I am in the middle of restoration on a 1970 Camaro Rally Sport... All my life i wanted a 454 big block... beacsue who doesnt? when i got the car i bought a new 350 crate engine... just yesterday i pecked up a 1989 gmc truck with a 454 big block in it.. i just wanted to know somethings about it.. How much horsepower does a orginal 454 engine push? and second of all... im not going to work on this engine untill the restoration on my car is completly done.. but when it comes time to pull the 454 im going to stip it down, and build it up. Anyone have good ideas to make this 454 have tons of horsepower and make this engine sound loud and nice? Im defintiley going to put a big cam in the engine because I personally think that makes it sound nice.. If anyone has some good ideas post on this thread.. Also im going to put a dress up kit on the engine... and probally lighter pullys just to add some horsepower... Last thing... What do i need to change on the camaro its self... The camaros going to have a 350 crate in it... but after its done like i said im going to put the 454 in it... i know i need to change the springs in the front end for a big block... but do i need to do anything else? Thank you all! and have a great time on camaroforums!

 

well it sounds like you know way more than I do. I'm currently working on a 71 myself. I think I have a good deal right now as a buddy of mine is currently selling me his 427 off his 65 or 66 Impala. He just had it rebuilt 14 months ago but is going through some hard times and needs to get rid of something. My question is, will I have to delete my heater? I keep trying to picture it and it seems like those heater hoses might be in the way of the valve cover. You also mentioned that you will need new front springs? This is my first true rebuild and I'm learning as I go, so any help, suggestions, opinions etc... is appreciated. Sorry I couldn't help you PurpleClutch.

 

Funny you mention this....I was just thinking about this yesterday. My neighbor a couple houses down has a blue and white 70 cammy that I would love to have and drop one of our ol stock car racing 454's thats cammed, P&P and some other goodies. I'm no expert but I'm gonna assume this is kinda like with swapping an ls1 into a v6 f-body. So for the extra weight of the 454 your gonna want to change the brakes in the front to handle the weight of the bigger engine.

Fredo- you want bigger springs when introducing a heavier motor so that the cars suspension isn't sagged out and compressed partialy up front, do to the extra weight.

 

well, makes sense! Thanks. Its a good thing I'm finding all this out now. Anything else that you can think of that might be an issue? I definitely don't want to turn it into a race car, but I won't mind having the extra power. Do you think I'm going to have any over heating issues? anybody?? thank you Revoroller.

 

I've got a 1971 with a big block 427 in it. I used all the small block mounts, including frame and engine mounts to install it. It fits perfectly.
Valve covers depend on what you use. If you go with very tall valve covers like some of those welded aluminum setups, then they will have interference with the heater outlets, but not the box. I use old Edelbrock finned aluminum and had to cut the fins short on the passenger side rearr to not chew into the heater hose when I got into it. Factory steel, or the newer 454 factory covers will clear fine.
As for building a big block I'd suggest you invest in a copy of,"How to Hotrod the Big Block Chevy". It is the best money you'll spend on your engine if you follow the suggestions inside. I followed it closely when building up my 427, and it's been one engine I've never regretted building! I get fantastic power throughout the power band from right off idle to around 5,500 rpm's.
One most important thing I would suggest is to forget the idea of going with the biggest, baddest cam you can find. What you'll end up with is a engine that will be very disappointing, and not building the kind of streetable power that you'll enjoy. I've built several big blocks besides my Camaro, and so far every one of them has resulted in happy owners. They all used similar lift and duration of around 528-540 lift, with about 284-286 duration.
This gives a very useable power band, with a nice lumpy idle, and works well with compression ratios that can handle the lower octane pump gas we run today. With around 9.5 or 10 to 1 compression your engine wont ping, and you'll have impressive power.
Don't get sucked into going with the big rectangle port heads either! Use a good set of oval ports, as they were designed for the street, and will not drop the back pressure so low your engine loses all bottom end.
A good intake that works in the 1500-5500 range, and a set of headers will compliment the engine and give you plenty of power. 2.5" exhaust sytem will be ideal on the street, and not get you into trouble with limited ground clearance like a 3" system will.

PS- The only change I did to the suspension and brakes was to install a power booster on my master cylinder. Stock disc and drums will do just fine, as that's what Chevy used on their big block cars. The stock front springs from a SBC car are fine, and if you change to BBC front springs you'll regret it. The stance will be way too tall. I would suggest going to the multi leaf F41 rear springs, and sway bars front and rear, plus traction bars and subframe connectors. These will all improve your car's manners and ability to handle the BBC power.

 

Couple other things I just remembered that are very important!
You will need to change to the big block radiator, and open up the core support before installing a new larger radiator. The core support is already stamped to indicate where to cut, so just use a jigsaw and open it on the line. Then move the rubber support bushng from the inboard location to outter holes. I'd use new rubber at this time, as they're probably tired and worn out. Buy a new top support too, as you'll need that to hold down the larger radiator. They're about $25 from Summit for a chrome one.
You'll end up changing the starter too, if the BBC you buy didn't come with a starter. The SBC starter will work, but only for a year at best before it craps out.
Headers are a good idea, as they fit great on a Camaro, and you'll be surprised how much easier it is to chang spark plugs on a BBC vs. the old SBC.

 

like I mentioned to you a little earlier, I will post some pictures this weekend and debrief with you. Also, do you have a rough estimate on how much a bigger radiator is going to run me and what brand names to start looking for? Thanks.

 

There's numerous ones on Ebay for anywhere from $120-$200. Just do a search for "big block chevy raidiator". You'll want the one listed as 19"x33", and preferrably with two 1" or 1 1/4" rows.