408 Stroker with 6pak

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Rengo

Rengo

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I have a 360 out of an 85 dodge pickup, I need to know the specs for EVERY detail on how to build this. I want all the hp and tq. that I can get.
I need everyones input, my dad bought my car and then decided to back out of our father son project. 6000 is my spending limit, this will be going into a 75 duster (73 clone) currently a 225 bored .30 over, slightly milled head and a 7 1/4 pushing a 904 rearend ;/.

In time it will up grade to an 8 3/4 sg and a TCI 727 or a 4 speed.

All input is appriciated.
Thanks Jared.
 
For starters,buy the 8 3/4 first.A 7 1/4 won,t last out of your driveway with a 408.You may also need a little more cash,cause your gonna need to build the tranny and get a new torque converter.Good luck.
 
$6,000 isn't going to go very far if you want a 6 pak. A good short block will be 2,800 and heads will be around 1,400. The 6 pak setup could run about 1,800. That right there is 6,000 without a cam/intake/carb and nothing done to the trans/rearend. There are a ton of 408 builds around here and there is even a thread dedicated to just posting stroker builds. Look around and do a lot of reading.
 
I have the block now, know where 3 cars are that have 8 3/4 in them for less than 500 bucks. I would rather have the specs for the internal stuff first so I know what I am looking at.
 
wish4hemi said:
$6,000 isn't going to go very far if you want a 6 pak. A good short block will be 2,800 and heads will be around 1,400. The 6 pak setup could run about 1,800. That right there is 6,000 without a cam/intake/carb and nothing done to the trans/rearend.
Click to expand...

I agree. I have more than $6000 in my stroker, and that's without a 6 pak. Machining alone was over $1000, including having the crank balanced. Then there's pistons, which are more expensive for a stroker, the crank, heads, cam, etc. etc. In my opinion, the 6 pak is good for the cool factor, but as for reliability, and ease of tuning, you're better off with a 4 barrel or dual quads.
 
Check out the RHS heads,some good headers,intake,carb,8 qrt pan,also a good dampner.Once you find out what gear/rearend and cam your gonna use,then you can pick a stall convertor.If you go 4 speed,your gonna need a good clutch(Centerforce)and a good steel bellhousing.It,s everything else that you need to get that is also expensive,ontop of the 408.Read a bunch and keep saving money til you can afford to do it all right.

P.S You will also need some strong axels.I,m building a car with a 408 and $6k just won,t cut it.Trust me.I have over $3k just in my heads and cam.
 
You can get a cast stroker crank for around $250 if you look around, maybe less (I bought and sold one for $200) If you want a forged crank, you're looking at $700-$1000. Forged pistons will run you around $500, hyper about $350. Rods $300-$500, cam about $160, lifters $150. Then there's the bearings, oil pump, fasteners, oil pan (I wouldn't use a stock pan on a stroker). So you're looking at $2000-$3000 just for the short block parts, not including $1000-$1500 in machine work. Then the heads will be at least $800 if you can find a good set of used ones that someones selling. Eddy's are about $1400 out of the box, or you can get some RHS X heads fully ported for $2000, $900 unported. Ready to run 6 pak set-ups run around $2,000.
Then you need to make the rest of the car be able to handle it: rear end, transmission, driveshaft, probably new torsion bars.
I just noticed the engine is from an '85 truck, which I think uses a roller cam, so that ups the price of the cam and lifters from what I listed.
 
skip the 6 pack and 'depending on build details' buy an 850-1050cfm annular carb, it'll be better spent their with some left $ over for the roller cam you should run.jmo
 
The things you nee to run to safely drive a 4" stroke engine will cost you about $2K... those being the tranny, the mounts, a radiator, the headers, exhaust, an 8 3/4, gears and/or sure grip, and the cash for misc like axle bearings and brakes. So if this was a total budget of $6K, realistically you're going to use some just to gethte car reliable with a V8. So on to the engine.... It's just my opinion, but if you have a complete known good running 360, I would simply to a krylon rebuild... Stick a cam, lifters, timing set, intake, and carb on it and run it. You'll have a little money left over for a rainy day and it will run quite well and be dead reliable. If you stick a mild 408 in a car with a stock 904 trans and one legger rear, I think you're looking for trouble and it will disappoint you. A well matched 360 package will run deep intothe 12s on pump fuel, and then later that 360 can get built to a 408. xSucks that Dad backed out... Kudos to you to keep making it happen. Just keep a cool head and you'll have a great time and end up with a great car.
 
J4R3D said:
I have a 360 out of an 85 dodge pickup, I need to know the specs for EVERY detail on how to build this. I want and tq. that I can get.all the hp
I need everyones input, my dad bought my car and then decided to back out of our father son project. 6000 is my spending limit, this will be going into a 75 duster (73 clone) currently a 225 bored .30 over, slightly milled head and a 7 1/4 pushing a 904 rearend ;/.

In time it will up grade to an 8 3/4 sg and a TCI 727 or a 4 speed.

All input is appriciated.
Thanks Jared.
Click to expand...
All the hp and tq you can get - then that takes the 6 pak idea off your list.......
 
I agree the 6 pack is a cool factor, but an airgap and an 850 or do carb makes more HP .

I would save a few more $$s and make sure you go forged on the crank and use the better rods too. it sounds like you want to make a lot of HP and are going to run hard. The cast crank is OK to fair, but if you are going to beat on it a lot a forged unit is the way to go.

You are going to need in the area of about 550-580 lift, maybe ross Pistions 10-10.5s major x work heads or a decent ported edlebrock set.

Comp cams look at the are of at least 284 adv duration, I run a crane solid cam, but the guys making big power seem to mod the blocks and do rollers.

You also are going to want a good rocker arm setup which again can be *** little as 300-400 with good hardened shafts 273 adjustables with better locks, or 400+ and some harland shaprs etc..

Stall speen convertor, a lot of beefed up trans, if it is a 1/4 car depends on tires 3.91 or may up to 4.30s?

Now you also need frame stiffing, suspension work and I hope you have a decent set of front disc.

Not trying to be a downer, but I spent $7500 on my 416 not counting a set of mega $$$s TTI headers, and you will need headers too and that is another 400+ for a nice set..

Good luck, do some 408 post searchs, you can see what most folks are running. But if you do it on the cheap a 6 pack 408 under 6k may yeild in the 500 hp range and still may not have the best internals.

OH and lastly, you are going to want a better than stock oil pan too IMOP and also if you get into arp bolts, studs etc that cost and machine work will cost a bunch:)
 
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