For those of you considering an LT1 stroker motor build, there is a good magazine article on Page 30 of the February 2011 issue of Chevy High Performance magazine, detailing a 396 cubic inch SBC stroker build that they did.

Although they do use an early model two(2) piece rear main seal 350 SBC block to start with, all the rotating assembly stuff they use in this build, (ordered for a one(1) piece rear main seal 3.875" crank, (of course!)) ...... should be applicable to any LT1 stroker 396 build too!

Please note that the 6.0" Scat forged rods they use, will work with a "standard" base circle cam.

Enjoy the read.

 

Who reads magazines that aren't online anymore?

If I see the article, I'll be sure to check it out.

 

A little confussed!!
If this is the case then it's NOT an LT1 is it??? Did they mod. the front of the block for the water pump/Opti., etc. What heads and intake did they use?

 

I think he said it should apply to the LT1 block as well..

 

Bingo! Z28SORR, no need to be confused here, bw_hunter hit it right on the head. Even though I clearly stated in my original post that the magazine article involved an "early model" SBC 396 stroker build ....... the same rotating assembly parts, ordered for either a "later model" one(1) piece rear main seal SBC or LT1 motor ...... would work too! You do know that a one(1) piece rear main seal SBC and an LT1 use the SAME rotating assembly, right?

The main point I tried to make in the next to last sentence of my original post is that by proper choice of connecting rod style .......... you can build a 396 LT1 stoker while still using a standard base circle cam, and not much more bottom end clearencing than a 383 stroker would require.

 

Car Craft did a cheap 408 a few months back as well....Same deal....

FWIW you can put a 2 pc seal crank in the 1 pc seal block, but the adapter is about $150...

(and they used a standard base circle as well....with 5.85" rods )

 

What was the part number of the rods. Was it just the usual scat 7/16 cap screw I beams, or was it some sliced up h beam rod similar to the eagle stroker rod?

For what its worth to anyone wanting to build a stroker of any type with I beam rods. The scat 7/16 cap screw I beam rods have more room than the 3/8" version. I can often get the 7/16 to drop in without any work on a 383 (you still have to check).

 

IIRC Car Craft used the Eagle rod. Thing didn't do much due to having stock heads on it and a really mild cam, but I think it shows some potential, if money is spent where it really needs to be. FWIW I would do a beefier rod, some dish pistons and a small base circle cam, then supercharge it and make more TQ than I'd know what to do with.....perfect street car motor, and if you offset grind the rods down to 1.88" (honda journals) you'd actually get the magic 409 number

 

Ok, thought I may have missed something. Not knocking the post but this info has been out there for well over a year. Been there done that!
Don't know about a standard LT1 block but on my "special block" with the two piece rear adapter I had to have a custom oil pan made.
On my set up I'm using the Eagle 3.875 large journel crank and 5.850 H-beam rods. The cam is a Lunati cutom grind with .530 lift. We have NO clearence problems with the cam/rods.

 

Very good point! Yes, with the adapter you could even use the very same 2 piece RMS 3.875" Scat stroker crank they use in the article.

In true Chevy High Performance style ..... they do NOT give a Scat part number for the rods, but, from the pictures and article text ..... I can tell you that they are 6.0" H-Beam capscrew rods.

Is your Lunati custom grind cam ground on a "standard" base circle, and what is the actual lobe lift on the cam, (i.e. is that .530" valve lift with 1.5 or 1.6 ratio rockers?).

 

.530 is the lobe lift. 1.5 rockers. Yes the cam is standard base circle.

 

WOW! That really is one hugh "custom cam" Lunati has ground for you. A .530" cam lobe lift x 1.5 rocker arm ratio yields a .798" lift at the valve. You care to share any duration @ .050" and LSA specs for that cam. Got to be a solid roller cam, eh?

 

Doh!!! Of course that should be "Gross Valve Lift" with 1.5 rockers. I was thinking "lobe" when I was writing. I hate it when that happens!!
Anyway the Advertised Duration is 238/245, LSA is 113/114.

 

What is the duration at .050?

 

an advertised of 238/245 is going to be one tiny cam.....@.050 it's always less, I'd say it's going to be an LPE style at best......

And if you look at Summit's site, they offer 2pc rear main seal pans with a right hand dipstick (stock LTx block location) for reasonable prices with just about any capacity. So converting to use a 2pc crank is not nearly as hard as everyone thinks. The biggest issue comes when you get into the 4" stroke area and having room for the rods to spin around. At which point you pretty much have to short fill the block......