Can someone explain stroker kits

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My reply to the question why do strokers cost so much.
So you pick out a stroker kit 1300 for a cast crank, cast piston and a forged rod kit with a balance job. I chose Scat, they as a company have been around for a long time and are trusted by many.
1300-2500
So now on to the block prep mag for cylinder thickness, bore, hone, well this is going to be a special engine to you and they are. So correct and square the deck clearance for rod bolts, radius all edges and clean up casting flash, cam bearings. Hard block?
400-1000
Main studs or main bolts but certainly not stock.
100-150
Heads rebuild, BUT the stock heads are nothing to write home about in stock form, so do you have them ported and rebuilt with quality componenents or buy new heads?
700-1500
Well you can buy heads that have flow numbers already known, they are NEW CASTINGS and this engine is special. Could have these ported as well.
1200-3500
Head bolts or studs.
120-200
Ahh the heart of your mill the mighty cam this engine is special!
Flat tappet cam break in sucks so I went roller BUT whose roller stuff is better than you need but doesn't break the bank?
I went with Hughes cam,lifters, rockers and pushrods.
700-2000
Timing chain
60-150
So this covers all the big components but how much is in the smaller less expensive components?
Intake heads were ported so intake also?
200-600
Balancer
150-400
Finally have a long block minus tin.
You could use some of your old stuff but this is a stroker and some doesn't work. So new pan with windage tray for stroker.
200-400
Valve covers
80-200
Ignition
150-1000
Carburetor or EFI
400-1000
1500-4000
So really it's the snow ball effect.
It can be done for cheaper than what is listed above but it will have sacrifices to performance, durability, longevity and visual appeal.
As a street car guy 4x4 enthusiast the cost us worth it. The torque and drivability is far more enjoyable than a camed up stock some high compression engine. But to each their own.
 
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wow...those prices...LOL
last block I had done cost 650 for baking..boring..hone...squaring...cam bearing R& R ....

flat tappet cams break in is easy.....
 
Chrysler didn't build a 4" stroke SB from the factory because it would be harder to make last 100,000 miles. That extra piston speed and side-loading on the cylinders doesn't mean much for a hot-rod engine that only gets driven once in a while for a few years, but long-term you will start to see more wear on the rings and cylinders compared to a stock-stroke engine. Now does this matter to you, I'd think not unless you want to put it in some kind of work vehicle that will see 20k miles a year.

I personally think 360s already have plenty of torque and can still rev a bit so strokers aren't very attractive to me as they are all about massive torque up to mayyybe 6 grand if you have good heads. Remember a 360 has almost .25" more stroke than a 383 B-engine, the only factory engines with more stroke are 413-426-440 RB. One thing to consider, in almost every case where Chrysler upped the stroke they also raised the deck heights and lengthened the rods to keep the geometry acceptable for longevity.
 
Stroking an engine is just a means of adding displacement, and theoretically power. This follows the saying's of "no replacement for displacement", "go big or stay home". Generally done when due to restrictions of cylinder wall thickness, bore spacing you can't build as big by just an over bore.

Factories did stroke out engines, as stated a 350 chevie is a stroked out 327, 3.25(327) stroke, vrs 3.48(350), the 454 chevie is a stroked out 427, 4inch(454) vrs 3.76(427), a 302 ford is a stroked out 289, etc......they, the factories, did it to achieve a design performance specification, or to meet established rules and specifications for competition, or to add power to tote the barges they were installed in.

When it's all said and done, they are just another engine build, how streetable they are is governed by things like camshaft, compression, carburtion, intake, and these items are universal to any engine, not just a stroker.
 
I guess I'm one of those guys that would rather pay someone to build and dyno my engine before I stick it in. Air cleaner to headers, I have over $10k in my stroker.

I have an old pickup with a worn out 5.9 Magnum in it. I hope to do a "budget build" stroker for it in the next 5 years. I want to see how cheap it can be done.
 
The basic tenet for everything in life is you get what you pay for. A non-factory stroke takes about 20% more than a factory displacement. If you can get parts and labor cheap AND GET THE RESULTS YOU EXPECT then thats great. Add 20% and you should be good. However, understand that many people are happy with results that are far less than they could have had by spending on better parts and more accurate machining. So its up to you and your budget. Im with RAMM. I cant do a nonfactory stroke that id be proud of and willing to stand behind for less than $8500. But then again, i cant do a factory stroke for too much less because the attentoon to detail is the same...lol
 
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