The Dodge Challenger Message Board

After reading some post on here, I think I buy a stroker crank for my '66 440. I have some questions though.

First according to the Mopar Engine factory defects post my block has .010' Under/Size bearings. Is this going to create a problem with the stroker crank, and I guess I need to buy smaller bearings or will the new crank fix that problem?
Second should I look into having the heads ported, if so what casting heads should I look for, I need new ones because current ones do not match engine and have EGR on them.
Third what cam do you suggest, not going for out race performance here, good sound, good torque and horse from bottom end to at least mid range.
Forth intake, was thinking about a Edlebrock performer dual plane. Also how much will each of the differnt stroker cranks run me in price and where can I get them?

Some more questions that I missed, will I be able to use the stock rods and pistons with this stroker, and what comp ratio will this give, low enough to run on pump gas without a problem?

First of all you have to understand that you can get stroker cranks in a few different stroke lengths. You can even offset grind a stock crank to get a small stroke difference.

The most common stroker lengths for a 440 are 4.15 and 4.25 inches. There are bigger and smaller options too.

Normally you will either need a shorter rod to use stock 440 pistons or (if the stroke is not too long) you can use pistons that have the pin higher up in the piston.

I seem to remember a 4.15 stroke crank works with stock rods and pistons from a 400 b-block.

Aftermarket rods are not that expensive these days and are usually lighter and stronger than the stock rods. I would go that route if it was me.

Don't worry about the bearing sizes. You just order the correct size.

Don't decide on your intake until you have decided on your cam and heads. Then pick an intake that best suits the rpm the engine works best at. Same with the pistons. Your compression ratio depends on what cam you want to use. The heads and cam have to match each other.

With a stroker engine you can use a 'wilder' cam than in an ordinary engine.

Have a look at the crank kits for sale here; http://www.hughesengines.com/crank_kits ... _index.asp

Also have a look at this page http://www.hughesengines.com/cams/heh_guide.asp as it will help you pick a cam and matching parts.

Remember though that the bigger the engine the more tame the cam will seem compared to the examples described.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 7912122180

That looks like a good kit to me, except for one thing, is the comp ratio too high for pump gas?

YES!

Compression ratio depends on the size of the chamber in the head and gasket thikness.

But that is not the whole story.

It is the pressure in the cylinder that matters.

Obviously the higher the compression ratio the higher the pressure. BUT! The wilder the cam the higher the compression ratio you can use.

But no matter what. 11.7:1 is going to be WAY to high for pump gas. Look for something around 9:1 or 9.5:1.

If you can get 94 octaine or over you might get away with 10:1 ratio if your cam is on the wilder side of streetable.

Allright, here's what I would do with your goals in mind.

- Stroker kit (price difference is minimal between for example mancini or hughes etc.)
- Let the above contain a forged crank and pistons
- About 10.5:1 CR
- Alu heads, box stock Eddy's are the way to go for your goal
- Hydraulic cam in the range of 250 duration @050

Oh, don't worry about bearing sizes as with a stroker kit you get a new crank and rods so of course new bearings too. So no more under/over sized parts.

If you decide on iron heads, go for a CR of 9.5:1 to be able to use pumpgas. Just as Dave said.

What rear gears do you have? 3.55 would be nice for streetuse with kind of a torque engine. Make sure it's a suregrip unit...

I was told it had 3.55 gears in it when i bought it but im not so sure since the spedo doesnt red right with the correct gear for 3.55 and tie sizes, and of course it is a sure grip Im kind of doing this on a budget so anything i can save money on is key, like using stock pistons if possible, I have not torn down the engine, I need to do that to see what condition the pistons are in. The guy i bought the engine from said it only had 59k but he also said that the engine has never been apart, but it has heads on it with egr, last tiem i checked mopar didnt put heads on 66 440 with egr.