Thread: I Need Lots of Tall Deck BBC Info

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I'm new here. Congrats on a great board. I've learned a lot in the few days I've been reading posts, so I figured this would be the best place to get some much needed info.

I have a new in the crate 427 tall deck BBC. I bought it for $1000 bucks from the service manager of a local GM dealership.

First, did I get a good deal?
I have read that you can bore and stroke these things to big cubes.
Some say you can bore them to 4.5 and others say 4.375.
Which is right?
I am pretty sure the upper limit of the stroke is 4.5 inches.
Who makes the best affordable stroker crank?

If I install a stroker crank can I use the stock rods and pistons?
What is the length of the stock rods?

I know the tall deck pistons have a long skirt to fit 4 rings, but other than that are they the same as any other BBC piston?
Can I swap in a set of normal BBC pistons without a problem?

Any help you guys could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Dusty

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Originally Posted by dusty1025

I'm new here. Congrats on a great board. I've learned a lot in the few days I've been reading posts, so I figured this would be the best place to get some much needed info.

I have a new in the crate 427 tall deck BBC. I bought it for $1000 bucks from the service manager of a local GM dealership.

First, did I get a good deal?
I have read that you can bore and stroke these things to big cubes.
Some say you can bore them to 4.5 and others say 4.375.
Which is right?
I am pretty sure the upper limit of the stroke is 4.5 inches.
Who makes the best affordable stroker crank?

If I install a stroker crank can I use the stock rods and pistons?
What is the length of the stock rods?

I know the tall deck pistons have a long skirt to fit 4 rings, but other than that are they the same as any other BBC piston?
Can I swap in a set of normal BBC pistons without a problem?

Any help you guys could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Dusty

I just got done building a 535 with the tall deck block.Bore 4.350 X stroke 4.500.The biggest problem he is having is the exhaust.With the .400 higher deck height it puts the exhaust right on his floor boards.Yes,it is hot.The engine has CNC ported 315 AFR heads,Lunati hyd. roller cam,dish pistons runs on pump gas,Victor with a 1050 Holley,a plate of n20.The engine pulls hard to around 6,200 has un-godly amount of torque.
The engine is in a early 70's Nova min-tubs with a 4.10 gear in a ford 9 inch and a 4,000 stall.He has tied the frame together.He The car looks like total crap.You could throw a cat though the rear fenders.We did have some fun.Some young guy in a newer Ford mustang pulled up next to us and wanted to run.He starts going off about about all the mods. he has done and says 'I can't hook it up let's go from a rolling 30 mph.Of course the driver of the car I am in thinks this great.I tell the kid "Just wave when you are ready"
So he waves and jumps ahead by 2 car lenghts.We caught him by 50 mph or so and we stoped when we hit 70 maybe 75.Later that day he tried it with the n20 on.It felt like I got hit in the head with a brick.I might just be getting old.I don't really like street racing.So kids don't try this on the street's take it to the track.

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Thanks for the info guys. This really helps me out. Forgive my ignorance pat but you said i could use a shelf piston in a "srp -je" I don't know what that means.

Also, is there any advantage to using a 6.800 rod over the 6.535 rod. Will it develop more torque with the slightly longer rod?

I bought the engine as a complete long block, Are the stock heads (oval port with big chambers) a waste of time or is there anything I can do to them to make them perform OK. I'm planning on 450-500 hp for regular street use.

I'm planning on a 4.5 inch crank and H-Beam rods from Ohio Crankshaft. They are the cheapest I've found, but I've never heard anything about the quality of their products. Any opinions?

How well do the intake manifold spacers work? should I Just buy a tall deck manifold or do the spacers work without too much headache.

Thanks again guys, I'm learning alot reading your old posts. I appreciate all of your input.

Another of many questions.
How much power is gained through a full roller set-up (cam, lifters, rockers etc.) This is something I'm considering, but is more expensive than I thought. Is it worth it?

Originally Posted by dusty1025

Thanks for the info guys. This really helps me out. Forgive my ignorance pat but you said i could use a shelf piston in a "srp -je" I don't know what that means.

Also, is there any advantage to using a 6.800 rod over the 6.535 rod. Will it develop more torque with the slightly longer rod?

I bought the engine as a complete long block, Are the stock heads (oval port with big chambers) a waste of time or is there anything I can do to them to make them perform OK. I'm planning on 450-500 hp for regular street use.

I'm planning on a 4.5 inch crank and H-Beam rods from Ohio Crankshaft. They are the cheapest I've found, but I've never heard anything about the quality of their products. Any opinions?

How well do the intake manifold spacers work? should I Just buy a tall deck manifold or do the spacers work without too much headache.

Thanks again guys, I'm learning alot reading your old posts. I appreciate all of your input.

The 450 - 500 is very easy.The "shelf-pistons" means a piston in-stock and not-custom made.I like horsepower.I say sell your heads get some good alum. heads so you can make 600+ hp on pump gas.
Ohio cranks are o.k.The Eagle,Scat,Ohio,Cat are all imported cranks.
Don't worry you will never break one on the street.
I always try to run the longest rod possible to keep a good rod ratio in the engine.
We can talk about why you should run a long rod later on.
If you can afford to run a hyd. roller cam do it.This way you don't have to adust the valves.Yes they are more money.
Like I said before I like horsepower.I would run a tall deck intake with a single Dominator style carb.You will also have to run a distributor with a "slip-collar" because the block is .400 taller.
I am sorry if sounds like I have spent your money.
I just hate to see you waste that block on a 450-500 build.

