Big Block Intake, Hood Clearance For Engine Sbc> Bbc Engine Swap

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
Ever since I sold my 1971 Big Block roadster I have had an empty place in my heart and garage. Last week I was on Facebook and a picture of a corvette popped up on the marketplace. It was a nice red 1980 L48. The motor had stuck rings and smoked like a freight train. The interior needed workover, and the Red paint has a normal amount of clear coat peel.
I race on a fringe level and I'm around some killer engine combos. Everyone in the shop just assumed I would be putting an LS7 motor in it. I have access to some of the warrantee ones from years past. We get 900 hp from one of those on kill without any power adders. I just looked at the very wonderfully illustrated thread on here and an LS swap was just what everyone else's does, and I just couldn't bring myself to be normal.
Well in one corner of the shop a 454 HP block was setting very neglected just rusting up and a set of Dart oval port 310 cc iron heads were under the porting bench. I started out thinking a simple 454 builds until I started talking to my engine builder. He has provided me with 10,000 rpms small blocks other cool motors over the years and he is now in retirement mode. He does a lot of cool restoration engine builds as well as one-off Bonneville engines. He just finished a Big block build for an early Camaro. He then spent the next few hours planing out this build, informing me that by the time I bought pistons and worked a set of rods, plus turning the crank a 496 rotating assembly would be far more economical.

So here is the plan
A 496 big block, mild cam 10.2 to 1 compression, and a good set of Dart 310 cc oval port heads
I need a manifold that will fit under the hood. I think the 390 hp 454 aluminum anyone knows what will fit

I'm thinking a T56 not sure how long the rear will last with 550 hp and 650 lb-feet of torque

So here I go. Thoughts? The last pictures are what I would like it to appear under the hood


Need help on intake manifold , who has done this before , what fits


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what FITS depends on the hood used, and if your using oval or rectangle port heads,
if your set on using the stock hood your choices are very limited
the torquer II is rather popular mostly because it fits under a stock hood (OVAL PORT HEADS)
Edelbrock 5061: Torker II 2-0 Intake Manifold Big Block Chevy 396-502ci - Oval Port | JEGS
Buy Edelbrock 5061 at JEGS: Edelbrock Torker II 2-0 Intake Manifold Big Block Chevy 396-502ci - Oval Port. Guaranteed lowest price!
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www.jegs.com


there are L88 style hoods that give you a couple more inches of clearance
C3 Corvette 1968-1982 ACI L88 Design Hood | Corvette Mods


USE WITH the (RECTANGLE PORT HEADS)
1970 - 1971 Chevelle Intake Manifold, Big Block, Aluminum, GM 3963569
ORIGINAL1970 70 CHEVELLE LS-6 LS6 INTAKE MANIFOLD 3963569
clears
 
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