Thread: comment needed to build a 454

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Hi am new to this site, and i am new to big blocks. i worked with several engines in the past but never paid attention to the big block. i am currently building a 454 for a 1987 monte. i would like to build something that will get me in the low 12 and still be streetable. the block numbers are 40069286 head is 14092360 and crank is 353039. is this a good candidate the block is a short deck 454 with 4 bolt main. the crank is cast standard. i am unsure of the heads they are open, oval peanut heads.

i would like to use the standard crank and rods. i plan on polishing and weight reduction and shot peening.
i plan on boring the block 30 over and putting studs for the mains. i would like a cr of 10.5 to 11.0 to 1 ratio with the heads i decide on. i want to run on 93 octane. what do you guys think. is this a good setup to begin

Welcome. Nice to see another Floridian join the forum. I'll let some of the real engine experts on here help you with your build, but just wanted to say hi.


Don

thanks. i am almost in homestead(redlands). isee you have a few rods. my wife wants me to build a 32 or something like that. i have a 1986 taurua police car with ho 5.0 that i am saving for a donor to put in a rod. it would be here ride. i have an original 29 model a and the monte.

One of the best things you can do is to buy a book like this one:

http://www.themotorbookstore.com/bichenbuhowt.html

or this one:

http://www.themotorbookstore.com/big-block-chevy.html

Your head is an open-chambered truck head, oval port with 2.06/ 1.72 valves.

The crank is cast. Nothing wrong with that on a street motor, though.

The block number was misread or mistyped. It is 10069286. 1990-91 4-bolt main.

You can build a really good performance motor from this one, if it is in good shape internally. However, 10.5 - 11.0 compression will put you in Ping City.

Something around 9.6:1 (iron heads) or 10:1 (aluminum heads) can be run on 93 Octane. Be careful, though. Too many folks grab a huge cam and large port heads and end up with an engine that's not worth a crap on the street.

[QUOTE my wife wants me to build a 32 or something like that. it would be her ride. .[/QUOTE]


Where do you guys FIND THESE WOMEN??? Every woman I have been involved with had three names for my hot rods.........."that d*** car."


In fact, on my divorce papers where it normally lists "irreconcilable differences", mine reads "that d*** car."


Don

henry rifle you are right it is a 1 i hit 4 on error. i was looking for that book yesterday, i have the small block book actually i have a lot of small block books. 10:1 is good also i want a beastly street ride that is different that is why i am going with the big block. what is the deal on the heads are they worth it or should i find something else for heads. what is the CC's
my wife goes with the flow when she met me i was redoing 1969 z/28 racing a 69 plain jane, garage keeping my baby 1969 ss conv and driving 1991 camaro. here car broke down once and i told here she could drive the 1991 which was new and she was bragging that i let here drive the new car/ my buddy told here he would be impressed when i drive the conv camaro, well it is 15 years and she still has never drove the conv and i still have it. i bought that car in high school and i will probably die with it.

Shoot for 9.5/1 or so...a cast crank in a bbc is good for 600 hp, maybe more. I would not bother studding the block either, but that's just me. If it gives you more piece of mind, go for it. I would sell those heads if it were me. If you're going to the track with it, they will not do for a higher rpm engine. They pull really nice, but run out of steam at 4.5K, and they dont flow that well even up to there. They were make for a truck, lots of torque and low rpm. The good large oval ports are (last three numbers) 781's, 049's, there are a couple others. Closed chamber heads (also oval ports) are 063's, 215's, 290's. There are also others. Most of the open chamber heads have a large chamber, mayabe 119 to 122cc. To get decent c/r, you have to use a dome piston. If you use the closed chamber heads, cc's are generally 97 to 107cc or so...you can use a small dome piston, or flat tops and mill the heads a bit. There is lots of good big block info in here, just do a search for combo's that guys are running. I will send you a PM or email with my combo...it's bigger, but the basic build will be very similar for what you want. 12's are almost impossible NOT to do with a mild big block. John

Those peanut port heads are never going to be performance heads on a 454. You'll run out of RPMs. If you wan't to go to 10:1, aluminum heads would be in order. Perhaps the Edelbrock Performer RPM heads with matching intake and cam. Be prepared to spend some money. Building a BBC isn't cheap. I used iron open chamber heads, a Comp Cams 292H (If I remember correctly), 9.6 CR, Edelbrock dual plane with a Holley 800 DP. That's a mid-80's combo that may not be the best today, but it made my 30 A-bone sedan run like a scalded cat.

