I have to got with the stroke it. Every time you tickle the throttle it'll make you smile a lot wider

I've been building stroker engines for roughly 30 years and I don't have any intention of ever building another stock stroke engine for myself. I can understand situations where a person would build a stock stroke engine. Severe budget limits, rules, lack of parts, etc. but outside of that I don't see any reason to build a stock stroke engine.

At the shop I work at I'd say about 25% of the engines are stock stroke. Usually those people are doing restorations, or they have very limited budgets, or it is a rules restricted engine. People building race engines or street performance engines typically ask for the "most bang for the buck" which means they get a 505 Mopar, or a 347 SBF, or a 383 SBC, or a 521 BBF, or a 482 FE, or something along those lines. There are specific sizes that work best for each of the classic muscle car engines so that is what we recommend.
I haven't worked on a 426 Hemi for a long time but if someone wanted to build one these days I'd most likely recommend a 4.250 crank with 2.20 rod journals and a 7.100 long rod. That is a combination that is provides a lot of value for the money spent. The parts are proven and they fit and work.

Bill what Hemi engine are you asking this question for? Is it the original matching numbers engine in your car?

I don't get it either but then again the engineers at Chrysler thought it was a great idea to make the stage 6 wedge heads with a raised intake port entrance and stock iron wedge head valve lengths ...

I think a lot of people just think they have to have a stroker b/c kits are everywhere nowadays. But if you already have a good rotating assembly, aren't interested in seriously racing, don't have a low ET goal, and just want a fun street car...stick w/ the stock crank. Unless you just like wasting money.
I'm not knocking a stroker at all, they're great. I just think too many people are discounting just how strong a well set up stock stroke motor can run. Doesn't take all that much to really wake one up.
For the OP's intended use, I think a stroker kit is an absolute waste of money.

Oh, a 9:1 hemi should be able to run on 87 octane. I'd go 10.5:1 at the absolute minimum.

Search for another Hemi enthusiast whose car has a modified engine similar to what you are considering having built.
Spend money to go visit that car and “chew the fat” with that owner, and be sure to ask what other owners he has met.
Think of it as “My Hemi financial advisor Web.”
Keep spending money on such visits until you have spent 15% of what potential engine work would total up to.

This may have had something to do with the length of the intake valves on the Street Hemi at least. In order to fit the Hemi into a production car Tom Hoover said they came up with the idea of canting the cylinder heads inwards to make the top of the Street Hemin more narrow. If you look at the SH combustion chamber it is not centered over the cylinder or the piston. Tom Hoover is explaining this with his hands in an interview and this made for the different valve lengths between the intake and exhaust valves on the Street Hemi. Don't know if that's why, just throwing it out there.

Mike

yes.

It uses a little oil and if I set timing where it really wants to be to run the best. Race gas /. premium mix then becomes mandatory or it rattles like crazy , diesels on shut down something fierce. Ive got timing set at about 15 base right now and can get away with straight 91octane. And it will still ping slightly if I get stuck in traffic on a really hot day.

So Im contemplating a build at a later date. Maybe in the next 2 years or so .


I've talked to a few builders to maybe just send the long block out and have it done. And all but one highly suggested a 4.15 stroker crank ( or more ) and associated parts.


A friend of mine has his being done right now Staying stock stroke but went 30 over I believe. The builder is a retired top fuel mechanic ( dont know who ) So when he gets his back in and running this spring. I plan to take a ride and talk to the guy whom built it. Then go from there .
The compression issue is a project I knew I would be facing when I bought the car. The oil consumption wasnt


One guy whom I trust without issue suggested stroke it with a 4.15 crank ONLY if I pulled it down. BUT ,, he also said that if it runs good, ( and it does ) Leave it alone and just add oil as needed. $15,000 buys A LOT of oil.

Like Ive said I dont race it, honestly barely romp on it. Its more a cruiser / long term keeper / bucket list car for me.


I suggested a few weeks back to the wife to sell it . Buy a cheaper car and pocket a boatload of money and she shot that down in a milisecond. So the car is going no where at any point in time . When Im pushing up cactus . My girls will take over

These engines are notorious for sucking oil through the intake gasket. I have personally fought this issue on an engine. They can consume a substantial amount of oil that way and since that oil contains no octane, it can make the engine much more prone to spark knock. BEFORE you tear your engine down, check those intake ports for oil and the back sides of the intake valves for deposits. Just in case. All it takes is one or two cylinders sucking oil to cause those issues.

The best suggestion so far.

A cheap Harbor Freight bore scope would help too.

I recently bought a flexible borescope on an Amazon prime day mainly for this specific job planned
And it is a post retirement project in the next few months

Really does seem like voodoo when building a hemi. So many horror stories out there.

Bill why don't you just start putting a few bucks away and buy a stroker 472 Hemi crate engine or something like that. Pull the numbers engine put it into the crate engine shipping box and save it. Then you have the option to either put the numbers engine back in, sell the stroker engine, or leave the stroker engine in and sell the numbers engine to the buyer and walk away. I think the stroker crate engines are a little stronger too (anyone?) and everything is new so you can have your fun without worrying about losing the numbers engine. I think you would have nearly the same amount of $$$ in it and you would get a little more back from your investments. If you're going to put $15k+ into your numbers engine I think another $8K or so gets you a new crate stroker Hemi again not sure of current prices?

I would give this idea serious consideration if it was my issue. It’s a far better situation in the long run.

I was thinking my 9.0 would be a good base to top off with a roots type blower ...

Oil consumption could be the valve guides - BTDT, and silicone seals cured it.
Plus, oil has low octane, and in diluting the fuel mixture, reduces the fuel's octane.

Oh believe me.


I have given this idea A LOT of thought trust me.
And deep down feel like it's the best option. BUT.....
There is a cost prospective I have to consider to do it and then my biggest issue I have is storage of the oe engine.

I'm retiring in 7 days so need to keep an eye on cash flow for a while.

Not that anything was going to happen in the next year or so anyway.

Very possible.

Another diagnostic trick is to temporarily replace your regular engine oil with 100% synthetic, ash-less, 2 stroke 30 wt oil to do a test drive,
This unique synthetic oil has a special formulation to reduce detonation.

Can you get all the parts to build a new hemi anyway? These days? That quite a bit to tie up if you can. It’s not like building an extra 440 to protect your numbers block and you out in the hundreds on the deal.

I ran a compression ck maybe 18 months ago I think. All were over 200psi , Ran cyl leak down ck as well. None were over 15% loss . These numbers are best case memory off the top of my head ( my memory aint what it used to be )


I may pull it apart in the next month or so to do some paint touchups and run thru the valves . So might pull the carbs and run a bore scope in the intake for a look see