Building my first stroker

Greetings,
This is my first post, long time reader first post.

Okay, I'm building my first FI stroker for my 47 Chevy Fleetling street rod. I've built other stock engines but nothing like this. I want to know if what I’m doing will work. I'm think it should put out around 450 hp on pump gas. Tell me what you guys think. Here is my list...any suggestions or input is greatly appreciated.


Eagle CAST Crank 3.75" stroke. 2.1" journals
SET OF (8) 5140 lightweight I beam rods 6.0" length, 2.1 ROD JOURNAL .927 PIN floating pin design
SRS Forged 4.030 bore flat top pistons Lightweight and forged
Set of the Mahle Moly performance rings
KING Street Performance Rod and Main Bearings
Trick Flow GenX aluminum cylinder heads for GM LT1 feature high-flow 195cc intake ports, 75cc exhaust ports, and 62cc combustion chambers. Assembled heads include stainless steel 2.020 in. intake/1.600 in. exhaust valves, 1.460 in. double valve springs, retainers, locks, guideplates, and 3/8 in. rocker studs, Heads lightly ported and polished.
CCA-07-467-8, XFI™ Xtreme Fuel Injection, 280XFI HR13 Hydraulic Roller, Duration @ .050 lift 230/236, Gross Valve lift .576/571, advertised duration 268/276.
Aeromotive fully adjustable fuel pressure from 30-70 PSI.
Intake gasket matched with heads and throttle body ported to 58mm
Edelbrock 3810 LT1 58mm THROTTLE BODY
3.5" MAF, Ported & de-screened
8.5mm MSD Super Conductor Wires
Powerforce Harmonic Damper
Accel Performance 30 lb Fuel Injectors
Melling high volume oil pump
CSR Electric water pump
MSD MSD Blaster ignition coil
MSD 6A Ignition Box
CHEVY LT1 BILLET EGR BLOCK OFF
NEW STARTER FROM CARQUEST
CHEVY CENTER BOLT ALUMINIUM TALL FINNED VALVE COVERS
New Opti spark and LT1 MSD distributor Cap Rotor
COMP Cams® High Energy Pushrods 7808-16
SLP Performance Parts Thermostats Thermostat, 160 Degree
Milodon 6qt Oil Pan
TCI Flexplate 153 tooth Internal engine balance
Head Gasket Fel Pro FPP-1074, 4.125, .039
E3 Spark Plugs
True Roller Timing Chain 220-9-3145
Thanks,
Keith

I would honestly if i was in your shoes, upgrade the crank and rods to a 4340 crank and rods personally. I'd rather built it right the first time, than not be satisfied once I get it running and wish I had done it differently.

Looks good to me but you can save a few bucks no for.3.5 MAF stock is fine others will present probs. w/tuning.Stock balancer fine as w/ hydraulic roller cam you wont be spinning over 6500 RPM.OEM Opti is great no real benefit from the MSD cap & rotor.

Only thing i see you may need a little bigger than 30lb injectors.
Also the factory starters are fine as they are higher torque then most don't think you'll need any aftermarket starter:thumbsup:

Also i'd go 4 bolt main w/ it.

You appear to have a very good parts list. You say this is going into a street rod so I really don't see the need to have 4340 parts unless you are planning on "spraying the snot out of your '47". Most rod builders aren't looking to do this so I would do what you've done and go with quality parts and be meticulous in building the engine.

Do you plan on revving this engine pass 6500 rpm? I wouldn't think so but I wanted to ask. If you don't, I wouldn't change a thing. Some guys "over build" for the "what if" factor but many of those guys are building street cars where they "might" race and 80 - 90% of them don't need 4340 parts. I would spend the extra money on paint or wheels or whatever else you may need. The engine setup you have listed here should serve you for many years in a street rod.

Enjoy your hot rod..........go burn up some tires!

21 for your 1st post to kind down our adivse is bold , but i understand it's your own opinon & we all have them . If you use 4340 crank , forged parts you are not overbuilding at all but your not leaving anything on the table.

Also i don't know of any hot rod enthusiast that doesn't want more down the road this way he will have the bottom end to support anything he wants to do rather than say i wish i had done it different. One thing i've learned is most of the time one thing leads to another so that in mind you are already going threw the expense & trouble do it right the 1st time.

