I'm starting to second guess myself, again. What I have is a 454 2bolt with a cast crank and I'm trying to figure how high I can safely spin this thing once I get it done. I'll have the rods magnufluxed and new bolts put in. I'll also have ARP studs on the mains.

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JT
71 SS Vortec 355
www.angelfire.com/co/KellyMotorsports (http://www.angelfire.com/co/KellyMotorsports)

Are you planning on getting it balanced? If not, probably should figure around what the stock redline was 5500 - 6000. Balance it and should be good to 7000.

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FWIW, when I installed main studs in my 468 I had to get it line bored. When I put the bolts in, the crank would turn just fine. But when I put the studs in it didn't. Maybe one of the engine experts on this site will explain why.
After I picked everything up from the machine shop I had to turn around and take the block back. It took another week and it's 50 miles one way (3 trips@100 miles each). Plus I had to buy another timing chain because the block was line bored. I would check on it.

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Mike Hurta
(Aug98)
Gold#25
Clute, Texas
www.chevelles.com/feature/aug98.html (http://www.chevelles.com/feature/aug98.html)





[This message has been edited by Aug98 (edited 11-30-99).]

My 396 is all cast,2 bolt main (ARP rod bolts) and It will spin to 6500. I am gonna put a 200 shot of nitrous on it soon also! They built rats pretty tough, you should be able to take that 454 to at least 6000 if not 6500. Get everything balanced with good fasteners (no cracks in crank or anything obviously) and it should be fine.

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66 Big-Block Chevelle Houston, TX ACES#3321

Mike,

Were your main caps pinned to the block? I have a 2 bolt main also (mine has pins) and am going to switch to main studs. All the machine work was done by the previous owner.

I am now wondering if I will need to check the alignment of the caps, or will the pins hold the caps in alingment? I would assume the pins keep the cap aligned.

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Todd Geisler
79 Malibu
11.27@120mph
Malibu Muscle
http://www.qis.net/~tgeisler

Mike,
The studs put more clamping force on the main caps. That is really the reason to use them. By clamping tighter, they will sometimes distort the cap enough to require align honing. To be honest with you I feel this is something that should be done on any serious perfomance engine anyway. If you were to bolt the main caps on a "perfectly good" block and measure the bearing bore with a good bore gauge, you would agree with me. We do it on every performance motor that we do, it is not an option.
If the block was align honed, you really should not need to replace the timing set with a shorter one. This is usually only needed when the block is badly damaged from a spun bearing and has to be aling bored, not just honed.
As far as RPM on the rat, I would not go much more than 6400, depending on piston weight etc. With stock weight parts this is plenty. Besides with a 454 it makes so much torque and power in the low and midrange that you are really wasting your time spinning it much higher. This is all assuming stock and mild performance parts.
Hope this helps,

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Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

1971 Heavy Chevy - original owner
Team Chevelle #100

Todd, The 468 was a 4 bolt and I don't remember any pins. We also did this to my brothers small block slocar....I mean mopar and had the same results. He just went back to bolts.

RatPowr is right. I had a two bolt 427 with a 250 hp hit of nitrous on it and turned it to 7800 on a regular basis with no problems. I should of held on to that one. Just remember to run the Bottle- balance, bolts, balls.

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Mike Hurta
(Aug98)
Gold#25
Clute, Texas
www.chevelles.com/feature/aug98.html (http://www.chevelles.com/feature/aug98.html)

The piston weight is 680 grams. A bit heavy considering the ones in my 355 are about 490 grams. I really hadn't planned on turning it past 6grand but wasn't sure it would take that.

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JT
71 SS Vortec 355
www.angelfire.com/co/KellyMotorsports (http://www.angelfire.com/co/KellyMotorsports)