'91 454

[53burb]

I think the guy I was going to get the other 454 from is going to back out on me after he finds out that he needs to keep some kind of injection on his truck to use his tranny (4wd-4L80E)
Anyways, I kinda have my heart stuck on a 454 now. What do you guys think of a '91 454 complete from oil pan to throttle body & starter to fan plus a 2wd 4L80E with computer & wire harness for $1000. I looked up the numbers the guy gave me over the phone & they do match up. He says it was a replacement engine & that it has 50K miles. So far I believe him.
What do you think or know about these engines??

[1968SWBBigBlock]

Depends on how fast you want to go.
The engine is fine if you want a big block to cruise with and are not worried about being the fastest ride in town. The block can be a good foundation if you change heads, cam and upgrade the FI with bigger TBI unit and a hotter chip.

[53burb]

Damn, I gotta do all that??? I know the heads ain't the best from what I have read here. I figured I was going to change cams, but figured I couldn't go to radical because of the fuel injection. I also have to keep the fuel injection for the tranny or get a stand alone computer for it & go with a carb & then I could get a radical cam. What can I do to the existing engine to amke it better?? I plan on a custom chip & headers. I am going to look at this engine tomorrow.

[1968SWBBigBlock]

Chip, headers, edelbrock makes a nice cam that will not make the ecu mad.
Edelbrock also makes an AL intake that uses the factory TBI unit. Roller rockers.
Don't get me wrong, these engines make a great crusier engine with plenty of torque to light up the rear tires.
For a grand if everything is complete and works you won't lose your shirt if you decide to resell it. If you can see it run take some video before you pull the motor, that way of you go to sell it you have proof of how the engine ran.
You may want to look at replacing the distributor no matter what, they have been the source of problems in the year range you are looking at. An MSD streetfire is a drop in change.
The heads are the big hold up on these engines, followed by the cams, and the TBI. All that being said you will still need the chip.

[1968SWBBigBlock]

Whoops I forgot - you will need an electric fuel pump with a pressure regulator.
The TBI requires more pressure than the carbs.

[53burb]

I know that I will need a fuel pump, isn't the regulator already by the throttle body, or is it separate & someplace else??

[1968SWBBigBlock]

The stock regulator is not good to run if you are going to tweak the motor.
You will want to order an adjustable regulator.

[53burb]

ok, what cam do u recommend??? & heads??? this will be going into a '69
2WD Burb with a 3.73 rear & 26" tires (295/50/15s)

[1968SWBBigBlock]

Tell me what you want to do with the truck.
255 walbro, high volume, high pressure, fuel pump
13301 aeromotive vac ref'd regulator
Edel 60409(heads) 2162(cam) 3764 (intake), Headers
The biggest cam you can use, without going into major re-tuning in the chip, is the Comp Cam 264HR, or M270HR, hydraulic roller. The Edel 2162 also works well. You should also look into a heated 02 sensor or use a "sim" which tricks your computer into thinking it is at the correct 02 level.
This combination would wake the dickens out of your motor, and you wallet.
The heads are the big ticket item. I hope this helps. You can kind of pick and choose some of the items but they all tie together to make a great package.

[53burb]

Thanks for the info. Hopefully the engine will look good tomorrow when I see it. The truck will be divided between a DD & weekend use with a little highway use. I want the 4L80E because I didn't want to put a 700 behind a BBC & also because of the 3.73 gears & shorter tires. I am not overly concerned with gas mileage. I would rather have the performance. I am not opposed to getting a "stand alone" computer for the tranny & going with a carb & a more radical cam. I would like to put out at least 400HP & 450lbs TQ. Does this sound unreasonable with the stock heads?? I don't think FI is really needed a whole lot in Phoenix, or at least not worth the expense. Keep in mind, I am a really simple person. Getting an electronic tranny is a stretch for me. I really only wanted the tranny for the O/D since it would help with the drivability.

[1968SWBBigBlock]

I doubt you can squeeze 400 HP out of the stock heads.
From the factory these are rated at 405 FT pds of torque. So you are close to that. The change over of just the headers, intake and some roller rockers should buy you the power you want. Remember torque is what moves you so it is the most important number to look at.
Engine ordering Code L19
Bore and stroke (in.) 4.0 x 4.25
Compression Ratio 7.9 to 1 SAE Net Horsepower at RPM 230 @ 3600
SAE Net Torque (lb-ft) at RPM 385 @ 1600
7.4 Liter 255HP @ 4,000 rpm 405 Lb of torque @ 2400 rpm

[53burb]

I looked at the engine. The wire harness was cut as well as the tranny harness. I offered $700 for the combo. He didn't take it. After checking, again, how much a harness for the tranny & engine is, not to mention a computer & chip, I think I will pass on the tranny. What do you think about going to a carb setup on this engine?? I am pretty sure I could get it for $700 as is. I think I would be happy with a cam, headers, intake, & carb. I don't think I would do the roller rockers because of the possible clearance problems with a 3/4ton booster. I know these heads are not the best, but are they at least ok?? Should I call him back & make the deal??

