351 stroker guys

[S351Saleen77]

Exactly what was said about strokers, it's the increased crank throw that makes it a stroker not the bore of the cylinders.

And the cam that "wagged the tail" in a 306 won't be as radical with 100 more cubes. Go to a cam company web site and look up cams for big blocks and the RPM range, then look up a cam for a small block in the same RPM range. The big block cam will have more duration because of the bigger displacement. So if you get a cam thats good to 5k rpm for a 302 it's only good to maybe 4k or less in a big cube stroker. It also will have a less radical idle.
I had a Isky 280 cam in two different motors. One was a 302, it had a radical idle and wouldn't spin the tires. This was in a 69 Fairlane with a auto. I put a 351 in with the same cam and heads and it would smoke the tires for 50-75ft . The idle was a little less choppy too. The difference 49 cubes made was amazing!! So now add another 50+ cubes on top of this and you can see what I'm talking about. Even with a "Bigger" cam it will still have more bottom end for driving around than any 302 will ever have!!

Also for me a "Choppy" or "Radical" idle is music to my ears! Same for a Supercharger whine and loud exhaust!!! I love it when I pull into a car show and you get the old guys shaking their heads at how much noise it makes.

Remember........If it's too loud your too OLD......

 

[Pokageek]

Exactly what was said about strokers, it's the increased crank throw that makes it a stroker not the bore of the cylinders.

And the cam that "wagged the tail" in a 306 won't be as radical with 100 more cubes. Go to a cam company web site and look up cams for big blocks and the RPM range, then look up a cam for a small block in the same RPM range. The big block cam will have more duration because of the bigger displacement. So if you get a cam thats good to 5k rpm for a 302 it's only good to maybe 4k or less in a big cube stroker. It also will have a less radical idle.
I had a Isky 280 cam in two different motors. One was a 302, it had a radical idle and wouldn't spin the tires. This was in a 69 Fairlane with a auto. I put a 351 in with the same cam and heads and it would smoke the tires for 50-75ft . The idle was a little less choppy too. The difference 49 cubes made was amazing!! So now add another 50+ cubes on top of this and you can see what I'm talking about. Even with a "Bigger" cam it will still have more bottom end for driving around than any 302 will ever have!!

Also for me a "Choppy" or "Radical" idle is music to my ears! Same for a Supercharger whine and loud exhaust!!! I love it when I pull into a car show and you get the old guys shaking their heads at how much noise it makes.

Remember........If it's too loud your too OLD......

Sheesh! You have a 408 WITH a blower!? WWow that thing musk be sick!

 

[S351Saleen77]

Sheesh! You have a 408 WITH a blower!? WWow that thing musk be sick!

I'll have to look at my dyno sheet but I don't think I'm below 400ftlbs of torque at the beginning of the pull, then it goes right to 500ft lbs then on up to over 600ft lbs.
Its great to be going 100MPH with someone in the car and nail it and have it throw them back in the seat harder than their car could ever pull in 1st or 2nd gear!

Once I built my first 351 I knew I would never go back to a 302. Now that I have a 408 I would never go back to a 351! "Theres no replacement for Displacement!"

 

[1slow95]

I'll have to look at my dyno sheet but I don't think I'm below 400ftlbs of torque at the beginning of the pull, then it goes right to 500ft lbs then on up to over 600ft lbs.
Its great to be going 100MPH with someone in the car and nail it and have it throw them back in the seat harder than their car could ever pull in 1st or 2nd gear!

Once I built my first 351 I knew I would never go back to a 302. Now that I have a 408 I would never go back to a 351! "Theres no replacement for Displacement!"

What's the compression on that engine, and how much boost are you running?

 

[S351Saleen77]

What's the compression on that engine, and how much boost are you running?

I'm at 9:1 and 11-12lbs of boost. I only have little "Shorty" 1 5/8" headers which are really sized for a 302 with 2.5" exhaust. The header ports are smaller than the ports on the heads. I want to keep the exhaust because of the Borla's that came on the Saleen. They are the Race Borlas and sound incredible.

So the plan now is for some 1 7/8" or 2" longtube headers with electronic cutouts so I can bypass the Saleen exhaust. I'm also putting on snow alchol injection so I can bump the timing. This should give well over 700RWHP.

If I up the boost .........who know's how much it would make?.................oh yeah I didn't mention that I haven't hooked the Nitrous up yet either

 

[S351Saleen77]

Low-5.0,

How are your Kooks headers for ground clearance? Are they for a 94-up or are they for a Fox body? How is the fit? Would you get them again? How much were they?

I went to your web site very nice I love the deep dish bullitt rims. I tried some 18" deep chrome bullits on my car but they didn't look right....I don't know why. I think the color you have would work though.

 

[trav_19]

ok guys i got a few more questions and figured i would post in here instead of making a new post

1st question is...what headers to use, i want long tubes can i use the fox body 351 swap?? there will not be any emissions on the car.

2nd question is.....should i hold off assembling the motor till i can afford to do it all at once and drop it in the car?? i have heard about problems with building and letting them set.. should i be worried?? i want to get the block prepped and the stoker kit installed..but once i fork over the cash for the stroker kit..i will be low on funds and not going to be able to build heads or intake or anything else for awhile

 

[1slow95]

Ground clearance seems to be a problem area with Kooks. Mine, as well as a couple others I have seen, hang down about 1"-1 1/2" lower on the pass side than the driver side. It wasn't a problem until I installed the k-member which lowered my car an extra 1/2" with my sportline springs. Now the exhaust drags on everything.

