I'm a firm beleiver that there is no replacement for displacement! So when I build this 392 for my coupe, I'm thinking maybe it should be bigger than 392 inches. In todays world, three hundred and ninetytwo inches isn't much. Kinda like a hundred dollars useto be huge, now it seems alot smaller when it won't even fill the tank on my pickup. What is the most practicle method for stroking an early 392? how much overbore will an A1 block usually take? I would think that there must be some well worked out combinations using mostly off the shelf parts, and an offset ground crank. I don't want to have to mortgage the farm, I just want to add some cubes the cheapest easiest way. Whats the best way? Thanks, Joel
First you caress the left side, then the right side, then tickle it under the water pump.....It will smile
"how much overbore will an A1 block usually take" The smallest size that cleans up the walls. "well worked out combinations using mostly off the shelf parts, and an offset ground crank" Not really, everything is expensive. What did you intend to grind it down to?
Aftermarket crank is the best way to get the max stroke you are looking for. Never bore a motor in effort to get more cubes or power. It might have been the hot ticket 60 years ago on a motor with thick walls, but its simply bad practice to sacrifice cylinder wall integrity for displacement.
A built 392 will be just great. I don't think a few more cubes will really matter for the great expense you will have locating a stroker crank. Offset ground crank, I would talk to your machine shop first, welding then grinding on a crank for a few more cubes..... Just something kool, keep the 392 under 400 cubes and blow the doors off of the new big blocks in excess of 400 cubes.....Talk to guys running a 392, I know I am not upset I did not stroke my 392.....Just a thought.......
Whatever minimum overbore is to cleanup the cylinder walls and a 5/8" arm. That being said if you bore .030 for cleanup + the 5/8" arm you will wind up just a hair under 463 cu.in. .060 overbore with the same 5/8" arm would be about 469 cu.in. If you went with a 3/4" arm +.030 overbore just a red cu#t hair over 475 cu.in. And a .060 overbore with a 3/4" arm would give you a little over 482 cu.in 482.22076 is what my calculator says. Anyway you go it will be a torque monster especially if you put a huffer on top at about 10% over. It would be a hand full in you little coupe for sure, but damn would it be fun and sound good too, because you could run a cam with alot of overlap. There are still used stroker cranks around, you just got to know what your looking for. If you find one before you shell out any bucks have it checked for cracks. My 2 pesos. 408 AA/D
I think if money is an object, you're better off leaving it unstroked. 392s are damn expensive to start with and unless it's a max effort race car wouldn't justify the expense. And if it's a max effort race car (other than vintage class) you're probably not running a 392. Blower is probably the way to go. good luck
I remember seeing advertisements in the mags "back in the day" for welded stroker kits, where a chunk of metal was welded to the crank so it could be off-set ground to increase stroke. The kit came with new pistons and rods also. It's been a looooong time, but if I remember correctly, the slugs were custom and the rods were GM... Caddy or Olds [?] It was not cheap back then, and would not be cheap today either... But the info is out there. In all seriousness, you would probably have more luck scrounging parts for a 426 hemi. It would be a little more $$$ up front, but it would make more HP and parts are much more readily available..... And honestly, just as cool as a 392.
454 cubes was a popular size for 392s years ago. I don't have the overbore and stoke specs here. C-T Strokers made a bunch of them... I have to agree that 60ci will make a big difference in the breathing of that big Hemi. But really... aren't they complicated and expensive enough as it is?
Thanks for all the replies! rwilliams1976, is that a 454 early hemi, or something else? I do want to keep this thing as cheap as possible, that is part of the theme for building this car. I was originally thinking that if the bores will clean up with a hone and the crank will polish out OK, I could really build the shortblock on the cheap by avoiding machine work. Plus I scored a valve seat grinder and valve grinder and guide knuler setup on craigslist for $200, and I have porting tools, so I can do the heads myself. Then I went on Hot Rods Drag week last week, riding shotgun in Jay Browns 427 Cammer powered 64 Galaxie, and I sort of got bit with a bug to run this jalopy in Drag week. It would need to run 11's, plus cruise down the road all day long. So I was thinking maybe I could spend a few extra bucks on a stroker to help accomplish that goal. I have seen combo's for other motors where if you offset the rod journal down to chevy size, use the right rod from something else, maybe an off the shelf piston will work. I'm just fishing for ideas on combinations along that line. I don't want a blower or a roller cam, or any other engine. Me (and Herman Munster) love the look of the 6 strombergs on the X-3 crossram intake, so that is my induction of choice. Bye for now, Joel
No such thing as an off-the-shelf piston for any performance-minded Hemi. Shelf pistons for stockers are down around 8:1 compression unless you get lucky - and they're cast. Pistons made for that chamber are pricey. Just have to determine your deck and stroke height, rod length and crank throw and desired compression ratio and order them up.
