Disadvantages of a long stroke
#1
Disadvantages of a long stroke
I heard a few people mention that a long stroke had some specific disadvantages. They said that a 3.9 bore with a 4.125 stroke would have "unfavorable" piston speeds and rod ratios.
Would the same thing hold true for ANY bore with that stroke? Would a 4.01 bore, for example, have an easier time with that stroke? Or would it be the same?
Would the same thing hold true for ANY bore with that stroke? Would a 4.01 bore, for example, have an easier time with that stroke? Or would it be the same?
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Take the rod length and divide it by the stroke, like the short (stock)rod 400 SBC r/s ratio was 1.48 . The problem about strokers is the more stroke you run on a given block the lower the ratio will be because the block is only so tall.
#5
Originally Posted by black_knight
Would the same thing hold true for ANY bore with that stroke? Would a 4.01 bore, for example, have an easier time with that stroke? Or would it be the same?
Midrange torque is awsome with simple 382 (3.8976 bore, 4.00" stroke) when cammed correctly. I have seen as much as 436 rwtq @4500 rpm with a mild 221/221 cam. Allowing use of 3.42-3.73 gear to keep piston speeds and rpm's low (shifting at 6000). And since your rpm's are lower, you will not need veryhigh valve spring pressures to controll valvetrain.
All this with stock ls1 throttle body, stock MAF, and ported heads.
Last edited by gollum; 11-22-2004 at 06:11 PM.
#6
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Long strokes/piston/bore sizing....
Originally Posted by gollum
Which ever piston diameter that utilizes the longest piston skirt seems best? Which one that would be , I don't know. But I would not go over 4" stroke.
Midrange torque is awsome with simple 382 (3.8976 bore, 4.00" stroke) when cammed correctly. I have seen as much as 450 rwtq @4500 rpm with a mild 221/221 cam. Allowing use of 3.42-3.73 gear to keep piston speeds and rpm's low (shifting at 6000). And since your rpm's are lower, you will not need veryhigh valve spring pressures to controll valvetrain.
All this with stock ls1 throttle body, stock MAF, and lightly ported heads.
Midrange torque is awsome with simple 382 (3.8976 bore, 4.00" stroke) when cammed correctly. I have seen as much as 450 rwtq @4500 rpm with a mild 221/221 cam. Allowing use of 3.42-3.73 gear to keep piston speeds and rpm's low (shifting at 6000). And since your rpm's are lower, you will not need veryhigh valve spring pressures to controll valvetrain.
All this with stock ls1 throttle body, stock MAF, and lightly ported heads.
#7
Originally Posted by grinder11
I agree. I believe that one other thing to keep in mind here is the fact that not only is a longer skirt desirable here, but as you increase bore size, you are also increasing the bearing area, however slight, to more effectively deal with the longer strokes increased load on the piston. To exaggerate, if you had a 3 foot diameter piston, there is much more area to distribute the pressure of the less favorable rod/stroke ratio. It would lower the lb. per sq. inch that the longer stroke crank could load the skirt. I can remember several years ago a magazine ran a test on how effectively a piston transferred its heat to the cylinder wall. Most people are of the opinion that an engine will run hot and possibly seize if the piston/cylinder clearance is not "loose" enough. These tests proved just the opposite. The tighter the piston to cylinder wall clearance was, the cooler the engine ran due to less blowby and the aluminum piston being able to dissipate its heat more rapidly into the cooler cylinder wall as a result of the closer tolerance. Of course, this was true only up to a certain point, as eventually the clearance would not be sufficient enough to allow for expansion of the more rapidly expanding piston. Then....DISASTER!! This is especially true for a forged piston. Years ago, the rule of thumb was not to exceed 4,000 surface ft. per minute of piston travel. With modern technology and the vastly superior rings available, this figure has risen. But all things equal, side loading and a long stroke will mean more rapid cylinder/ring/piston wear. But there are those who would argue that with a well designed long stroke crank, optimized rod length, proper cam timing and lift, with quality pistons and rings. along with the right rear end gearing and transmission (The total combination), you wouldn't need a 7,000 R.P.M. motor.
So... Yes? Bigger bore does dissipate some of the issues with long stroke?
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#9
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I dont like any of the strokes in our engine config myself. I would like to see bores in excess of 4" with strokes no more than 3.5. Longer stroke makes pistons move faster and moves the power lower in rpm's. I would like to turn a stock motor to 7 grand safely and you could if the stroke wasnt so long. I know there are some of us who do in fact turn stock bottoms over 7 but I still wouldnt like to. These 4" strokers are making for some hella torque motors I would think.
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Originally Posted by Full-Force
I dont like any of the strokes in our engine config myself. I would like to see bores in excess of 4" with strokes no more than 3.5. Longer stroke makes pistons move faster and moves the power lower in rpm's. I would like to turn a stock motor to 7 grand safely and you could if the stroke wasnt so long. I know there are some of us who do in fact turn stock bottoms over 7 but I still wouldnt like to. These 4" strokers are making for some hella torque motors I would think.
#12
Originally Posted by Full-Force
I dont like any of the strokes in our engine config myself. I would like to see bores in excess of 4" with strokes no more than 3.5.
