[hallamwillis]

Just wondering how you measure your stroke?

Also if you wanted to make your engine into a stroker, where is the extra metal taken off of?

 

[poncho62]

To make a stroker, you have to get a different crank, so that the piston goes further down into the block.

To measure the stroke, you measure from the top of the block to the top of the piston when it is at the bottom of the stroke.

 

[hallamwillis]

Sounds simple enough!

I heard that to make a stroker they remove metal from the block? This isnt true?

 

[poncho62]

No.....when you bore an engine, you remove metal in the cylinders.....make the bores larger.

 

[onovakind67]

You may have to remove some metal to clear the longer throw on the crank. This is a common procedure on SBC's when stroking a 350 block.

 

[hallamwillis]

Very interesting thanks! :thumbup:

 

[Blazin72]

You may have to remove metal from the block to provide clearance from larger counterweights or the connecting rods.

 

[poncho62]

OK...got that one by me.............. :mwink:

 

[scholman]

hallamwillis,


"Stroke" of an engine is measured from Bottom Dead Center to Top Dead Center of any one cylinder.

In the old days the "extra" metal was welded to the back side of the connecting rod journals. This had to be done by a machine shop with a submerged arc wire feed welder. The flux is poured over the weld area as the crankshaft is rotated and the wire is fed into the weldment. Then the crank had to be allowed to cool down and checked for straightness. It is then put into a crank grinding machine and the new stroke is ground into the connecting rod journals. Then the main journals were "trued-up". But now you can just get on line and order any stroke crankshaft your pocket-book can afford.
Most of the time I think you will need to check to be sure the connecting rod lock nuts clear the pan bolt area and the camshaft too. I think there is a smaller diameter camshaft you can buy so the rods will clear for stroker engines. I think they are called small circle cams. They have the same lift and all that but are a little smaller in diameter.

I hope this helps
Scholman

 

[hallamwillis]

Very helpful! Thanks alot!

Another question, how do I go about removing freeze plugs?

 

[Blazin72]

If you're careful you can **** them sideways and pull them out with a pair of pliers. Otherwise you can drill a hole in the center of the plug and use a slide hammer.

EDIT: Apparently the profanity blocker thought I was trying to use obscene words. ha ha...

 

[hallamwillis]

excellent! Thanks to everybody! Incredibly helpful as usual!

 

[scholman]

hallamwillis,

To remove a freeze plug I use three tools. One is a big hammer. Then comes the flat nosed punch. And lastly is a pair of channel lock pliers. You might call them "water-pump" pliers.

I use the hammer and punch first. I hit the freese plug on one edge of the plug. This causes the plug to twist a little in it's opening. I then switch to the channel-locks. I "hook" the large jaw into the freese plug and then pry the plug out like it was a nail in a piece of wood. Works great.

There are two plugs on the chevy small block you want to be careful removing. They are very close to the cylinder and if you hit the plug too hard you can crack the cylinder. BTDT!

Scholman

 

[curtis73]

A small handful of engines with center-mounted spark plugs you can measure stroke by using a coat hanger or welding rod in a spark plug hole. Caddys and Hemis are definitely in that category. You simply stick a welding rod in the spark plug hole and measure the stroke.

Another way to increase stroke is to offset-grind the rod journals. It requires special rod bearings, but it can increase stroke a bit.

 

[farna]

Curtis, that works with other type engines as well. Not quite as accurate, but usually very close, within 1/16". I know, 1/16" can make a few cubic inches difference! It works for verifying engine size (assuming you know what stroke it's supposed to be) reasonably well though.