Jeep Strokers

I'm getting ready to do a small block Chevy 383 stroker engine for a marine application. I know it is not a 4.0 but basically all of the same procedures and principles apply. I figured I'd do a write up here and if it helps anyone then great. If not that works too. Several local guys want to be present when I final assemble it and I figure it might prove semi educational for others as well.

Probably the only real big difference between this build and a 4.0 is I am using very little of the stock engine. I went to Summit Racing in Sparks NV on Sunday and ordered a Scat rotating assembly, World Products heads, some lifters, a timing cover, some long slot rockers, and a few other necessary items. I could have ordered a completely machined block from Summit as well and almost entirely skipped the machine shop but I got a good deal on a local core block and would rather have a hand in the actual machine work anyway.

The boat this engine is for is a pleasure boat. It's a 23'ish 2005 Wellcraft that had a Mercruiser 350 in it that made like 285 HP from the factory. It was a cast crank 2 bolt main block with a 1 piece rear main seal that got water left in it so the block is toast. It has a 2bbl carb and manifold and the present owner is intent on decent mileage so we are keeping it that way. Personally I would have liked to see a small 4bbl on it but there is a budget and that is something that can be added later as Marine carbs are very expensive. The owner is also having me install a closed cooling system at the time the engine goes back in.

PARTS LIST:

Block: My buddy has a 4 bolt main late style 1pc seal block that is factory drilled for the fuel pump pushrod and is standard bore for $200. We'll be using this to base the build off. Since the heads and rotating assembly are all new it will represent the bulk of our machine work.

Scat Rotating Assembly: We're using Scat's rotating assembly. It comes with a brand new 383 cast crank, forged cap screw rods, and we ordered ours with Silvolite forged pistons. It also comes with main and rod bearings and rings. The cost was $1028.

World Products S/R Torquer heads. We ordered an S/R Torquer head with a 67 cc chamber. S/R's offer up to 30 HP over a stock head and come with all new parts. Ours came equipped with a spring suitable for a hydraulic roller cam which is what we are installing.

Camshaft. The boat used a regular hydraulic flat tappet cam. The late model chevy engines came from the factory with hydraulic rollers in some of the faster cars and are an easy conversion using the factory roller lifters and spider retainer that bolts to the block. I called a buddy and had him grind me a cam. It's a high lift short duration affair with the 114 lobe separation an in/out drive style boat requires. When in/out drives go into gear there is a momentary kill of the engine to help facilitate it. A wide lobe separation helps the engine to continue running after this occurs.

Other parts. I'll be using a cloyes true roller timing chain, melling oil pump and drive, factory roller lifters, pushrods, link bars, and spider retainer, and the Mercruiser factory ignition, intake, exhaust, and oil pan.

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Still waiting for some of the parts from Summit Racing. Seriously? They didn't have a 383 Scat kit with a forged .030" piston in stock? Or world products heads with a a spring for a hydraulic roller cam? Bet they had plenty of seat covers......

Hmmmmmmm

Rotating assembly just showed up finally ... it only took four weeks for a small block chevy kit. WTH? Anyway, not only do I have this one to do but it looks like I'll be doing a small block Mopar 408 stroker at the same time. Both are hydraulic roller cam engines, which is totally cool 'cause it's the little things in life:)

I'm going to the machine shop in an hour or so....let the games begin!