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mild street ss 454 truck what should i do next

20K views 177 replies 12 participants last post by  ss454lemy 
#1 ·
hey guys im back. cam break in was good. everything has gone smooth other than the 700r4 going out. i have th400 3800 stall going in. now this is my combo and id like to know whats holding me back and what i should go with.

Weiand inntake, hooker super comp headers, 049 heads milled .040 stock valves non ported, magnum 280 cam, Mallory distributor, have dished pistons if i has to guess id say 8.7to1 cr, quick fuel 600 cfm carb, tru dual 3 in with single chamber Flowmaster, stock ratio roller rockers stock springs and push rods. im looking for what i can change that would free up most power.

i know the carb is killing me. but how many ponies is it really killing???

will i gain so much with just a carb swap??

I'm looking at quick fuel 950 or holley dominator 1050 i don't want to over carb. but id like to get one big enough to grow in to. eventually id like the motor to end up either 468 or 489. but that's in the long run.

how much will i pick up dropping dome pistons on there?

I'm really looking for what can better my setup and not braking the bank i didn't think this motor was going to be dished pistons. i thought it would be flat tops. witch is what im used to in the LSx motors.. some one ran im guessing a computer dyno and it states 357hp @4500rpm 522tq @2500rpm i want my power lever at around 440 450 naturally aspirated.

these are my other options that id love to do. nitrous blower or turbo. in that same order is my interest.
 
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#3 ·
3800 stall behind a motor that's giving up at 4500-5000???? IMHO, that's too much stall. install a temp gauge for the tranny, just to keep an eye on the fluid temp. if it gets hot, you'll be pullin the tranny back out. a 2000-2500 should be plenty. are you running those stock valve springs just for the cam break in??? btw, glad to hear your cam break in went well. you should get the springs that comps recommend for that cam. see if you can find a cheap 3310 holley 750. you can always resale it if it doesn't work out. get a vacuum secondary spring kit, tune it and it'll work out just fine. I pulled a 3310 780 off a well built 460 that was shifted at 6000 everyday. it feed that big block fine, until the owner went blower, then he put a 1050 on it. you should find a 3310 on craigs list, $150-$250:thumbup:. take care, rick
 
#4 ·
i cant seem to find any on Craig's i have a 750 vac secondaries but it leaking fuel my uncle rebuilt it and still leaking. so i don't want to use that carb. i seen dominators for 450 on Craig's. i know the stall is a little high. i had that set up in my old ls1 set up. but that's what i got for now. its an FTI real tight nitrous converter it would foot brake about 3000 on my old set up. it was set up for a 300 shot 410 gear 3800 pound car 400 hp natural aspirated. they told me i should be good with the springs i have on it. im not sure if there stock the guy i bought the heads from told me he had a cam in the car when he pulled the heads. he pull them for aluminum ones. i rather have a manual instead of the vs.

will the carb free up some power?
how much you think its holding me back?
evryone has told me to run an 850 on the minimum.
truck feels good for a daily but id like to get the most of what i already have.
 
#6 ·
intake is fine everything else it fine?? carb is what holding me back right now?i really was looking in to a team g intake 4500 with a dominator or this would be to much? the weiand is ported to gaskets. oh something i left out ita actually a 462ci it was bored .040
 
#8 ·
Bigger carb would be fine....950....but you certainly don't need a Dominator, even if you build a 489. I don't know, but can you even get a Team G Dominator intake in Oval port?? I think the Dom stuff is all going to be Rectangle port.

Right now the stock heads with stock valve sizes and no porting are holding you back the most, and if the springs are stock they aren't going to work either, for long.

Starting from a poor base engine you have, and trying to upgrade one thing at a time is just going to be an endless frustrating hunt. It need heads, cam, pistons, intake, carb upgrades all at one time, as a cohesive matched plan, to ever see good results...otherwise every one at a time part upgrade is a compromise....not too big for today's set-up ends up too small for tomorrow's upgrade,.... or the next one,..... or the next.
 
#9 ·
what do u mean?? this motor was completely stock when i got it ur telling me i put together a poor build ?????? this is all the stuff that i have heard are the best for a street machine and ur telling me i have poor engine wow u just screwed me all up. like fore real! the motor is making more power by far i have done mostly everything everyone on here has told me exept the carb witch is what im looking to get. only thing people have told me that i did not do was port polish and valves. because its expensive to add all of that on these stock heads witch i think might be too much money to poor in to stock heads.
 
#11 ·
You can get a Team G for Oval port and a standard 4150 base Holley, but I don't know about a 4500 base and Oval port....Most times Dominator intakes are for BIG stuff with BIG rectangle port heads.

Engine you have is fine now, could have used head work to be better...but to try to add pistons means more involved work and machine costs, along with a different cam, which leads to needing bigger heads to get the most from it, which means bigger intake too....and then you are getting to the point stock crank and/or 2-bolt main caps aren't strong enough.

Do you see what I'm trying to say about trying to upgrade just one thing at a time....you will always be making a compromise with the next piece you add so as to not be too far out for the engine as is, and then said part won't be right for when you want to go bigger with some other part.

