Well, I'm pretty sure this is a score. My friend sold me his 454, everything less carb and headers, for $600. Said he had a rod knock so he pulled it, and his mechanic said if he were to drive it any longer it would throw soon. Got the old style chrome Chevelle valve covers on it and everything. 781 heads (which I feel I will buy newer aluminum heads, so if anyone wants the 781s...), aluminum Performer RPM manifold. I've been planning a 496 so I thought if the crank was bad no big deal. I disassembled at his house and moved it to mine in pieces. Open the pan, it's a 4-bolt main! Pulled the heads and I swear it's never been torn into before. GM flat pistons, rods, cam even...I think someone slapped the 781's up top on this 85 truck block and dropped it in his Camaro when they were selling it. Pistons very carbonated and cylinder walls look very thick, so that also makes me think it's never been into before (cylinders in good condition too!). Best yet, the crank and the rod bearins showed no signs of causing a rod knock, more just like signs of 70,000 miles-ish of wear. What I believe, after looking at it that was causing the sound that was perceived as a rod knock, is that a bent pushrod that I found was rubbing against the side of the lifter valley. Could this possibly sound like rod knock?

Anyway, I think before I take the block in (which I don't plan to start machining until I'm for sure what I want to do), I will take the crank in for machining, to check if it needs serious regrinding, or if it's fine. If it's fine, here's the dilemma I will be presented with:

Should I keep the crank, and instead of making a 496, keep it a 454. If it did this, the only thing I would to do majorly would be purchase new heads (which I will be going aluminum) and purchase new pistons. This is, of course, excluding machine work. I suppose I could go ahead and buy another crank with the 4.25'' stroke if the current crank is OK, but the question I have is could that $500ish dollars be put to use for better heads or head work, rather than those extra ~40 cubes and lowering of the torque curve given by the stroke? Or would that $500, in terms of noticable power increase in heads be similar to spitting in the ocean? Or would I most likely benefit the most by splitting the difference and getting the stroker crank anyway and getting decent, but not the best I could get, heads?

Projected engine budget excluding machine work=~$2500-$3000. Planning to only run 3.31 rear and a Muncie 4-spd, and run pump gas. Sorry this is a long and wordy, and probably confusing, post. This is my first big block that I've been wanting for a long time, and I'm a bit excited, and want to make sure I get everything right. Thanks!

Personally I think a 454 has about as much usuable torque that a street car can use.

You can run well into the 10's with those heads,,,Todd is doing it with only 414 cubic inches...I think you're just as well off with a 468 vs. a 496...clean up the bowls,good valve job,mill if needed and cc the chambers. It sounds like a deal to me.

What's your intended useage?

489's, 496's, 502's, 540's, etc. are exotic and special but do you need them for your intended useage? There are some great examples on this board of people doing "lots with little" such as 12 second E.T.'s with a simple 454 against 2.73 gears or, at the other end of the spectrum, 10 second E.T.'s with non-exotic but well prepped factory 781 heads on a destroked 427. How much motor do you really need?

Unless money is no object then forget what any of us have to say and build it as big as possible because you can afford the tires. :D

Rod

get .270 domed hypertectic pistons and some 2.19/1.88 valves for those 781's...pick your self a cam in the 230-235ish duration @ .050,110 or 112 lSA .550 lift or so and you'll be having some fun.Stick with the stock 454 stroke.

Sounds pretty good. Part of me wants to just do the most I can for my money while the engine is out, but most of me doesn't want to make anything that will get me killed. 'Tis my daily driver after all (forgot to mention that didn't I, hehe). Thanks for the input. If anyone else has any input I'd love to hear it.

Go down and talk to Steve at Carbone racing engines on admiral. I've done a lot of business with this guy over the last couple of years and his work is top notch. They can work those 781's over for you. They also have a dyno so after it's all built, you can take the money you saved on heads and a stroker crank and do some dyno tuning :D I've done the 350 to 454 swap in a '73 camaro and trust me, even a mild 454 can get you in all kinds of trouble :D
Sorry, I can't help you out with any free big block parts ;)

I would go the 496 and just rework the stock heads you have.. That way you will never look back and say I "woulda, coulda, shoulda" and you will have it out of your system.

Go with a set of 1/4" longer rods too..

I built my 496 for about $3800 to $4000 and that included new Merlin ovals, a new Strip Dom. intake and new headers too. Now I know enough to realize I could have built it cheaper and saved myself some money.

Please also realize that daily good gas mileage and BB used in the same sentence is an oxymoron b/b BB's aren't known for that if you drive aggressively at all.

Go with a 283 or a 327 if you want gas mileage b/c I'm trying to put my nephew's 283 back together now just so when I get sick of feeding my 496 I will have a better gas mileage engine waiting for it..

pdq67

Don't make any decisions until you find out what you have , quality -wise. ( almsot went with a stroker setup since I neede a crank and slugs anyhow, but the old L88 rods were mint, sooo glad I stuck with a 427 - ain't going to pull 16+ mpg highway with a 500 ci, least not the way I would have built it.).

Those 781 are fine heads with about $550 thrown at them.( bigger seats/valves, mild bowl blend, valve job).