The extra 1/8" of stroke in a 396 v. a 383 can cause clearance issues on a stock 350 block. I have seen a couple of blocks get into the water jacket (one of mine included) when clearancing for the longer stroke. Rod selection, due to differences in big end configuration becomes an issue. The best mid priced rods for clearance that I have found are the Lunati "Pro-Mod". Just a bit more expensive than the much more used Eagle H-beam with better clearance in a stroker. The Oliver billets are fanatastic in this regard, but way overkill for most motors.

Rich Krause