454 project

[VileZambonie]

Last night I degreed in the cam and installed a block protector and needle bearing cam button. I gauged it just right to my timing cover with the gasket installed using a mock up clay mold.

The heads are all reassembled with the proper installed height. Comp Cams has a nice shim assortment kit that worked perfect for that.

My next step is to install the rockers and paint the block & heads. Once I get it all painted up I can finish the assembly! YAY I suppose I better start Xmas shopping after that 

Here's a few pix

[123 pugsy]

Coming along nice. 

[VileZambonie]

Thanks!

Today I did some painting

[80stepsideguy]

Hey vile,
got as question on your motor.What year is it 1st, and what it roughly cost you(i hate to ask that ) on rebuilding it?I got a chance to pick up a 1983 454 with only 1k on it and it needs a head gasket for 500.00 This sound good as a price?If i get it (which i think i will) you reccomend using a set of 049 casting heads on it?I think the motor is stock but i like to give it more of a beefy sound.I dont know what kinda cam is in it all i know its a 1983 motor and its missing the brackets for the alternator,power steering and water pump(which i got all brand new NOS).

thanks
pat

[jonkmbll89]

Looking good.

[VileZambonie]

Thanks.

It's the original engine in my 74 GMC. My head castings are 781's which I was able to enlarge the ports by a TON. I wish I took before and after pics of how much porting I did on these heads. I couldn't see spending over $2k on a pair of heads when I could make these ones work just as good. I put new guides in, eliminated the valve rotators (you'll need rotator eliminators), I put in Manley valves 2.19/1.88 the stock size are 2.06/1.72 but you can have them machined to fit the bigger valves, I also back cut the valves 30°, 3 angle seat, milled the heads, got a set of valve springs that matched my cam's recommend open and closed pressure and installed them at 1.880". So making the heads work for you takes a little elbow grease but can save you some serious coin and get similar results. The 049 castings are good heads just require some time and patience. $500 bucks sounds like a good deal to me! As far as the total cost on this build? I'll let you know when I total up all my receipts.... for now I'm going to go finish putting this sucker back together...

[cubicdollars]

Looks Great 

Is that the .250 dome piston from TRW?  I built that almost exact combo a couple of years ago for my stepside you'll love it.

[VileZambonie]

The domes are .265" and I was concerned about the combustion chamber clearance especially since the overbore. So I mocked everything up with the headgasket in place and gauged my pushrod length at the same time. The pushrods need to be about .720" shorter and the pistons do contact the head so I'm going to pull it all back apart again next week after Christmas. I'll have to cut a small amount in the left upper corner of the dome. (Had to do the same with the old pistons) Kind of a bummer but I was hoping since the domes were slighlty smaller than the old pistons they'd clear. No such luck so I'm going to have the machine shop do it so all the pistons are equal and weigh the same. Besides one slip with the grinder and your screwed. I'd rip it all apart today but I have so much going on and nothing will be open til after Xmas anyway so on to Xmas shopping =P lol

The paint came out really good hard to tell from pix



Here's where the piston needs to be ground

[jonkmbll89]

You can see the shine on that block. Looking good.

[VileZambonie]

OK pistons are all back in and clearance is good. Installed the damper and pointer. I'm waiting on the pushrods I had to special order and then I can check my piston to valve clearance. Keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be safe otherwise I'll be ripping it all back apart again 

[jonkmbll89]

Nothing like some shiny chrome. Nice!

[VileZambonie]

I had to make a franken lifter to mimick the roller as a solid so I could measure my piston to valve clearance



Used some clay and it passed


So I did most of the finish work

[jonkmbll89]

That motor looks gooood! I also noticed that your pretty organized with your tools and your shop.

[locdogg]

that's pretty! 

[the dan]

if that is a jegs timing cover:

i had serious problems with the balencer seal, the hole for the seal was not positioned to the crank and pushed the seal .010 off from the crank on one side. ive gone threw a seal a month in the past 3 months, and think maybe you should check youts just in case.  Also, the seal that came in it spun out and was resting on the balencer , though all the new felpro ones fit tight, it still didnt solve the .010 off that the circle was

Hope its not a jegs and/or that you dont have the problem i did

Engine looks beautiful by the way