Old 454 Crate Motor Specs

[Schurkey]

Seeing how there's a mechanical fuel pump bolted to the block there's no way it could be a GenV.

The Gen V "Bowtie" block had fuel pump provisions, I think--but they wouldn't have used it for a crate engine.

SOME Gen VI blocks had fuel pump provisions--but not the ones installed on the vehicle assembly lines.

I'm still weirded out as to how GenV heads on a GenVI block are OK as vise versa is not so much from what I understand.

The incompatibility was in the block, not in the heads. The Gen V block was an engineering mess; which is why the Gen VI got the nickname "Gen Fix".

 

[Supercharged111]

The Gen V "Bowtie" block had fuel pump provisions, I think--but they wouldn't have used it for a crate engine.

SOME Gen VI blocks had fuel pump provisions--but not the ones installed on the vehicle assembly lines.




The incompatibility was in the block, not in the heads.

Ahh, well that makes sense. Seeing how this is a crate and not a production engine I wonder what other differences there are between it and the engine in my dually.

 

[Schurkey]

Obviously, the lack of a roller cam on the crate engine.

Probably no crank position sensor. No promises on what it's got for a timing set--single-row roller, double-row roller, "silent" chain.

And among the worst cylinder heads offered on BBC passenger-car or light trucks. (Some of the heavy truck/tall deck engines got small-block-size valve diameters.)

Guys have ported the "round-port" heads and made real power with them, but as-cast they're a restriction.

The Gen VI "swirl-port" heads are better as-cast, and of course have a modern combustion chamber. Even so, until they're ported they're "all done" at about 5K.

I pulled the crappy "round-port" heads off my boat engine, replaced them with L29 "Vortec" Gen VI heads, and gained about 200--300 rpm at WFO. Less than I expected, considering the round-ports had bad valves.

 

[Supercharged111]

I know these numbers are always a bit optimistic, but even at 400 crank I'd be pretty happy as I could spray my way higher.

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/en...s-to-add-more-power-your-mild-big-block-chevy

It really depends on what heads I can find cheap. I need to research old school casting numbers in case I stumble across some decent offerings. I also need to swing by my local machine shop of choice as he eats, sleeps, and breathes BBC and would certainly have valuable info and maybe even a set of heads on the shelf.

 

[b454rat]

049s and 781s are the best oval ports going. All I've ran, save for aluminum bowtie heads.

 

[Supercharged111]

My worry with old school stuff is spending most of the way to bowties on them.

 

[Schurkey]

The dividing line for me is whether they need guides and/or hardened exhaust seats.

I can grind valves, I can grind seats. My equipment is antique, I'll spend more time doing the work than a professional, and I might have to buy pilots if the guides aren't common-sized. But I can do that much work.

I can not install hardened seat inserts, and I can't do guides.

Too bad you're not near me. I've got a couple pair of 049s that I'm not likely to need--I've been robbing the rocker studs from them for other projects. Actually considered chaining one or two to my riding lawn mower for winter weight while pushing the snow-blower attachment. Decided that wasn't the best use of what are probably still good core heads. I think I've still got the heads that came off my boat; those were junk when they were new.

 

[b454rat]

My first big block was a 73 454 with the 049s. When i had the heads rebuilt, they already had the hardened seats. I think it's only earlier than that were hardened is needed....

 

[Supercharged111]

You're in MI aren't you Schurkey?

 

[454cid]

You're in MI aren't you Schurkey?

I'm in Michigan, I was thinking he's in Wisconsin but I don't know that for sure.

Where are you Suoercharged111? I have a set of the Vortec heads that I wouldn't mind selling, but I don't want to ship..... They're like 72lbs each.