I've been looking into stroker kits lately and thought I would ask some of you fine folks with experience what your opinion is. The car we are dealing with is a 2001 z06 with 28,000mi.

I still have dreams of a decent powered all motor car (530rwhp+), and am still looking into whatever options are out there. I'm looking at either a 383 or 408 right now, and leaning more toward the 383 since I would be able to reuse my stock block, top end, accessories, etc. The 408 would need an aftermarket block with elevated cam placement due to cam and pan rail clearance. So those are my two options for discussion purposes. I'd like to weigh both of these options and consider the power benefits from either one, what additional parts are required, and what costs might be related (besides installation/tuning) to complete the project.

I'm obviously new to this and would appreciate any and all feedback from here along with my individual research. I'd like to ask a couple simple questions to start off and see how things get rolling.


1. Should I choose the 383 Stroker Kit, I should be able to reuse absolutely everything on my stock block including all top end parts and all motor accessories (water pump, oil pump, heads, headers, intake manifold, etc). Does this sound correct? What are the possible HP gains and power potential from a bump from 346 --> 383 ?

2. Should I choose the 408 Stroker Kit and purchase an aftermarket block, will I be able to use any of the parts from my original motor? If so, which parts? What are the possible HP gains and power potential from a bump from 346 --> 408 ?

 

A 408 uses a production block, and would bolt right in with no modifications. It is just as easy to get a 408 in as a 383.

530+ rwhp is achievable with either engine, but it will be easier and more streetable with a 402 or 408.

 

Really? That would be great.

So I have a better understanding of why it WOULD work ok...why did I see a couple places saying an aftermarket block is recommended?

What complications could I see in a car that you say is not "streetable? I understand the problems from a huge cam. Are you saying that to make the kind of power a 408 would make, a 383 would need a very aggressive cam profile and in turn...not streetable?

I have a 28,000mi motor right now with very lightly used parts. The previous owner was an older gentleman who essentially used it as a Sunday driver and wasn't hard on it. Could I reuse most of my parts to get the project rolling? I am particularly worried about the heads, intake manifold, and accessories. The car is a 2001 z06. Bone stock at the moment, but LG Pro Longtubes and B&B Bullets I have...just not in the car yet.

 

Hmmm....not sure how much you plan on spending, but you could bolt on a blower kit and headers, and be right where you want to be with HP. Best part is, you never have to crack the engine open.

 

This is true, they cost about the same. I think you are looking at Gen I stuff, Gen 3 stuff will LITERALLY drop in and the block will handle 500+ hp all day long. There are plenty of guys running 700+ hp on production blocks without an issue.

As for the question about the 383 and a larger cam, yes, you will need a bigger cam and better heads to get the power you want, and a 402/408 with the same heads and cam will still outperform it. The major downside with a 408 is they are based off an LQ4 or LQ9 which is iron. A 402 is LS2 based to it is aluminum, but you need to grind the motor mount tab a little to get it to fit and you need to get some wiring harness adapters. Again, not a big issue in the slightest.

 

I have considered a blower and still am considering it. I am part of a car club that has a handful of very high power cars that are all forced induction. Just trying to go against the grain and do something a bit different and hopefully learn a bit more in the process, regardless of which decision I ultimately make.

Just weighing the options...

 

Heads are a big dollar item. I fully intend on replacing the heads with AFR or Trickflows at some point. But should I decide to stick with the stock 01 LS6 heads until that time, could I be looking at any actual problems with doing that, or just a minor power loss in the grand scheme of things? While the motor is already apart, I would most likely have them install the cam anyway.

Should I be concerned with any kind of piston clearance using my stock LS6 block and any other related parts?

 

Good luck

 

Had a thread a while back,,Wheres the beef,how about a 500 inch LS1?? The outfit chimed in a while back and sells the short block for around $11 grand. Go whole hog,,as I recall with a street cam put about 717 to the rear wheels NA and about 1200 turbo'd! They use a deck plate to extent the bore and use an LS6 intake!! That would REALLY go against the grain,,and blow'em in the weeds!!!

 

It sure would! A bit out of my league maybe, but cool nonetheless!