cheaper 454 chevy build

grumpyvette

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http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/cc ... index.html

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/cc ... index.html

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/cc ... index.html

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/14 ... _for_4000/

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/14 ... or_jr.html

http://www.dragzine.com/tech-stories/engine/ultimate-guide-to-budget-bbc-cylinder-heads-under-2000/

https://www.chevydiy.com/oil-lubrication-systems-guide-big-block-chevy-engines/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/on-my-3rd-rear-main-seal-bbc.11084/

theres some decent info on making 450 hp with peanut port heads
BTW DON,T FORGET TO USE A LARGER CAPACITY BAFFLED OIL PAN,the stock oil pans on most peanut port head engines are barely adequate
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=2900&p=44642&hilit=peanut+port#p44642

FINDING A DECENT BBC CAM ON A TIGHT LSA CAN BE A PROBLEM AT TIMES< HERES A FEW
http://www.claysmithcams.com/big-block-chevy-11/

0704ch_17_z+chevy_big_block.jpg

mark iv blocks
mrkiv.jpg

mark v blocks
markv.jpg

(keep in mind that ALL '91 and later Gen.V and Gen.VI big blocks come with 4-bolt main caps. The two-bolt big blocks are no longer in production
MANY BUT NOT ALL aftermarket head designs have been modified to work on both the early MARK IV 1965-90 and later MARK V & VI blocks 1991-later.)

BTW, , on BIG BLOCKS the oil pumps and oil filter adapters are different due to the block oil filter recess and rear seals being different
GEN 4 or MARK IV
bbcmk4.jpg


GEN V and VI
bbcmkv.jpg

http://scatcrankshafts.com/
0704ch_15_z+chevy_big_blocka.jpg

common BB CHEVY piston compression heights are
1.270"
1.395"
1.520"
1.645"
1.765"
remember the blocks deck height, minus the piston pin height minus 1/2 the crank stroke will equal the required connecting rod length
OR
the blocks deck height, minus the connecting rod length, minus 1/2 the crank stroke. will equal the required piston pin height
yes its common for a combo to have the piston deck height located .010-.015 above or below the deck of the block so you'll need to select a head gasket thickness that compensates, too allow your engine to get a .038-.044 piston deck to cylinder head QUENCH DISTANCE.


btw the most horse power per dollar spend, in an old school big block engine ,
is generally available from a 540 cubic inch combo, (4.25" stroke and 4.5" bore) and about a 13.5:1 compression ratio BBC,
with a individual runner 8 stack FUEL INJECTION intake OR DUAL QUAD TUNNEL RAM COMBO,
its rather easy to get 650-700 hp and 700 ft lbs of torque from a decent combo,
you'll want a decent roller cam with maybe 25-258 degrees at .050 lift duration and maybe a .650-.680- lift and 1.7:1- 1.8:1 ratio roller rockers
if you select decent approximately sized 335cc-340cc-355cc port aluminum heads ,
and 2.25" headers with about a 33-36" primary and an approximately a 18"-20" long and 3.5"-4" diameter collector.
yeah, exceptionally well tunned combos with good matched parts frequently can exceed that power level, but thats the base line to shoot for
 
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http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/ccr ... lar-build/

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/ccr ... ld-part-2/

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/suc ... ing-cents/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/picking-a-cam-for-street-strip-496-bbc.13384/



http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine...power-on-a-junkyard-454-with-simple-cam-swap/

FINDING A DECENT BBC CAM ON A TIGHT LSA CAN BE A PROBLEM AT TIMES< HERES A FEW
http://www.claysmithcams.com/big-block-chevy-11/
http://rehermorrison.com/product/wet-sump-system/
http://aviaid.com/shopsite_sc/store/htm ... s_bbc.html



SHOP CAREFULLY , WHEN YOU GO TO BUY AN OIL PAN<AND ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WILL FIT YOUR CAR CORRECTLY AND ASK FOR SUGGESTIONS ON MATCHING COMPONENTS OR PARTS THAT WON,T FIT

MILODON,
http://www.milodon.com/

CHAMP
http://www.champpans.com/products/c/oil-pans/

CANTON,
https://www.cantonracingproducts.com/category/1501/Chevy-SS--Road-Race-Oil-Pans/1.html

MOROSO
http://www.moroso.com/

AVIAID
http://aviaid.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/ws_oilpns_sbc.html

STEFS

http://www.stefs.com/products/oilpans/circletrackwetsump.htm

HAMBURGERPERFORMANCE
http://www.hamburgersperformance.com/

KEVKO
https://kevko.myshopify.com/

bbcoilpan1.png

http://www.kevkoracing.com/wetsump_chevy.htm

1092BB_full.gif


Id bet the VAST majority of the people I talk too, about upgrading the car they haves power, would like to build a much better engine than they can afford to pay for so most of us are forced to assemble parts slowly due to budget concerns or just basically live with what we can afford, currently. this does not mean you can,t increase performance, on a limited budget, it just means you need to think things thru and do what your skill level and budget will support., but you probably will be restricted to the less expensive options, or projects you can do with minimal expensive tools and having the car laid up for more than a week-end in most cases.or you can go the more efficient route of continuing to drive the current car while you build a second spare engine or work on a second project car.
I recently helped Jack do a quick port and bowl clean-up on a set of older chevy cylinder heads then we dropped them off at a local machine shop for a multi angle valve job, I went to the shop to pick up the heads with Jack and after a good cleaning and the valve job, they looked rather impressive , we installed them on his early chevy truck and with no other changes he swears it runs like a totally new engine thats picked up noticeably in power and the total cash out lay was less than $430, total,the cost for the cylinder heads to have the valve job done was $260 the rest was gaskets and carbide burrs etc. but both of us think it was money well spent. Ive spend a week end doing similar port and bowl clean-up work on a set of peanut port big block heads, and port matching an after market aluminum intake and had similar noticeable drivers seat dyno results
.
 
