Short-block Engine Build - The Twister - Part 2

The rod bolts of our 408ci Windsor stroker are torqued to 40 lb-ft using the ARP assembly lube supplied with our stroker kit by Eagle.

The reality is, it doesn't cost much more coin to build a stroker than it does to stay with the factory displacement. Last month (see "The Twister: Part 1") we detailed the combination of our build, and explained why we chose those power parts. The key player of this combo is the stroker kit from Eagle Specialty Products. For $1,279.95, we got a cast-steel crank, dished 19cc forged pistons, forged I-beam rods, and all the rings and bearings. That's a pretty smoking deal for most of the parts in the short-block. The extra 57 cubes did not cost much more than building a 351-inch plant of the same quality, and the performance potential is much higher.

The design of this engine has been a balance between street manners and track performance. We didn't want a peaky engine that made all its power up top and idled like a crackhead having a seizure. We wanted good power across the band in a package that was as fun to cruise as it was to race. Simply put, it's not about making a moonshot "peak" number to impress our friends.

The first machining step is boring and honing the cylinders. We rough-honed the bores .025, and finished them to .030-inch over.

With this in mind, we ignored the desire to build a solid-roller engine, and went with a more user-friendly hydraulic roller setup. Our DynoSim computer simulation put us at just over 500 hp with an equal amount of torque, but the real numbers will come from the engine dyno, and from the track later on.

This month, we're going to tackle our 408 short-block. Most of the work involves prepping the block to receive the new parts, and luckily we have Andy Mitchell of Outlaw Racing to help us with the mystical art of machine work. Aside from the Eagle rotating assembly, we're using high-quality fasteners from Milodon and ARP, along with a more robust oiling system. We could have done it cheaper, but we plan on putting a ton of hard miles on project Fastlane 500, and spending a few extra bucks will help us sleep better at night.

It's been said that horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races. It's true, sort of. The real saying should be, "peak horsepower sells cars, but low- and mid-range torque makes a car fast and fun." Torque is king, and we know if we want to get our 3,460-lb '70 Fairlane project in motion, we're going to need lots of twist. We also plan on hitting the drag strip to see if we can get this 17-second slug into the 11s. For this, we need a mill that can generate a good amount of horsepower with a nice, flat torque curve. We need a stroker.

When Scott Johnston of Reincarnation High Performance helped us come up with a build plan, he spec'd a zero deck to reach our compression goal of 10.9:1.	Two passes were made on the surfacing machine in an exercise called deck equalization.	File fitting the rings can be a tedious chore, but it's one that's necessary. Andy let me have a go at it with his battery-powered ring filer.
The Spirolocks supplied in the Eagle stroker kit aren't hard to put in once you get the hang of it. The first one took a while, but they got easier as we went.	With the locks installed in one side, we put assembly lube on the pins, slid them in place, and put the locks in the other end.	With Andy's guidance, I got the chance to align-hone my first block.
With the block machining done, we took the parts to Don Lee Auto in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.	We then installed the Clevite main bearings included in the Eagle kit.	With all the pistons assembled, we slid them into the cylinders.
Next, we installed the COMP Magnum double-roller timing set (PN 2135, $48.99), and secured it with an ARP cam bolt (PN 254-1001, $4.88).	A good oiling system is the key to a reliable and long-lasting engine.	Installing freeze plugs is so easy, even a 10-year-old kid can do it.
The only thing left was for us to coat our short-block in an appropriate shade of Ford blue.