I have a 78 440 in the shop I've been debating building.

I'm debating rather to buy a 493 stoker kit with everything or just throw some pistons and rods at it and go.

The pistons and rods were wasted from the oem build. Looked like someone ran the old school Pennzoil which sludged all the way up until it blocked the pickup, killed a lifter, and smoked the bearings.

Several of the rods and rod bearings were purple/blue with hot spots but the crank itself looks like new.

This would probably be an old school .550-.590 cam, 11.5:1 , Edelbrock or 440 source head type build. Something to maybe run 10.90's in a bracket car.

I've always heard that cast cranks are junk. but who has really broken one and how.