Re: Cryo-Treated Alpha 1 + 383 Stroker: Thoughts, Q&A?
No offense directed at you, but if no one did things differently from the accepted ways of the "older" guys, technology would suffer and innovation would never happen. Though it is definitely a help, experience isn't everything. Sometimes you have to think outside the box. I'm curious, has Bond-o ever built a turbocharged 305 stroker for use in a boat? If so, I'd like to see his numbers so I can see for myself why I shouldn't do it. Just because it hasn't been done, doesn't mean it can't or it shouldn't.
No offense taken for sure. In a lot of ways I agree with your wanting to be innovative, I am exactly the same way, believe me. I don't care how many times something has failed, if I can see a better way, I'm gonna try it and I commend anybody who tries to do the same. Buuutttt, in order to minimize wasted effort and finances, you have to closely analyze previous attempts where possible to figure why things didn't work. If something hasn't been attempted before, then the first question you should ask yourself is "Why?" If you think it's because nobody thought of it, well then go ahead an give it a try. But when you present your ideas to a group of seasoned veterans and they tell you why something won't work, you should listen closely if for no other reason than to confirm your own ideas or suspicions.
Here's an example. I happen to be a professional mechanic. I have an associates degree in automotive technology and while an A.A.S. in and of itself is not particularly impressive, the fact that I went to 2 years of college for auto tech should be. Because of my profession, I can build engines, etc. fairly cheaply. A full, balls-out 355 costs me $3500 to build, a 383 about $5000 both engines assume I am starting with nothing. I am talking a balanced, blueprinted, hand-fitted 40 hours of assembly time alone engine. Back before I had kids, I played A LOT with engines. I own all the correct tools for measuring and assembling engines.
I have built engines for street cars, performance cars, performance boats and regular boats. I also tried installing engines I had built for cars originally into boats. I have broken things in engines in the boats that have worked perfectly fine in the cars. I can tell you that the screw in rocker studs that come in some of the performance aftermarket heads won't hold up in a boat application, I can also tell you the ones that will hold up. Does this mean that you can't try and cryogenically improve whatever screw-in studs you want? No, it doesn't. But it does mean that if you want studs that ARE gonna work the first time, then you should listen.
I mean seriously, if you're gonna experiment, then just do it and then tell US what works and what doesn't. But if you're on a budget as you say, then we are just trying to help you get on your way with enjoying the great sport of boating while wasting as little of that precious cash as possible. Bond-o's point is pretty much that for what it would cost you to buy that 305 and build it properly, you could get a 350 out of a truck and make the same power cheaper and more reliably in the long run. He's just trying to help you the same as we all are.
) and have already contemplated, if not outright experimented, with most things you could possibly come up with and if they've discarded an idea, believe me, it's for a very good reason. You would do well to listen.