If money is playing a role in the build well sure you can put some of the money else where but from his parts list i didn't see him asking about cutting corners.

You appear to have a very good parts list. You say this is going into a street rod so I really don't see the need to have 4340 parts unless you are planning on "spraying the snot out of your '47". Most rod builders aren't looking to do this so I would do what you've done and go with quality parts and be meticulous in building the engine.

Do you plan on revving this engine pass 6500 rpm? I wouldn't think so but I wanted to ask. If you don't, I wouldn't change a thing. Some guys "over build" for the "what if" factor but many of those guys are building street cars where they "might" race and 80 - 90% of them don't need 4340 parts. I would spend the extra money on paint or wheels or whatever else you may need. The engine setup you have listed here should serve you for many years in a street rod.

Enjoy your hot rod..........go burn up some tires!

Have you seen Eagles rating on the 5140 I beams? 500 hp and 6000 rpms. If he's going with a cam that big its not just for sound, he can accomplish that sound with a baby LT4 hot cam. With a stroker motor w/ rubbed on trick flow heads and that cam should do 500 flywheel hp. Its fine if you personally want to live knowing the rods are rated at exactly or less of what the engine is putting out and at a lower rpm which the motor will be used. I don't plan on wasting at the very least 800 bucks in machine work and block just because of some one not "overbuilding".

Wanna tell me that it'll be "overbuilding" again when i'm just basically going by the guidelines of the engine parts? Plus it would foolish in a sense if somebody was to buy an aftermarket set of rods and crank and not spend the extra to make them more reliable up to a higher rpm and hp rating.

Looks like I apparently rub a couple folks the wrong way. Well, like Keenan said, it's all a matter of opinions. Though, this might indeed be my first post, it does not mean I'm green. I've been around muscle cars and engines since I was a kid. I grew up watching street racing on highway just outside my front yard on Friday and Saturday nights and I couldn't wait to get a car of my own.

Keenan and CKJ can you please help me understand why you believe the rotating assembly this guy has listed will not perform well for what we trying to do?

Here's my thought. This guy came looking for help from guys who have built LT1s before. He has likely done tons of research but wants to get some thoughts from people with an actual LT1. In all likelihood, this guy's "street rod" will never see the north side of 6000 rpm (maybe even 5800) except in a dyno session. So, why should a guy like this need to go out and buy 4340 parts? Nowhere does he say he's looking to go out and race. What I get from this is you have a guy looking to build a good platform that he can cruise.

As for the rating information listed in the post, the rods in my 548 BBC are rated for 1000 hp we have thrown 1300 hp at them for the past 3 seasons and we haven't lost a rod yet. Mine is a race application so we use race parts i.e., high end rods, crank and pistons. Yes, parts do fail and I know it first hand but for what this guy wants to do I don't believe he will stress parts the way you are leading him to believe. Many guys who buy those 4340 cranks and rods don't truly need them and could get by with well machined stock rods and a cast crank. I had a friend who raced a '71 Chevelle for several YEARS using a 477 BBC with a CAST CRANK and Eagle H-beam rods. This engine was sprayed repeatedly with a 300 hp shot in street and track racing. We're talking a car that probably weighed more than 3700 lbs and it NEVER broke a crank or rods.

Just my $0.02!

Have you seen Eagles rating on the 5140 I beams? 500 hp and 6000 rpms. If he's going with a cam that big its not just for sound, he can accomplish that sound with a baby LT4 hot cam. With a stroker motor w/ rubbed on trick flow heads and that cam should do 500 flywheel hp. Its fine if you personally want to live knowing the rods are rated at exactly or less of what the engine is putting out and at a lower rpm which the motor will be used. I don't plan on wasting at the very least 800 bucks in machine work and block just because of some one not "overbuilding".

Wanna tell me that it'll be "overbuilding" again when i'm just basically going by the guidelines of the engine parts? Plus it would foolish in a sense if somebody was to buy an aftermarket set of rods and crank and not spend the extra to make them more reliable up to a higher rpm and hp rating.

