302/351w how big can i stroke it

[bobbywalter]

the summit block costs twice as much as buying a used block and paying a machine shop so what should i do

thats a goal question....sane boost or sub 700 hp you can get by with a stock properly prepped 5.8 fairly easily...a good seasoned block can be ideal. but you may need to go through a few to find the right one.

if your going for big power and rpm than the aftermarket block is ideal.


and what year iron you are working with has some effect on costs...the early units were 2.75.....

if you want high rpm out of the stock block past the mid 70's or you want a roller block, it takes a bit more work. 2 k in work in my area.

all in with balancing is easily 2800 plus....with you assembling it yourself save for installing the cam bearings and hanging rods if that is somehow....some way involved.

i know i cant build a competitive windsor under 5 k....the one i have sitting now if i use my heads and intake will still be 6g.... but strong and reliable and 700 plus.

 

[thunderuncle244]

thats a goal question....sane boost or sub 700 hp you can get by with a stock properly prepped 5.8 fairly easily...a good seasoned block can be ideal. but you may need to go through a few to find the right one.

if your going for big power and rpm than the aftermarket block is ideal.


and what year iron you are working with has some effect on costs...the early units were 2.75.....

if you want high rpm out of the stock block past the mid 70's or you want a roller block, it takes a bit more work. 2 k in work in my area.

all in with balancing is easily 2800 plus....with you assembling it yourself save for installing the cam bearings and hanging rods if that is somehow....some way involved.

i know i cant build a competitive windsor under 5 k....the one i have sitting now if i use my heads and intake will still be 6g.... but strong and reliable and 700 plus.

the summit block sounds tempting prob last longer which is what i want

 

[Shran]

Roller blocks can crack in the cam bearing journals... watch for that. There is a long thread over on the Mustang forum about it. Sounds like the consensus is that 5.8's that were run hard in big trucks & vans were the likely source of cracked blocks and if the block you find is not cracked there, run it. Makes me nervous about my two blocks, one came out of a gravel quarry truck that had over 300k on it and the other was out of my buddy's F150... it had a couple dead holes. Hope I haven't been storing scrap iron for years, kind of a pain to tear them down to check that. I need to get on that project.

I think there is nothing wrong with the Summit blocks or complete engines but you certainly pay for them. That said I think the $6-7000 you will pay for a crate engine from Summit is very much on par with what a local builder will charge, the main advantage with local being you have someone you can talk to in person.

I'll probably have the machine shop assemble mine, I would love to do it myself but my engine assembly experience is limited to single cylinder engines... I don't think I know anyone local that I could ask for help.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Roller blocks can crack in the cam bearing journals... watch for that. There is a long thread over on the Mustang forum about it. Sounds like the consensus is that 5.8's that were run hard in big trucks & vans were the likely source of cracked blocks and if the block you find is not cracked there, run it. Makes me nervous about my two blocks, one came out of a gravel quarry truck that had over 300k on it and the other was out of my buddy's F150... it had a couple dead holes. Hope I haven't been storing scrap iron for years, kind of a pain to tear them down to check that. I need to get on that project.

I think there is nothing wrong with the Summit blocks or complete engines but you certainly pay for them. That said I think the $6-7000 you will pay for a crate engine from Summit is very much on par with what a local builder will charge, the main advantage with local being you have someone you can talk to in person.

I'll probably have the machine shop assemble mine, I would love to do it myself but my engine assembly experience is limited to single cylinder engines... I don't think I know anyone local that I could ask for help.

Aside from piston pins and cam bearings there's no special tools needed to assemble an engine unless you go to the point of plastigauging the bearings which isn't a bad idea... depends on your expectations and everything though... mine are always fairly low so I just wing it...

 

[Shran]

Aside from piston pins and cam bearings there's no special tools needed to assemble an engine unless you go to the point of plastigauging the bearings which isn't a bad idea... depends on your expectations and everything though... mine are always fairly low so I just wing it...

Yeah that's kinda what I have always thought. I just need to watch someone do it once or have someone watch me. Lot of money on the line there... I'm just uncomfortably ignorant on the subject

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Aside from piston pins and cam bearings there's no special tools needed to assemble an engine unless you go to the point of plastigauging the bearings which isn't a bad idea... depends on your expectations and everything though... mine are always fairly low so I just wing it...

There are some... but nothing I wouldn't expect to find in The House of Shran.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah that's kinda what I have always thought. I just need to watch someone do it once or have someone watch me. Lot of money on the line there... I'm just uncomfortably ignorant on the subject

Yeah, best to start with something safe like re ring and bearing on like a 2.3L or something simple as a rock... and throwing together something with what you have with just enough new parts and a hone job and see how that holds up...I threw together the turbo 2.3L in my '90 out of stuff I had in a crate other than gaskets/seals/rings/bearings, been working fine for the most part for 10 years.

 

[broncc]

the summit block costs twice as much as buying a used block and paying a machine shop so what should i do

Looking at what I paid for my stroker vs getting a crate motor it's about even... Buying a crate motor means you're not nickel and dimed about all the hardware the previous owner of the core stole/lost.

Pay outright more for a 408 stroker that was run-in at the factory or spend a year researching and building your own. I could have spent this summer at the race track instead of waiting for delayed cylinder heads and returning pistons the machine shop couldn't balance without putting mallory in the used crank.

When you choose the components yourself you can get a bit more performance by selecting for your needs. It's way too easy to brainstorm a forever project instead of actually having a running and driving project car.

 

[Shran]

I have a 4.0 that was a low mileage engine but had a ton of blow by, and I'm thinking it had something to do with burning coolant, sitting for a long time and worn/stuck/broken rings. Figured that would be a good first victim... probably can hone it and have it back together for a couple hundred bucks + rings, maybe main bearings & a gasket kit. Now I just need the time to do it, lol

 

[scotts90ranger]

Good of a place as any to start, I prefer the "flex hone" for honing but they work best 1/2 worn out, stone works fine too and are cheap... there's likely a DNJ kit with everything you need for that, they're a decent budget company...