Why can't cam companys' help lines be helpful? It just seems that all they want to do is recommend stuff you don't need and costs a ton. I haven't gotten a straight answer from any of them and no local builders agree or know what the hell they are talking about.

I just want to build a streetable 454 with about 430-450hp on a BUDGET. I don't think I need to spend $1000 on valvetrain parts to do this. I barely spent $400 on the valvetrain in my 350 to get damn near that much power.

Here is the problem. I bought a running '96 L29 Vortec 454 longblock for $750 off www.racingjunk.com (http://www.racingjunk.com)
It has the factory hydraulic roller cam in it still. I want to change the cam and not the lifters. I don't mind having to change over to an adjustable rocker setup. It is going in my '90 s-10 2wd Blazer for a STRIP/street/cruiser vehicle. I have a Currie 9" with 4.11 gears and will most likely be running 28" tall tires. It will probably weigh about 3300 with the added weight of the ironheaded BBC. I have a BUILT TH350 w/ a HUGHES 2500 stall converter. Hughes says it will stall closer to 3000 behind a big block. I was thinking of installing a ZZ502 cam, but was told that it is too racical at 224/234@.050 and .527/.544 lift on 110LSA. One place told me to get a marine cam with 218/222@.050 numbers on a 112LSA and another said I needed 230/236@.050 .598/.610 lift on a 112LSA which requires new everything .

What do you guys think?

Please check out competition Products b/c I think they sell take out cams, springs and big valves that may just be what you are looking for!!

As for myself, I would figure about a 220 or so duration at .050" hy-roller cam out of a stock 454HO or 502HO(?) and needed springs should do you nicely, imho..

pdq67

Being in Wisconsin U could check competition products catalog. I just picked one up they have new "take outs" from GM and Merc for big blocks at very resonable prices. I wouldnt think the 502/502 roller would ideal for a nice street 454 not to radical. Especially being on a budget . Competetion products has a merc roller cam thats 226/226@050 545/540 lift new for $99. If U watch on ebay there are many of the stock 502/502 rollers from time to time, many new that go reasonable.

do what i do!

I do what i want! and i buy what i want!

I talked to Butch at Competition Products today and they only have a 454HO takeout right now. He built my ProAction aluminum heads I have on my small block now. I told them what I wanted out of my Blazer for the time being while I save up the $7000-8000 I need to build a decent 496. They told me I needed to get a .600+ lift cam and replace everything. Since when is it so hard to get 1hp/ci?

Is it possible to go cheaper by installing a flat tappet cam and lifters for now? The major cam companies will grind anything for you on a Gen VI core. I think that the stock lifters are only good for stock type cams. From what I understand, the higher spring pressures required for bigger cams will collapse them. I don't have any specifics here, and it doesn't sound like you're looking for a radical setup, so who knows? The stock ones might be OK. BTW - I sympathize with you on this one - I have the same motor. Different crank, different cam, nothing cheaper on it than on the old style motors.

Your stock lifters are good to a maximum .575-.580 lift becuase of the retaining hardware. If you can get a ZZ502 take out, cheap, ti will go right in. You may want to upgrade the springs though, they don't require anything to radical though. Another option is have your cam reground. There's a place here on the west coast called DELT-cams that will grind your cam to whatever specs you want for about $75.
You should easily get your 1HP/Per CI. I would shoot for in the .230 @ .050 in duration and .530-.560 lift range. JM2Cs

Lunati will grind your cam for $125, but you need to talk to a salesman about whether or not the stock cam is suitable.
They have a master, UHR8, that is 284° at the seat, about 220° at .050, and .558" valve lift. I put the SBC version in my son's '88 TransAm GTA 350. His is on a 112 LSA, and with a aftermarket chip, it's a terror. He has a shift-kit in the transmission, and it squeals the tires all the way into 2nd.
The regrind will need to be on the stock cam's LSA.
Tell them UDHarold sent you......

UDHarold

Are you using the L-29 heads from your "running Longblock"?

If so, you're gonna need two sets of .300 thick valve rotator eliminator shims. The spring pockets are DEEP on those heads. About $65 from Summit. Verify that the base of the valve guide is properly machined. My heads had a small lip near the bottom of the spring pocket that prevented the rotator eliminator from dropping all the way down into the pocket.

Chevy Big-block valvesprings are notoriously poor. Get aftermarket springs, retainers, etc, to match whatever you choose for your camshaft.

The exhaust ports on those heads are EXCELLENT, once you clean up around the valve guide. The intake port needs some help.

Because of the way the combustion chamber closes in around the valves, I'm not sure larger valves would help.