CKJ......Personally, I would have no issue whatsoever using the engine he has laid out. How many SBC (and SBF for that matter) do you think are on race tracks all across this country with similar setups or maybe even lesser setups? My guess would be several. I have a cousin right now with a 406 SBC in a '71 Chev Short box truck that runs low 11s using similar parts, and he sprays it, which as you know increases the overall cylinder pressure and hence the amount of stress on the rotating assembly. In many cases, it's not the rod that fails, it's the rod bolt.

Again, it's not to say parts don't break but do you think the thing will go 5997..5998...5999....BOOM!!! Doubtful!! If the engine was put together correctly and clearances were adhered too, this engine should live for many, many miles and put a huge grin on 47fleetlineLT1s face. :)

WOW! I didn't mean to stir up such a spirited discussion... 21 you must be reading my mind because that is exactly my intention. I am building a street rod not a race car. I'm sure I'll run it here and there but 95% of the time I'll just be cruzin. I want to build a stout engine that on occasion I can open up and blow the doors of someone. I was modeling my engine from what Golen builds. wwwgolenengineservice.com all their 383 strokers use 30lb injectors that's why I chose them. That is exactly why I posted my parts list is to get input, not to start a heated discussion.

I respect everybody’s opinion; we are all here because we love these things...

Golens LT1 Recommendations

We recommend using the following with our stroker LT1 engines;

-30lb injector with any of our LT1 383 or 396 stroker engines

-Ported LT1 intake manifold to match the head opening

-58mm throttle body

-Adjustable fuel pressure regulator

-Stock MAF (do not use an aftermarket MAF or any kind). If you have a B-body car it is best to upgrade to a F-body MAF that is 3.5" for better flow, if you do this, make sure that you list it down when having your computer programmed.

-Performance cold air intake and filter unit.

-Custom computer tuning by PCM For Less, Bryan Herter for 94-97 LT1 engines and Alvin Anderson for 92-93 LT1 engines. You can reach them through their website at www.pcmforless.com (http://www.pcmforless.com/)

-Use only a vented Optispark unit. If you have an early 92-94 LT1 engine with the non-vented Opti you will need to buy the vented unit to work with our engine part #GM-1104032 and the wiring harness connector GM-12130319.

-MSD Super Conductor spark plug wire, these work great.

-Stock coil from a 96-97 F-body will work great with all year LT1 engines.

-Use only AC Delco if you are going to replace O2 sensors.

-Aftermarket long tube headers such as Hooker Super Comp 1 3/4 primary to 3" collector for Corvette and Camaro. You can get these through Summit Racing or Jegs. If you buy the long tube headers you will need to get O2 extension harnesses in order to plug in your stock O2 sensors. We stock these for $25 a side. If you have an Impala you can get Clear Image Quad headers that will make good power. You can reach Dan Ferraro through his website at:
http://www.clearimageautomotive.com (http://www.clearimageautomotive.com/)

-Aftermarket exhaust with high flow muffler and Random Tech high flow cats if you have to use cats.

-Aftermarket stall converter for auto trans applications, 2800-3000rpm for most engines.

-Aftermarket clutch for standard transmissions

-3:73 rear end gears work best with these engines on the street.

-Internally balanced flex plate or fly wheel to match crank balancing.

-Crank hub that has been broached for crankshaft key. If you buy an ATI hub and balancer it is already broached to accept the crankshaft key.

-Autolite 103 spark plugs for naturally aspirated enginesand Autolite 104 for super charged engines.

-Valvoline VRI Racing 20/50 oil for break in (first 3000 miles)

-Wix or AC oil filters (Do not use Fram, they have a collapsing problem)

-If you are road racing or auto cross racing we recommend a Canton 6 quart road race style pan to avoid oil starving when cornering at high speeds.

Just an FYI
Rod review - EAGLE SIR 5140 FORGED STEEL RODS6.0 Full Floating Pin I-Beam Connecting Rods

Big strength without the big price. Why spend the time and money of reconditioning your stock rods when you can upgrade to a set of Eagle SIR I-Beam connecting rods for less? They're forged from 5140 steel for outstanding strength and reliability, and they come in both press fit and bushed pin models. Their lightweight design places less stress on the rest of your rotating assembly, to increase engine life and better handle high-rpm use. The rods are x-rayed, sonic tested, magnafluxed, and shot-peened to stress-relieve the metal. They come with 12-point ARP Wave-Lok rod bolts and are weight-matched to within two grams. The big end sizing is controlled by in-house CNC equipment to ensure precise machining and accurate fitment.