[53burb]

I priced out an intake (RPM Air Gap) & carb (Street Avenger 770 or 870cfm). That alone is going to be about $600. Now the wire harness + computer + chip is too much more....of course there is still the fuel pump & cam...decisions...decisions....

[1968SWBBigBlock]

You do not want an air gap intake (1500-6500 rpm) on this motor, buy a performer manifold (0-5500 rpm), remember if you are going to stick with the stock heads everything you do should be based on low rpm power. buy the headers, a 2162 edel cam an intake and a 650-750 carb and enjoy the drive. This should give you a good reliable combination that will put you back in your seat for street driving.
If you want to make the big changes on down the line you can do that.

[53burb]

Would the heads, whichever ones I decide to go with, mainly only help the upper end?? I doubt that I would ever get above 3000-3500 RPM for a sustained amount of time. I really like the 400lbs of TQ at only 2400RPM. If I was to decide to go with a carb & a more radical cam, how much lift can the stock heads take?? Can they handle the lift of a 262?? Does this engine sound like a good deal?? Should I snag it and/or the tranny before it is too late??

[1968SWBBigBlock]

Any good running 454 is worth 700.00 bucks. And that does not include the tranny. Just becarful, I have heard stories of motors that are great until you open them up and they are full of water or mice or whatever.
At the very least I would pull the valve covers and see how clean it looks.
Try and get the guy to stand behind the fact that it should be a good running motor. You would have to check with Summit or Jegs or a good local machine shop to see if the stock heads will handle the 262. I just can not remember. And yes the heads really make the difference on the top side for very little that you give away on the bottom. Based on what you are saying the stock heads would treat you fine. You may have to change the springs, which is what I am used to, if you go with the cam.

[53burb]

Well, I decided to get it. I am going to go over there tonight & put some money down & pick it up this weekend or next. I decided to also get the tranny. Wish me luck on this!!! The wire harness for the combined engine/tranny combo is $575. If a BB is going to be used witha long water pump, is there enough room left for a clutch fan, or do electric fans need to be used?? Also, the HP & TQ rating u sent is SAE right?? That means it is measured at the rear wheels correct?? So technically, the ratings could be bumped up 40-50HP & the same for TQ at the engine right???

[1968SWBBigBlock]

Good for you.Yes the ratings are SAE net.
You will have to get out the old measure stick to see if the length will allow you to use the long pump. I want to say 71 or 72 was the year they moved to long water pumps on the big blocks. So I want to say it should fit. Which would be nice since you will have the serp belt set up

[clay68c10]

I was going to run the serp setup out of the 89 I grabbed my tbi stuff from but there isn't enough room for the mechanical fan. Or much of an electric fan either. I think there ended up being 2 inches between the wp hub and the radiator.
I've got the Edelbrock performer cam, stock tbi and computer, large oval port heads, 9:1 compression, and it runs strong, nice and torquey. The stock tbi heads are usually peanut ports/small oval and are pretty rpm limited. From what I've heard and read, stock BBC valve springs can't handle much lift beyond the stock cam. I had to change mine out for .500 lift, and that's not a big BBC cam.

[53burb]

1968SWBBigBlock - Thanks for all the help & advice.
clay68c10 - I assume you stayed with the short pump, right?? I hope I can use the serpentine setup with an electric fan setup if I have to. Somebody on here should have a solution or an answer...we'll see...

[clay68c10]

Yeah, I ended up using the short pump. It was easier since I already bought & installed the short aftermarket hi-flow pump. If you run dual puller fans with a decent spacing between them you should clear the serp wp hub and pulley.

[53burb]

Thanks...hopefully I will be able to use it since I have all the accessories for it....we'll see...

[Slammed70]

Is it an SS454 truck....just remember it has an engine cooler outlets built INTO the block.

[53burb]

No, the engine is from a '91 1-ton 4wd dually single cab with a manual tranny. The engine is a replacement or crate engine from GM & the tranny was from a 3/4 or 1ton 2wd from the 90s.....

[Slammed70]

Oh, cool....nice find then