489ci tow build...

[Catbox]

My guy.
What are the current specs of the 454 in your truck?
Everybody skipped that part of the process.

 

[Grit dog]

To build a big, big block for towing, the only goal has to be smiles per gallon. Must be low miles towing or you could spend the whole build budget just on extra gas in a short time.
Honestly, I’d want to just 12v or 24v it if I was packing on the miles at all, but in your case that would require either taller gears or overdrive because the big C would be wrapped and tapped at 69mph!

 

[Catbox]

The 454 that was mostly stock in my '79 would barely turn its own tire over with me dumping the clutch.

Enter some simple to do mods and it is a totally different engine and far more powerful.
The engine in the truck was replaced with a factory rebuild in 1990.

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Total 100% stock old feller snooze fest here...

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It has over a hundred more cubes than the 350 in my 1995 Suburban and probably was choked down to the same dismal power output the Sub has.
When it has a big block in it and makes 200hp, it is just sad.


Enter me with the budget build of the stocker using swap meet sourced parts on the engine.
A simple Edelbrock Performer 2.0 intake that is made for the little peanut port heads.
Topped with a Holley 750 vacuum secondary carb that was rebuilt by my 19 year old kid at the time.
The headers were free from a buddy that replaced them with coated ones.
The headers by the way are made for 1968-1972 Nova and fit like champs with very little extra beating on them needed.
Follow those up with a free flowing 2.5 inch exhaust with Flowmaster 40 series mufflers and the truck is a beast.
We found an MSD module in a junkyard truck that makes the spark that much nicer to run through the swap meet set of MSD 8.8 wires.
The air cleaner was from the swap as well and that includes the K&N filter.
I might have $600 in cost to put all this stuff on the engine.

Here is an in process shot, as the fuel line is bluetooth at this point.

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Those Nova headers tuck up in the frame real well too.
The front crossmember hangs lower than any part of them.

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Could it be better, totally.
Is it far beyond better than it was when it was stock, absolutely.
We did nothing to the inside of the engine to this point.

It is so much better now, my son made sure these tires were not good for anything before we put the new ones on it.

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[Marmstrong95]

You say you know LS engines... Have you considered the 8.1L big block? You can get a complete truck for $1500 if you're lucky. It will bolt to the TH400 and still has the bosses on the block for traditional SBC/BBC mounts like your truck. You can use your stock exhaust manifolds or get headers that fit your truck, but it is a tall deck motor so it won't line up with stock exhaust. Throw a vortec pump on your stock sending unit and you're there.

More cubes, fuel injection, cool factor...

 

[Catbox]

I may opt to install a spare set of the L-29 Vortec heads onto this engine before we retire it from service.
Here is a photo showing the 100cc chamber of the Vortec that is much smaller than the 119cc of the peanut port.
Bolting these on should bump the compression up a full point from the stock 8.0:1 to a healthier 9.0:1.
The internet dyno nerds say it is a 30 to 40 horsepower bump.

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From the research I have done, these are the gaskets to do the head swap as they have the correct holes in the proper places to marry the Gen 4 block to the Gen 6 heads.
I would check my work before you spend your hard earned money on my rantings.

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But I also have a complete L-29 engine that may just get swapped into the truck.
I will rebuild it eventually and when I do, the stock cam is getting removed and reground or tossed in favor of a better grind.
Also note the attached 4L80 transmission that will be installed in the truck at the same time.

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I want one of the cams that came in a ZZ502 engine as just installing that into the "stock" engine is supposed to get you around 450hp and 500ft/lbs.
If I cannot source one of those, something like this will be put in place.

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[bucket]

I may opt to install a spare set of the L-29 Vortec heads onto this engine before we retire it from service.
Here is a photo showing the 100cc chamber of the Vortec that is much smaller than the 119cc of the peanut port.
Bolting these on should bump the compression up a full point from the stock 8.0:1 to a healthier 9.0:1.
The internet dyno nerds say it is a 30 to 40 horsepower bump.

You must be registered for see images attach

From the research I have done, these are the gaskets to do the head swap as they have the correct holes in the proper places to marry the Gen 4 block to the Gen 6 heads.
I would check my work before you spend your hard earned money on my rantings.

You must be registered for see images attach

But I also have a complete L-29 engine that may just get swapped into the truck.
I will rebuild it eventually and when I do, the stock cam is getting removed and reground or tossed in favor of a better grind.
Also note the attached 4L80 transmission that will be installed in the truck at the same time.

You must be registered for see images attach

I want one of the cams that came in a ZZ502 engine as just installing that into the "stock" engine is supposed to get you around 450hp and 500ft/lbs.
If I cannot source one of those, something like this will be put in place.

You must be registered for see images attach

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Here's the Vortec heads side by side with the lowly peanut port heads:

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[Z28 Guy]

Specs on my 454 is that it is bone stock engine for the 87 model R20. I think its rated at 240hp/330TQ which is weak for a 454 ci motor.

I have thought about a 8.1 swap however the aftermarket for them are very slim. Plud the 8.1 parts are really high dollar.

I have thought about a L29 swap myself but from research tells me people try to hold on to them.

Positive note is that im go build on paper before buying anything. Careful planning and parts selection makes or breaks a combo.

 

[Catbox]

Do the simple things to yours as I have done to mine.
It will behave like a different truck.
Even with the little tiny cam that is in it.

Another thing on the L-29 vs PP heads.
The L-29s have a 235cc intake port where the PPs are 200.