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http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/engine ... ead-build/
one factor I've always seen brought up is that, (and its repeated endlessly like it was written in granite by the finger of GOD!) "its generally cheaper to build a SBC than a BBC engine" well that obviously is not always true for a dozen reasons, and the larger displacement and better flowing stock BBC cylinder heads do have advantages that should not be over looked. but lets say we want to build a decent 450hp-500 hp engine , now either engine family can rather easily reach that power range but if we build your average SBC, it will more than likely be a 350-406 and it will usually require decent aftermarket heads, as most stock heads , without port work,will have a hard time flowing enough air to support 450 plus hp and a careful selection of parts, to support that flow rate, while even the worst peanut port big block heads on a 396-454 bbc can, with careful port and bowl clean-up work support a 450-500hp engine build. and the most common displacement I find in most big block engines is at least the 427, but by far the more common 454, which will generally have dismally low compression, but there are relatively in-expensive replacement pistons and rods available and even the stock cast big block crank and block easily support that intended power range.
find a decent dome piston that gets the heads you have up into the 9.7:1-10.5:1 compression range , add a decent cam with a 225-235 duration @.050 lift , and match them to get a dynamic compression of about 8:1, get the drive train to match,a swap meet intake and carb, and headers and most 454 engines with almost any stock cylinder head will make 450 hp or better.
now the question is frequently, where do I get a big block engine, and the answer is frequently old motor homes and trucks, and cars you find that are basically rusted out older station wagons pick-ups etc. Ive found big blocks in salvage yards but they tend to bring top dollar, while an old non-running motor home can at times be purchased dirt cheap! ask around and check CRAIGS LIST AND BARGAIN TRADER and ask at car lots that specialize in older cars , ask about non-runners
heads2.jpg

bbcgasketma.png


There are gaskets made specifically for this swap. Use other gaskets at you're own risk- these are what you want (from a V/R press release, presumably prior to the Gen 6 engine release):

General Motors 7.4L Head Gasket
Issue:

General Motors (GM) 7.4L (454 CID) engines use two types of engine blocks: the Mark IV and Mark V. The Mark IV is found on 7.4L engines in model years from 1965 to 1990, and the Mark V is found on 7.4L engines in model years from 1991 and newer.

Often, installers will attempt to adapt a Mark IVcylinder head for a Mark V block. This conversion can be made if attention is paid to the coolant circulation. Mark IV and Mark V have different coolant flows and were originally designed for different head gaskets. If the conversion is not performed correctly, the engine will overheat, causing premature engine wear and damage.

Resolution:
Victor Reinz has designed two Nitroseal® head gaskets to specifically allow for this conversion. The installation requires Victor Reinz part number 4918 be installed on the right cylinder bank to maintain proper coolant circulation, and part number 4923 to be installed on the left cylinder bank for the correct coolant flow.

Application:
Victor Reinz part numbers 4918(right bank) and 4923 (left bank) are available for GM 7.4L (454 CID)
engines.
peanutport.jpg

look at the picture above the rectangle port gasket swallows the peanut port head port size but you can easily see the old sealant on the head surface where a previous standard oval port gasket was used
http://www.csgnetwork.com/compcalc.html

http://www.flatlanderracing.com/

http://www.summitracing.com/search?Page ... 20assembly

http://www.skipwhiteperformance.com/det ... 20100%2020

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/power-from-a-stock-454.16370/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/can-t-find-matching-pistons.14206/

throw a cam like this,(crower cam below) in a 10.5:1 compression 454, with average oval port heads ,with adjustable rockers and the required clearance, and valve train springs to handle it,match it with a good intake, like the edelbrock air gap,750 cfm carb and headers,low restriction exhaust, and a manual trans , or an automatic with a 2800rpm-3000rpm stall converter,with something like 3.45:1- 3.73:1 rear gears and you get decent power for your average camaro or nova muscle car, remember its a balance your after in a street car engine where your looking for impressive performance but durability, and low operational cost and easy maintenance, is the key you build for.
http://www.crower.com/camshafts/chevy-3 ... -5753.html
 
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If you still want to build a SBC theres a ton of info in the links on the site, heres a few to get you started

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=10705&p=46737&hilit=what+makes+good+engine#p46737

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=519&p=644#p644

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=9930

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=3814

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=10710

but after decades of building both engine designs I can assure you that a carefully built BBC engine can be built at reasonable cost to performance and the advantages of the better heads, larger displacement, stronger OEM components all come into play and Id build a 454-496 if given the choice, so heres a few links to get you started on that route!

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=5123

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=2165

viewtopic.php?f=87&t=951&p=1627&hilit=+block+compare+heads#p1627

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=10181

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=8383

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=8807

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=1420

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=6125

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=3153

viewtopic.php?f=69&t=9752
 
i admit that i did not read about 25% of the threads that you linked to in this thread grumpy, but i have pretty easy question (i think)... can the crank from the later 496 big blocks out of trucks be used in the early 454's as a bdget stroker of sorts? or are the mark IV and mark VI bocks different in that way?
 
IF I could afford it I'b buy every darn 8.1 ltr big block I could get my hands on while they are available,
and advise anyone that has a deal on one or more not to pass on the option to grab one,
they have a great deal of potential., especially is a centrifugal supercharger is used
 
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yea i dont think enough attention is paid to those motors... we probably should take the time to buy a few and stash em on pallets in he rafters of the shop for a "rainy day"
 
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