47fleetlineLT1......Sorry for coming off like a big bully. It was never my intention to rustle any feathers. Again, I think you have done your homework well and think your 383 stroker should offer gabs of torque and good usable horsepower for your '47. The argument for or against 4340 parts has been around for many years. Many guys say they would never think of using anything but all forged internals in whatever they build. Does every application warrant 4340 parts? This is just my opinion but I say NO. You have to look at what the plans are for the engine in question. If you are feeding that puppy lots of dope, then you'd better have parts capable of carring heavy loads because "sauce" will find your weak links. The same is true of forced induction setups. Considering what you say your plans are 47, you shouldn't have any issues other than keeping your foot out of it. Enjoy man!!

My arguement for going over kill on your engine is this, over the winter I plan on build ling a 383 or 396, and I know that once a month or two goes by, I will want more. So when I contemplate getting that D1 or 200 shot, I know that my engine can take it and keep right on chugging. Do it once, and do it right.

Let's see a pic of the '47!

Also, if you use the Cloyes 9-3145 timing set, you must use a 1995 and up optispark (and timing cover). Just use a genuine GM opti and forget the MSD cap/rotor. You don't really need the MSD 6A, unless you just want it.

I would also use:
Melling Select 10554 pump (std vol/std pressure)
Getting the GM white spring 3848911 to put in it for higher pressure
GM pickup tube, 12550042

HV pumps are not needed. It would work ok with your Milodon pan, but they also put extra stress on the oil pump drive gear (sometimes causing them to wear out, resulting in loss of oil pressure-the last thing you want).

The Aeromotive adjustable regulator is probably not needed as well. They also seem to have a high failure rate.

I guess I'm on the wrong forum for street rod advice. No one understands that I'm building a "STREET ROD" not a juiced up race car, except 21. This must be a younger crowed here because all you want to do is race, which is fine, don't get me wrong but I'm an old guy that just wants a fun little street rod with lots of attitude...:D That’s just me

Hey Shoebox,

I wan't you to know that you have a great web sight, lots of good stuff there. Helped me out alot with my LT1 build. You the MAN...:thumbsup:

Well don't get me wrong either, I have a cam that peaks at 6200, does that mean I spin it to 6200 off of every light? Nope, but I can if I really wanted too. Thats all I am saying, if the urge is there, your motor can take it. And I am really just playing devil's advocate with you, the real factor here is budget.

My 47 Fleetline

Geez! that would be the last car I would expect to sound like a cammed LT1. Good luck with it, that is a sharp looking car !

Let's see a pic of the '47!

Also, if you use the Cloyes 9-3145 timing set, you must use a 1995 and up optispark (and timing cover). Just use a genuine GM opti and forget the MSD cap/rotor. You don't really need the MSD 6A, unless you just want it.

I would also use:
Melling Select 10554 pump (std vol/std pressure)
Getting the GM white spring 3848911 to put in it for higher pressure
GM pickup tube, 12550042

HV pumps are not needed. It would work ok with your Milodon pan, but they also put extra stress on the oil pump drive gear (sometimes causing them to wear out, resulting in loss of oil pressure-the last thing you want).

The Aeromotive adjustable regulator is probably not needed as well. They also seem to have a high failure rate.
My opti and t/c cover are from a 96 LT1, I got a deal on ebay for the MSD cap & rotor, 8.5 MSD wires and the MSD 6A all brand new still in the boxes all together for $219 + shipping, I guess the guy was desperate for cash...Most of the parts on the engine that will be seen are for the cool looks, I didn't want it to look stock.

What year block/computer are you using? The 96 timing cover has provisions for a crank sensor which pre 96 doesn't use.

