[BandanaMask]

Hi All Seeing as this is my first post Just a quick introduction.
My name is Sam I'm a 22 year old welder/fitter living in Toronto Thanks for taking the time to read.

I'm a newer rodder I only have one successful mouse under my belt, It turned out really well but its kind of lacking in the balls department for me. its a Great motor and Im proud of it especially since it was a full rebuild but I want something meaner for my gen 2 maro this summer So I've decided to go for a rat and pull the 350 for another project i have lined up for the winter. I was hoping for some guides in the right direction Here are my goals

I'm aiming for a relatively streetable 454 in the 550+ hp/tq area
Low/mid end power band and i want to keep the redline at 5000

I want to just change the rings and bearings hone her up and leave the factory rotating assembly, is the 550tq area realistic with the factory assembly? Can i do this with some work done to factory heads and leaving the 8.4 compression? and putting the rest of my budget into proper valvetrain, carb, manifolds and electric fan/pump? also will the 2 bolt mains do for this or should I convert it to a 4 bolt.

Im willing to spend but The more I save here the more I have for the new front suspension rear end and driveshaft I'm gonna have to change on the car as well as a muncie that can handle 550+ ft/lbs
Thanks a Lot for reading -SS

[ap72]

For 550ftlbs with 454 cubes you're going to need good heads, good induction, good exhaust, and a good cam. None of it stock. You can use the stock pistons crank and rods but have good rings.

Most of the stock short block will work, most of the rest won't.

[cool rockin daddy]

Here you go, Sam. A nice little recipe that will get you where you want to go. http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...d/viewall.html

[vinniekq2]

This is what I had,for comparison purposes only.My set up was a lot less than 500 hp.I bought a 1980 camaro with a rebuilt basically stock 360 hp 454.I took the engine apart,balanced the engine,replaced the 3/8 rod bolts with ARP 3/8 bolts.It already had a 500 lift hydraulic cam the rest was stock.I also resurfaced the heads and decent valve grind.Installed performer intake and 830 holley to replace quadrajet and cast manifold.cost me $1700.oo mostly spent at machine shop. block was decked and squared.

With 3.36 gears,full exhaust and slicks the car ran 12.8.dropping the exhaust system the car ran 12.4.
Big change,,,changed out the performer for a victor oval port and the car ran 11.9!!!It only ran 111 miles pr hour so thats like 375 horse power.The car weighed almost 3700 pounds.when I bought the car it weighed 3915.All times were from mission raceway,BC.

[geezer69]

good luck with your 454. im doin one as well. my goal is 500 hp. im not a builder but i dont have to be. theres enough help on line for bout anyone to build one these days.from what ive learned its much cheaper to take a bb to 500 than a sb to the same power. the sb is cheaper up to a point but for our goals the bb is the way to go.i got lucky. my 454 complete was free.now another buddy has offered some good oval port heads. hummm. mine is gona be cheap. lol

[454C10]

111mph in a 4100lb car (car plus driver) is more like 440hp.

454's make 500 ftlbs of torque fairly easily (headers, intake, mild cam). 550 ftlbs can be done but it takes more compression or more cids. I say, be happy with 500 ftlbs or stroke it to a 496 to get the 550ftlbs.

Have you considered adding efi and a turbo to your current small block? If you add 7.5 psi of boost to a 350 it is like a making a 525 cid engine. 10 psi will be like 588 and 14.7 psi like a 700 cid. A couple of T3's from a 280zx turbo or from a first gen 300zx turbo can be had for cheap and will fit a street driven 350 perfectly.

[Mr. P-Body]

Considering the low RPM requirement (5,000), "oval" port heads are called for. We've had great performance from the '68-'69 396/427 "open chamber" oval port. I can't recall the number, but "290" comes to mind. One of you Chevy afficianados can correct me. It has the "good" chamber, unlike the later 402 and 454 stuff, and large enough runners to "feed" the longer stroke. Installing 2.19 and 1.88 valves makes a world of difference with the 454. A good bowl "blend" and you can make that 500 HP AND over 500 lb. ft. at or around 5,000.

Keep compression around 9:1. Use a good dual plane. Performer would be my "first choice". An 800 CFM Q-Jet properly calibrated is exactly what it needs. The cam should have about 224-230 degrees (@ .050) intake duration. Big blocks "like" a little more lift in proportion to the duration than a lot of other engines, so go with a cam grinder's design. I like Comp XE grinds. If your budget can stand it, solid roller is the "ultimate".

Of course, with a bigger budget, aftermarket heads can be much better. Keep runners fairly small. Rectangular ports tend to be "soft" on low-end power, NOT what you're asking for.

FWIW

Jim

[1971BB427]

My BBC is not 500 hp, but it's in the high 400's range. I'm running the old oval port heads with the heads ported and matched to the intake and exhaust. They've been reworked with SS valves and hardened seats.
Running TRW forged 9.5:1 pistons on a 427 bored .040", and a hydraulic flat tappet 284/284 530" lift cam, with 112 LSA. Intake is a early Torker and a 750 Holley vacuum secondary carb. A set of Doug Thorley headers with 2" primaries and 2.5" exhaust.
This engine dynos at around 465 hp, and 475 ft lbs torque. I'd think a similar built 454 would be over 500HP and easily over 500 ft lbs. torque.