360 stroker crate opinion

[publicbottle]

Hey all, I've got over 10,000 miles on the 340 challenger, which is mild mannered with an RV cam and 650 dbl pumper. Back in 2001 this 340 was prev built with budget parts and it's kinda a dog, so I am thinking of going a little more performance and wonder if this 360 stroker is good value? Read over the ad:

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-engines-and-engine-parts/edmonton/mopar-360-408-magnum-crate-engine-complete-465-hp/1155049631?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Would I be better off spending equal or less money on my 340 for similar results? After Some rough research and thinking I would think no, but maybe I am wrong....  Remember this is Canadian money.... Thanks for the opinions

[jimynick]

That sounds a wee bit expensive to me and I'm looking at stroker kits and engines right now myself. There seem to be a bunch in the $6-7k US range out there. Don't forget- at least in Ontario- that it'd be $13,300 including the taxes before installation. There's also 408 short blocks available and Blueprint Engines show a couple. They seem to be gaining a good reputation and it may be worth your while to call them and have a chat. Just my 

[1 Wild R/T]

Add to that the fact they are using a cast crank... For that coin I'd expect some upgraded parts...

[70chall440]

Stroke what you have; there are some great kits out there. Or, throw a new cam in it, some good heads and you will be surprised at what you get. Also need to look at what gears you have; many people build engines and are disappointed at the performance when they should have or could have just swapped in some decent gears and completely change the performance of the car. A mild motor with a set of 3.55's will get your attention. Wont be a highway/interstate driver per se, but that is something you need to factor in.

[publicbottle]

The more I think about it the more I agree with you and stick with my 340.  I can't find much details on the prev engine build details. I know the crank is stock forged and stock Rods reground  010. Pistons are stock cast made by Ertel and are bored 030. That's  about all I know for sure. Oh ya, Stock heads 2.02/ 1.60 valves. I can't verify the compression ratio or find the specs for the cam. I was eyeing up the ported stock heads from IMM/ Indy and have a Hughes whiplash cam I bought a while back just sitting on the shelf. maybe i can get this 340 to roll a bit easier than I thought. The car has a 3.73 S60 rear. Anyone in the Alberta (Calgary) area know of a reputable machine shop? Maybe a stroker kit is worth considering...

[70chall440]

Check this company out, this is who I got my stroker kit from; they specialize in Mopar and are exceptionally knowledgeable and have great customer service.

[publicbottle]

Did ya forget the link?   

[1 Wild R/T]

You can build the 340 into a stroker, but personally I'd grab a 89-92 360 out of a pickup/van... They are still common & cheap, You gain a block designed to use the OE design roller cam which the earlier blocks can't do... It has oil passages to lube the valve train which was eliminated in the later blocks.... With todays oil & all the cams going flat why wouldn't you take advantage of a cheap way to go roller?

Best price I've found on the stroker kit I'd suggest, I wouldn't save a few $$$ & go with a cast crank, it might live but by the time you get it balanced the malloy metal will have you within $100 of the forged kit....

http://www.cleggengine.com/performance-engine-rebuild-kits/stroker-kits/mopar/sb-chrysler-forged/chrysler-small-block-4340-forged-crank-360-main-365ci-408ci-competition.html

A decent choice for the cam...

http://www.hughesengines.com/Index/products.php?browse=category&level0=QS0gU21hbGwgQmxvY2sgIkxBIg==&level1=Q2Ftc2hhZnQ=&level2=SHlkcmF1bGljIFJvbGxlcg==&partid=30217

Heads....   

http://www.jegs.com/i/ProMaxx-Performance/723/9362/10002/-1

[70chall440]

Did ya forget the link?   

Why yes I did... 

http://www.musclemotorsracing.com/new-page/

I am using their 416 kit and am using a roller cam as well as well as Edelbrock RPM heads, and an EFI 6 pack. Mike at Muscle Motors is a die hard Mopar guy and he will put a kit together with everything you need. If you call him and tell him what you have and what you want, he will walk though what will work. He says his 416 kits will produce 500 BHP at the crank with the right induction and exhaust. He has a ton of experience and can tell you what works and what doesnt. He has dyno numbers to back up his information as well. When I was building my car I was looking to use shorty headers for clearance, he told me what the effect would be and highly recommended either TTI or Hooker super comp headers (I went with TTI). Great guy to talk to for sure. That said, you might call him and explain where you are and where you want to be, he very well might recommend picking up a Magnum engine and start from there.

Nothing wrong with going to a Magnum engine, but since you already have an engine why go and find another unless you want to build an engine while you are still driving the car (not a bad thing for sure).