Hey Shoebox,

I wan't you to know that you have a great web sight, lots of good stuff there. Helped me out alot with my LT1 build. You the MAN...:thumbsup:

Thanks and your car looks sweet! Oh, I'm no youngster, either. :)

:rockon: Damn! That's a sweet ride there boss! She definitely ain't no race car but she is nice. Man, you will certainly turn some heads with that when you roll up with your cammed-up 383. If you ever need someone to share driving duties, I'd definitely volunteer! Is this your 1st performance engine? If it is, you are going to love stabbing the throttle on this puppy. Auto or stick? How much tire are you planning on using?

Trick Flow GenX aluminum cylinder heads for GM LT1 feature high-flow 195cc intake ports, 75cc exhaust ports, and 62cc combustion chambers. Assembled heads include stainless steel 2.020 in. intake/1.600 in. exhaust valves, 1.460 in. double valve springs, retainers, locks, guideplates, and 3/8 in. rocker studs, Heads lightly ported and polished.
CCA-07-467-8, XFI™ Xtreme Fuel Injection, 280XFI HR13 Hydraulic Roller, Duration @ .050 lift 230/236, Gross Valve lift .576/571, advertised duration 268/276.

That right there sounds like its going on a motor that the hp will peak at 6500 and slowly come down personally.

I understand its going in a street rod.. but why the big cam and why buy a set of 1200+ heads and spend another 600+ to have somebody rub on them when they flow good enough..?

Its like your putting a pit bull's heart into a chihuahua's body.. yeah..you'll get lots of blood being pumped..to much for what the body can handle.

The upper induction and the shortblock will be on two opposite ends of the spectrum!!! It just doesn't make sense to me...it doesn't! Why even spend the extra money on building a stroker motor when the stock rods/crank will support almost as much as the Eagle 5140 i beams and the cast crank..?

I would recommend you go with a much smaller heads/cam kit if that's the bottom end you'll be putting them on. I had a 383 built (my first motor I built myself) and it had the Eagle 5140 SIR I beam rods, they were a 6" rod too. 4340 Eagle 3.750 stroke crank (obviously) and forged SRP flattop -5 cc relief pistons. I had that on a splayed 4 bolt mains cap conversion, w/ a set of LE2 heads/cam/intake setup I mean set up. I lost a many a night of sleep when I had those I beam rods in..knowing the hp i was putting out was going to be close to the advertised ratings and i was going to abuse the crap out of the motor when I felt like it.. It drove me insane, the rest of the motor was bullet proof...the rods was the weaklink. Know what i did.. sold EVERYTHING except for the block and 4 bolt mains. I made myself hate that motor and I couldn't stand it.

47fleetline... my advice for you is to do what you want, I can only give you my knowledgeable opinion. But I would recommend you a smaller heads/cam package, or upgrade the bottom end for your setup. Do it right the first time, and forget about it.

Trick Flow GenX aluminum cylinder heads for GM LT1 feature high-flow 195cc intake ports, 75cc exhaust ports, and 62cc combustion chambers. Assembled heads include stainless steel 2.020 in. intake/1.600 in. exhaust valves, 1.460 in. double valve springs, retainers, locks, guideplates, and 3/8 in. rocker studs, Heads lightly ported and polished.
CCA-07-467-8, XFI™ Xtreme Fuel Injection, 280XFI HR13 Hydraulic Roller, Duration @ .050 lift 230/236, Gross Valve lift .576/571, advertised duration 268/276.
That right there sounds like its going on a motor that the hp will peak at 6500 and slowly come down personally.

I understand its going in a street rod.. but why the big cam and why buy a set of 1200+ heads and spend another 600+ to have somebody rub on them when they flow good enough..?

Its like your putting a pit bull's heart into a chihuahua's body.. yeah..you'll get lots of blood being pumped..to much for what the body can handle.

The upper induction and the shortblock will be on two opposite ends of the spectrum!!! It just doesn't make sense to me...it doesn't! Why even spend the extra money on building a stroker motor when the stock rods/crank will support almost as much as the Eagle 5140 i beams and the cast crank..?

