arms
along with some other mods to compliment these parts

with these i will also be ordering a 383 stroker kit, as well as having a shop install splayed 4bolt main caps.

What i would like to know is if there is anything specific i should look for when selecting the stroker kit in relation to the valve reliefs in the pistons?

Summit advertises these cams as having 232/242 dur and .587 max lift with 1.6 rockers if i’m not mistaken; I understand i will have to check clearances and adjust cam timing as necessary, but i just dont want to order a kit with pistons that wont have enough clearance regardless of timing. This is my first time rebuilding a sbc and i dont want to destroy it

 

It's VERY unlikely that you'll run into problems.

THIMK: The valves are at their max lift when the piston is at some point near about halfway down. "Max lift" is simply NOT an issue with PTV clearance.

The problems occur when the piston is at TDC, and the valves are "changing over"; that is, the other instance of TDC besides firing, during a complete 2-crank-revolution engine cycle. If the exh is held WAY open later than usual and gets opened before the piston moves down, or the int starts to open way sooner than usual and reaches enough lift as the piston comes up, THAT'S when things can run into each other. Advancing the cam therefore obviously brings the int closer to interference, and retarding it brings the exh closer.

All of which is NOT to say, don't bother to check, or ANYTHING of the kind. Only, it's EXTREMELY unlikely, with a cam that small, that you'll have problems. Go ahead and check of course, butt I'm not expecting you'll get any surprises.

As far as "adjust cam timing", this comment tells me it isn't bloody likely. You might decide arbitrarily and capriciously, without any supporting data and having not the vaguest clue whether it's A Good Idea or not, to install the cam at some timing other than "straight up" (I wouldn't, if it was my build); butt it doesn't sound like you'll be tearing the front of the motor down to dink with it once it's running. I could be wrong of course butt I'm not seeing much chance of it. "As necessary" doesn't apply during a build. That's only A Thing after the engine has been run (preferably on a dyno) and its peak torque & HP RPMs are found to be slightly too high or low for the car's weight, gearing, converter, etc.

However all that may be, you can rent fly-cutters for pistons, if you discover it's necessary. Particularly if the valves are larger dia than the reliefs are, which is MUCH worse than a "lift" problem. They're easy enough to use; it's something any reasonably careful hobbyist can do in their own garage with a hand drill, some masking tape, and plenty of patience.

 

ugh, stay away from the camels and Schafer beers while youre at it.. Splayed main caps? Man you are being told some things arent you.

any decent 383 kit will have quality pistons with bigger valve reliefs already that will work for any cam you are going to get.

How much power are you looking for? What type of budget do you have?
you trying for 700 HP, and 9s in the quarter mile?

Do you have to use a SBC? Do you drive the car, and or worry about fuel mileage?
Do you want 5 MPGs when this is running, or 20+ MPGs ?