I guess what is being said is: Yes, the stroke measurement needs to be accurate, all agreed. But that asking a micrometer to find almost a quarter inch and not much less is a tall order. I do see your point and it is well taken, believe me and very much appreciated. I WANT to sympathize with him in a sense because I want it to be right- a 428, what I bought. And since I paid just 2200 for the car, it won't be the worse loss I ever suffered. If it has a 428 crank, and a 390 block, I feel the thing to do would be to "correct" the block if possible. Whether that means buying a new one, or boring if needed. I do not want to be annoyance being new at being on a forum, so I try to be intelligent in my questions and refrain from mentioning too those little black crumbs that drop on my face ruin my make up. I was not at all into engines, though my father was a rocket engineer and I married a motorhead biker and after all this time I thought- if you cannot beat them, join them. So I did- IN FULL force, and now I have made a terrible mistake in the car I am afraid!