Thoughts on stroker kit
Thoughts on stroker kit I'm considering doing a stroker kit when my new heads are installed. My car is strickly a street car and not taken to the track. Are there any pros/cons I should consider before getting the stroker kit?
IMO the biggest benefit you will get with that 383 will be more hp and torque...especially under the curve! I assume you will be doing all forged internals as well, so that is obviously a good time to do something like this. Basically you can run a more aggressive HCI combo (than you could with the 346) while still maintaining good drivability and street manners.
My research has shown that while crank & rod issues are few and far between, it's often Eagle gear.
While K1 cranks & rods are also an import (as many others are these days) it's of better quality than most and going with a K1/Wiseco rotating assembly is probably the best value/performance purchase.
There are many good things posted in various forums about K1 and I haven't yet seen a negative comment about their cranks or rods.
One guy at Yellowbullet said he made like 1,700 HP on a FI Hemi engine using K1 stuff without issue.
I'm about to embark on a 383 also and this is the kit I'll be using.
While K1 cranks & rods are also an import (as many others are these days) it's of better quality than most and going with a K1/Wiseco rotating assembly is probably the best value/performance purchase.
There are many good things posted in various forums about K1 and I haven't yet seen a negative comment about their cranks or rods.
One guy at Yellowbullet said he made like 1,700 HP on a FI Hemi engine using K1 stuff without issue.
I'm about to embark on a 383 also and this is the kit I'll be using.
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TSP has a good online selector for a 383 rotating kit with various cranks, rods, and pistons starting around $1600. You can add the bearings and get it balanced. That will help with any local machine costs too.
K1 and Compstar both make good rods and cranks. They are based on Chinese forgings, which is why they are more affordable. But they are finished here in the States. So they are good value. Scat also makes good rods as does Eagle. Both are slightly less expensive than the Compstar/K1, but you get standard ARP2000 bolts with Compstar/K1.
Pistons - you have to decide if you want an NA street car or a power adder strip/street car. I ask, because you should probably pick a 4032 forging for NA car that sees a lot of street time. Mahle makes the best 4032 forging for the LS with coated skirts and file-fit moly rings.
2618 is good for power adders, but you have to run looser piston-to-wall clearances, so the downside is you can get more piston slap, oil consumption, and ringland degradation over time with those pistons. But if you're running boost or nitrous, they won't shatter like a 4032 and take out a motor. Diamond and Wiseco both make excellent pistons for the LS in 2618 alloy. There are plenty of others, but for shelf pistons, they make something that would probably work for you.
K1 and Compstar both make good rods and cranks. They are based on Chinese forgings, which is why they are more affordable. But they are finished here in the States. So they are good value. Scat also makes good rods as does Eagle. Both are slightly less expensive than the Compstar/K1, but you get standard ARP2000 bolts with Compstar/K1.
Pistons - you have to decide if you want an NA street car or a power adder strip/street car. I ask, because you should probably pick a 4032 forging for NA car that sees a lot of street time. Mahle makes the best 4032 forging for the LS with coated skirts and file-fit moly rings.
2618 is good for power adders, but you have to run looser piston-to-wall clearances, so the downside is you can get more piston slap, oil consumption, and ringland degradation over time with those pistons. But if you're running boost or nitrous, they won't shatter like a 4032 and take out a motor. Diamond and Wiseco both make excellent pistons for the LS in 2618 alloy. There are plenty of others, but for shelf pistons, they make something that would probably work for you.
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Launching!
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 266
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From: Richmond, VA
I was checkin out the TSP stroker kits a while ago myself. With all the parts, machine work, and labor(whether taking it to a shop or doing it yourself) do you guys really think the 383 stroker kit is worth it compared to all the other engine options out today? When I was looking at a few threads on here about it most were claiming like 30 more hp/tq. That made me give up on it cuz it just didn't seem worth the money for that little gain.
383 isn't really ideal. If you just want to rebuild your stock block, some new pistons and rods are all you need + machine shop labor to machine the block. But at that point, you'll only $750-800 away from having a 383. So if you look at it like that, it's not a bad upgrade. I don't think I'd just stuff forged pistons and rods in my block. I'd pay the few hundred extra for more torque.
The best bang for your buck is still a 408 using a 6L block from one of those sponsors. You can get those for under 4k shipped and ready to drop in.
The best bang for your buck is still a 408 using a 6L block from one of those sponsors. You can get those for under 4k shipped and ready to drop in.
Hmm. To have say Texas Speed build me a LS2 based 402 short block with K1 crank & rods and the needed Gen IV conversion kit, it hits $5,575.00 plus shipping.