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Post the casting numbers on the heads....they might be fine to use with a little work. The peanut ports were not used on all truck engines. Might as well save money where you can. A roller cam will make lots more power...not so much with the roller rockers. And no offense meant to Eric, but you do NOT have to adjust a solid lifter cam very often. Once they take a set, if you do it once a year, that's a lot. I do mine every spring when I take the car out for the season, and it really doesnt need any adjustment...I just do it because I want to make sure.

Originally Posted by 1JohnnyO

Post the casting numbers on the heads....they might be fine to use with a little work. The peanut ports were not used on all truck engines. Might as well save money where you can. A roller cam will make lots more power...not so much with the roller rockers. And no offense meant to Eric, but you do NOT have to adjust a solid lifter cam very often. Once they take a set, if you do it once a year, that's a lot. I do mine every spring when I take the car out for the season, and it really doesnt need any adjustment...I just do it because I want to make sure.

There is no way a stock head will supply enough air to an engine like this work.If he has a set of re-worked cast iron GM rec. ports it might work.It really depends on the cam.On a lower lift mech. you might get away with this once a year but if you have a roller cam with extreme spring pressure you will have to "run the valves" often.
Secondly why would you shove a roller cam in a block and "choke it down" with stock style heads?

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Pat, I dont know what heads, that's why I asked him to post the casting numbers. I agree, if they are the small ports, no way will they work. If they are large oval ports, the with a little work and bigger valves, they will be OK as long as Dusty isnt building an all out race engine. The bigger ports and valves will come to life at higher rpms, but in the event he's building a mostly street/HP engine, he doesnt have any real need for huge ports. That's all I was trying to get across. And as you said, you reach a point where the machine work isnt worth it, you can buy new better flowing heads for a little more.

There is no way a stock head will supply enough air to an engine like this work.If he has a set of re-worked cast iron GM rec. ports it might work.It really depends on the cam.On a lower lift mech. you might get away with this once a year but if you have a roller cam with extreme spring pressure you will have to "run the valves" often.
Secondly why would you shove a roller cam in a block and "choke it down" with stock style heads?

Eric, we're not talking about stock heads...I did say 'with some work'. I know of many guys with over 500 inch blocks, and yes, they're drag racing, using GM iron heads, and they're running in the 10's....that isnt too shabby. I happen to have the 291 rect. port heads on mine, and I dont have any lack of air flow at any rpm that I have run so far. My cam's lift is .655/.663, and as I said, I only do them once a year. I dont have crazy spring pressures, and I dont believe Dusty is looking for that either. And I guess I dont quite understand your last sentence...I didnt do that with my engine, and Im not proposing that Dusty do that either. As I said in a previous post, 'no offense to Eric' If you are ticked because I disagree with you on the lash adjustment, I apologize! But dont twist all that I said into something else. John

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Originally Posted by 1JohnnyO

Pat, I dont know what heads, that's why I asked him to post the casting numbers. I agree, if they are the small ports, no way will they work. If they are large oval ports, the with a little work and bigger valves, they will be OK as long as Dusty isnt building an all out race engine. The bigger ports and valves will come to life at higher rpms, but in the event he's building a mostly street/HP engine, he doesnt have any real need for huge ports. That's all I was trying to get across. And as you said, you reach a point where the machine work isnt worth it, you can buy new better flowing heads for a little more.

Eric, we're not talking about stock heads...I did say 'with some work'. I know of many guys with over 500 inch blocks, and yes, they're drag racing, using GM iron heads, and they're running in the 10's....that isnt too shabby. I happen to have the 291 rect. port heads on mine, and I dont have any lack of air flow at any rpm that I have run so far. My cam's lift is .655/.663, and as I said, I only do them once a year. I dont have crazy spring pressures, and I dont believe Dusty is looking for that either. And I guess I dont quite understand your last sentence...I didnt do that with my engine, and Im not proposing that Dusty do that either. As I said in a previous post, 'no offense to Eric' If you are ticked because I disagree with you on the lash adjustment, I apologize! But dont twist all that I said into something else. John

Well Dusty it seems we have a bit of disagreement here.
I have not gone to the strip for a few years but I have a hard time believing that there are many guys with over 500 inch blocks drag racing running GM iron heads.
Back in the 80's maybe, but most of the guys that I knew that could afford 500+ cubes also could afford good aftermarket aluminum heads.

No, not a disagreement Eric, just a difference of opinion. I have nothing against aluminum heads at all, but Im trying to keep Dusty's expenditures to a minimum...it's going to cost enough as it is. I guess I could have afforded aluminum heads a few times over, but I chose to put the money into other parts. My iron heads suit me just fine. If I were building a drag car, and was reaching for each 1/10 sec. Im sure I would be going about it differently. And I agree with you about how many guys are running iron heads...I'll bet it's not too many also...I just happen to know a few that do, and I guess I pay more attention to that, because you dont normally see that. So let's get Dusty set up and on the way. Pat, I think the 496 might suit him better too, but I believe he said he already scored the 427 tall deck block. John