sparky1957

WhiteKnuckle, I understand exactly where you are at.I would think that the most bang for the buck would be an aluminum high rise intake instead of the low rise cast iron unit, and a little bigger cam.I 've been playing with my Desktop Dyno and the best results for a basically stock 330, with a max rpm between 4500 and 5000 were cam specs of about 218-222 on the intake and 224-230 degrees on the exhaust. The next step would probably be better heads and then better exhaust.Good luck and enjoy your project !.Sparky.

KAAMA

iTrader: (1)

Sparky,

I really like your combination----I think you did a great job of putting that together. Your combination and dyno results are very close to how my cousin's modified, dyno'd 330's (461cid) came out. He had 8.6 comp ratio, GM large oval port heads that were kind of a semi-open chamber head that JimV put larger 2.19" stainless intakes valves in and 1.85" exhaust valves in and did some short turn radius work on and pocket/bowl ported the heads, dual plane aluminum hi-rise intake manifolds, Holley 800cfm carbs and a flat tappet Comp Cams 218*/226* .515"/.515" lift on 110* lobes with cast pistons, and made 461hp @5100rpm and peak torque was at 510 foot pounds @3400rpm and stayed VERY FLAT up to 5000rpm.

Also, I have to agree with Whitenuckle. Some guys can only afford to do a little to their engine(s) at a time. It's almost like being able to pay off your house within 7 years----if you can do it you will save a ton of $$$ in interest----which is a smart way of doing it, but not everyone can do it that way.

cloudmaster_321

i would also be interested in knowing what cam to go to, as well as possibly a weiand intake?

ECeptor

My "plan" stems from a lot of reading both on the net and in the bookstore.

A few months back I went to the bookstore and bought "Horsepower Handbook" ( http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Hot%20Ro...NsawNib29rcw-- ). It is a compilation of articles from Hot Rod Magazine. Near the back is an article about a junkyard BBC. They start with a $500 junkyard 454 truck engine that was bored 0.60" over to yield 468cid total. They then go through the build up process to show how far you can push the basic engine validating each change by a dyno run. The long block with it's low compression, stock cast crank, truck rods, cast (not hyper or forged) pistons, and peanut port (small oval) heads is as close to our 330hp Merc as I've seen. The get that long block to put out 0.88hp/cid at 4,900rpm which would put our 454's just under 400hp. In the article they end up switching heads and adding a blower, but I would not do that to my high hour, cast piston shortblock. So I stopped just before they changed heads.

Here's what we'd have to change to match their build up: 1) PAW SIS cam (p/n 11304, 224/232° @ 0.050, >.527/.553" lift, 114° sep), 2) Merlin high rise dual plane intake or Edelbrock Performer RPM , 3) Holley 800 or 870 carb. The 870 vs the 800 didn't build more power, but they said it cleaned up the throttle response over the rev range. They even tell what jets to use with the 870 carb.

I'm not sure how much more power roller cam + rockers would give and therefore can't justify the hp/$$. I've read synthetic oil would yield somewhere between 5-20hp.

Again, this is all based on research and not my personal first hand experience. However, if I don't sell it first, I'll likely upgrade my 330 this winter using this plan.

Hang Time 27

back in 1994 or so I took a stock '73 2-bolt 454 with oval port heads, cast crank, pistons, etc. that had melted a piston to a well known local boat racing engine builder and asked him about getting 420+hp on a seriously limited budget. He agreed to rebuild it for me and hooked me up with some used parts from the "big money customers" who had upgraded. Used forged pistons, nice set of used Hp rods, and stayed with the 2-bolt block(on it's last hurrah at .60 over). My oval port heads were opened up to fit larger valves (also used as I remember), and topped with my dual plane intake and 750 holley that he went through.
Motor was built by him carb to pan and ready to run for $3,500. Power was about 470hp, and breathed through stainless marine exhaust w/ short risers. The engine ran for 1.5 seasons with a 5,600 rpm wot in 20ft Monza, then 4 more seasons with 5,400 rpm wot in a 24 Excalibur. Engine saw countless over 6k over-rev's. Total was almost 500 hours of abuse. Motor even ran for the last hour of it's life sitting on a beach with no water at @4,000rpm before the exhaust melted down and it caught fire. The most fun per dollar I've ever had.

My point is that you can get away with cheap, good used parts when someone who really know's what they are doing is involved.....

Pat McPherson

Hey Guys,
I have a 1999 310HP/7.4 sitting in my basement just begging to be rebuilt. Last winter I was fortunate enough to get a great deal on a 502mag so that is what is pushing my boat these days.
This winter while the snow is flying I'm planning to tinker with the 454. I have a few questions about the crank, rods, and my plan in general.
The engine is a Gen VI so I believe the crank is nodular iron (cast steel)?
Anyway I'm guessing it is stronger than the old Gen IV cast cranks. Is this true?
The rods have the small 3/8" bolts. I know that I should at least change to some good APR bolts and have the rods resized.
But how about buying a lower cost new set of rods with the 7/16 bolts?
Summit has a couple of choices for under $300. Will this screw up the balance? Can the larger rods be run with the cast crank?
I plan to replace the pistons with new hypereutectics as the current pistons have whacked valves. The compression with the stock flat tops is about 9:1 so that should not change much.
I have another set of L-29 (Vortec) heads that have been reworks with new stock size stainless valves, double springs for up to 0.580 lift, and some some bowl porting.
As for the valve train, I plan to use a take out ZZ502 cam an lifters I bought a year or so ago.
Also in my stock pile of used parts is a large oval Dart single plan intake and a 750 Weber of a 454mag. I'm thinking the GM MPI will not be going back on.
I guess I will need a new wiring harness and an electric fuel pump.
I run Stainless Marine exhaust.
In the end, I'm hoping to piece together an engine to would make 420+HP at about 5200rpm. Maybe it could make as much as my stock 502 does. Does this sound like a reasonable plan?
Then maybe the following year, I could turn my 502 into 500+HP engine...

BajaRunner

I would be interested in some info for the gen vi 7.4l as well. Anything we can do with them?

Monkey Spanker

Just thought I would chime in on this one, I had a dead 454, 330 to start with. It made sense to go to a 496 kit when rebuilding. The pistons were flat top with one valve relief and made 9.2 compression. We reused the peanut port 330 heads with a good port job and new 2.19-1.88 valves, and port matched the intakes for a Edelbrock RPM air gap large oval. The cam is a solid roller(had a free set of lifters around) Comp Cams Part number 11-770-8 XR274 It has .639/.646 lift and 236/242 duration at .050. It has a good lope at idle but have had no reversion problems with either stock or Imco thumper exaust. The carb is a good 750 holley and it has roller rockers. Keep in mind, the dyno numbers are with dyno headers and no accessarys on the motor.

rich allen

Nuttin wrong with those numbers..

mcrsr

i am in the been there, done that mode!!! i have an 87 32 pachanga, w/ 2 330 hp 454's, i put speed pro hyper. pistons, moly rings, comp cams xm 262 cam(218/224 dur @.050), 515 lift, large oval port heads w/ small valves, performer intakes, harland sharp roller rockers, stainless marine exhaust, tbolt5 ignition, anyway, it was good for an 8 mph gain, i thought i would have gotten more and feel kinda let down by it, anyway, i wish i had built 496's out of them-crank/piston swap that could be done fairly cheaply-prob. under 1000 in parts per engine-anyway, i was able to go up one size in props, let me know how it turns out, i am not too happy at this point!!!! ps- i turn them at 4900rpm