408 Stroker

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darten1972

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Hi all. I’m really trying to figure out how I should build a 408 stroker. I have a 72 Swinger with a 318, Air Gap and 1.88 360 J Heads. I’d love to build it over 2 years. I have a 360 motor ready to rebuild so what I’d like to do is build the bottom end for this year re using my 360 heads and intake. Next year I’ll buy some new edlebrock Heads to complete the build to unleash the full potential. Is this doable or should I just wait and do it all at once? I’ve sunk a ton of money in my 318 and I’m done with it. Maybe I should just build a hp straight 360? No idea? Any suggestions? Thanks to all.
 
Just do it once. My 408 stroker with TTI shorty headers. And a 6 pack setup.

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Here’s mine. Love your vinyl roof. I really love this year. Everything from the body lines to the grill. Thanks for sharing your photo. Nice ride.

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Do it all at once, that car is too pretty to take a chance of scratching it.
Old Iron heads are heavy to lift out of the car for my 50 year old back.
 
RIght on guys. Thanks for your info. Gotta make this happen. What do you guys recommend for kits?
 
darten1972 said:
Hi all. I’m really trying to figure out how I should build a 408 stroker. I have a 72 Swinger with a 318, Air Gap and 1.88 360 J Heads. I’d love to build it over 2 years. I have a 360 motor ready to rebuild so what I’d like to do is build the bottom end for this year re using my 360 heads and intake. Next year I’ll buy some new edlebrock Heads to complete the build to unleash the full potential. Is this doable or should I just wait and do it all at once? I’ve sunk a ton of money in my 318 and I’m done with it. Maybe I should just build a hp straight 360? No idea? Any suggestions? Thanks to all.
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Stroke the 318 to 390!!!!!
By the way, your car looks awesome!

Jeff
 
darten1972 said:
Hi all. I’m really trying to figure out how I should build a 408 stroker. I have a 72 Swinger with a 318, Air Gap and 1.88 360 J Heads. I’d love to build it over 2 years. I have a 360 motor ready to rebuild so what I’d like to do is build the bottom end for this year re using my 360 heads and intake. Next year I’ll buy some new edlebrock Heads to complete the build to unleash the full potential. Is this doable or should I just wait and do it all at once? I’ve sunk a ton of money in my 318 and I’m done with it. Maybe I should just build a hp straight 360? No idea? Any suggestions? Thanks to all.
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Problem with that plan is the iron heads have a much larger combustion chamber cc than most all aftermarket aluminum heads.

The pistons need to be choosen for one or the other.

There was another thread where a guy got stuck trying to do that switch was left in nowhere land.
 
If you do try and build it to use with the iron heads first, BE SURE you use pistons for the newer smaller chambers. I had to cut .008 off (IIRC) my pistons to get piston to head clearance
 
gregsdart said:
If you do try and build it to use with the iron heads first, BE SURE you use pistons for the newer smaller chambers. I had to cut .008 off (IIRC) my pistons to get piston to head clearance
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Same here.

Let's start with budget and intended uses. My 408 cost north of $10k with nothing really exotic done to it. There's a lot of guys here that can help you build a hot street 360 for way less than half of that amount. Also, are your brakes and suspension set up for 450-500 hp that a stroker will produce?
 
Summit has a kit with from scat forged crank, icon dished pistons, i beam rods unbalanced for $1851. I have run that kit with the cast scat crank and have been very happy. Couldn't find a "kit" on summit with k1 or molnar.
 
BrianT said:
Same here.

Let's start with budget and intended uses. My 408 cost north of $10k with nothing really exotic done to it. There's a lot of guys here that can help you build a hot street 360 for way less than half of that amount. Also, are your brakes and suspension set up for 450-500 hp that a stroker will produce?
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My car has factory disc brakes with upgraded 4 piston calipers but that’s about all. They do have a good amount and of stopping power. I’m really toying with the idea of building a stout 360 instead. It may be more in line with my budget. I blew the top of my restoration budget with paint and all new suspension so the motor may have to have cut backs. I guess the big question is how strong Can I make my run 360 for a smaller investment??
 
Both of those '72 Swingers are really nice, guys. Love that body style.
IMHO, do the build all at once for the reasons stated above.
But really, you need to answer to yourself as to what you're really looking for out of the build in order to engineer it to meet your goals.
That ancient old adage: "Speed cost money, my son. So, tell me again, just how fast do you want to go?" still holds true today.
You may not even need to stroke it to get the numbers you might be looking for.
FWIW, that 360 build in the December issue of Mopar Muscle is next on my agenda for my '73 Dart Sport.
Build A 500HP Capable 360 Magnum Short-Block On The Cheap! - Hot Rod Network
I'll be using a '73 LA 360 block rather than a magnum, since I have a clean std. bore one here already, but basically doing much the same as in that article.
I figure 450 hp out to the 3:55s in the back should be plenty for that car.
 