So more bore helps a little?
So...
1) Does a re-sleeved 427 have the same issues as a 395 all-stroke, or is it under control at that point?
2) Can all of the long-stroke issues be solved by lowering the rev limiter, or will some issues remain even if the engine is not revved up high?
3) A lot of people have told me that 4" is the limit. How much of that is due to actual mechanical issues and how much is due to them simply being like full-force and liking to rev it up?
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Originally Posted by black_knight
Although the bigger bores would be REALLY cool to give us more options, I can tell that we are looking for very differant combos. I'm going mostly steet some strip and you're obviously looking for a race setup. I can respect that.
So more bore helps a little?
So...
1) Does a re-sleeved 427 have the same issues as a 395 all-stroke, or is it under control at that point?
2) Can all of the long-stroke issues be solved by lowering the rev limiter, or will some issues remain even if the engine is not revved up high?
3) A lot of people have told me that 4" is the limit. How much of that is due to actual mechanical issues and how much is due to them simply being like full-force and liking to rev it up?
So more bore helps a little?
So...
1) Does a re-sleeved 427 have the same issues as a 395 all-stroke, or is it under control at that point?
2) Can all of the long-stroke issues be solved by lowering the rev limiter, or will some issues remain even if the engine is not revved up high?
3) A lot of people have told me that 4" is the limit. How much of that is due to actual mechanical issues and how much is due to them simply being like full-force and liking to rev it up?
#14
Well, I have my own ideas about how to go with the large cubes... I mean once they start getting up there, you are past the limits of where a hydrolic roller can go. If you want to stay with hydrolic, then one option would be to NOT spin it so high, in which case a large stroke seems to make sense...
I'm just wondering about how much it's going to scrape and tear itself to pieces and if a larger bore alleviates this. No solid answers on my questions yet, I notice, just opinions. And those are fine (and, by the looks so far, all valid for their respective applications), but they don't really answer my questions.
I'm just wondering about how much it's going to scrape and tear itself to pieces and if a larger bore alleviates this. No solid answers on my questions yet, I notice, just opinions. And those are fine (and, by the looks so far, all valid for their respective applications), but they don't really answer my questions.
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Most guys have their own opinion on which is better. My opinion is, money is the issue. I would think that everyone would like a 441 or higher cube LS1. But can everyone afford it? no. My personal view is to get as much cylinder volume as possible if you can afford it. Are you going to drive this motor 100,000 miles or more?
The Smokey Yunick way of thinking is to go short stroke, big bore, and rev it to 9500 rpm. The Pro Mod way of thinking is to go mega cube (big bore and even bigger stroke). So who is right? They both make a ton of power.
Just FYI - I rev my motor over 8000 rpms all the time. Will it last 100,000 miles? No. Does it make power up there? YES.
The Smokey Yunick way of thinking is to go short stroke, big bore, and rev it to 9500 rpm. The Pro Mod way of thinking is to go mega cube (big bore and even bigger stroke). So who is right? They both make a ton of power.
Just FYI - I rev my motor over 8000 rpms all the time. Will it last 100,000 miles? No. Does it make power up there? YES.
#16
Within the realm of possible/practical bores and strokes for common streeet/strip V-8s, bore-to-stroke ratios do not matter at all when it comes to power production, especially on an engine with cylinder heads as good as the LS1/LS6. Nothing but cubes matters. And for a given displacement, rpm potential is defined by the cam profile and head flow limitations, not by the stroke.
For those who disagree, and many will since my opinion is an uncommon one, show me the test data that proves your theory.
DF
For those who disagree, and many will since my opinion is an uncommon one, show me the test data that proves your theory.
DF
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Originally Posted by Freiburger
Within the realm of possible/practical bores and strokes for common streeet/strip V-8s, bore-to-stroke ratios do not matter at all when it comes to power production, especially on an engine with cylinder heads as good as the LS1/LS6. Nothing but cubes matters. And for a given displacement, rpm potential is defined by the cam profile and head flow limitations, not by the stroke.
For those who disagree, and many will since my opinion is an uncommon one, show me the test data that proves your theory.
DF
For those who disagree, and many will since my opinion is an uncommon one, show me the test data that proves your theory.
DF
#18
I am no expert, but I have heard enough to know that the LS1 is (hydraulic) valvetrain limited more than limited by piston velocity, even with a long stroke.
I was more talking about oil consumption and friction wear on the engine. And whatever else the problem is with > 4" strokes.
I was more talking about oil consumption and friction wear on the engine. And whatever else the problem is with > 4" strokes.
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Originally Posted by black_knight
I am no expert, but I have heard enough to know that the LS1 is (hydraulic) valvetrain limited more than limited by piston velocity, even with a long stroke.
I was more talking about oil consumption and friction wear on the engine. And whatever else the problem is with > 4" strokes.
I was more talking about oil consumption and friction wear on the engine. And whatever else the problem is with > 4" strokes.
#20
Originally Posted by LOnSLO
The main problem with larger than 4" strokes is the piston design. The compression height of the piston gets smaller as stroke length increases. A piston for a 4.250" stroke on an LS1 looks ridiculous.