That chamber is nice 'n' tight, you won't need more than 32 degrees total advance, and maybe less. You can run small dome pistons, but you'll have to make a minor modification to the chamber. Those 99-100 cc chambers build compression!

so I should use a single pattern cam? I just don't like the factory cams 155.5 LSA, I'd like something around 110-112. I was looking at the ZZ502 cam, but maybe I should buy new everything and go aftermarket. I was hoping to do this on a budget and not have to spend $1500 just to get it running decent.

You only wanted 450 BHP, and the single-pattern 220° will give it to you. In that lift family (.558"), I have a 212°, the 220°, a 228°, and a 236°. These can be made a single or as dual pattern cams. However, the 'meat' on the stock cam you have for regrind may limit your choices.
The 228/236 will probably do 510 BHP easily, but may not fit on a stock core(not enough high-lift area). New cams are a little below $300.....
Please be careful on getting a regrind. NO cam company will guarantee hardness, and some will regrind your cam, NO MATTER WHAT. It comes back ruined. If we don't think it will make it, we'll tell you so.

UDHarold

What about this cam? 54848LUN

DD2000 tells me 446hp@5000 and 560ft-lb from 2000-3000 that would make for a wicked street engine. My 4.11 gears will really make it interesting. Will the factory lifters work with that cam? Will the stock pushrods be ok? I'll probably have to change the rockers,studs, and valvesprings though right?

I hate to tell you, but I don't know anything about that cam. It's one of their legacy cams, and I'm their new cam designer.
Call Lunati at 901-365-0950 and get Steve on the phone. He has worked there several years and knows their stuff, he also worked for me for 13 years, and he knows cams.......
The specs look reasonable for what you want to do.

UDHarold

I just don't want to regrind a cast cam. I also don't like the factory 155.5 degree LSA, NO RUMPITY IDLE!!! I don't want a cam that's going to be hard on valvetrain parts. I know of guys who try to drive their cars on the street and can't even get tool steel springs to last. I drive to the track and home. That's the way I like it.

Well I don't think I'll be swapping cams. The prices I got for the machine work needed to install new springs is just way too much. The engine looks really good though. Turns over and appears to be in great shape. I'll be checking the bearings this weekend. Maybe I'll just slap an intake on it and see what happens. I will be pretty dissappointed at the drag strip though. I'll be done by half track, with the 300hp@4000.

What machine work? I put 502 HO springs/retainers in my L-29 castings by using the rotator eliminators. Those springs wouldn't be my first choice, but they're what I have.

I was told the spring seats and valve guides had to be machined to use a ZZ502 cam and springs.

Have you thought of the Comp Cams 8.1 replacement cams ? They're designed for trucks with the 8.1, so they're not real high lift or long duration. Should pick you up some and I think you can use the stock springs. TByrne motorsports has them on their website and he's running one of the cams in his BB Suburban. Not a race cam by any means, but does offer some more power without the head upgrades.

After talking with Competition Products today I don't know what I'm going to do. I was hoping to use these heads, but even after $600 worth of machining and porting they will still only make about 350hp. I wish I could get a good set of aftermarket heads, but they don't fit into the budget and would kill the compression ratio on this engine. Does anyone know of an aftermarket head that has a small(100cc) chamber and will support 400-450hp?

Bump.

I want to know too. I have a stock 78 454 and want to add the L-29 heads and would like to get hopefully 400hp without spending a bundle.

IMHO, ditch the L-29 heads b/c the intake ports are only about 235 cc's or so, so therefore are really small, large ovals!

Go with a set of old -206's or -215's to up your poor CR. and use .022" shim headgaskets IF they fit the block, otherwise call SDPC and ask about headgasket copper water-hole inserts.

As for a cam, heck, for no more then you want power-wise, I would ditch the hy-roller and go a GOOD small Solid and let UDHarold pick it for you!!

AND as a side note, I have about $3800 to $4000 in my homemade 496, "tow-truck" motor so a big engine doesn't have to cost all that much once you get past finding a good 454 core motor and a 4.25" crank, custom 1/4" longer rods and needed compression ratio pistons that you want to run!!!

Been there, done that with my "poor-man's" 496...

pdq67..

I am looking for a set of bbc heads that are 100cc or less to bring my compression up to 9.0 or better.

I am trying to do this so it would cost less than the Edelbrocks, and on those I would need to have hardened seats put in on the vintage oval ports, more money, and can they be machined for larger valves?

This is a pretty fresh motor so I do not want to tear into the short block and change pistons, I am just looking to hopefully hit 400hp with my 78 454, but it doesn't look too good.

So the vintage ovals are better than the L-29 heads? Can hit my power goal with either of these?

thanks as always