472 a good engine?

[Kybol]

I am thinking of building a 4x4, and a friend of mine has a 472 out of an old caddy. Are these a very good engine? is it just a Chev big block?? Thanks

[1969 GMC]

the 472 Caddy is not a Chevy motor. It was Cadillac specific.
I've heard that the newer Caddy big blocks (425, 472, 500) are all good engines, very tough block construction so they last long.
Also, the 472 seems to be a little higher revving of a motor than the 500, also cheaper because it isn't the biggest Caddy engine you can get. It would be a sweet motor to pop into a 4x, but I hope you own Exxon stock.

[jeffspower]

'73 & older 472's have decent breathing heads & make decent power. The '74 (last year for the 472) has crappy breathing heads & doesn't make as much power. All stock 472/500 engines only rev to 45-4600 & then float the valves. The factory valve springs are the problem. On a "clean it up & throw it in" cad motor, I usually put .060 shims under the springs, new positive lock viton chevy valve seals & a new timing chain set. The shim gets you up to 47-4800, & thats about all the stock cam will provide.

My '72 K-20 gets no worse mileage with the 500 cad than it did with the stock 350. I think it is because it can now do with the 500 what the 350 was trying to do- it doesn't have to work so hard.

[Kman]

We used to run a 70s 427 in a 6000 lb racing fire truck yeah a fire truck a F**d with a 3000 stall converter it had great lo end torque but we only went about 1000 feet it was a good engine.
Kman