454 Block Question.
 

I think I may build a 454 for the 67. Could someone please advise on what type vehicle the motor should come out of. 4 bolt main etc. Aside from rare expensive motors (ie: Corvrttes / LS6), should a guy look for a motor from a car VS a truck? . What year and model? This will be a 500 hp motor or so. So it will need to be a tough block Also what should be a rough price a guy should have to pay for such a motor, running VS not running.
Thanks.
Darren

i got mine out of a 91 3500 dually, its a 4 bolt mark IV.
http://heavychevy.freeservers.com/images/mvc-017f.jpg
there is one year on the late model 454 i think it wa the 1st year of the Gen. engines that had a rear cam bearing that liked to burn up do to lack of oil. but ither than thati would think one from the 70s would be the best b/c they were built for some performance iniatally as where mine was built for hualing loads.

Ok. Early 70's makes sence. Now, does a car or a truck motor make the best 454?
Also. Just wondering if the new GM Performance Parts 454's have 4 bolt mains? And I think I heard that the new seals / gasket systems are better (don't leak oil as much) on the new blocks. Can anyone confirm this?
Thanks. Darren

Dont' flame me, this is just my opinion and experience with engine building.

It won't matter if it's a 2 bolt or 4 bolt main block. A 2 bolt will hold 500hp with no problem at all. The only time I would concern myself with a 4 bolt is if you are going to run a blower with major stress on the bottom end or if you build something in excess of 700hp. I would be more concerned with balancing and blue printing. I wouldn't hesitate to build a 2 bolt main for any street application unless it was blown. If your gonna put 500 horses out of it, your gonna have some money in it anyway so I would grab a 2 bolt (easier to find) and have whoever does your machine work, drill and tap it for aftermarket 4bolt caps if you have to have a 4 bolt. Several companies make 4 bolt caps for this conversion and they are angle drilled for more strength than a stock 4 bolt. Personally, I think it's overkill.

Just my opinion.

Pont.
Just want to do it right the first time . Thats all. If I did want to put on a blower later down the road, I would not wan't to have to build a new bottom end. Just change compression etc.
Research saves money. One time I spent $2,000 on head work (SS Valves, guide plates, roller rockers etc.) only to find out later that the heads I did this to werent good candidates for this performance.
I am mostly just wondering what the best castings are. A block with good thick walls / water jackets, and a good alloy.
I do appreciate your input on the aftermarket 4 bolt caps. I didn't know you could do that.

Also must mention that every time I see that truck of yours Pont, I have to wipe the drewl off my keyboard. Makes me want to drive all the way down to K falls to check it out.
Thanks for your input.
Darren

converting a 2 bolt block to a 4 bolt block isnt as simple as drilling and tapping new holes, it cost a crap load. the new caps themselves run around 2-300 bucks, the main webs have to be machined, then drilled and tapped which is another couple hundred, then the fun part line boring and honing which costs over or around 400 here. of course you need new bolts to...... so theres a grand and you havent even started to build the engine yet :) in my opinion if you just switch to a good set of main cap studs and find or make a girdle you will have no trouble whatsoever.

Ok. Help me out here bb.
What is a girdle? Except what my wife wears.
Darren

I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound as easy as drill and tap and you are done. Yes, caps will run you around $250 on average. Studs are another $50. Machine work can get spendy where I'm from but not as bad as NJ from the sounds of it. Based off work I've had done in the past, $600-$700 would be a closer guess here. Maybe I'm just in good with my machinist?

Darren, if you think your gonna or might go blown, I would take my time and find that "perfect block" your looking for and do your research, which it sounds like your already doing. Keep me posted on your BB venture, I would like to know what you end up with. Also, thanks for the drewl comment! It's really not that nice of a truck but I'm slowly working on it. And if you do ever get to Southern Oregon (Grants Pass) look me up. I even have a spare room where you can crash.

Good luck on the ever so expensive BB..............

Hi Darren,
You really ought to consider putting a Caddy 500 in your truck. I thought about building a BBC for my Blazer before I did the Caddy thing. I don't regret going Caddy at all. The 500 can put out major power and still weigh just a little more than a 350. They are tough old blocks made with tons of Nickle and can be found in RWD Caddies from 74-76 and FWD Eldos from 70-76. The Eldo engines will have the all important rear sump pan for your swap. Let me know if you want to go that direction. In the meantime, check out www.cad500parts.com and www.500cid.com . Good luck.
Sincerely,
Chris:flag:

here's the 500 in my Blazer:

a girdle is a peice of metal that attaches all the main caps together. the problem is not really the main caps braking its that they will start to "walk" under high hp and when they start moving the bearings burn up. when you put a girdle on it secures all the main caps as one solid piece and makes them very rigid.

Thanks guys! Really good info.
Darren