Forget the 393. The 408 (long rod) is a great all around motor that is easy to build and it should meet all your expectations. Keep RPM's under 6500 for a stock block though to prevent main cap walk. The 418 is a good motor, but again you must limit RPM's to around 6K.

 

Forget the 393. The 408 (long rod) is a great all around motor that is easy to build and it should meet all your expectations. Keep RPM's under 6500 for a stock block though to prevent main cap walk. The 418 is a good motor, but again you must limit RPM's to around 6K.

whats your reason for not liking your 393? whats the clearance issues with the 408? i have read some that says no issues with 408. what do you think about the top end kit i was thinking on doing? the edl extreme, they say 440ish for a 351w. im conserned the heads wont flow well with the more cubes.

 

I agree with Dennis..The 408 is a great all around engine that is easy to assemble if you buy the right kit..I bought the scat rotating assembly and it went into the block with a minimum of fuss..Some very minor grinding on the oil pump pad and a little on the oil pump and that was it...No notching cylinders,no camshaft/rod interference at all..Part of the reason it was so easy was the fact that it uses the capscrew rods which have a nice profile on the bottom and give you extra clearance over a stock type rod..
As for the top end it all depends on how much power you need...I went with a custom solid roller cam and some vic jr heads and intake..It's certainly not the best stuff available these days but it is way way more than you can ever use on the street and not be arrested..

 

408 all the way. 393 was the original stroker kit, as you could use stock rods and 302 pistons. All that was needed beyond stock stuff, was the crank. It was economically feasible before all the cheap Chinese became available.

Today, with companies like Scat, there's no reason to do a 393 when a 408 is pretty much the same price, is built with stronger parts, and is 'bigger'.

Just keep in mind... You're feeding 'big block' cubic inches through small block cylinder heads. When in doubt, go BIG. Install the largest head that will easily fit, and you won't be sorry. Unless you stuff a stupidly large cam in it, you will have no problem with lower end power.

Good Luck!

 

408 all the way. 393 was the original stroker kit, as you could use stock rods and 302 pistons. All that was needed beyond stock stuff, was the crank. It was economically feasible before all the cheap Chinese became available.

Today, with companies like Scat, there's no reason to do a 393 when a 408 is pretty much the same price, is built with stronger parts, and is 'bigger'.

Just keep in mind... You're feeding 'big block' cubic inches through small block cylinder heads. When in doubt, go BIG. Install the largest head that will easily fit, and you won't be sorry. Unless you stuff a stupidly large cam in it, you will have no problem with lower end power.

Good Luck!

yeah i think im weighing torwards 408 now. what do ya think about a girdle on the crank? thinking it might help with the higher rpm walk and flexing...and yeah the heads are my biggest concern i didnt want to choke it down with poor flow from the bigger cubes. I like the looks of AFR and i crunched # on the new extreme head from EDL and they were good too. but the AFR flowed beter % wise and was a lil cheaper head wise but once i added the intake and cam etc the EDL top end kit was the cheaper way to go. I see alot of people going with solid roller cam...why is that? and any cam sugestions? and grinds?