Caddy build??
 

There was a time when guys where using the 500 ci Caddy engines.It is a easy 600lbs of torque,but really couldn't rev much above 4,000 rpm without spending serious money on the heads/valve train.

Popular American V8 Engine Dimensions


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Some guys took the 10 : 1 472's and 500 and just put them into smaller body cars without and internal mod's.

I wouldn't say "easy 600", some folks take advertised hp and torque claims waaaaay too literally. The factory ratings for the 68-70 472/500 were 375-400 hp and 525-550 torque when in fact most Cadillac performance experts will tell you that these ratings were grosley overrated.

I just dyno'd my BUILT 507" Cadillac, forged rods w/ ARP cap screw bolts, ported large valve heads...but still 8.7:1 comp., 230/238 dur. 540 lift cam, single plain intake/780 QFT carb, shaft mounted roller rockers....blah blah.

It made 535 ft. lbs @ 4300 and 466 hp @ 5000. I was very pleased with the results for the 8.7 comp. ratio and it made huge amounts of torque right off idle. Here's a few pics, the red line on chart is the torque curve....which really doesn't curve:D

Flat as a table, you can't argue with that. Nice work!

Being cut from a different cloth myself I really admire the caddilac stump busters,,,I know there is a big bug eye'd price to pay $$$ vs BBC but who's counting?

327 what did your engine like (dyno wise) for carb & at what jetting etc worked best?

Take into consideration that this engine was built for reliabilty and decent street manners in a glass '32 Ford Victoria....hence keeping it at 8.7 compression so it can run on 87 if need be. We ran 89 during the dyno pulls and it purred like a TIGER.

The carb is a stock 780 Quick Fuel Technologies elec. choke/vac. secs. that came with 72/84 jets. After a couple of pulls we found it to be a little fat so we installed 70/82 jets and it ran better, still a wee bit fat but thats ok, don't want to lean it out too much. the timing started at a recommended 36 deg. but we ended up with peak power at 30 degs. and it started a lot easier.

As far as money to build it, I could have gotten away a lot cheaper with stock rods, valve train and an Edelbrock 2115 intake.....but if I wanted to twist it a bit I needed better parts. The shaft mounted roller rockers were $475, the intake was $450 and the new PEP forged rods w/ ARP cap screw bolts were a deal at $220 but I ground and polished the beams and even being that they were new I still had them mag'd, rebuilt and shot peened for $125....now I know they will be plenty strong. All together I have about $6700 in the engine including the orig. cost. For the kind of reliable low rpm power it developes I think it's very reasonable price to pay....and it's not a crate motor, I built it myself, VERY satisfying.

Here's a few pics during the build and then resting comfortably back in the chassis after the dyno session.

Nice, what spring in the vac secondary? is the thing pulling good vacuum at around 2500 steady rpm?

I have no clue which spring is in there, I'll have to wait till I get it on the road to see how the secondaries come in, which won't be very often. The dyno showed 10" of vac. @ 850 rpm and 14" @ 2000. Should work my power brakes just fine. The car will only weigh about 2800 lbs, has 4 piston Wilwood's on the front and Explorer disc's on the rear.

Nice and flat like a table is something i wish i could build. if i had that oppurtunity, id forget about the sbc! maybe one day i will. nice color, that white block is unique, makes it stand out as clean and developed as to a virgin hotrodders eyes. Could you let me see the link to your ford victoria build?

nice...
no need for 4:11's with that torque

we put one in a poor mid 80's olds with 2:14 rear gears.. talk about top end..

UHHHH it's not white, the color is called Cummins Beige, actually light tan. I've got 2 extra sets of 9" gears, a 2.75 and a 3.00 which I think I will use first. With the th400 and a 29.5" tire the calculator shows the rpm of 2433 @ 70 mph, the 2.75's would be 2200. Some of the Cadillac forum "experts" think the engine would be happy at the 2433 mark. Hard to tell, I really think it would pull the 2.75's in this light car just fine.

May the Gods of Hot Rodding provide you and your Caddy sunshine for all the days of your life. You Sir,are what makes Hot Rodding what it is.:thumbup:

WOW!!! now that was the ultimate attaboy....thanks 1Gary. I'm sure I will have mooocho enjoyment driving this hot rod.

Im sorry about that. im not an expert on colors LOL. nice color is what i really meant, complements the engine

caddy torque
 

I have a stock 472 on my saw mill, A friends Dad always ran caddy engines on his Mills , and said the best low cost engine for cutting logs, won't bog when you hit a hard spot in hardwood logs. It did get a good workout when cutting some big western junipers a couple years ago.