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lgjhn said:
Both of those '72 Swingers are really nice, guys. Love that body style.
IMHO, do the build all at once for the reasons stated above.
But really, you need to answer to yourself as to what you're really looking for out of the build in order to engineer it to meet your goals.
You may not even need to stroke it to get the numbers you might be looking for.
FWIW, that 360 build in the December issue of Mopar Muscle is next on my agenda for my '73 Dart Sport.
Build A 500HP Capable 360 Magnum Short-Block On The Cheap! - Hot Rod Network
I'll be using a '73 LA 360 block rather than a magnum, since I have a clean std. bore one here already, but basically doing much the same as in that article.
I figure 450 hp out to the 3:55s in the back should be plenty for that car.
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Holy I guess. That’d be a handful for sure. The biggest goal I have is that I want the car to go into the high 12’s maybe and be a fun street beast at the same time. The 318 is just too slow.
 
A good cast crank stroker kit would work fine. Lots of them running out there in the 500hp range. I like a forged piston in the kit.

It doesn't take much to get an A into the 12's. Maybe 330hp. A nice 425-450HP stroker in a good chassis should run EASY high 11's. ET is ALL about the hook, not HP.
 
darten1972 said:
Holy I guess. That’d be a handful for sure. The biggest goal I have is that I want the car to go into the high 12’s maybe and be a fun street beast at the same time. The 318 is just too slow.
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I've built a bunch of small blocks over the years. It costs just about as much money to build that 318 as it does the 360. I guess that's why I got five 318s on stands here now....LOL
So, IMHO, IF you already have the 360 and many of the parts for it, build the 360 and take advantage of the extra cubic inches for basically the same money.
That motor in the article will have to burn premium pump gas and will take some tuning to get it right, but with a good gear set in the back and a stout tranny, it should pull into the high 12's easily. I figure it will cost me about $4.5k to build it..give or take, but that's what I got budgeted for it. I've already been in contact with IMM Engines about procuring those heads and maybe some of the other parts for it. I'm on a crash course to get this car done as I would like to take it to Carlisle next July.
 
If your goal is high twelves then that can be done with a stock stroke 360. Go to the racers section and look at he sticky thread for 12 second combos. There are a ton of 360 build on there.

There is no such thing as too much power but if you are trying to work with a budget and your goal is high twelves then why build an 11 second motor.
 
darten1972 said:
Holy I guess. That’d be a handful for sure. The biggest goal I have is that I want the car to go into the high 12’s maybe and be a fun street beast at the same time. The 318 is just too slow.
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Hi 12s is 300hp@3370pounds,with superstock suspension. That's 3200 for the car and 170 for you.
Add a half a second for street suspension, and you need 337 hp. That's real easy with a 360, being just .94 hp per cube. It's a little harder with a teener, being 1.06hp per cube, but still doable.
Of course the 318 is gonna idle like a race car engine, whereas the 360 will be pretty tame. You can make 337 with a 2bbl 360, and probably a 230ish cam. Maybe less; depends on the heads.
The 318 will require premium gas, while the 360 most of the time,won't.
The 318 will want 4.56s to hit 106@6300 with an automatic. The 360 will probably do it with 3.23s and a 4 speed hitting the same [email protected] third gear.It will be a lil lazy out the gate, but before you know it, she will wake right the heck up.
The 318 will never hit the hiway, while the 360 will cruise 65=2600.
The 318 will hit 32 mph at 2630 in second,4700ish when kicked down. The 360 will cruise 32 at 2470 in second, and 3420 when downshifted. Yeah that'll be a bit lazy, so put in a 3.09 lowgear set and get 3970,BadaBoom!
The 318 will be doing 5420 at 60 in second gear. The 360 will hit 60 at 4622 in second, yeah she really wants 3.73s on that one.
The318 wants a 5-speed stick, the 360 could care less.
The 318 is like an old Mustang, real soft getting going, but once wound up pulls pretty good. The 360 will be like a locomotive,hammer down and wait for it; 10,11,12,12.8 badaboom. Yeah she'll pull 106 in second gear with those 3.23s hitting 6480; not real optimum but third will be way too low at 4470. No problem just put 3.91s in her and hit 106 at 5400, with a 223cam and get you some more serious heads.
337@ 3370; that's 10 pounds per hp. If your race weight is different, it's just a lil math.
 
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