You might want to see if JohnnyO or Tech want to chime in. I've built a few big blocks, but I'm certainly no expert.

i was thinking of getting rid of the heads. i would like to see some big block combos and what is the popular trans. a friend of mine works at national cylinder heads i guess it is time to give him a call. ant particular year or just look for cast numbers. so you guys feel 10:1 is to much for the street. not a daily driver but i would like to get in it and do 300 mile cruise with out mixing

them small ports with a heavy car can run in the 10s so much for runing out of head?? not to say it would be cheap to use them they would need much head work . but some big Oport heads would help. i guess building more of them big blocks than most rules me out as a..... expert.... i build more of them on this boad than any one .

Pat, Im sure Henry just simply forgot that you are THE big block guy here Henry, now say you're sorry!!!

Indmachrep (what's ur name?), I dont think 10/1 is too much for the street, Im at 10/1 with no detonation problems. But people sometimes think that if 10/1 is good, they will make it 10.7/1...so I said 9.5. 10 is fine, others might disagree. You have to pay attention to what your dynamic c/r is when you know your whole combo, all the specs and measurements and all. After you decide what c/r you want, build and machine your block to that end. Make sure you know exactly what all the measurements are, cause you will need them to pick a cam. Make sure you cc the heads, or have that done for you. Dont guess at any of this, for it all makes a difference in your final outcome. I always pick my cam last, when I know what all the other stuff comes out to. As far as heads, Im only familiar with the mid to late 60's, up to the 80's heads...that's the ones I have worked with. As I said, the 781's are one of the best flowing 'as cast' head that GM has made. They were made for several years. The 049's are basically the same casting, but they were only made one year. Im not saying these are the only good ones, but they are the most popular. Pat is right on about the peanut ports, they can be made to work, but it's easier to just start with a head that's more performance oriented. Well, to me it is anyway. I use GM iron heads, 3964291..they are rect. port, closed chamber heads. I had them milled to 100cc chambers, and with flat top pistons, .005 deck, and 4.351 bore, Im right at 10/1. There is a lot of controversy and arguments about using rect. ports vs oval port heads...some say you cannot run rect. ports on a street car. I can prove that theory wrong, however I also have more cubes to support the larger intake runners. But the oval ports that you're talking about will work great for your combo. John

it all has to do with RPM i have used rect ports on the street closed and open chamber and i have ran the big O ports they both work. for small cid to396 -469 with the right cam and intake the Oports work very good . what you have to think of is what rpm do i want to run ? if for the street i would go to the o ports the engine will not just drop the car in the 11s it is much more than a engine but a marriage of parts that work good together . it helps if you can hook it up .this i know all to well

NOW WAIT A MINUTE!!!!! I am a 54 year old woman that owns and drives a 54 Chevy with a sbc. I am sticking up for ALL WOMEN out there with their own rides.
My hubby build a 460 for his 27 Roadster and pulls low 10's at the strip all day long. The engine came out of a wrecked 454 Suburban. Personally men working on cars is SEXY!!!
Good luck with your project.
JoAnne

Well, your hubby must be the sexiest guy around today, after the workout he got on your small block over the last week!! Sorry JoAnne, couldn't resist!! So, maybe you PLANTED that resistor in the HEI wire, so he would have to keep working, and you could keep looking!

HAS ANY ONE TRIED RUNNING A 4.125 stroke crank in a 454. is there any info on this type of stroker. i was looking at the cost of crank kits and they were not bad. i think the stroker with 30 over will give like a 496.