Thread: Gen 6 454 build

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Recently I was given a gen 6 454 and want to build it up without totally breaking the bank. any ideas for a good set up? Im new to the building of engines so all help is greatly appreciated!

........yep sure ......if you want a better answer ? you have to do better on your planes with it .whats a breaking your bank ? $ 1000. more less what ?? you do know they are roller engine and gaskets set cost more so a stock master kit could be 1000. easy

Its going to be a build that will be done as I have money... I want to build it right (power yet reliable) I dont exactly know what I am getting myself into because I am somewhat new to this. I just figured since i got the block for free and there arent any cracks or anything I would have a bit of a jump start. What is considered "average" for a build like this?

I dont exactly have a set budget because I dont know how long it will take to complete the whole thing. Im a college student so funds are tight which is why this build will be a slow build. I guess what Im getting at is what parts should I be looking at so I can get an idea of what is needed and costs for it. Like I said any help is good

Welcome to CHR!
The “easiest” way to do this would be to have Pat build you one – but you said you want to have a crack at it so you’ve come to the right place for help. Pat certainly is a fantastic resource with the finer points and you should take his advice as he’s been building reliable big block horsepower for a long time - McCarthy Performance / Racing Engines to 632+ Cubes

Staying within a reasonable budget when you're planning to build a big-block Chevy can be difficult. A set of aftermarket heads and a first-tier rod/piston/crank package can easily approach three grand. You can save a lot by starting with a good core motor. The better the core, the more original/existing parts you can recondition and reuse. For the most part, the stock big block components are just fine for just about anything you can do while staying naturally aspirated. So if you’re ready to disassemble, clean, and recondition most of the stock parts and use affordable aftermarket pieces where it makes sense you can reach your goal.

You said it’s a Gen VI block so that’s 1996 (Pat?) or newer Vortec truck engine. They came in various combinations; L29 is 454 inches plain Jane but it a roller motor. The L21 is a bit tamer in terms of claimed horsepower but it came with forged crank and poisons – a big plus for reuse. The L18 is “the redheaded stepchild” of the Gen VI blocks. It has a 4.3” bore and a 4.4” stroke for 496 cubic inches. There’s a ton of the L18’s out there as they were used in a lot of motor homes and rental trucks. Major differences - the L18 uses different heads - 18 bolts, and has a different firing order (1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3). So it’s important to know which Gen VI you have for head and cam selection.

Here’s my two cents on getting the short block built:
Buy a book or two on basic Chevy big block building - How to Rebuild Big-Block Chevy Engines: Tom Wilson: 9780895861757: Amazon.com: Books
If Tech chimes in he’s got some great suggestions. He’s also real good with DynoSim when it comes time for cam selection. Read the books and gather some good quality hand tools. You’ll need a decent 3/8” and 1/2” drive socket set and a set of combo open end-box wrenches 3/8” to ¾”. Good set of screw drivers, a ring compressor, ½” torque wrench, good set of Allen wrenches and a four castor engine stand. Don’t skimp on the tools but unless you plan on making your living building engines, they can be purchased from Harbor Freight, Lowes, Home Depot, Sears, etc. You don’t need Snap-On’s finest for your first build.

As you disassemble the engine, mark the main and rod caps – buy a set of letter/number stamps - Search results for: 'number stamp'
This will be 10 bucks well spent – believe me! Stamp the pieces in a manner that you’ll remember when reassembly time comes and then take a couple pictures.

Before you do anything else, find a good machine shop where you can talk to the technician who will be doing the work. I believe this is key to any successful build and I just really like to see where the work is being done and meet who’s going to do it. I personally would not have work done in a dumpy shop as I believe that the way a person keeps his or her work area as well as the way they treat their tools is indicative of how they will work on my stuff. I don’t necessarily mean the place has to be “clean-enough-to-eat-off-the-floor” however; I’m uncomfortable with deep grime and obviously abused tools.

That said – have the block cleaned and tested – no need to build a block that has cracks or cannot be squared. Have the machine shop install new cam bearings and new brass freeze plugs. Also have the machinist go over the location of all the galley plugs with you so you know where they are and that they have been properly installed. When you get the block back from the machine shop make sure you really scrub that baby down with hot soapy water. I like Dawn dish washing liquid and water straight from the bottom of the water heater. Put the block on the engine stand and dry with compressed air really well. Paint the inside of the engine with Glyptal (Yup – I do like that stuff Pat!). Its $50 a quart from Eastwood – buy the brush on and a quart will do the job real nice. Also paint the exterior at this time too. Let everything dry real well – at least 48 hours. I like to wipe each cylinder with a lint free rag soaked in Red Line oil.

Just before you clean the bare block run thread chasing taps through all the holes, especially those used to attach the heads. They can be all yucky, corroded, and filled with dried-out sealant left from the factory build. This will help you get accurate torque readings when you reassembling the motor.

Have your machinist press the pistons and rods together – it’s a bit tricky if you’ve not done it a lot and you need a press. Use lots of good assembly lube. Keep your hands really clean and wipe thing as you go (remember I told you to paint the engine? Lot’s easier to keep nice and clean with fresh paint inside and out!) Stop when you’re tired and write everything down as you go.

Use good bearings and rings (ask your machinist for his recommendation – buy from him if you like the price). Federal-Mogul makes pre-gapped moly piston rings and their bearings are high-quality and reasonably priced. I’d spend a bit of money here and use ARP studs to replace the factory bolts and I’d spring for a windage tray. Milodon makes a slick louvered unit that bolts right up.

As you put the crank in, coat each bearing shell and journal with assembly lube – I like Red Line but there are others (again, ask your machinist). This helps to prime the oil system and guard against scuffing the bearings at start up. Be real careful with the pistons – paying attention to order and use a piece of rubber hose on the cap bolts to prevent accidental scaring of the crankshaft. I lube all the “metal-to-metal” surfaces (pistons, rings, and cylinder walls) with Red Line oil (I have a pump oiler that I smashed the nozzle on and it sprays a nice wide mist pattern.). Even though you’ve got a roller motor, the contact between the cam lobe and lifter needs to be lubed real well. I use a gray moly assembly lube.

Milodon makes an engine fastener kit (about $170), which includes all of the fasteners that you need for the top (heads up) of the engine, i.e., head bolts, timing cover bolts, intake bolts, valve cover studs, harmonic balancer bolt, water pump bolts, header bolts, and carb studs. Also included are oil pan bolts, water neck bolts, fuel pump bolts, and distributor bolts. You may want to consider this as it complete and all new – no worry about quality or residual stretch from reuse.

Heads, cam, intake, carb – all subjective and if I were you, I’d get Pat’s take on quality components that won’t break the bank. Depending on the heads, they may clean up nice and serve you well – but we need to know what you’ve got, i.e., casting numbers. And remember, if you’ve got the L18 version of the Gen VI, you’ll need to make very careful choices.

Have fun and let us know how this plays out!
Glenn

I would 2nd Glen's reply to you. I myself built several small
blocks, but I think the big block was over my head, so I knew
what I wanted and let Pat build me one. Sure I could have ask lots
of questions about parts etc, but what about machine work. Unless
you know what you are doing, let a pro build it to last even if it means
saving up the money.

I appreciate it guys! As it comes together I will update things!