I need to start with just ONE simple question..... WHY? WHY do you want to stroke this 392? Is it just to see if you can do it? Is it because you don't think a stock displacement motor with tons of other off the shelf available speed parts won't get you enough power for that super light weight Model A? Are you racing?? Is there just a HP number that you have as a goal?? Do you have a roll cage and an extra pair of shorts in that Model A?? Rules that apply to other makes of engines don't always apply to a hemisherical combustion chamber. These engines have the ability to make MOUNDS of horsepower with very few changes. Simply building the engine with the correct combination of parts and a small overbore can compete with any modern day larger cube engine. If you're really serious about this, I would say offset grind or billet stroker crank. I hope you're wallet is ready because "cheap" and "Hemi" do not go in the same sentance. Add the three numbers 392 in there and you better find yet another money tree to pick from. If this is just a "do it to do it" thing, I would seriously weigh all your options. You can make one hell of a bad ass motor with what you already have and a few smart purchase as well as some practical machine work. So... back to that question.... WHY do you want to do this??
I just reread one of your replies. So you DO want to race this? There is a looks factor involved? You mentioned the impossible to find X3 manifold. Unless you have one of those you're looking at some huge money right there. I don't want you to think I'm beating up on you here, but I'm just seeing a few things in your quest for horsepower that don't make sense. You haven't mentioned ignition. Is this a factor as well? What are your plans? Magneto? You said you didn't want to add forced induction. Is that the looks thing or that for the class you want to run in? Again, not trying to beat you up... just tell us more as well as your reasoning. Making horsepower isn't hard on Hemis, there's just lots of ways of doing it. There is probably better ways than stroking when you get down to this money factor you're talking about.
I think you should stop and spend some time learning about a 392, in fact the whole history of the chrysler hemi engine. There are ZERO logical reasons to do it. Specifically when you use the words "Cheap". If the only reason is "cause you want to" well thats okay...its your motor...your car and your money. How much HP do you think you need or do you want? With the right setup you will get well over 1 HP per CI. Over 400HP in a Model A....your going to need to step the car up also. Remember the weakest link will break. Check out scooters link on the Hemi archives, read the TEX Smith book. Then get a budget and make a decision. But like other have said it will be expensive. to do the machine work, parts etc for the block and heads i would not be surprised if your at $5000 easy, then another $2000 to $3000 for everything else....provided you are going to build it correctly. JJ
OR you could put injection on it! the strombergs would be for looks. Do I see the picture right...You already have the X3?
Offset grind the crank to your choice of rods and piston configuration.BBC rod journals is what id go with making a stroke of 4.050.
Thanks for the help, guys. Yes, I already have the X3 and the strombergs, but I still need trottle shafts and linkage. I bought them years back, and even then I paid dearly. I love the look of that set up. Yes, having the right look will be important for this car. But I don't build poseur cars. It needs to run well on the street and on the drag strip. I don't have my heart set on stroking the Hemi. Just checking to see what my options are. 426 hemis that I have stroked in the past respond very well. you get more power and tork with no drivability trade-offs, and the cost is almost the same to build. I just need to find out what all my options are, weigh the cost vs. benefit and make a decision. So far it is looking like it might just be not worthwhile to stroke it due to the cost. I just found this place, does anyone have any feedback on them? http://willysreplacementparts.com/1951_58chryslerhemiparts.html Thanks, Joel PS - look close, the coupe is not a Model A
rwilliams1976, I kind of thought that, but when some one mentioned that 454 is a popular size for the old Hemi, then I thought well...maybe? I had a 454 in one of our work trucks blew a rod, and I thought that lots of guy would want the motor to build. Surprizingly, no one wanted it and after about 6 months of trying to give it away, it went in to get get melted down and is probably a toyota or something now.
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