Stroker kit for tired engine ?

[Jaso74]

Hey all .
Just stripped down my Vr ute 304 and found a very very tired engine . Was hoping for a rings and bearings type rebuild scenario but that's not going to happen .
I haven't built a holden v8 for a long time and the last one was a carby 308 in a hz kingwood !

Anyway I was thinking of going a 355 stroker kit just get the block bored to suit pistons and deck skimmed to get zero deck height and pretty much chuck the old crank,rods etc in the scrap metal pile, that's assuming block is still ok to rebore. I need to measure tomorrow after work and confirm or could be in the market for a block too I guess.

Any advice on where and what kits to get , I see Scat and come racing seem the be most popular ?
Being a VR block has relief for stroker in casting so that makes it a bit easier again I guess not that some die grinder work bothers me at all .
Any other tips , suggestions ? I've been reading on here a lot and read some build threads already which has steered me a little in this direction.
Sort of seems a pretty cost viable and good way to spend money on a rebuild rather than stay std 304 capacity and not really cost much less than the stroker route.
Also just for info, will be just a street driven car not looking for anything special just want it to sound nice and run well, not chasing HP and numbers at all .

 

[losh1971]

@someguy360 @bjf66

These blokes know all about building a 304.

 

[Deuce]

Hey all .
Just stripped down my Vr ute 304 and found a very very tired engine . Was hoping for a rings and bearings type rebuild scenario but that's not going to happen .
I haven't built a holden v8 for a long time and the last one was a carby 308 in a hz kingwood !

Anyway I was thinking of going a 355 stroker kit just get the block bored to suit pistons and deck skimmed to get zero deck height and pretty much chuck the old crank,rods etc in the scrap metal pile, that's assuming block is still ok to rebore. I need to measure tomorrow after work and confirm or could be in the market for a block too I guess.

Any advice on where and what kits to get , I see Scat and come racing seem the be most popular ?
Being a VR block has relief for stroker in casting so that makes it a bit easier again I guess not that some die grinder work bothers me at all .
Any other tips , suggestions ? I've been reading on here a lot and read some build threads already which has steered me a little in this direction.
Sort of seems a pretty cost viable and good way to spend money on a rebuild rather than stay std 304 capacity and not really cost much less than the stroker route.
Also just for info, will be just a street driven car not looking for anything special just want it to sound nice and run well, not chasing HP and numbers at all .

I'm running low 9's compression, with a short cam (4502), and it's a wicked street motor (355). A bit low on horses at the drag strip. But really good on the street or circuit open days.
Night and day difference over the stock 304

 

[Jaso74]

I'm running low 9's compression, with a short cam (4502), and it's a wicked street motor (355). A bit low on horses at the drag strip. But really good on the street or circuit open days.
Night and day difference over the stock 304

That sounds good . I'd be very happy with what it sounds like your engine is . What did you have to do tune wise ? I was thinking a 4502 or 4503 as a 304 rebuild cam before the idea of the stroker , I suppose makes no difference really of capacity for what I want anyway . What crank etc did you use ?

 

[someguy360]

Mines going to be 11:1 comp, Crow 4761, Scat crank, dual plane manifold.

4503 is a very good all rounder cam for stockish engines if thats what you want to run before going stroker, it would also work ok later on in a 355 with mild compression. It also works very well with the stock intake manifold due to the reverse split duration. I ran one on a stock 304 and loved it.


I got my full scat stroker kit with crank, rods, bearings, balancer, flexplate, pistons, rings etc all balanced and delivered ready to go from Pavtek for around $3.5k takes a lot of the guess work out knowing it's all ready to go.

 

[keith reed]

Iv'e got a vp 355 come racing stroker in my vh. Come racing twin throttle body manifold. ported heads 2.02 inlet valves. 10-1 compression, blue top injectors Camtech ct248520 cam (they have been taken over by crow I believe) and a kalmaker tune. 215 rwkw. Drives really nice with a bit of up and go.

 

[Jaso74]

Well good news on the block front. Can only measure a max wear of 12 thou in worst cylinder with worst noticeable lip, cylinder number 2 on this engine.
Will contact machinist tomorrow and see what he suggests, I was thinking maybe go to 30thou over size to ensure good clean fresh straight cylinders and order a stroker kit !

Also engine currently has a Crow 4761 which looks in great condition which amazes me, pretty sure it hasn't been in there long at all maybe few thousand kms or so. Just out of curiosity, how would one of these run in a 355 ? I think it may still be too much for general use for me but wondered if the 355 might be more proficient at chewing what it can draw in with that cam ?

Still sort of sold on a 4503 cam but open to ideas. Prob looking to achieve 10:1 CR if possible with flat tops/ possible slight deck skim , currently has pacemakers with 2.5 inch single, hi flow cat, one muffler, looking at stall convertor 3000 rpm going by numbers written on it and smaller size diameter tends to confirm it is , looks like valve springs and retainer been changed, maybe at cam install, think heads are stock though, std bananas inlet. Just to mention also , I drove this home from one end of town to other, 10 /15 mins maybe and that's it so really only going off what I can see to tell the story of this engine and ute overall . Other wise was told about the cam, now confirmed is what was told, other wise that's it !

Thanks for the info shared so far !

 

[Jaso74]

Edited above post , ie extra info .

 

[Deuce]

That sounds good . I'd be very happy with what it sounds like your engine is . What did you have to do tune wise ? I was thinking a 4502 or 4503 as a 304 rebuild cam before the idea of the stroker , I suppose makes no difference really of capacity for what I want anyway . What crank etc did you use ?

I'm playing with an NVram on the stock Delco ECU.
I got the 4502 when planning to cam the 304. Then a very low km's 355 popped up so I grabbed that and threw together what I had. Eagle rotating assy. H-beam's.
Made way too much torque too early, so fitted bigger headers and then the bigger intake to move torque up the range a bit.

Currently chipping away at prep on the original block so as to go better 355.
And the new servo opening locally in a few months stocks 100octane. So I might build a little extra comp in.

 

[someguy360]

IMO the 4761 is much better suited to your plans than the 4503.

you’ll want a stall converter and diff gears for either however.

2.5” single will be a restriction on a 355 with any cam.