408 Stroker Research

September 2013

408 Stroker Engine Research

I am planning on building a street car, a strong running street car. I do not plan on racing this car, just some spirited driving around town.  I know the Cleveland engine is strong in its stock form, but I would like a little more oomph and I would like to use my 4V closed chamber heads as well which I know are not good performers on the street unless you rev to the upper limits or you throw some more cubes at them.  So, with the comparable cost to machine work with all the stock components and the stroker kit, I decided to go with the stroker to help those 4V’s breathe a little better for me.  Sub-frame connectors are already welded in to help handle the added torque and HP. 

I have talked to a few of the parts distributors and read several forums with people talking on this subject of what to put into your 408.  I will not be racing this car so H beam rods are not necessary, or a forged crank.  The 9000 series cast crank will hold up just fine for what I will be doing with this car.  It will have roller rockers, but as of this writing I am still unsure of cam specs.  That is the last thing that I need to figure out.   

I had to buy a replacement block as my original block had already been  into by someone and bored .030 already.  It had two very rusty cylinders, one of which would have needed a sleeve so I just chose to find an unmolested block to start with and plan on keeping the original as it is. My donor block is yet to be unassembled but with the purchase very soon of the stroker kit I will be tearing it apart and taking it to the machine shop to start its new life.  The original 4V closed chamber heads will also be joining the block soon with the machinist. 

Here are a few highlights of my plans, not in any particular order…and these are just ideas, not all of them are set in stone yet

Heads

·         4V factory iron heads

·         Only deck enough to flatten

·         Roller Rockers

·         Port match with intake manifold and gaskets

·         Clean out, smooth up exhaust ports, do not polish

·         ARP head bolts

·         Hardened valve seats

·         3 angle valve job

·         Stainless steel, single groove valves. 

·         Bronze valve guides

·         New valve springs, retainers,  locks and steel spring seats

 

Block

·         Bored .030 over

·         ARP Main Cap bolts

·         High volume oil pump with chromoly shaft

·         Rear sump pan

·        Decked

 

Crank

·         9000 series cast crank   

·         Dynamically balance with flywheel and damper, 28 oz. balance 

 

Pistons

·         Forged pistons  -16 cc dished (stroker kit)

·         New rings (Total Seal Gapless)  (stroker kit) 

Rods

·         Forged I Beam 6” (stroker kit)

·         ARP rod bolts (stroker kit) 

Cam

·         Hydraulic flat cam, custom grind by Jerry Wilson

·         Roller rockers 

·         Push rods.    

·         Double roller timing gear & chain--32 to 34 total advance with about 18 to 20 initial timing?

Intake manifold

·         Edelbrock Performer

·         Port match with heads and gaskets

·         ARP manifold bolts

·         Holley 750 cfm, with electric choke

·         Electric fuel pump

·         1” carb spacer, Airflow Research (tapered 4 hole) or open phenolic

 

Ignition

·         MSD Digital 6A PN# 6201

·         MSD Distributor # 8477 or 83501with steel gear (# 85813)

·         MSD Blaster 2F Coil

 

Exhaust

·         Ceramic long tube headers, 1 3/4” primaries and 3” collectors

·         Cross-over H pipe right behind transmission

·         Magnaflow  mufflers