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Speedomotive Stroker Kit

Would I gain anything by going to the full forged kit, or would that be looking for trouble?
 
I would stay away from the kits speedomotive sells. When I looked at kits for my 383, speedomotive was at the top of my list. After putting more research into it, I found that the Eagle and Scat cranks that speedomotive (and many other bargain stroker kits) sell are made in Korea and are notorious for causing problems. I ended up using a forged crank out of a 400 that had been turned down for 350 bearing journals that I bought from my machine shop for $275. I used the Keith Black hypereutectic dish pison kit (~$520 I think, including gaskets, rings, bearings, etc.) with 64cc vortec heads. I had my stock 350 rods reworked and used them. All in all, I probably have about $950 into the equivalent stroker kit that you are looking at. That is the way I chose to go, having a crank go bad on you (which I have heard about multiple times with Scat and Eagle) is not something you want to deal with. Trust OEM GM stuff /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
My 383 was a Speedomotive kit when I built it back in '89. I havent put too many miles on it (maybee 5K tops). Back then they were really good to deal with.
 
I used one of their kits w/ their crank, 5.7 rods, and a cast, reverse dome piston. I am running Vortec heads, performer intake, and a q-jet. It runs great, no problems with any of the parts. I would say that no matter who does the machine work, you should always double check the journal sizes. Mine turned out to be slighly under factory spec for a standard crank so I ran .001" under main bearings (it means the bearing is slightly thicker to reduce clearance). Also, no matter what, get a brush and clean the oil passages with some solvent. When you assemble, check all your clearances.
 
Speedomotive is one of the oldest "mail-order" performance parts companies around. Back-in-the-day (before the Internet) "mail order parts houses" is what we called companies like Speedomotive or Performance Automotive Wholesale (PAW). Can you believe we actually used the U.S. Mail in those days to deliver parts from large speed parts retailers? Doug Herbert (who drives the Snap-On sponsored Top Fuel Dragster) is another person that is big in the on-line performance business. His Father, Chet Herbert, was the pioneer of "Mail order" performance part houses.

http://www.dougherbert.com/
 
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Can you believe we actually used the U.S. Mail in those days to deliver parts from large speed parts retailers?

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What's wrong with U.S. Mail?

JC Whitney ships almost everything they sell parcel post. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
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What's wrong with U.S. Mail?

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Nothing is wrong with the U.S. Mail, if you do not mind waiting 7 to 10 business days to get your parts, which was normal back in those days. /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif
 
...yeah, ask my buddy about Speedomotive... He bought a 383 from them and had it installed at a mechanic shop w/ Vortec heads, Airgap intake, Qjet, and headers... Didn't make that much HP and at about 3000 miles a piston and rod came apart and ruined the ENTIRE engine... block, crank, cam, etc... all destroyed. He called Speedomotive, and they basically told him to piss off.
Long story short...I wouldn't recommend them to anyone for anything.
 
I was just looking at Jeg's website and they have a few rotating assembly kit for the 383 stroker by Eagle Specialitys. Jeg's
 
[ QUOTE ]
...yeah, ask my buddy about Speedomotive... He bought a 383 from them and had it installed at a mechanic shop w/ Vortec heads, Airgap intake, Qjet, and headers... Didn't make that much HP and at about 3000 miles a piston and rod came apart and ruined the ENTIRE engine... block, crank, cam, etc... all destroyed. He called Speedomotive, and they basically told him to piss off.
Long story short...I wouldn't recommend them to anyone for anything.

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One thing I have learned over the years is when it comes to assembling and putting a new engine into your personal vehicle CORRECTLY, no one can be trusted, but yourself (if you are an experienced "wrench"). There are many big egos in the automotive business that would never admit this, but if the money is not theirs, they do not give a sh!t. There are too many details, when it comes to doing and engine assemble and R&R, that can (and will) be over looked by the mechanic with even the slightest amount of "it is not my money" attitude.
 
I've never dealt with Speedomotive but you'd think that a guy who runs the fastest piston driven motor on Bonneville would know a thing or two about putting together power packages.
 
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