I would recommend you go with a much smaller heads/cam kit if that's the bottom end you'll be putting them on. I had a 383 built (my first motor I built myself) and it had the Eagle 5140 SIR I beam rods, they were a 6" rod too. 4340 Eagle 3.750 stroke crank (obviously) and forged SRP flattop -5 cc relief pistons. I had that on a splayed 4 bolt mains cap conversion, w/ a set of LE2 heads/cam/intake setup I mean set up. I lost a many a night of sleep when I had those I beam rods in..knowing the hp i was putting out was going to be close to the advertised ratings and i was going to abuse the crap out of the motor when I felt like it.. It drove me insane, the rest of the motor was bullet proof...the rods was the weaklink. Know what i did.. sold EVERYTHING except for the block and 4 bolt mains. I made myself hate that motor and I couldn't stand it.

47fleetline... my advice for you is to do what you want, I can only give you my knowledgeable opinion. But I would recommend you a smaller heads/cam package, or upgrade the bottom end for your setup. Do it right the first time, and forget about it.

Bro....you need to back swiftly way from the brew or whatever you're drinking. The million dollar question is, "Did the 383 you built break while you had it?"

You are shooting a guy down here without ever bothering to ask him what his intentions are. Why? The dude posted that he was looking to build a nice engine for his street rod. Have you asked the guy any questions before picking his components apart?

"Does every street-built engine need 4340 parts?" Just because an intake, cam and head package has a 6500 rpm potential, does not mean you have to rev the thing to 6500 rpm.

Sometimes you just have to weigh the pros and cons of little extras.
If you can sleep at night without doing that and you don't have a problem living with the limitations of the parts
you pick, that's awesome ... go with it :)

I prefer to spend money up front knowing it will likely prevent me from having to rebuild the motor again later.
(because it broke, I changed my plans or otherwise)
That's just me, and it's certainly not everyone's cup of Earl Grey.

Listen even high dollar parts break and I know this firsthand. I spent $14K to have an engine build back in 2004 only to see it break a Manton pro stock style pushrod on the dyno. The builder (who was standing right beside me) was reputable and he stood behind everything. I've freshened the engine after every season and found no issues.

I would drive 47fleetline's engine and have no trouble sleeping at night. We have a carb'd 406 SBC Nova in our stable right now with similar parts (except it has Brodix Track 1 heads and dome pistons) and it cruises without any issue and will run like a raped ape. And, it's a 4 spd car!

Great lookin ride Good luck w/ your build

Bro....you need to back swiftly way from the brew or whatever you're drinking. The million dollar question is, "Did the 383 you built break while you had it?"



To answer your question...NO rods can't break when it sits on an engine stand BRO :werd: Never installed it, wasn't satisfied with the rods. Never had oil added to pan, never been turned over other than to adjust the rockers.

But see...your once again failing to see the reasoning why i'm telling him to go with either a smaller heads/cam package, or a better built bottom end. Have you ever drove a cam w/ more than 230 duration and .570" lift on the street. Its really a dog when it comes to driveabililty compared to a smaller 215-220 duration with a .525" lift. So why would you want to go through the herky jerky problems when he's putting it in a street rod. The driveability and enjoyablilty with be sacraficed with that setup on it.

Another reason, your not having no where much usable power throughout the whole rpm range, your focusing on mid to upper and the lower is going to be slug. Get a cam that drives good at low rpms delivering excellent torque to get off the line, with a strong mid that tops out 300-500 rpms before the shift point. I guarantee he'll enjoy the car much more with like a Hotcam or 305-503 cam than the 467-XFI since it is a cruiser/street rod rather than a street-strip car.

And FWIW he stated "Tell me what you guys think" is his exact words. I'm telling him what I think and trying to prevent either a disaster w/ drivability, or wasted money on either a breakage of trying to get the full potential of his motor or wasted money on wishing a few years down the road that he had done it bigger.