To make the block I have a 383 with the parts (K1 crank, rods with ARP2K, Wiseco pistons, bearings, oil pump), local machining and assembly by me it's just over three grand.
Over two grand to gain 19 inches? I don't consider it cost-effective.
To make the block I have a 383 with the parts (K1 crank, rods with ARP2K, Wiseco pistons, bearings, oil pump), local machining and assembly by me it's just over three grand.
Over two grand to gain 19 inches? I don't consider it cost-effective.
Launching!
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 215
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From: Honey Brook, Pa.
If you are going to build it yourself or have it built locally then spend a few hundred more for the 6.0 block! All the internals will cost the same and you can build a 402 or a 408 depending wether in needs bored. Then sell off your LS1 to offset some cost of the build!!
Acquiring an LS2 block is $1,100.00 or more. Add in the needed Gen IV conversion kit at $380.00 and you're at almost $1,500.00 over using the LS1 block.
I don't see how it's just a few hundred more.
I don't see how it's just a few hundred more.
LS3 is the same price as the LS2.
For any aluminum built forged stroker, the LS3 is the best bang for the buck. Stepping upto the LS7 increases the price nearly $1200 while the LS3 and LS2 are roughly equivalent in price.
And the 4" bore makes more of a difference than the added cubic inches. You really don't gain any HP with a 383 vs a 346. You just make another 25-30ft/lbs of torque. But it doesn't carry uptop and translate into HP.
Moving to a 408 carries closer to 50-60ft/lbs over the 346 and roughly that much HP.
Point is a set of ported heads on a 346 are worth more of a horsepower increase over stock heads than a new "optimized" 408 is over a heads/cam 346. People seem to lose perspective on that. And given that, the heads are much better value.
For any aluminum built forged stroker, the LS3 is the best bang for the buck. Stepping upto the LS7 increases the price nearly $1200 while the LS3 and LS2 are roughly equivalent in price.
And the 4" bore makes more of a difference than the added cubic inches. You really don't gain any HP with a 383 vs a 346. You just make another 25-30ft/lbs of torque. But it doesn't carry uptop and translate into HP.
Moving to a 408 carries closer to 50-60ft/lbs over the 346 and roughly that much HP.
Point is a set of ported heads on a 346 are worth more of a horsepower increase over stock heads than a new "optimized" 408 is over a heads/cam 346. People seem to lose perspective on that. And given that, the heads are much better value.
I agree with you Jake, going to a 4 inch bore un-shrouds the valves.
From Texas Speed:
LS2 block: $1,189.99.
LS3 block: $1,599.99.
LS7 block: $3,199.99.
Plus the conversion kit for $380.00.
Moving to any of these blocks puts me out of my budget. If it was a few hundred bucks more I'd go for it but when looking at the real costs, it's not. These are the amounts I'd need to spend to go to a 4 inch block and get that additional 19 or so inches.
I can't determine what's in the conversion package so I don't know if I can "work around" it's inclusion to save on it's cost.
From Texas Speed:
LS2 block: $1,189.99.
LS3 block: $1,599.99.
LS7 block: $3,199.99.
Plus the conversion kit for $380.00.
Moving to any of these blocks puts me out of my budget. If it was a few hundred bucks more I'd go for it but when looking at the real costs, it's not. These are the amounts I'd need to spend to go to a 4 inch block and get that additional 19 or so inches.
I can't determine what's in the conversion package so I don't know if I can "work around" it's inclusion to save on it's cost.
Launching!
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 212
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From: Fairfax, VA
But also if you put that extra money towards porting the heads or even if thy went with a bigger cubic inch engine LS2, 3, or 7. Then at the same time he would have to upgrade the intake to get the full potential out of either which is an additional 500 minimum, plus the throttle body. Now on that same point, getting the bigger ci engine would give you a better starting platform if you ever wanted to do anything bigger in the future, and with it not being a stroker motor you could wind it up that little bit more
Conversion package typically includes the front cover, valley cover, and knock and cam position sensor harness extension. Sometimes it includes an LS2 specific timing set. However, since you're using the 24X reluctor, the 1X trigger on the LS2 timing sets are interchangeable with LS1 sets, so that's a needless expense if you already have an upgraded timing set. If not, get the LS2 specific set.
Thanks for that Jake, good info.
Unless I can figure out a way into a 4 inch bore block for like $500.00, I'm doing the 383 with my LS1 block.
I will not go to an iron block or buy anything off Craigs List. There's nothing on ebay like blocks or pulls to help within my budget.
Unless I can figure out a way into a 4 inch bore block for like $500.00, I'm doing the 383 with my LS1 block.
I will not go to an iron block or buy anything off Craigs List. There's nothing on ebay like blocks or pulls to help within my budget.
