[my87Z]

Originally Posted by BBCMudbogger

Forget a pump gas 540...... get a 454 put a boatlaod of compression to it with some dome pistons, some square port open chamber iron heads and a big roller cam......... and then try to get the car to hook ..... since it is just a drag race engine you will spend more money trying to make that power with pump gas. A stock steel crank and good rods will handle all you can throw at it with a good balance job.Pay attention to the valvetrain and spin it to 7500.Once you get used to it put a big old fogger on it. It will be fast and easy on your pocketbook. The look on your competition's face when they see your iron headed monster will be priceless and budget still intact.

i have to say that i have not seen too many, or any for that matter stock cast cranks and rods handling 700hp and turning 7500rpm on a regular, not GM cranks atleast i have seen some Ford and Mopar cranks doing that though. no one ever said anything about pump gas it's obviously not a street car and the extra money on the rotating assembly (540) will more than make up for it's self in cost when it comes to getting the 454 to make 700hp+ with the 540's additonal 86 cubes. as i menitoned before once you get over trying to make 1.5hp per cube you start spending some big bucks on parts the 454 option is just over 1.54hp per cube where as the 540 is 1.29hp per cube. and i serioulsy dont think i would try and do this with a cast crank stock or aftermarket.

[my87Z]

Originally Posted by Toofun Racing

I can spend 6000 but I can't spend 6000 all at once. One or two here one or two there. I think I may have a handle on a truck 502 with 20K miles is that a good starting point????

it should be, but i dont think i would use the stock rotating assembly. i would bore it to 4.500 and use a 4.250 forged crank to make the 540. on a decent rotating assembly and the machine work to the block and balancing you can expect to spend around 2500.00. find a set of used alm heads and have them cleaned up and rebuilt by a good performance shop, this should save you about 500-600 on the price for a brand new set. find a used rebuilt carb and intake, this should save you anther 300-400. right there you have saved 800-1000 so far. get an idea of exactly what motor you would like to build and then start looking for used parts off of one of the sites that i mentioned, if you ask i'm sure some others on here know of some other good sites to check out for used parts too.

[BBCMudbogger]

Originally Posted by my87Z

i have to say that i have not seen too many, or any for that matter stock cast cranks and rods handling 700hp and turning 7500rpm on a regular, not GM cranks atleast i have seen some Ford and Mopar cranks doing that though. no one ever said anything about pump gas it's obviously not a street car and the extra money on the rotating assembly (540) will more than make up for it's self in cost when it comes to getting the 454 to make 700hp+ with the 540's additonal 86 cubes. as i menitoned before once you get over trying to make 1.5hp per cube you start spending some big bucks on parts the 454 option is just over 1.54hp per cube where as the 540 is 1.29hp per cube. and i serioulsy dont think i would try and do this with a cast crank stock or aftermarket.

Not cast....factory steel...he's on a budget......I am pretty sure you can get 700hp out of a 14:1 454 for less than $9000 or whatever the 540 cost.

[my87Z]

Originally Posted by BBCMudbogger

Not cast....factory steel...he's on a budget......I am pretty sure you can get 700hp out of a 14:1 454 for less than $9000 or whatever the 540 cost.

oh for sure, but you dont have to spend $9000 on a 540 either, the only reason a 540 would cost more would be because you were buying a 502 block which shoudn't cost much more than a 454 block, maybe i can see you spending 50-100 more on it, and then the forged 4.250 crank which a budget freindly 4.250" forged crank can be had for 600-800.00

here are some prices straight out of comp products:

street/strip rotating assy cast steel crank, forged pistons, scat 4340 I beams
-pn SS468F 468cid = 1159.95
-pn SS540F 540cid = 1249.95 (now i didn't think they made 4.250 cast steel cranks though so this one is a little strange)

value series race assemblies, 5140/4130 froged crank, forged pisonts, scat 4340 I beams (they dont have the 454, only 496 and 540)
-pn BR540D 540cid = 1479.95

now for what i would actually use if i were building it

sportsman race assemblies, 4340 forged crank, forged pistons, 4340 H beams
-pn SR468D 468cid = 1699.95
-pn SR540D 540cid = 1729.95

neither of the 540 kits cost more than 100.00 more than the 454 counter part and all the clearancing that needs to be done can be done by him with a neumatic grinder. you might need a stroker pan and you would need some heads that flow a bit more but you wont spend that much more on a 540 than you would a 454, and the additional cost will more than make up for it's self

[ericnova72]

Originally Posted by Toofun Racing

I can spend 6000 but I can't spend 6000 all at once. One or two here one or two there. I think I may have a handle on a truck 502 with 20K miles is that a good starting point????

Good place to start, it will have a forged crank, decent rods and 4-bolt mains. Then follow BBCMudboggers idea, light pistons, ARP bolts, and spin it up good, it will live just fine. Cam it big, try to kill some low end torque as you will have more than 10.5" slicks will likely handle. Will go 9's easily in your light car.

No need to waste money on a rotating assembly when what is already there is a good starting point. Can the stock pistons and replace them with good light forgings- SRP, Mahle, Wiseco, Ross, etc. Even KB/ICON forged (NO HYPERS)

[my87Z]

Originally Posted by ericnova72

Good place to start, it will have a forged crank, decent rods and 4-bolt mains. Then follow BBCMudboggers idea, light pistons, ARP bolts, and spin it up good, it will live just fine. Cam it big, try to kill some low end torque as you will have more than 10.5" slicks will likely handle. Will go 9's easily in your light car.

No need to waste money on a rotating assembly when what is already there is a good starting point. Can the stock pistons and replace them with good light forgings- SRP, Mahle, Wiseco, Ross, etc. Even KB/ICON forged (NO HYPERS)

that's right i forgot that the 502 has a 5140 4.000" forged crank, they aren't quite as strong but like mentioned it will do