What stroker kit for Windsor?
 

I just learned that my 351 Windsor engine will need to be rebuilt with new pistons. As long as it is coming apart, I'm thinking I might want to rebuild it as a stroker 393 or 408. I have a competent mechanic who can rebuild the engine, but neither he nor I have any experience selecting parts for a stroker. In an effort to minimize the possibility of buying mismatched components, I'm thinking of getting a stroker kit. ... Where can I get good information that will help me make an informed decision on stroker components and preparation of the block?

I'd say between 5 or 10 of us here, you can get all the info you need. There are a bunch of guys who have went the 393/408 route...I myself went with a 425 ci engine.

If you want a good running story of a 393 buildup, go to the Butcher's website and review his stuff.

www.cobralads.com

Probably the most prevalent mods you'll have to do to the block is to cut the cylinder skirts to allow enough clearance for rod bolts to swing. That can be done easily with a die grinder...

Do you have any specific questions? Otherwise, a bunch of us will be writing books.... :) Not that we wouldn't do that for you, but it's easier to answer specific questions.

I built my engine myself from the ground up (and a bunch of the other members have too) so we should be able to answer anything that comes across.

Most kits are good buys. I was in college at the time I built mine, so I bought each part separately.....$600 for a crank here....$600 for rods there...etc. However, most kits are part-matched to each other, and some even come already balanced. Only word of advice I can give you here is don't skimp on the bottom end. This is where you wanna spend a lot of money...you don't want any mishaps at 6500 revs....Definitely forged stuff...H-beam rods would be my suggestion. Others would probably tell you that I-beams are strong enough and a little lighter. You'll probably find a lot of different opinions.

As far as differences between 393's and 408's...I'd say with the same parts on the top of the block, horsepower will be close...however with the shorter stroke of the 393, you'll be more likely to get it in a little higher powerband...maybe a little less torque too.

Like I said, ask away, and we'll be happy to answer. Hope I didn't confuse you anymore....

I prefer 418cid 4.030bore/4.100crank/6.200rods good combo andstill dont need oil ring support rail wAFR 205cc heads & .544 lift hdy roller wil get you over 500hp & over 500ft. lbs. between 3000 &6000 rpm. Check out www.perfeng.cc for more info.

Stroker engine
 

I went with a 418 stoker kit for my E-M engine. H-beam rods, 10:1 compression, TFS aluminum heads with a hyd. roller cam. This will make all the power I could ask for this car.
There are several outfits that sell stroker kits and any and all parts that you will need to complete a re-build.
Steve

That's one thing, Tommy that you need to look out for. Machineman mentioned oil ring support. That is probably an issue worth concerning. If you get a really long stroke and a really long rod, you have to have piston with a very low compression height. I got away from it with my kit (I think they were 1.26"), but anything any shorter would put the wrist pin going right through the oil control rings. Not good.

I'm running 1.063 compression height pistons in my engines. It isn't any problem at all. Because I started with a 9.5 deck, we could have run a 1.26 CH and kept the same 6.25 rod but, for reliability reasons, we used the shorter and much lighter piston. CP Pistons and JE Pistons have the best designs for these applications.
Scott

Check out a company called DSS. dssracing.com (or) call them @ 630-587-1169. They have stroker kits available for many applications, and their parts are top notch. They also sell main supports, which you may want to consider. They will send you a free catalog in the mail if you ask them to.