You would be better off to put a bigger carb on what you have...then plan to buy either another block and build a hot engine and swap it in, or buy a bunch of parts slowly over time but don't install them, wait until you have all the right parts to do one big upgrade on you existing block all at once - heads, cam, stroker crank, good rods, higher compression pistons, machine work for all of it..... and install it all at once.
 
#12 ·
so then that's what i saw 4150 oval port team g. this is a budget build and im hunting for 450 not going crazy with it and trying to get 700hp naturaly. im asking because my combo is not making what i would like. some guy trying to help me pout told me he would run my set up in sim 5 and the results were 357hp 522tq id like my hp to come up a bit more

WOULD YOU THINK that the carb change can give me a drastic change? i know the exhaust did. im trying to get in to the 400 hp i say this truck with 400hp and 100 shot would be a nice truck to scare some. thats all im asking for from these big 462ci. it was no problem getting there with my old ls don't understand these big low comp motors....

thanks for ur help so far
 
#13 ·
ss454,Ive answered already the questions you continue to ask.Eric just posted that you need everything to make a hot engine,,,and I told you the same thing on your last thread before.I told you that you could get over 300 plus CFM flow from your heads with port work and valves,,,
What did you do? you planed the heads?
I mentioned in this thread to buy an 850 HP custom built and that you would likely pick up 1/2 second in the 1/4, that 40 plus HP!!! same price for a 950(with in a few dollars) I use a 950 on my sbc.
the engine you have is low compression,flat tappet cam,and under carbed!

fix those 3 items for a decent street engine and the heads for a good street engine. Right now you have a great tow truck engine or tow vehicle engine.you left a 100 hp on the table
 
#14 ·
sorry i knew i had had the question answered but didn't remember where.

so... if im going to buy imma buy once and get the 950 quick fuel and go from there. for what i saw i would be better off getting some aluminum heads for the prices they were asking me to port polish and bigger valves. i didn't find anything under 1200 bucks i think i can find a set of aluminum ones at that price....
 
#16 ·
who's pat lol where do you recommend me to go for the carb then? i don't really buy from jegs i just look at the stuff i want and buy it at a shop by my house. that he let me kinda finance the parts. or pay lil by lil really good friend. 40 horse is good for me putt me real close to the 400 range. im sorry but i don't know for 800 bucks more i think its worth it for aluminum heads . i rather save some more cash and go that route. my shop guy has a set of square ports I'm not sure if there ported or not for 1200 bucks steel tho. i know everyone says these are the best for street.

so other than the carb whats holding me back is the heads?
and compression i was looking at the 288ar for further down the line when i go roller. and when i do that tear down i can hone and get some new pop up pistons making it a 468.
 
#18 ·
The last thing you need is cast iron square port heads. You have heads that can make well over 600 HP if prepped like you were told,by someone that knows what to do.or,,,
AFR BBC 290cc Oval Port fully CNC ported, Competition Package, completele w/ Hydraulic Roller Springs, 112cc Combustion Chambers $3,001.00
these heads are their second smallest and they are good to 700 plus HP.These are good for a 496 stroker.You dont need square port heads untill you step up to a 540.
 
#19 ·
so... ok lets say if i was to tear back down witch I'm not for a lil while but let say if i did. with the combo the way it is. leaving my bottom end the way it is porting and bigger valves will give me how much. like some one told me in another thread i don't want it to do the snowball effect and change my entire comb. i was going with a bigger cam and was advised not to i went with the smaller 280 magnum.

how would this combo work out for me? i was looking at some dome pistons put me at around 10.5to1 .060 over making it a 468 same heads with ported polished and bigger valves same headers same intake 950 carb and i was looking at the solid roller cams that what one of my uncles recommended he said to make good power u cant go wrong i looked at the 288ar cam
 
#20 ·
my uncle from prison told me to get me a cc290 cam he had in his 468 69 camaro but i cant seem to find it. i look it up and i get nothing. what i do see when i do look for it everything that comes out is solid roller he told me it was solid roller. so i started looking at these XR274R, XR286R,or XR292R if tear down again id do the port work and valves to the heads and go with a solid roller i know u have to adjust every now and then but that doesn't bother me. it will travel about 6 to 12 mile per day if that...
 
#21 ·
just looking to see the things i left on the table that i can fix without having to take the motor apart. for what u have told me i think ill be happy with the way it would end up with the new carb 40hp more would make a pretty good difference. i was asking to see if i did change the carb maybe a different intake would get me a little more. lets just say it makes 400 flat with a 100 shot should be good 470whp and god knows how much tq my parts guy told me to go with 150 shot nothing more nothing less.
 
#22 ·
The "CC290" cam is likely a Crane Cams grind, just off the top of my head.

You don't need a different intake until the heads are much better than they are now...the heads stock intake ports/valves are more restrictive than the intake is.

You could use the bigger carb now, and later on. So get that now.

The big block with cast pistons will handle 200 hp nitrous without a problem, but you need to have a separate electric fuel pump and fuel line for it. Don't try to run the engine and the nitrous off the same stock fuel line...it's just asking for trouble.

