I have a question and it may already be posted on here somewhere but i can't find it, I have a 351W i'm getting ready to rebuild for my comet, and I would like to have it stroked. Will a 400 crank and rods work or will I have to buy a kit. If this is possible what else will be needed??
Get a kit. You can use a 400 crank but the nose has to be turned down. I don't thing the rods will work but I haven't tried it - maybe with the right pistons they work.
getting the crank done won't be an issue, i should read up and see if the rods will work, trying to do it as inexpensive as possible. I don't think a stroker kit is that cheap.
Snout has to be turned down and counterweights have to be turned down. Can't use the 400 rods without a custom piston which would run you over $800 per set. Here is a Coast High Performance kit that yields 408" and 9.5:1 with a 64cc head. http://www.coasthigh.com/Ford-408W-Dish-Top-24-0cc-GT-Kit-p/p4082f-gt-f408.htm $986.99 Where's the confusion?
cheap way is buy the 393 crank they are like 250 bucks use the stock 351 rods and 302 pistons will give you a 393
The 400 crank takes a lot of work ($$$) to use and, IIRC, you need to use Chrysler rods. The 393 mentioned is the cheapest, easiest way with the 408 kit not too far behind.
i haven't heard of that one before. but sounds like a great idea. so the stock heads will work with that? and what about a cam, any suggestions?
Stock heads (depending on year and mods) would easily be good enough for a street engine that stays within stock rpm range. Granted that it would not be much of a "performance" engine with stock heads but it would run well to 4800 rpm which is more rpm than most street engines run. A 393 or 408 stroker will still make tons of torque and provide a usable boost in low to mid range acceleration. For mods - I would do nothing more than grind out any "smog" bumps in the exhaust and clean up the flashing in the ports and bowls. this is something anyone with a Dremel rotary grinder could do in a couple of days.
well as far as building a stroker engine goes, the 393 seems to be the cheapest, and relatively simple. I was planning on getting the heads ported and polished. The engine is out out of an 89 or 90 f250, it was fuel injected but i now have everything to convert to a 4 barrell set up.
So, depending on what you are going to have to pay to have the headwork done and what you are planning on using the engine for, you should have it all figured out. If you have to pay more than it costs for a set of aftermarket heads go with the aftermarket heads but choose flow numbers that fit your expected rpm range.
yeah it only took a coupple hours of researching and i have it pretty much figured out. I'm just looking to get the heads done to get a little better flow, my buddy works at a machine shop so it shouldn't cost a whole lot.
With big strokers the cam is a sticking point. It will run with the 351 cam but the timing events aren't optimum for the longer stroke. This is where many go with a custom ground cam.