You kinda remind me of a person that likes to spend 400 at a crack rebuidling 10 bolts and doing that 3 times and still keeping a 10 bolt. My pinion yoke sheared off fragging the driveshaft in the process while on a mustang dyno.. know what I did. Immediatly placed an order for a Dana 60. Know what I said when it was installed.. "break that b*%#$"

Yes, as a matter of fact, I have driven a street car with 230* duration AS A DAILY DRIVER. I attended grad school at Va Tech in the late 80s - early 90s and I drove a "warmed over" 350 SBC in a '72 Skylark. I drove that car for years back and forth from Mississippi to B'burg, VA without incident. Even drove it to Rochester, NY for an internship. Had a stall, headers, roller rockers, big cam, stage II heads, etc., etc. I did it on a budget with stock rods (w/ARP bolts) and a cast crank. The biggest issue I had with it was driving on snowy days. :eek:

As for the cam 47fleet chose, Comp reworked (read, reduced) the overlap on their XFI Extreme Cams line such that part throttle driveability has been improved and can rival that of cams like the smaller GM Hot Cam. Even with a 230 duration! He will still have good performance at low rpm i.e., 2200 - 3000.

Look, I'm not even going to go there on your parts breakage (or wasted money) argument because I just think you will only see yellow, and I will only see green.

As for your 10 bolt comment, have you ever heard of Scott Merkel? Merkel consistently ran 8s using a 10 bolt rear in his '71 Camaro in NMCA back in the mid-90s. I don't currently have anything with a 10 bolt in it BUT I would use an 8.5" version if that's all I had. And, I would also use an 8.75 Mopar if one was available. All depends on the application.

You "ordered a Dana 60 because your PINION yoke sheared off." Sounds like what you really needed was a stronger pinion yoke vs. a Dana. Hey, you mentioned that you sold all the parts in your 383 and just kept the blk even though you had all forged parts except the rods. If everything was new and still sitting on the engine stand, why not just replace the rods! With full floaters that was a weekends work at best. Was it the rods that kept you up, or the thought of gettin your &$$ handed to you because you knew you weren't coming hard enough?:cool:

Yes, as a matter of fact, I have driven a street car with 230* duration AS A DAILY DRIVER. I attended grad school at Va Tech in the late 80s - early 90s and I drove a "warmed over" 350 SBC in a '72 Skylark. I drove that car for years back and forth from Mississippi to B'burg, VA without incident. Even drove it to Rochester, NY for an internship. Had a stall, headers, roller rockers, big cam, stage II heads, etc., etc. I did it on a budget with stock rods (w/ARP bolts) and a cast crank. The biggest issue I had with it was driving on snowy days. :eek:

As for the cam 47fleet chose, Comp reworked (read, reduced) the overlap on their XFI Extreme Cams line such that part throttle driveability has been improved and can rival that of cams like the smaller GM Hot Cam. Even with a 230 duration! He will still have good performance at low rpm i.e., 2200 - 3000.

Look, I'm not even going to go there on your parts breakage (or wasted money) argument because I just think you will only see yellow, and I will only see green.

As for your 10 bolt comment, have you ever heard of Scott Merkel? Merkel consistently ran 8s using a 10 bolt rear in his '71 Camaro in NMCA back in the mid-90s. I don't currently have anything with a 10 bolt in it BUT I would use an 8.5" version if that's all I had. And, I would also use an 8.75 Mopar if one was available. All depends on the application.

You "ordered a Dana 60 because your PINION yoke sheared off." Sounds like what you really needed was a stronger pinion yoke vs. a Dana. Hey, you mentioned that you sold all the parts in your 383 and just kept the blk even though you had all forged parts except the rods. If everything was new and still sitting on the engine stand, why not just replace the rods! With full floaters that was a weekends work at best. Was it the rods that kept you up, or the thought of gettin your &$$ handed to you because you knew you weren't coming hard enough?:cool:

I knew for a fact there was no point in spending any money in a 7.5" 10 bolt. The pinion bearing sounded kinda rough and well..when she broke the car was making more than enough hp to break it again when i take it to the track. Plus...it broke on me when that was my only ride back to my house over 2.5 hours away, after all the events that finally lead to me getting home...I would have put a freakin dump truck rear in if I could have fit it. I prefer to eliminate problems before they happen. Thats why in the next few weeks its the trannies turn.

Well..that 383 is a long story. I originally built it for my 94 Z drop top which was my first car and which is considered my weekend cruiser when I have nothing else to do. The motor was a tad bit more radical than i had wanted for that car. So..i went out and found a rolling chassis to put the motor in (my 93 TA which if you hang around you'll hear more of). Then...i said, why go out and buy a rolling chassis for a motor that was to radical for a cruiser.. why not build one helluva streetable racecar. So, that was the plan, untill I decided just to make it into a drag car since I built the car I am currently finishing up (the 95 TA w/ the Dana 60) to be one pretty potent street/strip car.