If you are going to tear it down far enough to bore it and install different pistons, that would be the time to do heads and cam change also. Doing just one of these at a time as you go is going to leave you with a dog of an engine until you get the last of the 3 steps done.

Put the bigger carb on, and a small nitrous kit, have fun with it for now while you collect up the parts to make the big changes to the engine. That would be my best advice.
 
#23 ·
200! hmmm :evil: lol yes they're cast in my last thread i posted the pistons i have but don't remember right now. im just trying to get the most out of the set up as it is for now until i get the chance to build a more stout combo.

thanks a'lot greatly appreciate the help.

so now that were at this how dose my future build sound??? and what power will i get out of it? if i stoke id like a 496 if not id be happy with a 468. iv herd these cranks holding on forever with rods and pistons . 650hp out of a nicely built 468is possible ? i will be running 93 pump gas...
 
#25 ·
ok sounds like a plan! I'm going to get the carb soon hopfully today. hope i get the power im looking for and be happy with it for a lil while. i ran a standalone low pressure system on my old ls1 t/a might just do the same here and thats it. 200 shot would do more than i want i think. to make this old truck stick with a 200 wont be easy. stroking is what gets in my way because of the price. my uncle was telling me to leave it stock stroke and go 100 over. but i don't know what it would make or if its even safe im not used to boring that much.
 
#31 ·
ill have to get a big k&n then leave that for a little show sbc 350 car im building...

Thats a do able thing with a small block and pump gas. A rat can make that power with the heads you have.If you looked at the heads I posted,you are looking way north,closer to 700 hp. Then you can consider the 335 heads and start looking at 800 hp, so as long as we talk crazy,how about 850 plus hp N.A. 588 cube rat on pump gas
you kind lost me there small block and rat talk and then went to 588. i don't want nothing over 500ci the truck is going to be daily driven. i don't want to use all of my toque to have to pull a gas station behind me. lol what heads did you post and where??? vinniekq2
 
#35 ·
sounds like a plan. i know im not going to get real high hp motor without spending some cash. im going to try to work wit what iv got. what im really going to change is the cam later on. port the heads do the valves and stuff like that spend my money wisely. some forged dome pistons to get the motor to about 10.5 to 1 compression.

10to1 468 with my heads ported and big valves. should be over 500 hp em i right ??
 
#38 ·
you can get flow numbers over 300 CFM on the 049 heads(no idea the costs in your area)
You can build 600 horse power with heads that flow over 300 cfm,,,with all the correct matching parts.
I do not recommend having 10.5:1 CR with cast iron heads,,,maybe 10:1 with a big juice roller
 
#40 ·
These would actually be a really good fit for you, 290 cc intake runners, large valves, a lot more flow, flow 300 cfm at .600" lift, and have 110 cc chambers. Should be a little more compression than your milled 049's.

Did you cc the 049's for chamber volume, or do you know how much was milled off??

These would be 60-70 hp better than what you have now.
 
#42 ·
I got the heads there eaten up pretty bad but the guy gave me a good deal so I took em. trying by to see If I can weld them up they have a small hole on exhaust side port.but have big valves so if I can save the can I use the valves ?? For my seel heads ? There 218 188 and have good springs and the also gave me a set of
Crane roller rockers now this is what I'm looking at is this good for my set up ?

Description: Steel mechanical roller
Duration @ .050": 266 intake/274 exhaust
Maximum lift w/1.7 rocker ratio: .714" intake/.714" exhaust
Lobe centerline: 112
Technical Notes: For ZZ572/720 engine.
 
#43 ·
That cam is way too big on duration for your current engine compression ratio, needs 12-1+ Compression to work well.

If the heads can be fixed by welding, they will need a valve job afterward, and possible deck machining to make them flat. Depending on where you are welding, it may be too close to the seat and need the valve seats removed before welding is done, then heads remachined, valve seats pressed back in, and valve job done.

Unless you are a very experienced TIG welder, don't even attempt to do this yourself, have a pro do it, someone who has done heads before and has a procedure down that he knows works. Let him make the decision if welding is worth doing, there may be other ports so thin as to be nearly broken through and need welding also.

The big valves and the rest of the parts could be put into your heads, and yours ported to fit them.

Just hope you didn't give too much for head castings that you may find out can't be saved without it costing more than they are worth.
 
#46 ·
One of my buddies woks for a machine she he told me it cold be fixed but I may not like the price or it might not be with it so we will see if anything I just upgrade mine and looke for a good nice solid roller cam for it
Big Block Chevy 1965-96
Lift: .639"/.646"
Duration: 274°/280°
Lobe Separation Angle: 110°
RPM Range: 2200-6200
 
#48 ·
with that cam and them aluminum heads should be a good combo? i was looking at that cam and this one if i put the pistons i can go with this one. make some more power with more compression.


Big Block Chevy 1965-96
Lift: .646"/.653"
Duration: 280°/286°
Lobe Separation Angle: 110°
RPM Range: 2500-6500
 
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