Other than that, they fit great. They're very easy to install and remove. A little time consuming, but easy. They are for a 94+, but Kooks has the same part number for both the fox and sn95. You need to specify what year it's for when you order. They were around $600 when I got mine. If I had to it over again, I would probably get some cheap headers just because this whole project went so far over budget I wasn't able to drive it much for a year because I couldn't afford the other parts I needed. Although I would probably be kicking myself now if I hadn't got them.


I spent about 3 months trying to decide if I wanted chrome bullitt's or not. I like the 17's in chrome, but there's just something about the 18's that doesn't look right to me...If I ever get new rims, I'm thinking they'll be 18" chrome y2k Cobra R's.

 

[Pokageek]

Low 5.0 has the coolest looking car in my o. That other dude GMkiller I think,...black with no wing looks awesome too. That saleen hood is tough to get but I think it looks best. Just my -o.

 

[S351Saleen77]

I will find the name of the place I called who have ads in 5.0 Mag for headers out of California. I have a Griggs K-member and they said that they have different K-members there and they make sure that the headers will fit your application. Also get them uncoated and if there are issues you send them back and mark where the problem is and they will modify them until they are right. I know it might be a hassle but I have to have the fit and ground clearance right. Then have them coated locally once you are sure that the fit is O.K.

As for having a short block set for awhile, I'm not sure. If its in a heated place and in a plastic bag it would help. Ford Racing sells shortblocks and engines that I'm sure are together for a long long time before they are ran.

 

[trav_19]

yeah i want to start making progress on it and if i start putting money in it, it will make me fisnish the project...i feel if i keep holding that cash in the pocket i will blow it on wheels or paint or something....so if i can start it i will have to complete it.... i want to get the shortblock finsished now... ithink as long as every so often you just keep the crank turned i will be fine but i want a yes before i dump money in it and it sits then i out 2g's lol

 

[Pokageek]

351 based stroker is a long road ...but attainable.

 

[trav_19]

351 based stroker is a long road ...but attainable.

i know thats why i want to make sure sitting will be ok on the engine my builder just finished his stoker big block project and that was deff a lot of cash and a huge project and he want me to do a 351 based engine so bad....he has a lot of small block parts left over from his swap to the big block so i can get a lot off his car...but i know this wont be a build it in a month and be driving it type of thing lol...the biggest thing for me will be the heads its really the main part of my cash flow.

 

[S351Saleen77]

I would think if its in a heated place it will be o.k. I am building a shop right now and don't have heat yet. The cement floor gets really cold at night. If it warms up during the day and is raining and you open up the doors the moisture condenses on the cold floor. The same will happen on your engine. It wouldn't be an issue in the summer but if it sits all winter I would keep it somewhere heated and covered up.

You will be glad you went with a stroker in the long run, there is nothing like the torque of one. I hear you on trying to hold the money, its hard to do. Its easier for me to start like you are saying then you will finish it instead of blowing it all on other things.

 

[trav_19]

yep i got the block and want to get it into the shop to be stripped cleaned and bored to get ready im so geared up but i know once i start this build will be a long process

 

[parchisi]

Yeah, I mostly built my 408 during the winter in a separete, unheated garage. Every morning I'd go out and turn on the heater (one of those huge ones that work like a jet engine..even runs on JP8) and turn it directly onto the engine to warm up the block or else it would collect condensation like crazy.

 

[Pokageek]

Yeah, I mostly built my 408 during the winter in a separete, unheated garage. Every morning I'd go out and turn on the heater (one of those huge ones that work like a jet engine..even runs on JP8) and turn it directly onto the engine to warm up the block or else it would collect condensation like crazy.

Of you had one with heads and intake on it - then you don't have to worry about it at that point right guys? I mean if you were ready to put it in but just waiting on headers or motor mounts or someting..Are you just speaking of when it is being built over a long period of time and sitting in between gathering money and time?

 

[trav_19]

Of you had one with heads and intake on it - then you don't have to worry about it at that point right guys? I mean if you were ready to put it in but just waiting on headers or motor mounts or someting..Are you just speaking of when it is being built over a long period of time and sitting in between gathering money and time?

i think me and pokageek are in the same boat if i had heads on it i would put it in the engine bay but i will be having the shortblock for awhile....my garage is not heated right now but i might be able to ask my builder if he has room in his shop for it fully heated i would be having a shortblock sitting for awhile


also does a fox body oil pan fit i see one listed for foxbody 351 swaps but i dont see one for 94-95?

 

[S351Saleen77]

If you had the heads on I would leave it on a engine stand and put a plastic bag over the whole thing . All I was getting at was that the mass of the engine 400+ lbs of metal takes a long time to warm up. So its much colder and when it warms up outside and you open the doors all the moisture will condense on it. So it will get moisture in the head ports and some of the valves will be open so that is a direct path to the cylinder that moisture can get to.

 

[S351Saleen77]

The headers I talked about earlier are RCI headers by Motorsports unlimited. They have ads in 5.0 mags.

Also on cams, the Sept issue of MM&FF has a article on stroker cams!