RE: heads

[jeff tarquinio <tarquinio_jeff@domain.elided>]

Jim, Joel, anyone else who cares,
	I have to agree with the info in Joel's chart, but a 345 isnt a 
stroked 304.  Deck height is a block dimension, from centerline of the 
crank to the "deck" of the block or the top of the cylinder walls (without 
heads).  The stroke of the 345 and 392 is the same, hence the intakes are 
interchangeable, because the distance from the odd bank to even bank intake 
ports (or the distance between the tops tips of the "V") is the same.  The 
only difference is the bore diameter.  This brings me to another point, the 
345 heads have a smaller combustion chamber because its shaped for the 
smaller bore.  Because the 304 and 266 have a shorter stroke, the distance 
between the intake ports from bank to bank is closer than 345/392, its 
further down in the V so to speak.
	Another thought, a chevy stroker 383 is a 350 bored .060" over, 400 
crank and shorter connecting rods.  You need shorter conrods because the 
throw or journal of the 400 crank is longer.  If you used stock 350 rods 
you'd jam the pistons right through the heads.  Back to IH, if you used a 
345/392 crank in a 304 bored .060" with shorter conrods, then you'd have a 
stroker 304, didnt calc final displacement.  The con rods have to be 
shorter by the amount of difference in crank throw. I wonder if this would 
be a light weight horsepower alternative.  I believe the 304 and 345 share 
heads due to their same bore dimension, and the same size valves.  The 392 
has bigger valves because there is more space for them in the 4 1/8" 
diameter combustion chamber.  So is the switch to smaller chamber (345 head 
on 392) worth the loss of air/fuel charge flow by way of smaller valves?  I 
would think if we could shave the 392 heads and make clearance for the 
valves at TDC with pistons and cylinder walls, we could achieve higher 
combustion with the big valves, and even run 392 heads on 345. 
	Of course I haven't tried any of this myself, but by reading the 
dimensions of the different motors, this is the theory I came up with.
Food for thought,
always looking for more horsepower, torque is abundant,
Tark,
'77 Terra 345/T19/D20(now I know, thanx!);)