Just make sure you remember the CCs of your cylinder heads. Substitute heads can dramatically lower or raise your compression if the combustion chambers are a different size.
right now I have stock windsor heads and I was considering an upgrade to AFR 185's in a few years. how would this new setup work with a 393 or 406 stroker kit???
Just fine, although when you get your stroker kit, tell them that you will be doing this, so that they can provide pistons that will clear the valves on the AFRs
please explain the "yick". will I see ANY power gains with a stroker before I upgrade heads?? I realize I won't see perfect numbers with stock heads, but I like to think of a stroker kit as a small step between "stock" and spending $1500 on some new heads. Also, where to find stroker kits??
Hard to answer without ANY idea what your car is, intended use, trans, rear gear, etc........BUT:
Ford Windsor (Im assuming you are talking about a Windsor) heads, even on stock engines, bite, for lack of a better term. Putting them on a stroker (unaltered) is like YOU taking the soda straw you are trying to breathe through and letting Lance Armstrong try to win the Tour De Lance through it :/
Will you see gains? Sure. What, I dont know...thats gonna be one seriously choked-off motor. At least home-port the stockers and get oversized valves, if nothing else.
Sources for stroker kits? Pick up any MMFF or other Ford-oriented Vendor-Orgy rag, they are like locusts. They'll all love to sell you one...cant swing a dead cat without hitting a stroker-kit vendor today I hear good things about adperformance in Cali, and Keith Craft Engines in AK has a sterling reputation. But Im sure others can give their recommendations as well. My kit was from Coast, and Im satisfied, but some others arent happy with CHP, so they will have to fill you in if they want *shrug*
okay, here's what I have so far. A stock '69 Windsor with hooker shorty headers and an Edelbrock 600 cfm carb. Behind that is a 4-speed Hurst tranny and a 9 inch 3.00:1 rear end. What do you all think is the best way to go with a stroker kit and/or porting that will gain me power but not screw me up when I upgrade heads, cam, intake, etc. Basically, I am looking for stroked power, for under $2000, that will be good with my current setup AND future mods. Can it be done?