I want to stroke my 460 to a 501 or maybe a 524 but I would like to find out from some guys that have already did this what the drivabiliy is of such a beast.

How bad does it suck back fuel? Can still aford to take it to the store for milk?

I want something that I can take to the track on the weekend or go for a cruise on a saturday night.

 

I have a 520" and a 429 and a 472. I have settled for a 472 for my play and drive truck. 472 seems to do all well. I get around 9 to 12 mpg depending on which tire I run. My ford is heavily modified to get these numbers. aftermarket torque converter (hughes, $600.00) and tranny upgrades and a very well tuned 472. my little 472 can turn some rpm's but once you start getting into stall converters your mileage will be gone. I'm running basically a stall converter little over stock for daily driver and mountain runs and play. Once you exceed tire diameter and hrspwr requirements your torque converter near low stall/stock is the next thing to break. Been their done that. I'm running on 38" and 40" tires and 4.56 with low gear tranny C6 love this with a manual valve body. i love them big strokers but your next problem will be reliable parts on the street. If your spinning tires your OK but once you hook up your gonna GO or something is gonna give$$$$ I have pretty much broken everything behind my engine at one time or another if your gonna play, clutches trannys 205 tansfer case drivelines and axle shafts u-joints frame of truck cracked. I love my truck but it has been a learning curve over many years of hands on experience. Your OEM drivetrain will be broke soon. If your making 500 ftlb torque or more OEM parts will be on the road scattered soon. Split a 4speed tranny once very cool$$$$$$$ well built 472 easily makes 500 ftlb torque with a 3.85 stroke. 4.140 or 4.170 or 4.3 or 4.5" stroke BBF will easily do this and eat up your drivetrain. The 509" motors are great and will do everything you need and have around 4.140 stroke and a 4.440 bore and you have a nice little monster and if your get some upgraded heads its a animal. I have broken all my OEM parts with my 472 and now everything is 1.5" axles and chromoly everything. Seems to be pretty reliable with the 472 and big tires. If you get the chance check out (you tube thunderstruck pullin truck) awesome 477. How much do you want to spend and auto and manual tranny? clutch application or auto upgrades are a must or you will have to eventually. Forgot to mention a factory head D0ve or similar head will make 500 hrspwr with a 477" with the right cam and compression and carb combo. If fuel injected things will get interesting and technical for you. just checkin in and if serious drop a message and will help you out. Some pretty smart fellers on here to guide you in the right direction if your serious. But how much money do you have to play with?????????

 

The only thing you will notice will be more power if it's built right. Gas milage is out the window with these trucks anyways.

 

All things being equal a stroker will generally have better driveability. ie for the same amount of cam etc it will require less converter or gear etc. In general larger motors will eat a little more fuel due to additional pumping loses. That said people generally attribute too much of poor mileage to motor size and not enough to other things. Pick ups are heavy and not aerodynamic so overcoming that for respectable mileage is not easy.

FWIW I had an 87 Olds 442 that I built and put a 509 ci Cadillac motor in. It only weighed 3,800 lbs and the aerodynamics while not clean were better than a pick up. It was a 10-1 motor with a mild to moderate 230@50 duration cam. It made a little less than 500 HP and about 570 TQ. I took an Interstate trip following a buddy in his diesel truck. He was pulling a car trailer & car so no quick acceleration or stops but he ran 70 to 75 mph. I had a 3.42 gear with 28" tires and a 2,800 stall converter. Had I run a three speed trans with a non lock up converter and a Holley carb I might have gotten 12 mpg. Instead I ran an overdrive with a lock up converter and a Q-jet. I was very pleased with 17.0 mpg hwy on the first tank and 16.8 on the second. Vacume advance good tire pressure no brakes dragging.

My point is you can get repectable mileage from a large even powerful motor as long as the whole combination from carb to complete driveline is set up to compliment & be (relatively) efficient. That said even with a lock up converter, ideal gearing, a moderate cam, and a Q-jet if you have an intake that can do a spreadbore I would not count on more than 12 or 13 hwy. If you pull off better count it as a bonus. Lots of people have set up things poorly and or with no consideration of fuel consumption and end up with a 4WD stroker that eats to the tune of 6 to 8 mpg hwy and naturally less in town.

 

Thanks for the info guys. If I can get 13 mpg with something that is pushing 500 hp I will be very happy!