Found me a BIG BLOCK

[bitchin85]

a buddy of mine just got a 76 from his grandpa and its falling apart so he said he would sell me the 454 with whatever parts i need to swap (radiator, mounts, front coils etc..) for 300 bucks. it still runs like a champ and the old guy changed the oil and did maintenance all the time. he said for 600 i could get the th400, drive shaft, cross members, etc..

my question is, will my th350 hold up to a mild 454? its only got a few hundred miles on it. ful rebuild, shift kit, heavy duty everything. id hate to have to switch everything over when i just out that tranny in it.

another question, does anyone know what kind of heads came on a 76 camper special stock? i know there are a few different kinds, some better then others. any way to tell the difference without taking it apart?

is the power steering the same on them? will my pump work on the big block? or will i need the big block pump and gear box?

is there anything else i should get off the truck when i pull the motor? im not getting it until spring, when i get some money together to do everything right.

my plans for the motor arent crazy.. intake, headers and a decent cam and a holley 750

[bfay17]

Pull a valve cover and see what you got 049 and 781 are large chambered heads oval port heads. The truck may have peanut port heads on it as i believe most of them did but I'm not completely sure. Someone here with more knowledge of big blocks will have way more info I'm sure.

For the power steering the box shouldn't have to be changed if you already have power steering in your truck. I'm not sure about the pumps though again someone with more knowledge will help out

[cableguy0]

Get all the brackets from the big block. The steering box doesnt need to be changed. A stock th400 is stronger than a built th350. Gm never put a th350 behind a bbc if that helps you any. As for the heads the best thing to do is just check the numbers otherwise its just a guess.

[bitchin85]

ok ill get over there some time and pop a cover off and look at the numbers. i can get all the brackets. the kid is parting the truck out so i can have whatever i need off it to get the big block to work. i think im going to run the th350 for now. im not going to be pulling 50000 pound trailers or anything.. its just a for fun toy.

as for the powersteering, on the 76 he said it pulses when you turn, its intermittent. does itj ust need bled? or does the old thing need changed out

[no moa]

My dad put a built 454 in his 77 k5 blazer and behind it was a turbo 350. It went just fine. He drove conservatively with it.
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[Shyguy]

When we put a '74 454 in my '71 we used the power steering pump that came with the 454 and hooked it to the power steering box on the '71.

You also might want to also get the radiator shroud, we used the one from the '74 but had to modify it a little.

We also used the motor mounts and stands from the '74 but had to drill new holes on the frame.

I wanted to keep the stock alternator so we mounted it in the brackets on the passenger side, but you may opt for the 454 alternator since it is internally regulated.

I am sure some one else will chime in with more info.

[shawnt]

You do need all the brackets for sure. The ps should be fine. The th350 should be fine but the th400 will be much better. Pop a valve cover.. I'm thinking 781 but not 100 percent on that. Do you have a stock converter or an aftermarket converter?
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[bitchin85]

it has a stock converter but when i yank the 355 out im going to get a different one because i want a pretty decent size cam in it. i havent been able to get to the guys house recently to look at it but as soon as i do, ill get some pics and casting numbers

[bitchin85]

ok im getting closer! i heard it run the other day, it started faster then anything and didnt miss a beat, and had great throttle responce. couldnt be happier,no smoke, no noises, pulled oil filler and it was clean as a whistle inside from what i can see. now the question is, what is a good cost efective build i can do to a 454 with STOCK internals. i dont want to do any bottom end work just yet. cam, intake, headers, carb, and maybe heads. i am unfirmiliar with big blocks for it is my first one. i know on small blocks everyone says go with vortec heads and a mild cam for best power/cost. is there anything i can do to build the 454 like this? its going to be my daily, but i want it to still be mean, any suggestions would be great! thankyou

[Blue Rat]

Yep, figure out what heads are on it. Give us the numbers. Then we will go from there. It all starts with heads.

[stich626]

I'd get the whole truck
you'll need the 454 and it's full dress(assory brackets/etc)
the th400 the yoke, the shaft it self will not really help you
no need for the 76 tracks tranny crossmember
I've been told the 73 up frame stands don't work on the 67-72's but if the front crossmembers bolt in .I don't understand why the frane stands for the engine don't
you'll allso need the th400 kickdown switch if it's not on the carb , it's at the gas pedal
the heads are more than likely peanut port, but you might get lucky..
good luck

[BigBlocksRule]

It will have open chamber heads regardless of whether they're large or small ovals, compression ratio will be in the high 7's or low 8's to 1 range. Try to find a pair of closed chamber 396 heads, casting number ends in -702. They'll raise your compression to around 9:1 with stock pistons. No need for larger valves, clean up the bowls and get a good valve job. If this is going to be a daily driver, run a cam in the 220 - 228 range, it'll be docile enough for good vacuum and street manners with a very slight lope. 1 3/4" long tube headers, Performer RPM or Air Gap intake and a Holley 750, either vac sec or double pumper.