timallard

OK, I have just ripped my heads off for a top end rebuild. New heads, 219 cam, SR.
Looking at the bottom end, she is looking a bit sad. I am half way there anyway so the motor is coming out for a bottom end rebuild as well.
So, the question is, should it be just a freshen up, or should it become a 383?
What are the pros and cons of stroking? I know it will cost more, but what are the gains for the dollars spent? I can freshen for just a few hundred dollars, where as stroking will be new crank, rods etc and more machining. I have an 89 so I have the problem of getting the right crank as I live in Australia and there is not much call for stroker kits for this engine.
No arguments please, just the good and bad points of stroking.
Cheers

pcadams135

If you like TORQUE get it stroked. With that SR and that cam with good heads and headers you'll have a lot of that stuff that pushes you into your set.


[Modified by pcadams135, 5:29 AM 11/30/2003]

JackDidley

The only negative I can think of is cost. I built a 383 for my c3 years ago before you could get all these aftermarket cranks , parts. Sort of a pain. Still worth it. I you have $$$ nothing like cubic inches. :jester

Corvette0096

If you have the funds do it.

ben73

I am also in Oz and 1/2 way thru my 383 build.. The parts are readily available here. I bought my Eagle steel internally balanced crank and rods from High Performance World, another mob with good prices is pavtek.. both have websites... For custom ground roller cams, you can't go past Crow Cams...

mistaben

The cons of a 383... tire fryin torque, hence necesitating(sp) new tires frequently!

seriously, though i dont know of any cons besides making sure all the right parts are there.
my .02 is if there is a duty tax on new parts in australia someone could buy the new parts, use them as a paper weight, and send the "used" parts to you.

timallard

Thanks to Ben73
I may have found somewhere over here I can get what I need. They actually stock 1 peice rear seal Eagle cranks. I will ring them shortly and get some prices.
I just want to make sure I have all bases covered.
I read somewhere that I may need a different flex plate and starter. Is this true? Is there anything else that needs to be changed/modified?

85vet

Flexplate depends on how you balance.
I balanced mine internally and used the orriginal stock one.

Also used stock starter :cheers:

Good luck and do the stroker :yesnod:

The Money Pit

I'm a long time torque lover,so my vote is put in a 406 and be done with it.The only difference in cost will be the block,and you gain an extra 23 cubes.

My 406 is fairly mild mannered on the street(shakes at idle though)but still packs 500hp/500lbs of torque.The down side to all the power is the need to upgrade things like the cooling system,and in my case the transmission.

And as a very distant last concern,emission requirements.Here in Pa. they just passed a visual requirement,which means the emission equipment (catalytic converter)must be present.I just put a 3" dual exhaust system on and was forced to include a converter in the stock location.(So I put in a 3" hi perf unit that was a foot long and you could see through it like a screen door.)

TreyZ28

in any car for the strip, you want REVS. I've heard it now from just about everone. You cant use a 350 setup in a 383 or it wont work propperly. you NEED to have the cam, timing, heads ect adjusted propperly.

ZD1

Eagle makes a 1 pc 4.00" stroke (402 to 408 ci) crank same price as 3.75" 1 pc crank. Go for cubes....

Curveit

If you can afford the extra expense go for it. Bigger is better, but I have no idea on the avaliablity of 400"Chevy blocks "Down Under". A 4" stroke crank is probably possible, but considerably more work, and expense. Useing your present equiptment with a 3.75 crank will increase your HP some, TQ a lot. A good point of a stroker is, you can add cam, heads, etc, and make more upper RPM power without giving up your bottom-end power which is nice on the street. If you use a factory type crank, you'll have to use a 400 harmonic balancer, and flywheel or flexplate. Starter may have to be changed. Good luck on your project. P.S. You can use your stock rods; resized w/ ARP bolts. :chevy


[Modified by Curveit, 7:46 PM 12/6/2003]