Build quality is important for endurance. My point is, on the street for durability, maintenance and street manners a 6000 RPM hydraulic roller engine with a wide powerband and big block grunt that cruises easily @ 2000 RPM would be my goal. Others will live with the streetability issues big compression and a nasty solid roller will give you for that exrta power up top but that high rpm power comes at a cost. An engine that sees north of 7000 RPM regularly needs big springs, solid lifters, high compression, more duration and higher piston speeds all of which require more maintenance and a much shorter life expectancy.

 

I will throw out their that a 5.7 vortec engine from the wrecker would be a good cheap starting point for a 3.875 stroke build (396). You get decent heads and a roller core for $300 to $700, sometimes with the trans and can sell off the parts and if lucky the trans to recover some money or if you got a 3 speed convert to the 4 speed auto.

 

The blk is a steel Dart ''M'' little...

 

Mine costed about 12.000 usd turnkey with all the best parts available...Dart M blk, Arp steel crank, forged pistons, Victor Jr intake and mighty demon 850 carb, solid roller cams, AFR 210 cnc machined heads plus the very best ancillaries and accessories on the market when built 4 years ago...

The result is an engine that still pulls like a bull and thunders like a storm even with around 10k miles on the clock, a real piece of art, I'll never thank ''American Speed'' of Ill enough for the work.

At the end of the day it costed me less then a half price junk motor...

 

go bigger! you will be much happier in the end.

 

Thanks for all the good information guys!
63 mako, I just learned you are almost in my back yard. (about an hour away) I need to check my budget then come for a visit.

 

Doesn't this look like a real deal?..FREE shipping!

http://www.race-mart.com/items/produ...211-detail.htm

 

That does look like a great deal.

 

Not sure what the retail price is fixed or others are selling them at but with shipping included it looks like a good deal, remember that is 350 mains but that is what I have and what I wanted, just remember when you order the crank

 

 

Finger's on the trigger....

 

That is a good deal with the free shipping, We are WD with Dart and pay less then that for those blocks and so far they have been very reliable compared to the old 400 blocks.

If you get one give me a call as there some areas that need to be addressed that may get over looked.

Again thats a real good deal.

Carl

 

I went this route on the advice of the forum. I still haven't run the motor yet, and it won't be anytime soon due to a 1yr mil stint out of the country. I've tried my best to keep tabs on cost (about $11.5K). I wish I had some Dyno figures to pass, but hopefull this will help some. Would I do it again. Yes. Block-for-block plan on $800 extra for Dart SHP vs purchased/machined factory roller. The unseen costs: This is my first piece-by-piece build, and it is surprising how many odds/ends you never budget for (water neck, plug looms, dizzy hold-down, port plugs, temp and press senders, to name a few). Plan on approx $1K over what you budget.



I like the SHP block because it is as close to factory as possible which makes parts selection simpler. I also like the fact that they have improve on some fundamental areas, such as: oiling, coolant flow and cylinder shift (the latter two being mostly factory 400ci probs, as far as I know).
Why do I list all of this. My Eagle H-Beam (stroker) rods do not interfere with the block or cam at 3.75" stroke. I did have some problems both with the Moroso pan and the Fel-Pro one-piece rubber pan gasket. So will a 3.875" crank fit? I think will w/out clearancing the block (provided you do not use H-Beam rods). I would also plan on a stroker specific oil pan and use the stock config cork pan gaskets.

To dispell some myths/rumors:

I had no problems with lifters dropping out of retainers. I've read that the max lobe lift is .340ish. Mine is .361
and still had a adequate clearance both from dropping and from bucking the retainers.

Don't remember exact specifics at the moment, but piston to valve clearance was like .096 int and .105 exh

I forgot to mention--I purchased this motor as a Short-block from CNC Motorsports for $3400. My only gripe was the lack of oil pump dowels.

Dart SHP
3.75 x 4.125 = 400ci
Eagle crank / 5.7" H-beam (stroker) rods (all forged)
Probe SRS -22.5 cc reverse dome forged pistons / Clrnc is .003 w/1.425
Static Comp is 9.7:1
Sealed Power Std Volume/Std Press Oil Pump (per Dart recommendation)
Moroso Street/Strip stock config 5qt pan w/ Pass dipstick
AFR 195 Street Eliminators
Comp XFI 280 HR
GMPP lifter spider
GMPP roller lifters
Harland Sharp 1.6:1 aluminum roller lifters
Comp magnum pushrods (7.2"? can't remember at the moment)
RPM Air Gap
Powerjection III TBI
Hooker SB Side Exhaust (no inserts yet)
Mallory billet magnetic pick-up tach drive dizzy
Gen III Camaro Serpintine w/ year appropriate Alt/PS Pump/AC
Edelbrock HV Reverse Water Pump
Electric Fans (planned)

 

I'll never buy anything from Eagle again. I bought a 4 inch stroke crank and it was not straight, went back, bought a Callies, bang on.

The Eagle stroker rods big end was not round and had to be resized, now think what that does to the shaved off rod bolt on the one side, that's right now when it is torqued to spec it is turned more and now you have part of the bolt sticking off the shoulder. POS and yes the crank and rods were brand new.

 

MH,

Where do you buy your Callies internal parts??

Thanks!

 

I'm up here in Canada, a friend of mine owns an engine shop and he orders them from Callies, any local race engine shop should be able to get Callies parts.

I went with the DragonSlayer but I he told me the Compstar stuff was good even though it comes from China it is finished and inspected in the US. I would get another crank and rods from Callies without thinking about it.

 

If needed we are a W-D for Callies and Callies does not charge a drop ship fee either, We have used a lot of the Compstar rotators and zero problems.

The rods are on the low side and we have had to hone the big ends to the high side to get the proper clearance and the pins have to be opened up a little.

PM if interested

 

I agree 100% we balance for a lot of other engines builder and shops and when they leave their rotators to balance I mic them up from time to time and I never figured out where they get the tapered barings to match the tapered journals

Had a guy bring in a exteranal balance Eagle crank and you push the balancer on by hand and Summit sent another one same thing told him top get a Scat problem solved.

Next problem I showed him that after retorquing one of his Eagle SIR rods it went out of round appox. .001 and he said it would be fine HMM didn't last a week and spun a bearing. Nuff said

 

Another example of getting what you pay for. CNC Motorsports has Callies/Mahle rotating assemblies for a fair price.

 

I believe a Callies Compstar crank and rods with Mahle F/T pistons, rings and bearings all balanced is around 1875.00