[Thedeputy]

Hi,

I'd like to build a stroker for my challenger and I came around this add on ebay. Anyone familiar with this vendor? Price seems almost too cheap, I wonder why?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SB-MOPAR ... 0063652080

Antoon

[dave-r]

They are all the usual parts you would put together for a stroker kit. However it will need balancing and that will add a few hundred dollars to the final price.

Check out 440 Source for prices too.

[Eddie]

Hi,

I'd like to build a stroker for my challenger and I came around this add on ebay. Anyone familiar with this vendor? Price seems almost too cheap, I wonder why?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SB-MOPAR ... 0063652080

Antoon

Cheap? For a 'Cast Steel crank" what the hell does that mean? Crankshafts are either Cast Iron, Forged Steel, Billet Steel. I noticed a few years ago some vendors started using the descriptions 'Cast Steel' I think this is a marketing term? If this crankshaft is truely a cast piece then it's NOT cheap, average I would say. If it's Forged Steel then it's a good deal but I also dont like the fact that they advertise a D-dish piston for BOTH open and closed chambered heads. Another thing is the rods. They are the 'light duty' 'sir' rods, not the 4340 H or I beam H.D. rods. 440source is only B/RB parts.(of course Dave knows that but he might not) Dave&I are big block maniacs

[Thedeputy]

So would you recommend it for moderate street use of about 3000 miles per year? Are those connecting rods any good or are they worse than original ones from a 360?

Antoon

[fbernard]

Check out 440 Source for prices too.

Forgive Dave, he was still half-asleep while he wrote this!

Cheap Small-block stroker kits used to be harder to find than big-block kits, but it's getting better every day!
I looked around for a friend a year ago (who ended up having a complete 416 built). Straightline Performance , Ohio crankshaft, Campbell Entreprises, Hughes Engines have kits.

No mistake about cast steel, steel can be cast too! (bars or billets have to be cast before they're forged or machined). I'm sure the carbon & nickel content is not the same as in 4340 Steel though.

Price seems correct for the kit you've seen, crank is about $300, rods $290, pistons $600. Nothing extraordinary though.

The rods will be better than the original ones (modern CNC-machined forged steel rods, even made in China, will be better than 30% overweight 30+ year-old ones). I'm sure all rods in the set will be within 1 gram of each other.

A kit like that is good for street use, if you don't get a monster camshaft.
As long as you rebuild the engine taking care of all clearances.

Unless you have a good, reputable machine builder who you can trust nearby, buy the kit balanced.

Me, I would hesitate to buy that kind of parts from an eBay source.

[Eddie]

Yeah, it should be good for that power level. The 4340 parts are not that much higher though. A with a good set of alloy heads like eds, Brodix, MoPar perf. you can achieve Big Block power levels easy. A 408/416 is wicked man! I agree with Fabian, I would be reluctant about e-bay parts like that. www.manciniracing.com is a great source for LA/Magnum parts.(They had 360 forged Eagle Cranks for 499.00 that were 10/10 but perfectly fine). Another is www.b1heads.com they have a lot of used parts for 340/360 and many new parts as well. Check out Daves' garage sale. He sometimes has forged 340/360 parts on sale or slightly used.

[dave-r]

Check out 440 Source for prices too.

Forgive Dave, he was still half-asleep while he wrote this!

Doh!

I think what I meant was to check the prices of those kits to compare with this one to judge how cheap or not it is.

That is my court defence and I am sticking to it.

WouldI lie to you?

[Thedeputy]

Thanks for the help guys, I'll do some more surfing before I purchase a kit.
What makes you guys hesitate in buying something like this on epay? I've bought many items and never had any problems. What should I be aware of?

Thanks again

antoon

[Jimiboy]

If it's Forged Steel then it's a good deal but I also dont like the fact that they advertise a D-dish piston for BOTH open and closed chambered heads. Another thing is the rods. They are the 'light duty' 'sir' rods, not the 4340 H or I beam H.D. rods.

Can you explain "D dish" for me Ed? And "sir rods"? I know the look of "I" and "H" rods, but i thought that was it... Thanks!

[fbernard]

Can you explain "D dish" for me Ed? And "sir rods"? I know the look of "I" and "H" rods, but i thought that was it... Thanks!

SIR are I-beam, 5140 steel. H-beams are 4340.
4340 is stronger. you can read some info about crank metallurgy here : http://www.popularhotrodding.com/tech/0 ... index.html


There's nothing wrong with either the "I" or "H" design.
Given the same metal, I's are stronger, H's are lighter (and 4340 I's are much lighter than OEM rods anyway).

"D"-dish pistons have a D-shaped cavity on the top of the piston to lower the static compression ratio and function as a valve relief (whereas flat-tops only have machined valve reliefs, or none at all). The dish does take away some quench, although there should be enough flat surface left for quench. This flat surface must be under the spark plug tip once mounted (which means pistons can be mounted the wrong way round...).