thanks fella's for the info given

I would take knot 4 me's advice. A good intake and a Holley carb will be the best bang for your buck. What prop are you running? May have to change that, too, if you want more speed. One thing always leads to another.

What's with you guys totally bashing the 454?? I guess you all have giant bank accounts along with your giant motors. Nothing wrong with what he has. You want to wake that thing up without breaking the bank? Do a cam swap (with double roller timing set), rpm intake and a 750 carb (I prefer Edelbrock) and find a set of Merc 496 aluminum exhaust. I bet you will notice that.

You must have a 540 to be worthy around here...... Yeah kinda lame people bash the non mag 454. It's a great engine and can take more power to a point. The funny thing is these "experts" hurt their forged high dollar internal engines in many cases the same way 454 non mag motors meet their end, ie reversion, over rev, detonation, running lean to name a few. Only one of those are helped by "forged internals"..... But it's the Internet and everyone's an expert. Even most of the guys here that have their stuff worked on by everyone but themselves. Must be nice! Same morons bash Fluidampr because "they break cranks", yet they don't even understand how a "harmonic damper" even works in the first place. And don't even get me started on oil. This is truly the worst place on earth to ask advice on that.

My little 454's make 804hp and 760ft lbs. on 6lbs of boost and 93octane. Nothing wrong with a 454 . It's hardly a "little " engine