Hello, pretty new poster here, but I've lurked for years and am active on several other boards. My 99 Dakota 5.2L has low compression in cylinder 8 after 180k miles. Between that and the heavy 33" M/Ts I'm getting roughly 180 miles per tank - if I'm lucky. My truck struggles to maintain 70 on the interstate and constantly has to drop a gear to get back to it. And that's really killing me, but I don't have enough to afford a new truck. Plus I really need to wrench on something soon. I'm going thru withdrawal. I'm looking to pull the motor and rebuild it. But I'd like a few extra ponies if I do it. May as well while the motor is out anyway, right?

It's my daily driver / work truck. I do some mild towing and in all honesty the most off-roading I have the time for is taking the long way around to the GC's trailer on muddy job sites. I'd like to not do much work to the block so I plan to keep bore stock size. Looking at picking up an Eagle 4" crank, Eagle rods and pistons, Clevite bearings, new rings. And more than likely rebuilding the top end too.

I'd like to keep this as low budget minded as possible. What would you guys recommend for a low budget 384 stroker? And what would you recommend for a mild camshaft?

Any other little odds and ends you'd really recommend looking in to?

 

Subscribed. If this thing comes really low cost I would be following suit, stock compression on the 5.2 is already low. I want like a 9.8-10.2 ratio

 

Looks like I'm on my own then?

Bought a used engine from eBay for cheap today. I'll disassemble that one, clean it all up and begin building the bottom end with that. May end up doing an .030 bore since it seems forged STD bore pistons are hard to come by. So looks like I may be doing a 390 stroker after all.

Talking with Campbell Enterprises about a budget kit. Will probably be purchasing from them soon. I'll let you guys know how it goes. I'd like to do a full write up in this thread of the build.

 

Wont a 0.040 overbore make it a 392? Then just put the hemi badge on the sucker and let it burn rubber.

Can you put a link/phone number for where you buy the crank, cam, and pistons. Also are you thinking of doing the intake plenum kit with the aluminum plate instead of the steel spacer? When I do mine I think im going to do that.

And last but not least, fueling/ tuning. How are you planning on doing that?

I also wish someone that did a 390, or a 408 stroker would chime in on how the beast changed, mileage, power, reliability, ext.

 

I'm gonna give the stock fueling a shot. See how well it holds up, and if I need to address it I will. I'm really trying to keep this a budget build, and I'm not looking for tons of hp/tq. It's a daily driven work truck. I'll save the big build for the toy in my sig. As for tuning, I'll pick up the SCT Tuner. Maayybbee one day in the future I'll play with the heads, throttle body, intake mani, injectors, fuel pumps, etc.

And I'm only doing an .030 bore. Not .040.

My parts list so far:
$1,345 - Campbell Enterprises 390 Stroker Kit
$400 - Hughes HYD ROLLER CAMSHAFT 114º LSA +3
$90 - Timing Chain
$185 - 5.2L Full Gasket Set
$400 - SCT Tuner
$2,240 Total

Picked up a spare block for $400. And all the machine work will be about $775 from one local shop. Still shopping around for prices.

So this whole project will do me in about $3,600 (plus cost of beer) if everything goes well. Will likely go up more tho once I get to pull the top end and see what can/can't be re-used.

I'll stick around and do a good write-up of the build. I'll do my best to remember to take pics but don't count on it lol. MAY be able to bum a lift from my buddies shop. If I can do that this whole project will be SO much easier.

 

Not much following evidently, but I'll update anyways. It'll serve as a good write up for future use. Got the spare block in yesterday. Gonna get it mounted to my stand today after work hopefully. Get it disassembled & ready for the machine shop. Talked to a buddy and he gave me a lead to another machine shop. They've been doing V8's since the beginning of time and should cost about half of the machine shop I talked to. I'll update again with pics once the block is ready for the shop & I have parts in hand.

 

I think im gona start getting quotes from the machine shops around here.

 

DEFINITELY call around. A buddy told me about another local shop that I didn't know about. Guess they've been doing V8's since the beginning of time. Called them up ... $144 for boring all 8 cylinders, $180 for line honing. But they'd check the hone to see if I even need it. Won't charge me unless I actually NEED it. Best part is they're literally 5 minutes from where I work.

 

Subscribed. I've been thinking about doing something similar, so I can't wait to see how this turns out.

 

Wow thats a great deal. First quote I got was 300 for boring all cylinders. And almost 400 for honing. Second was around 270/340 for them. Theres another 7-8 shops I am gona call, some are larger, and do more volume, maybe they will have a better price.