It took Chevy awhile to recognize the potential of the 4" bore/3" stroke engine, so when they brought out the Z-28 Camaro "302" in the late 1960's they were just catching up to what the hotrodders had been doing for a long time. The true displacement is 301.47 cubic inches, so Chevy had to fudge the numbers a bit.
Interestingly enough, the early 302's with the small-diameter rod and main bearings always ran better that the ones with the 350-sized bearings. Less drag on the rotating assembly, I guess! It's possible to order a new 3" stroke crankshaft from the guys who make billet cranks, and at least one company I know of makes a lightweight short-stroke crank, 38 lbs. instead of the standard 55! That one winds up like a bumblebee on steroids, particularly when it's paired up with a 6" diameter 3-disc clutch for round track use. The crankshaft alone costs $2800.00, though!
Jerry
