It really depends on how much comes with the engine. If you don’t already have a big block then you need all the brackets for the alternator etc. Around here typical bare engines are in the $1000-$1500 range.

32-34 degrees

The timing should be 0° TDC (454 engines – 4° BTDC). If a change is necessary, loosen the distributor hold-down clamp bolt at the base of the distributor. While observing the mark with the timing light, slightly rotate the distributor until the line indicates the correct timing.

Engines older than 1997 need oil with zddp. Newer engines don’t need it so most oil dosn’t have it. 454 will run 200k with the right oil.

The 1970 versions of the Chevrolet 454 were the most powerful, with the LS5 putting out around 360 horsepower and the LS6 delivering about 450 horses. The LS6 was phased out after 1971, and the LS5’s power had dwindled to about 245 horsepower by 1973 thanks to stricter emissions control.

In a light to medium weight car, a 350 will probably offer you the happiest experience, especially in a daily driver role. In a truck, the 454 will probably feel better to your foot. In an all out performance car, the 454 will probably be more likable as long as the car is a straight line car (drag racing etc).

Surprisingly, the 454 laid down an impressive 330 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. Naturally, the truck-based 454s were tuned for torque, so having nearly 500 pound-feet wasn’t a big surprise. But like any stock engine, there was tons of power left to be squeezed out.

They claim the experts agreed that about 700-750 hp is all a stock bottom end 454 could safely handle.

Not Considered a Senior Member The 2 bolt block will be fine for revs to the 6000 range. 2 bolt blocks are fine for horsepower levels up to 500 horses.

How Do I Get More Power out of a Chevy 454?

1. Improve the fuel and air intake system. The more fuel and air you are able to get into your Chevy big block engine, the more power it will be able to produce.
2. Replace the stock exhaust system with a high-flow system.
3. Replace the stock timing parts with ones tuned for racing.

The 396 is its own block, and the 427/454 can share the same block. If I were building a big block I would go 454, and probably just buy a crate motor.

The 396 is a good revving engine, so you’d want to run a steel crank so it would live at the rpm you’d have to run it to make HP. And probably a roller cam, as flat tappet cams in big blocks have a nasty habit of “going away” relatively easily.

You can not use 396 (or 402 or 427 for that matter) pistons with a 454 crank. The 4″ crank pistons have a higher pin ht.. Keith Black is the only manufacturer to make a regular production piston for the install.

For example, tossing a set of 454 open-chamber heads on a 396 could radically reduce the compression ratio because of the roughly 10cc larger chamber on a short-stroke engine. Production big-blocks all the way into the mid ’90s were always flat tappet camshaft engines.

396 and 427 have the same stroke, 454 has a longer stroke. To compensate for the longer stroke in the 454 – using the same length rod – they had to move the wrist pin higher on the piston. If they had’nt done this, the piston would be sticking out the bore above the decks of the block at the top of the stroke.

Open and closed chamber cylinder heads differ in combustion chamber capacity. Although open chamber cylinders offer easier flow, the closed chamber cylinder is better for performance. Compression ratios are also affected by the size of the chambers.

The 427 and 454 have the same bore (4.25in), thus, any 427 low deck block can be built as a 454 simply by using the 454 crank (4.00in stroke). Some 427s and 454s have 4bolt main caps (and there were a few 4bolt hi-perf 396s), but, the blocks are still the same.

10 Most Powerful Production Chevy Big Block Motors

• 454 LS5 390 hp. Chevrolet brought out the 454 Big Block just as the curtain was lowering on the Classic Muscle Car Era.
• 427 L36 390 hp.
• 427 L68 400 hp.
• 427 L72 425 hp.
• 396 L78 425 hp.
• 427 L88 430+ hp.
• 427 ZL1 430+ hp.
• 427 L71 435 hp.

The Most Powerful Big-Block Street Engine From Chevrolet Performance! The ZZ572/620 is the ultimate expression of Chevrolet Performance’s engineering capability. We build the ZZ572 with huge 4.560-inch bores and add a forged 4.375-inch-stroke crankshaft.