454 cam and heads

[Bowtieman427]

Going to look at a 454 out of a 79 1 ton dully not sure what heads it has assuming peanut ports. Son plans to rebuild this spring for a 1983 K30 4 speed I assume 4.10 rearend was originally a diesel currently has 350. this will be a street run 87-91 octane gas, may put a 4" lift and bigger tires and maybe even locker rears who knows where we will take it years to come. We will use little off road haul wood and trailer/spliter I tow cars around too on flat bed.

Looking in garage have set of 049 heads, have set of 290 close chambers all done, set of procomp al 300 ovals (little big unless we go 496) and assuming a set of peanut ports. looking at best cam and head combo and build from there.
-plan to run headers given the stock manifolds of 1979 are pretty bad.
-Considering peanut or 049, 290 oval closed chamber with 454 if we go nuts for a 496 start looking at the 300 ovals
-want the most power under the curves great torque and HP. thinking mostly low end power
-Hyd flat tappet
-plan to run Q-jet
-need good ideas on dual plane intake
-WHAT will give the best power an efficiency I know efficiency and BBC do not go together run on 87-91 octane NO drag racing street hyway going to off road once in a why to load and split wood : )

Currently considering Voodoo Hydraulic Flat Tappet Cam & Lifter
268/276 this is the leader so far. looks like it will work with all had combos
262/268
276/284

There is a cam the UDHarold (Harold Brekshire) designed while at Lunati 276/221, 112/?, .515" lift. And again, per Harold, "The cam for pick-ups, 4 W.D. mud racers, performance and mileage on the interstate. 9:1 compression, 3.50 gears and up, and headers help. 380 HP at 5000 RPM. 1800-6000. I know he did the Voodoo line so they are probably great cams. He did the one in my Chevelle and he was dead on.

I have no idea what the grind number is and he is NO longer with us

Please share your 454-496 build and likes and dislikes in a TRUCK. Please share your experience.

 

[87scotty]

no help yet but i am currently building pretty close to same thing i am going full roller though and shes 30 over im using the 049s that have the big valves and some crazy port work they look like they should flow good

 

[hirschdalechevy]

I have built several hog blocks for my various trucks over the years , so here is what worked out for me.

First , 454 , peanut heads , comp 252h , eddie performer intake , headers , all stock everything else , (never pulled the heads , low mileage motor) , jet q-jet carb tuned and jetted for motor.

Good all around runner but not a power house , strong out the bottom , ok midrange , no top end power . The truck was a 73 long bed 36" tires , 4.11 gears , granny low 4 speed. I kept track of the mpg. and no b.s. if you stayed out of the secondaries , (which you could , even on hills) it got 14 mpg. all day long. Not a very fun motor but great daily driver.

Second 454 , A good friend of the family who is a chevy master (built many outlaw sprint car motors) , helped me with all my other motor builds for the last 28 years , (I learned everthing from him) , is in on this one.

454 , 0 decked , hyper. flat top pistons , 3931063 closed camber heads , .020 head gaskets , 9.25 to one , 268h comp cam , eddie performer intake , (port matched to heads) , headers , holley 3310 carb , jetted and tuned for motor.

Truck was a 75 short bed 8 lug with 4.11 gears and 35 inch rubber. This was a bad ass motor , towed great , power everywhere at any rpm up to 5500 , and was a great daily driver. No b.s. raced this truck at redding raceway and turned a 14.6 in the quarter on 35's , have the time slip to prove it . Super great hog block , fry the 35's anytime you want to.

Third 454 , 0 decked , steel crank , speed pro forged pistons , (small pop up) , molly rings , 3964290 heads , ported with larger valves , roller rockers , chromoly locks and retainers , hardend seats , 9.8 to 1 , comp 270hr roller cam , eddie rpm intake , port matched , headers , msd ign. , holley 3310 carb. jetted and tuned for motor.

Truck was a 77 crew cab long bed , 8 lug , 4.88 gears , 40 inch tires.
This motor made crazy power all over , super fun to drive , I also towed with it here and there with no problems. It would bake 40's for ever. Maybe a bit much for a daily but it was fun. By far my favorite.

I do not like peanut heads at all , sure they make good low end but they fall on there face after that. Good big ovals will make just as much down low and run though the rpm range with some heat . Closed chamber heads dont flow the best but they do pretty good at all rpms. With the 100cc cambers you can get to 9 to 1 or a tick more with a .020 head gasket and a flat top piston really easy , which is right where you need to be. Pick a mild rv or high energy cam and you are good to go.

Most peanut heads are like 225cc intake runners and I think the 781's are 240cc. The 290's are 260cc stock.

An 8 to 1 peanut head motor with a small cam would yank hard but you are choked off in the mid range on up. Same 454 with 9 to 1 or so with a bit more cam and 290 heads will still have great low end and not be choked in the mid range on up , for good power they have to breathe.

If you are towing 7,000 lbs down the highway you are going to be at 2400 to 2800 rpm anyway and thats where you need the yank not 1800 rpm.

Anyway thats my 2 cents , I have had some hog block cars as well but all those I ran aluminum heads on. I am not a fan of peanut heads , (i chuck them in the dumpster) , but thats just me.

I am sure some people love them but I have had better luck with the early closed chambers myself for budget builds.

Good luck and have fun

 

[Bowtieman427]

THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!
We picked up the 454 tonight. No PS bracket : ( but got alt, crank pulley and fly wheel (this is for a 4 speed) Soon as we got it home took Valve cover off and it look clean inside. WOW I was so happy to see the 781 heads on it. Told my son he got a great start. We can throw those into the mix also, but can go into the parts for another BBC project. So if he rebuilding and is basically only needs a refresh and has FT pistons the 290 are the way to go. They 290 I have are ported and ready to go with 2.19 1.72 valves. We do not have the $$ to go Hyd roller unless there is reasonable option. Really thinking of trying the Voodoo 268 / 276 with good intake and headers.
You hit the nail on the head.
He picked up a steering column and a hood ornament I told him I could not believe he picked up a hood ornament but whatever. Now we have tear the box off and get to work.
the 781 are the same as 049 they very good heads. I got the 290 heads years ago and was going to put on a 427 but never did.

 

[74 Shortbed]

the 781 are the same as 049 they very good heads.

They are the best factory ovals made but there is one difference, the 781's have 118cc chambers, the 049's have 122cc chambers, something to keep in mind when figuring compression ratio.

 

[hirschdalechevy]

The 781/049's are good heads and they flow better stock on the intake side but about the same on the exhaust side stock. Ported big valve 290's , flow is equal with the two now.

With the open chamber heads you have to run a dome piston to get any good compression , the closed chamber heads with a .020 gasket and a 0 deck piston you will be about 9.25 to 1 or so with flat top pistons.

Flat top pistons promote a better flame during combustion and less prone to detonation than a dome piston.