[against all odds]

Feel free to criticize, condemn, augment, replace, suggest alternatives etc:


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[66GMC]

Chevy High Performance Magazine article: Make Big Power for Little Money

[against all odds]

Thanks, i guess my real question is: Can i take a stock big block from out of say a 1-ton crew cab (they are very cheap these days---like under 2K) and do that---plop a 6-71 on top and earn my pilot's licence?

Will a stock 1985 454 big block out of a truck with stock internals withstand 700hp on a reasonable indefinite basis or are we gambling here?

a) the block itself?

b) the block with forged internals?

Remember, we can get a brand new block capable of withstanding 700hp for about $1600. If i do the same reciepe with iron heads then the total cost might be around $6000 with all new parts.

[matts37chev]

what are you doing with 700HP?

[1971BB427]

Originally Posted by matts37chev

what are you doing with 700HP?

That's really the best question!
Once you get to 700hp, what else do you plan to change to make the drivetrain handle that power, and get it hooked up to the ground. And then where can you use 700hp? If it's at the strip, then I'd suggest going with something more than an average block to start with, unless you plan to do all it takes to make 700hp, and run it hard down the strip.

[against all odds]

Oh, just racing.

[matts37chev]

Originally Posted by against all odds

Oh, just racing.

OK, just wanted to make sure

[66GMC]

My 454 came out of a 1979 C20 3+3 "Camper Special".
I paid $500.00 for the whole truck, and looked at it as a "running core".

When I stripped the engine down, I was a little dissapointed to discover that it was only a 2-bolt main block.

The harmonic balancer was seperated to the point of almost falling off, and the threads in the front of the crank were stripped out as well. At that point, the crank became a throw-away for me, and I loaded it up to have the machine shop evaluate the rest of the engine. (Magnaflux, etc)

When I got the "thumbs up" report on the block, I explained what I had in mind ... a "1 HP per cubic inch" street/occasional strip engine with a possible blower upgrade in the future. (More for "show" than "go")

The machine shop explained the "peanut port" cylinder head situation, and suggested a set of 781's. He said that the taper was marginal, and recommended boring. We ordered a brand new Scat 9000 series cast crank, ARP bolts, and a set of .030 forged flat-top pistons.

He said that the 2-bolt main wouldn't be a problem, and that he would guarantee the balanced block to 7,000 RPM. Good enough for me!

That's why I felt pretty good after reading the magazine article that I posted. Really good, actually, when I thought about the underdriven version.

[68NovaSS]

I edited post #1 in error, it appeared to be a classified.

[against all odds]

So anyways, to reiterate:

We can get a new block for $1685 incl shipping. This is a brand new production block rated at 700hp. #19170538

2) complete ALL FORGED rotating assembly from SCAT for about $1583 incl shipping. #1-42005

3) Cam bearings and roller cam kit about $700

So, the gist of the shortblock is about $3800.

These are from summitt. Maybe the dealer might be cheaper on the block.

If i did get a 1 ton/ crewcab/3/4 ton for cheap (and for some reason they ARE cheap) i would not want to run it around with the big-block for very long anyways due to low mpg and would replace with small block or diesel---what better thing to do with the engine then experiment with it?

How long would a stock 454 last at 600-800 hp? i guess there's only one real way to find out......

[matts37chev]

a stock block with new forged internals can go 500-600hp in a cruiser/weekend toy
if you plan on making 700+hp and then just thrash it every time its run (read race car)
I would recommend the better block

[35WINDOW]

Here might be a better way-

http://www.vortecproperformance.com/...binations.html

[1971BB427]

How long any engine lasts depends on how it's built and how hard you thrash it. Even the best built engines can e destroyed by a missed shift, or an owner who likes all his driving done really hard.
I've got 165,000 miles on my 427 and it's been freshened up once, and totally rebbuilt once. 16 yrs. of racing it 1/4 mile at a time. Never ran it over 6,000 rpm's, and it's been extremely reliable. I give credit to Chevrolet for building it right the first time, and to myself and the machine shop on #2 build.

[ChevyTruckGuy]

Powerblock did a whole show on Extreme 4x4 and the LS motor combo and my money is on a all cast lq9 truck motor! Same as an LS just all cast, you can get that 700hp will just a few changes! about 2000 bucks so I say that the best bange for your buck!!