Hemi Questions, How big can I go?

[sparkie573]

OK I have been looking and researching into as much as possible to gain some knowledge. But as always there are so many variables.

Still looking for a good 70 b body and planning my build. I have been looking into stroker kits for the 5.7's and 6.1's. So with all of the knowledge on here I thought maybe someone could enlighten me or have some input and hopefully be able to help anyone else out looking for the same as well. looking to build a stout short block for a good base of future mods and for the fact that I like to do things only once... So would a 5.7 with a stroker kit or a 6.1 with a stroker kit be a better starting point or would it matter IE, best bang for the buck? As there is a good bit of difference to a used 5.7 to 6.1 engine as far as price for a starting point, "I have saw full 5.7 go from 500-1500 bucks and most 6.1 if you can even find them go for around 2500. Also which heads are the best to look for as far as flow or being able to upgrade or port? and intake, or aftermarket support?

I think I am wanting to get a displacement around 410 or 426 and definitely going to be forged as my future mods may include some boost ... with all of that in mind there are a lot of stroker kits out there. with all the company's and different kits it gets a bit overwhelming when looking. most kits use a 4340 forged crank and all seam like they are balanced and nitride treated. SO with all of this, IS there any input on who, where and what kits are of great quality and cost effectiveness as far as crank, rods, pistons pretty much a full rotating kit???

All input, ideas and opinions are welcome as I am just trying to gather as much info as possible. thanks all.

 

[usaroadrunner]

there are few guys on here that have alot of knowledge on this, 5.7hemi, kb67mopar, lxmodguy. but the largest cubic inch i have seen on gen3 is 426 at 580hp with no power adder. i dont have alot of info on the aftermarket parts yet i just gotta get my swap done first. im putting in a stock 6.1. the 6.1 is gonna be harder to find cause it went out of production earlier this year. good luck on the build.

 

[5.7 hemi]

This is what I'm doing for my 5.7 stroker 392. Callie's 4.05 crank, small block Chevy rods (don't get on my case, all kits use them), since my block checked out at a perfect 3.917, forged pistons at that size will be used to get that "old school 392".

Lxmodguy is gonna do a cam for me and tune it. Heads will be stock 5.7's but better springs will be used. I will make my own 5.7 to 6.1 adapters to use a 09 and up 5.7 intake manifold, which is sitting on the shelf collecting dust. A 6.1 factory timing chain, 5.7 oil pump, 08 coils to eliminate the plug wires, and a factory 05 truck computer.

Am I leaving hp on table with the 5.7 heads, yes, but the motor is for down low grunt and I'm a cheap ***, lol!

As far as what to use, 5.7 or 6.1, depends on your wallet, availability and what you really want as far as displacement goes. There is a limit on both, and also there is more thickness to a 5.7 's cylinders bores than a 6.1.

I suggest contact lxmodguy, he can answer all your questions, and he's a super cool guy, so do yourself a favor and contact him, you won't be disappointed.

 

[sparkie573]

Maybe this should be a sticky if we could get enough info on everything about what to use or parts combos, I think that would help anyone that likes the challenge and satisfaction of piecing and selecting their parts to put an engine together.. I saw a few kits for up to a 440 stroker using a 6.1 base I think. I also read somewhere= "mind boggling internet reading" that a 392 is about the max someone should go for, if they are wanting any longevity due to bearing or bore thrust issues. just wanting to know what the best bang for the buck combo of parts is and aftermarket support..

5.7 hemi- I have read a lot of threads doing research that you have posted in as well as some others. I am glad that there is such a wealth of knowledge on here to pull from.. I did read somewhere that some of the stroker cranks use Chevy rods and the narrower bearings that go with them but I didn't know that "ALL" of them did? I had put a search in for 5.7 hemi stroker kits and was looking at all of them and reading as much as I could. Hmm, That could also potentially save some money if piecing a kit together yourself...

What about you porting your own heads? you could pick up quite a bit by just blending the bowls and smoothing the runners. I also read that the newer 5.7 heads flow almost as much as the 6.1s' anyway it just takes a bit of time and sanding drums lol... I have been reading as much as I can since that is about all that I have to do here "Afghanistan" in my free time. There is also a lot of good reading on some of the newer car forums ie lx, challenger, and charger forums, as I was reading around at what they are doing to build for power. It's just nice to know what exactly to look for when something pops up on the internet for sale or at swap meets. Thanks all.

this was also a pretty good read. hopefully it loads

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/tech/1107phr_gen_iii_hemi_engine/viewall.html