Thread: 454 Build Up

Tweet

Ive got a gen 6 454 with the L29 heads. I plan on stroking the engine later on but for now my plans are to put in a comp cam XR282HR cam(230/236@.050/ .510/.510) air gap intake, holley 870 carb, with 2'' headers and dual exhaust. Ive got a th400 with an edge racing 3000 stall converter and 3.90 rear gear. Any idea what this motor will make as far as power using stock heads, bottom end etc. Compression will be 9:1. Also its going in a 88 RCSB truck full weight.
The head flow is .100 63/49 .200 121/91 .300 165/120 .400 198/133 .500 226/140 .600 242/142
Just wanting an idea of the truck will run for now.

Anyone have any suggestions???????

Not trying to be rude but at that weight and low compression its going to be a dog

Seems to me that no matter what you plan to do later, you need to lose the L29 heads immediately.
I'm sure even (ugh) Procomps would flow better than those.

I've got the same engine. I sold the heads as soon as I got them unbolted.

How about this for a setup. 489 stroker kit from scat around 10.1 CR, either afr 305 heads or trick flow 280 oval ports, custom cam with 240/246 @ .050 with .600/.600 lift, air gap intake, 870 carb. Exhaust will be long tube headers probably 1 3/4 with dual exhaust without cat. I want this to be a very streetable truck that I can run power brakes and not have to worry about idling in traffic since the truck will be 80% street and 20% track.

your not going to run that much cam @050 240/245 hyd roller with power brakes with out a vacuum pump watch the PCV may not work .i built many of the 489/496 this way with abit less cam and have low vac. i have cams in stock close to what your looking for no need for a custom grind . that are 585/585 242/250on108 and 627/627 238/246on112. this cam works nice but will need more stall621/621 246/250on 108. used them with with 4/7 swap i have the 627/627 238/246 on 112 in a 4/7 swap in a steel core

How much power/torque would this combo make. How big of a cam can I run with a vacuum pump and still have good idle and power brakes and how much more stall do I need.

if the heads your talking about are the vortec 96and 99 heads they are a good head and can be made to run just did a stock 99 vortec with vortec heads some small tricks i do in side the engine as i remachined the engine .customer came by .i took his truck for a ride runs good for what it is .trans was hitting to hard for me to get on it to hard i think line psi was to hi ? i have seen the peanut ports work good to for max TQ at low rpm it.s about what your you want out of the engine. i just did a set of the 454 vortecs that i cut out for bigger valves 2.250and 1880 and alot of bowl work on the tobin arp with custom cutters . this set of heads are going on a V drive boat in a 600 cid 11to1 with a tunnel ram small rollercam solid 680 or so lift this was the only heads he had at the time we are betting on great TQ numbers with killer mild range . we are taking bets on were the heads will nose over but with the right gear he will max the hull out before he gets to where the heads stop working .i would not pass by this head for a pro comp heads. a set of darts or afr yes

run a pump on the brakes and run any cam you want . i have run the numbers many time on the 238/246 cam .lest stall is mid 2000s.. this is what some of my mild street builds are base off of with 10.3 the cr heads intake carb. cfm . EX all add or sub the power and TQ and rpm range . so it power can be mid to hi 500 hp

You said the vortec heads can be used to run good. everyone ive talked with said they are crap just like the peanut ports. my heads came off a 1999 vortec 454 and i checked the casting number and they are vortecs. Id like for my truck to run high 11's to low 12's on motor at full weight. so whatever combo i need for that and still be streetable id like to do. i know of a guy with a ford 460 full weight truck at 4300lbs runs high 11's with mild cam and dove c heads with 9.5 CR. Id like to have something like that out of a 489 stroker. thanks for the info

vortecs have a big O port head and no ex cross over . the ex side is abit small but could be rework they will make a good heads i never said the best head ..i would say better then peanut port s i knew a guy that ran in the 10s with peanut ports they had some work done to them. so everyone tells you there junk then there right.... so i do not know any thing . i can tell you droping a 4000+ brick in to the hi 11s is going to take more then your thinking i know what that takes. and someone is pulling your leg 460 ford and dove c heads and a cam? no ..i think not ..someone is not telling you every thing

At this point for what you are trying to achieve, a hundred dollar investment in Desktop Dyno is cheap and could really help you out.

Better yet, run the Engine Analyzer Pro for a free ten day trial and see what different cam, heads, pistons do.
I ran this and found some really good info in different setups.

Engine Analyzer Pro

all that stuff is fine but 30 years of building bbc s 10+ of them a year i do know what work s on the street

Well in your opinion what would it take? Ive got a friend with an 85 chevy 454 with patriot freedom aluminum heads mild hydraulic flat tappet cam and he put down 380 to the wheels and runs mid 12's when he doesnt spin off the line. Id like to see high 11's at full weight and and i figure if i can put down at least 480 to the wheels its possible so i need between 570-585 flywheel assuming 20% drivetrain loss.

well it going to take 570to 580 the more the better . like you said but better then 1 1/5 sec takes alot of money just talk to any one tring to get there . its not just engine you will need to get it to hook more power... harder to hook... . this post started out as what to get my truck running? on the street now your taking a hell of alot more of every thing i would be looking at a RHS head best bang for the buck or AFR s .the pro filers may work good then there is Dart i use alot of there stuff .i just got back from the shop plate honing a street truck 568.i was looking at all them heads for this build as we have to hold it down on the $$ and the most head for the money was RHS