bout 260 hp

 

i was just wondering how much hp my motor stock should push. 454 oval port

Uhh... depends on a ton of factors. There were oval port BBCs that made as little as 190 hp and some that made 350+. If its the stock 85 big block, it was most likely a 215 hp version, 7.8:1 compression.

Care to share a few details?

 

Yes, fairly low hp due to a very small cam, restrictive intake, and restrictive exhaust. But the torque is pretty good at extremely low rpms which makes it seem more powerful than it is.

Nothing a mild cam, intake, carb, and a set of header won't fix. On an otherwise stock low compression 454 engine, 325hp+ and 450 ftlbs+ can be obtained with a few bolts-ons.

I have seen dyno results showing 345hp and 490 ftlbs from a 7.5:1 cr 454 with a tiny 202/210 flat hydro cam, headers, rpm intake, and 750 holley.

 

Depends on the year. My 1978 454 (has 781 heads on it) was rated 240hp and 370 ft lb.

 

What are the casting numbers of the heads? If they're the small oval port heads (aka "peanut port"), they suck for anything much over 4000 RPM unless ported and valved. Not even worth the work, IMO. AFAIK, no intakes were made just for them either, except OEM Q-Jet cast iron.

Supposedly Weiand makes one "peanut port" manifold, the #8017 Action Plus. Has a spread bore flange. Whether or not it's actually a PP intake or one like the Eddy Performer 2-O, I'm not sure.

 

Help Needed 85 454

I have an 85 454 out of a suburban I plan to use in my Studebaker project.
It has cast iron rectangular port heads and the rest is stock.
What will give me the most bang for the buck as far as bumping up the H.P.
???

Thanks ,

Dean.

 

I have an 85 454 out of a suburban I plan to use in my Studebaker project.
It has cast iron rectangular port heads and the rest is stock.
What will give me the most bang for the buck as far as bumping up the H.P. ??? Thanks , Dean.

Run pistons that will give you 9.5:1 compression ratio. ( reference your chamber volume and deck height )
Get a mid-range torque cam. Flat-tappet hydraulic that makes power from 1500-5500. ( matching lifters too! )
Edelbrock Performer RPM intake with a 750-800cfm carb.
Headers. ( Even shorty's with dual exhaust will help. ) Run 2 1/2" exhaust pipe and some good mufflers.
MSD 6AL ignition would be very nice, but at least run an HEI.

Automatic tranny? Run a mild stall converter. Like a 2,000-2,500 rpm.

Do those things, and you will like it.
Shouldn't cost too much money. Good bang for the buck.

One more trick: calculate your rear-end gear ratio based on your tranny final drive ratio, your rear tire diameter, and your max engine RPM's. Choose the optimal ring & pinion set. Rear-end gears can make a huge difference in how the vehicle accelerates.

 

Thanks.

Wanted to thank you guys for the info.
In my case I have the original engine that I want to bump up a bit but then I also have a fully machined matching block that is bored .030 on the pistons and .010 on the cam bearings so,....
I plan to just get my car running with the original engine and then once I'm driving it build the second one.
On the first one I fear its going to be a slug. The engine casting #'s are
14015885 (I think) They are hard to read. and the heads say Hi Perf.
6272990.
Hope that helps you help me.

Also here are some more pics. of my Studebaker Proj, It's a 52 two door hard top with a 50 bullet nose.:evil:

Thanks for all the advice.

Dean.:welcome:

 

ID Chevy engines

I don't see that block c/n, but there are two similar:

• 14015445: 1975-'90; 454; car and truck
• 14015543: 1987-'90; 454; 4-bolt; Gen-5

The heads are rectangle port w/325 cc intake port volume, decent heads when matched up to the rest of the engine. They were a replacement/crate engine head.

 

ID Chevy engines

I don't see that block c/n, but there are two similar:

• 14015445: 1975-'90; 454; car and truck
• 14015543: 1987-'90; 454; 4-bolt; Gen-5

The heads are rectangle port w/325 cc intake port volume, decent heads when matched up to the rest of the engine. They were a replacement/crate engine head.

What are the casting numbers of the crate engines rectangular port heads,I've heard of these before but have never seen a pair for myself. Over here there are more crate engines than old stock in the junk yards,would be useful to know the better head numbers.

 

.. I think there is a company that sells crate engines with stock truck peanut port heads, bumped up compression ratio pistons and cam, and rated a surprising 400 HP... I think even peanut ports are big compared to SBC ports...

 

.. Here's the article on Demon 400HP peanut oval port heads 454" engines:

Cheap Big-Block Chevy Engine Build - Car Craft Magazine

 

Forget horsepower, look at that torque curve!!!!

 

.. LOL! Makes 1990 Chevy SS454 pickup's "255HP" look pathetic, doesn't it...

 

Advertised 400 hp but made 446 hp.

 

.. If I was actually putting that crate engine in a heavy duty truck, would step back from the XE268 cam to more like the XE262 or XE 256 to flatten/broaden the torque curve and start it at a lower RPM... or maybe even a Summit 214/224 cam to get less radical cam lobes that would last 250,000 miles...

 

DING, DING, DING, we have a winner. Someone who actually might hate extreme grinds as much as I do.

 

this post is getting a little old. almost 4 years now.

 

Hey ,your still reading it,maybe cobalt will read it and answer the question,even if its not relevant to you now that your engine is built or blown up, the rest of us might find the information helpful , interesting,and its a way to get in touch with someone that has experience with what's being discussed,probably the main purpose behind keeping these threads on line.

 

It's a post from 2009, but the additional info is very interesting, and will benefit those with similar engines today. I'm building a '83 454 from a truck, and swapping the factory peanut heads to Edelbrock oval port aluminum heads. Best upgrade you can make to a smog motor 454 with peanut heads is a good pair of heads and the right cam. The smaller combustion chambers and better flow will increase compression, and develope more HP and torque.