Here's our short-block as...
Here's our short-block as we left it at Panhandle Performance. A future article will detail the installation of the cam and top-end components. This short-block is so nice, we told Panhandle Performance's Mark Biddle we didn't want to install the engine in our car-we'd rather display it in our living room. He replied, "I want you to be able to display it in your living room." Nice!
The belief that every stroker engine uses oil is a myth. There are several factors to consider when building an engine in order to have proper oil control. But it's especially critical with stroker engines where the lower oil ring is in the wristpin hole. The most important aspect of a stroker is the clearance between the piston and piston rings, and the cylinder bore. If the bore measurement is out of whack, the piston size is wrong, or you're using low-tension race-piston rings, you'll probably run into heavy oil consumption early in the engine's life. So, if you plan to drive your stroker engine- equipped Mustang on the street, use a quality, standard-tension piston ring and make sure the clearances are right on the money.
Stroker engines are all the rage nowadays. With 331s, 337s, 342s, and the ever-popular 347 readily available, and with even SN-95 Mustangs getting up into the mid-100k-mile range, it's only a matter of time before your steed will need one as well. At least that's the story we're sticking to, since our '93 coupe's short-block has been around the block to the tune of 156,000-plus miles. Yours truly doesn't baby his Mustang around town the way other 5.0&SF staff members do, thus the propensity for seeing redline during even the shortest trips to the corner store has taken its toll. So, what else could we do but add a stroker! After all, Editor Turner just dropped a 331 in his coupe, and Tech Editor Houlahan has had his 347 under the hood of his hatch for a while.
At the heart of every stroker...
At the heart of every stroker engine is the crank. Lunati uses a nodular-iron, 3.425-inch stroke crank that is race-prepped. The 3.425-inch stroker crank, teamed with 5.400-inch connecting rods, actually yields 350 ci once it's rounded off. But Lunati knows Mustang owners aren't going to want a 350ci engine, so it's called a 349 to make it more Ford friendly. The assembly is externally balanced and includes an interlocking damper and a high-volume oil pump.
Of course, we wouldn't be happy with a 331, would we? And why settle for 347 ci when Lunati makes a 349 stroker kit? Sure, it's only two cubes more than a 347, but-hey-two cubes is two cubes, right? And since Houlahan is a member of the click-click club, and Editor Turner's car will never see the dragstrip, the little coupe affectionately known as Project Jersey Turnpike will surely reign as king of the Primedia Lakeland office. [We'll just see about that. I've already got the small pulley ready!-Ed.] That Corvette Fever staffer downstairs better wake up from his plastic pipe dream as well (we've yet to see the car for ourselves anyway).
Sure, it's a lot of smack talk, but we plan to walk the walk as well thanks to the help of the horsepower heroes at Panhandle Performance. Panhandle's Mark Biddle and Adam Day are performing the machine work, porting and polishing the heads, and assembling the stroker with big power in mind.
Our initial story involves prepping the block and installing the Lunati rotating assembly. Keep an eye for a future issue where we'll install the Lunati custom-grind cam, the Holley SysteMAX II heads and intake, and all the support components.
We'll use ARP fasteners for...
We'll use ARP fasteners for our 349 stroker engine. ARP has made a name for itself in the fastener industry, and as we've had no problems with the company's service and components in the past, we decided to stick with 'em. Mark Biddle gave us a list of fasteners we'd need. After checking with ARP to make sure they were in stock, we received them in just a few days.
Mark numbers the Summit Racing...
Mark numbers the Summit Racing 5.0 block so he can keep a running history on the finished engine. He also has a tech sheet that he keeps with every engine Panhandle builds. That way he knows exactly what was done to each engine. Should any future work be necessary, Panhandle can research what parts went into it. Mark numbers the caps with the block number and the main cap number to which each cap will be assigned. He then deburs the sides of each cap to ensure the accuracy of the main bore for align-honing and main support installation.
Mark believes that in order...
Mark believes that in order for a main support to do its job, it needs to have contact with as much of the main cap surface as possible. To that end, he measures the height of the cap from the mounting surface to the top of the bolt hole.
He finds the shortest cap...
He finds the shortest cap and makes each one the same height. This ensures a flat mounting surface for the caps and main support.
Before align-honing the block,...
Before align-honing the block, prepare the main-cap studs by oiling the lower portion of the studs and ARP assembly lube on the upper part. Thread in the main studs finger-tight.
Mark then mills the top of...
Mark then mills the top of the cap flat in order to mount Panhandle's own main-cap support, which we'll get to shortly.