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408W Stroker Build

18K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  GT350HR 
#1 ·
Okay so I decided to yank the old 289 out of my 68 Mustang, and got a hold of a ’84 351W motor and looking to build it up to a 408 Stroker. I’m here in search of HONEST and HELPFUL opinions on what I have mapped out for the build so far.
1) I’m looking for 500-550hp at the flywheel.
2) I am going to have Power Steering and Brakes, as well as A/C.
3) This motor is staying carbed and N/A, not nitrous, going to run on pump 93.
4) Looking for 1000-6000rpm range.
So I have picked out a stroker kit from adperformance.com. It consists of a Scat 9000 Crank with a 4.00” stroke, Scat 4340 6.200 I-beam Connecting Rods, w/ ARP hardware (can upgrade to H beam for $125, don’t know if needed), Probe Forged FPS 24cc Dish Pistons, Inline relief (Floating pin w/ spirlox, wrist pins), Clevite Rod and Main Bearings, File Fit Moly Ring (Manufactures Choice - Perfect Circle, Total Seal, whats better?) Says compression is at 10:1 with 58cc heads. Not sure if I should pick a different piston for the kit or if these will be fine? With base options and 28oz balance it runs $1,325.
As for the rest of the parts, this is what I’ve put together so far:
AFR 205 Renegade Race Heads, Assembled
Edelbrock 1411 750cfm carb (should I go bigger? Want good response)
Edelbrock Performer RPM Airgap Intake
Scorpion Racing 1.6, 7/16 Full Roller Rockers
DSS Main Cap Girdle w/studs, for added comfort since I can’t afford a Dart block.
Trick Flow 19006 28oz Harmonic Balancer
Edelbrock Victor Waterpump
Comp recommended their XE274H cam and lifter kit, (will my magnum double chain work from 289?) This all totals to $3,700.
I still need help with a fuel pump setup and pushrod selection as well.
This motor is going to be hooked to a TKO600 with 3.73 rear gear and 26” tire.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
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forged crank eagle or scat
forged h beam rods eagle or scat
internal balance is nice but you need to buy a 0 balance flywheel
mahle or je SRP pistons not the probes
throw that carb in the trash . . buy an 850 vacuum secondary quick fuel.
ATI damper . . same brand nascar uses.
im a comp dealer . . that cam is useless in there for your app . . a comp xfi236hr is the smallest i would use and will go very well with your set up and will make 500 and will not be too big.
eddy rpm intake for around town or eddy vic jr for driving mostly above 4000 rpm.
around 10.5:1 to 10.8:1 compression.
mickey thompson street drag radials.
 
#3 ·
My daily driver 408 made 480hp and 525tq on 87 octane Arco gas.
95 Lightening used block from the local core yard so I had a factory hyd roller cam setup.
Cast RPM crank 50oz imbalance 10/10 fresh grind .
6.200 Molnar Technologies H beam rods. Superior to other Chinese imports by FAR
-24cc dish forged 4032 alloy pistons
Std volume Melling oil pump and drive
Romac ( Ford racing) 50oz balancer
Ford Racing X305 heads w/58 cc chambers Upgraded springs and titanium retainers , 9.7 final C/R
Ford F302 hyd roller cam with Cobra ( Crane) bolt down rockers
Manley 3/8ths pushrods of the appropriate length
Edelbrock RPM air gap intake and 735 vacuum secondary Cobra Jet Holley
34*s timing
6,000 rpm shift points 12.30 @ 112mph , 3,500 lb '67 Ranchero C4 4.00 gear drag radial.
Real car, real numbers, real daily driver though I did swap to a 3.50 gear and street tires currently.
Oh yea , took two years of CAREFUL ( read cheap) buying. Total out of pocket including engine dyno testing, $3000.
 
#4 ·
Most of your plan looks good to me. I would try to keep the compression up between 10-10.5:1. Your I beam rods should be fine at that level and are lighter than H beams. I am running a very similar scat rotating assembly but using pistons with a little smaller dish (15.8ccs) with my vic jr heads to keep compression up to 10.7:1. Make sure you do the math yourself when calculating the compression. Alot of the websites had incorrect info when I was doing my research into getting the rotating assembly. I would run a holley carb in the 750-850 range. I would consider having a custom camshaft done to bring it all together in the rpm range and the driving characteristics that you want.
 
#5 ·
I agree 10.7 would be more powerful , and I would have gone over 500 hp if I had done it. My quest was for 87 octane power and I felt 9.7 was enough. I could have easily over built mine with a main support girdle, HV oil pump, forged crank, studs, AFR heads etc. but it does what I wanted to achieve on the budget I had to spend. 30,000 trouble free miles( except for sucking in Fel Pro intake gaskets) and more to come.
 
#6 ·
Sounds like it should be a nice combo.

I actually like a smaller ring pack these days than what the Probes come with. I try to use the Mahle rings and find a piston with a 1.5/1.5/3mm ring pack setup. However, if a combo kit is a little more budget oriented, I've used several sets of Probe pistons and haven't had any issues with them.

Everything else looks good. I would skip the main girdle.

You need to be somewhere around the 236 @ .050" duration to get your horsepower and rpm requirements. Lift should be in the .600-.620" range. On a carb, a 110 LSA works really well for a street engine and I like to run them pretty far advanced for the street....typically on a 104 ICL.

If you want a recipe for a certain amount of horsepower, I've got a few 408W's on my dyno page:

Lykins Motorsports, LLC
 
#7 ·
Im currently putting this together for my 67 Ranchero

408w in 94 block, 10.5 comp
AFR 205 heads
Vic jr intake, ported
QF 750 carb
custom cam
1 3/4 FPA headers
3200-3500 stall
AOD
3.70 gears with 27 inch tire
6500 rpm limit

looking for 550 fwhp and be able to drive it anywhere.

I figure my little 9:1 347 with TFS 170s was able to make around 450 fwhp, and put like 25,000 miles on it. So the 408 should meet my goals pretty easy and still run 89-91 octane
 
#8 ·
Your HP goal might be attainable with those parts. The "small" headers will make it a little harder though. A 850 carb might be warranted to get that last 15 or so HP at high RPM's. No matter what, your going to have a decent combo so I'd see where it goes first.

What's your expected RPM limit? I'd guess 7k.
 
#12 ·
Your not really that far away. I'm in the sticks near Raystown lake, about 45 minutes above Chambersburg. Headed to Cburg right now.

I race at Beaver Springs, but occasionally at South Mountain and Mason Dixon.

The 4" stroke makes for some great motors and you will have more than enough torque with the 408. Trying to subdue it on the street will be hard enough . . . . .
 
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#14 ·
I realized that I never updated my build results for my 408.

Motor was built by Jeremy Gerz who owns Innovative Performance in Lancaster PA.

Was run on the engine dyno, and turned out awesome.

Results are:

598.5 HP at 6000 down only 20 at 6500
565. TQ at 5000 , 500ft-lb or more from 3-6000

10.6:1 roller 408w
AFR 205 REN heads
Heavily worked Vic Jr intake
QF 830
Mamo Motorsports custom HR cam
1 3/4 FPA LTs
 
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