Picked up my 496 today (finally!)

[Big Bad 1972 Blazer]

Well, my chasis has been sitting bare for a few months now...thanks to murphy's law. A few unexpect business trips later, a car wreck by the guy doing the machine work on my block & heads (he's fine), and a few other "oopses" and I finally got a chance to get the big block home this afternoon. The new heart is now sitting happily on the engine stand in my garage. The rotating assembly (all forged & fully balanced...Eagle crank & rods, Keith Black pistons) & heads (polished, ported & zero decked 049's) were installed in the block (zero decked, converted to 4 bolt mains, fully blue printed & other tricks ), but the rest I've gotta do before dropping it in.

Much to my wife's chagrin....I've been living in the garage even since pulling into the driveway this afternoon. The heads are fully assembled now, oil pump/pick up & pan are installed...water pump & harmonic balancer...done. Cam, gear drive & cover...degreed & installed. Based on a buddies 496 that I had machined and built identically for him, mine should dyno conservatively around 550hp & 635ft-lbs. I was going to have it dyno'd right after I built it, but I can't wait any longer to get it into the Blazer...Dyno work will have to wait until next winter! I'll post pics, once I get the film developed (no digital here)

All I've gotta say it those who think crack is addictive...have never had a hi-po engine that needs assembling, was two months late from the machine shop, is sitting on a stand in their garage in Michigan with the weather finally turing nice outside! AArrrrgggg ...I'm twitching already...back to the garage I go....