So..back to the 383 block thats sitting all warm and fuzzy. Since its no longer on the list with the Eagle 5140 SIR I beams. I called up a friend of mine and told him what I was looking for. He recommened me to his porter/machinist/fabricator. And we came up with a plan of taking a set of Edlebrock's version of the GM 615X heads and converting them to the LTx reverse cool, converted a single plane intake to fuel injected w/ injector bosses and custom rails and well..the rest is kinda obvious. She'll be a site to see in a 2800 lb car :cool:

CKY.......what you are planning sounds quite impressive. Question? Considering what your thoughts are, have you ever thought about using a Dart block and putting the reverse flow heads on that? You have priority oiling, beefier main webs, more material in the lifter area, clearance for 4" stroke, etc. etc. Just a thought! I'm sure your thinking is it would not be an LT1/LT4, and I totally understand that, but "man" it would be bullet-proof AND would be a real rocket. :thumbsup:

Once you get your '93 we should line 'em up.:D

We're still trying to finish off the '69. Like your '93, this one should be a nice little runner.

Bah year old, no good.

CKY.......what you are planning sounds quite impressive. Question? Considering what your thoughts are, have you ever thought about using a Dart block and putting the reverse flow heads on that? You have priority oiling, beefier main webs, more material in the lifter area, clearance for 4" stroke, etc. etc. Just a thought! I'm sure your thinking is it would not be an LT1/LT4, and I totally understand that, but "man" it would be bullet-proof AND would be a real rocket. :thumbsup:

Once you get your '93 we should line 'em up.:D

We're still trying to finish off the '69. Like your '93, this one should be a nice little runner.

Thought about a Dart block more than once. You can only change so many things before its not considered a LTx IMO. Going from a 23 degree reverse cooled head to a 15 degree converted head is bad enough. But I just want that 327 to be stamped on side of the block, with a MSD opti sitting underneath a EWP conversion. People that have converted to a non LTx head are still considered in the race for the fastest NA LT1. I was going to attempt it and come very close to breaking the 9.35 record while driving the car to the track. Now that it'll be a stricly strip car I see no problems doing so :cool: I'll probably still get hassled since I have a set of converted 15 degrees. Even though the first AFR's were just converted SBC heads.

A pic of progress in motion
http://www.fquick.com/images/vehicles/full/4460201089.jpg

Bah year old, no good.

Yep, admittedly it is a year old! Point taken! We had a little one who decided to make an early entry back in March (i.e., 3 months early) thus requiring a lengthy NICU stay. Trying to get back on my feet. Will be finished in time however.

For now, the car is being built to go mid/low 8s on small tires hopefully. We're using Caltracs with Calvert Racing split monos, Strange double adj shocks out back and JBRC anti-roll. Up front, we've got upper/lower tubular Arms, Moroso tricks and Afco BNC double adj shocks. The engine is a conventional headed BBC. CKJ has the right idea of looking at a none conventional head. I have a low deck blk so I'm limited in how big I can go in engine size but the head change is definitely the next step down the road. The heads on the engine have been rolled (like CKJ is having done) but I would love to switch to a set of fully ported 18* heads. We'll run it as is for awhile though and see what kind of times she puts up. IF I ever get it finished!:dontknow:

I spun the 408 in my 3rd gen 2 7000grand all day it was a cast(hyper pistons)no boom,maybe i was lucky.Street Rod as he said in the title,not every one wants 2 run the 1320 in 12 seconds or less haha.
It will hold up fine.Thats my opinion

For the original poster, I'd switch to a slightly smaller cam, something with a little less duration and overall lift, the car will get better mileage and be much "peppier" for part throttle cruising. We built almost the exact engine for a customer for his double nickel chevy using that cam and the car was a little soggy. He ordered a smaller stick, we put it in and he got a new tune for it and BAM it ran like he felt it should have. He goes to alot of good guys stuff and drives it a ton, he drove from Cleveland to Palm Beach and reported 22 mpg.