Just rambling....

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inkjunkie

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I find threads like this

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=241127

very interesting. And makes me wonder.....

I understand that most folks build a stroker for increased performance. I also understand that as the displacement increases you will need more cfm thru the heads...and a camshaft to support it. Which leads me to my question. Say one was to take a 400 block and push it up to 500" or so. And not go wild with the heads or cam. Give it enough so it breathes well enough to get the benefit of a stroker without all the associated crap of a "high performance" build. Am I making any sense or am I just rambling??
 
Makes sense to me. It's called a "budget build" and it's all I could really afford to do anyway. I love seeing engine dyno charts and different engine comparisons.
I'll bet that this 500" stroker you're talking about would do just fine until about 4700 RPM.

I'm all about "bang-for-the-buck". I'd actually love to see a 500" motor with stock externals.....HP exhaust manifolds, 906 heads....and see how it does on a dyno and when it "falls off".
 
No. I did that with a small block years ago. I built a 416 from a .070 over 360 with KB flat tops and a 4" crank. Stock J heads with 2.02 valves unported. Factory 340 cam. Stock 71 340 iron intake and a 1000 CFM TQ from Demonsizzler with early 340 manifolds. Warmed up 727 and a 3.23 sure grip. I bet it had 500 foot pounds of torque from off idle to 5K. The motor is still runnin in a buddy's Ramcharger today. It would bust the tires loose in high gear at around 40.
 
I find the best course is to determine what your performance requirements are BEFORE you turn one wrench or buy one part. A "stock" stroker build surely has it's own allure and place. God knows I have seen way too many folks caught up in the newest this or the biggest that to make the most horsepower and torque ever imagined, only to find that they have a monster under their hood that doesn't do what they want and can't live with.
 
I love a basic build. I couldn't agree more about people getting carried away with horsepower. When the time comes for my 68 Dart. I just want a nice streetable engine not a race motor.
 
No replacement for displacement,except gear,converter,lower weight etc. For a street build cubes are good even with little to no HP gain,then build it right and things are bliss.
 
No rambling,here .Great question. Some people want "more,more,more!". I was that way. Now, find a feasible goal,find the best/most economical way to do it. It is,what has worked for me.
 
:burnout: It's the valley. It's hot,lots of lonely blacktop. I more than know,where this is going...
 
A 470/500" low deck, built like your talking about would be awesome in my book. Big torque and decent drivability would scream in a "A" body. Thinking back to the late 60's/early 70's......ie. long stroke, Buick, Olds, Pont, 455's.....with a decent tune, and bolt on's, would pull some fairly heavy cars into the 12's. No reason why A,B, or even a C body can't run extremely strong with a 500lb torque curve between 3000/4000 rpm's. A ton of guys bracket raced combo's like that years ago, shifting between 5000/5500, and the engines lived for 2,3 or more seasons without a freshening.
 
Specifics are a bit fuzzy. Worked in a shop years ago, more or less did just production style rebuilds. Guy came in wanting us to build a clone of a Cheby LS7.....but on a grander scale. I remember we used a tall deck block, a set of Dart Iron heads and a flat tappet hydraulic cam. Was dynoed on pump gas but when it went into his race car he used race fuel. Had a very mild idle to it. Made enough power to put a 67 Nova into the low low 11-high 10 range. It ran like a clock, don't even think he took the valve covers off until they started to leak. We built another one that went into a friends Malibu that was strictly a street car. The thing was an absolute blast to drive. Had a tight convertor and low 3 gears. 45-50 mph roll on's were beyond entertaining....
 
The ones I love are the experts that chime in sayin bs like "it won't work" or "the heads won't flow right" or some other mystical horse crap. All I have to counter with is look at the Buick 455. The Caddy 472 and 500. You can build as big of an engine as mildly as you want. It will run great.
 
Actually, RAMM made a great statement,latest post. Street engine, piston speed,is king. I like torque,however you can get it.
 
Actually, RAMM made a great statement,latest post. Street engine, piston speed,is king. I like torque,however you can get it.

That's why the shorter rod motor wins out on a street motor right there.
 
I agree, big cubes mild head engine = long life, mild natured, tall gears, massive torque, strong street motor. I had a mild head work, mild cam, 10-1 .030, 4bbl 455 olds with 2.29 gears in a 3200# car. It was outstanding from 25 mph and walked the dog up to 150. Just cruising along stroking out that torque and purring like a dream, running 125 at 4k, passing everyone but the gas station. It lasted 5 years of perpetual day and night street abuse. Till I ran it out of oil while racing (oil gauge leaking at the block nipple). I shifted at max 5k typically cause it ran out of wind right there.
 
I agree, big cubes mild head engine = long life, mild natured, tall gears, massive torque, strong street motor. I had a mild head work, mild cam, 10-1 .030, 4bbl 455 olds with 2.29 gears in a 3200# car. It was outstanding from 25 mph and walked the dog up to 150. Just cruising along stroking out that torque and purring like a dream, running 125 at 4k, passing everyone but the gas station. It lasted 5 years of perpetual day and night street abuse. Till I ran it out of oil while racing (oil gauge leaking at the block nipple). I shifted at max 5k typically cause it ran out of wind right there.

Interesting...Sort of sounds like what a buddy had in his 442. Was one of the most trouble free "hot rods" I was ever around....Not talking factory heads, but not full cnc prepped either. Perhaps just Edelbrocks with just a bit of clean up, a very mild hydraulic roller etc. SUre it will jack up the $$ but why not take advantage of some modern day tech stuff?
 
Interesting...Sort of sounds like what a buddy had in his 442. Was one of the most trouble free "hot rods" I was ever around....Not talking factory heads, but not full cnc prepped either. Perhaps just Edelbrocks with just a bit of clean up, a very mild hydraulic roller etc. SUre it will jack up the $$ but why not take advantage of some modern day tech stuff?


Here's a key right there. If you put some thought into the cam, you can pull off a combo that will really work for you. You might even think about taking away from some of that low end torque and put the power band all into the mid range.
 
love reading these post gives me ideas for the 400 that i have sitting in the corner like the big torque, but i would like to be able to run power sterring and ac in what ever car i find. and with gas prices the way they are a little gas milage would be great. yes i know i can't have both
 
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