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It won't cost a lot more to stroke it. I just don't know that it's necessary. I like how the car feels. It seems like the stock crank matches the stock block limitations in a turbo application without high rpm. I even considered using LSA rods or stock rods. My turbo system can support a 408, but I want to reuse my heads, intake and cam, so do i really need a stroker? Did you see the torque curve? I can be talked into stroker, but I'm not sure I need it. Feel free to add opinions.
Your heads will or should flow just fine no matter what you throw at it. The only argument you will get from me towards a stroker is this guys car! He has a 408 with twins and on drag radials he is at 5.74 in the 1/8th 1.3XX 60 foot times. Check out post #269. This nuclear banana is supposedly laying down 990-1000hp!!! Enough said!
There are stock stroke guys with single turbos running a lot faster than 5.70s in the eighth...
You have to admit a Nova with an all steel body, stock wheel housings, leaf springs, 3.31 gears, and even steel wheels on drag radials running 5.7's is pretty fast. There is always someone faster.
The tune is conservative. I data logged the run with HP Tuners and didn't see any knock or see it go lean. I'm not sure why it melted. The engine looked almost new inside, so the gaps in the pistons were probably too tight. There was a little rust staining in that cylinder too, probably from when the van was in the junkyard with the intake exposed.
Frame from green car mocked up on new body with new used nine inch. Measuring before fully welding rear frame rails. Thanks Jon!
I'm really okay with melting a piston for a couple of reasons. First, I was planning to take everything apart, build the motor and swap everything over to the new body I am building. Melting the piston is just making it happen sooner rather than later. Second, melting the piston didn't hurt much more in the engine and many of the parts will be reused. The block was scuffed by the ring and will clean up nice with 4.03 pistons. By the time I pulled the engine apart to gap the rings, I might as well build it, and I had plenty of fun with my stock longblock running 10s. With more of a drag set up, it would have been in the 9s since it ran 114 in the 1/8th at 3750lbs. Third, it was just getting dangerous with the old shell which lacks safety equipment and integrity. I was probably really pushing my luck. The new shell will be much stronger with a 10 point roll bar and more safety equipment.
Here are some updates:
I will be using the stock stroke, same cam and heads.
Knocked the leaf spring and shock mounts off. I traded the caltracs and monoleafs and decided to go with something else better suited for the minitubs.
11-27-2014, 09:36 PM
