Couple questions

[JMurray]

I haven't posted in a while, have a new baby and things got busy, anyway, while I was on hiatus, I decided to take a new direction with the 68. I want to go bbc would like to do a 496 but have some questions about price to power ratio between a 454 and a 496. The truck will not be a designated racer, more of a weekend warrior that might get taken out on he town every now and then. What do i need to look for in a motor, i will build it as a father son project with my oldest, what if any is the difference between a car 454 and a truck, when it comes down to stroking it? is there any cast nums to stay away from, bad years of manufacture? What should I be looking for, a stripped block, or a intact motor, and what is a price range i should expect to pay for it? also on rear ends, it has a 12 bolt from the factory, but will this holdup to the power, if not would a 14 bolt be a good alternative (have one sitting around)

Thanks for any help.

[JMurray]

is this on the wrong forum? if so can a moderator move it to the appropriate place thanks

[nxtruck]

I'd say that you're in the right forum for answers to your questions.
Once again, I'm not a bbc guy by any means, but this is what I do know: as far as a starting point for your build, I'd try to find a std. deck ( out of a car or light duty truck ) 454 or 427 block ( same factory bore size ) and go from there. From what I understand, the block will only need minimal clearancing for the 4.25 stroke, but this can and will vary, depending on the casting # block and the style of rod that you use.
Once you find a suitable block, find out what overbore, if any, is needed to clean the cylinders up and start looking at rotating assemblies. You'll need to decide if you want it to run on pump gas or race gas and adjust the compression ratio and cam specs accordingly.
I just went back and reread your post and caught the part about whether or not to build a 496. IMO, build the 496, especially if you have to buy a crank. It's one thing if you already have a 4.00" crank and are on a tight budget, but if you have to buy the crank anyway, there's no good reason not to build the bigger motor.
As far as the rearend goes, the 12-bolt should be fine as long as you're not making 850 hp or more and racing it every weekend. There are all kinds of parts available for the truck 12-bolt to strengthen it and make it live under some pretty extreme conditions. I doubt that you would tear it up driving it mainly on the street. If you spend a lot of time at the track, you'll want to look into some good axles, c-clip eliminators, a braced rear cover, main cap studs, and either a good posi unit or preferably a spool.
Hopefully some of this helps you out. Good luck with your build!!

[JMurray]

Thanks very much for the info. Glad to hear the 12 bolt will hold, now I can sell my GM14 bolt. You said a car or light truck block, would this be the what would be in a one ton truck or lower and larger trucks and buses be the higher deck, what are the models the right deck would be in. I dont have the motor yet, so every option is open. If I found an itact 454 at a good price, would I be better off running it instead of building a 496 in terms of hp/dollar? What is a good price for a BBC, whether it be a block, short block, or long block?

[Ont67shortbox]

I agree if you need the crank any way build for cubic inches and torque.Have a machinist check your block before buying pistons.If it will only need a .030 over bore you can build a 489 with the 4.25 crank and still be able to rebuild it in a few years and go the .060 over for the 496.Most car and light truck 454 are standard deck blocks your more likely to find tall deck blocks in heavy trucks like dump trucks etc. and they will be 427.There are no tall deck 454s

[Lx3]

We all have our own experiences. Here's my 2 cents.

I've allways been a small block guy. My one experience with big blocks

was a 496 I took in trade. I put it in a 3000# Nova and it went 6.60's

Ended up pulling a rod apart. Because of money I rebuilt with a 468

shortblock. Everything was the same except cubic inches. It went

6.60's in the same car.

All my freinds say the heads, Pro ported BRODIX, was the key.

[JMurray]

are the tall decks build able and compatible with hp parts, the only reason i ask is i see two ton trucks dirt cheap now that scrap prices are in the can. I just don't want something that is going to be a pain to find parts or upgrades for

[Lx3]

I'd stay away from the tall decks unless you're willing to spend the $$$

and time building a big stroker. Parts don't interchange. In my limited

experience anything over a 468 has cooling problems. Chevy even droped

their 502 back to 496, but thats a different animal.

[JMurray]

thanks, that is what I needed to know, I will stick with the 454 block to start with.

[PA-IndianRider]

Originally Posted by JMurray

..... is there any cast nums to stay away from, bad years of manufacture? What should I be looking for....

Let me start by saying "I am NOT an expert on this subject... but from what my engine builder has told me there ARE blocks that ARE BETTER to use for building up than others.

In addition to using "4 bolt main bearing engines" there are also engines that have MORE "alloy content" than others which makes their casting content STRONGER than others.

On a small block there are casting numbers & markings (crown/hump) symbol which designate a HIGHER strength block from lessor ones. I have a 2 bolt main engine which does have the "crown" on the engine deck which means the block has a HIGHER alloy content which makes it a STRONGER block and thus making it more suitable for hopping it up to "racing engine". So I assume the same holds true for a BBC. Hope this helps!

[Ont67shortbox]

a studded 2 bolt block will handle up to 600hp,if you can't find a good 4 bolt block at a reasonable cost.What is your budget for this build?How much hp/trq are you looking for?

[JMurray]

I don't have a budget right now, the build will be over a few years, I'm building the truck from the ground up with my son, so there is no hurry. I'm trying to determine what a good budget for around 500hp would be that could be upgraded. This truck is just for fun and time for father and son.

[Lx3]

Build for torque. Bigger is not always better especially on the street.

Have fun.

[Ont67shortbox]

Get some good oval port open chamber heads 781 or 049 are the castings to look for.Forged pistons approx 9-9.5-1 compression,for 118cc heads,a cam with approx 230 duration, if its for street ,a hyd flat tappet will be fine with approx 550 lift.and you should have an excellent street combo with torque and HP .You might want to find some good deals on new tires

[JMurray]

Ont67shortbox What would the HP and Trq estimates be for that setup? I know flat tappet would be cheaper, but would it be better in the long run to have roller?

[scatesracing]

this thread makes my head hurt...