Re: 454mag rebuild in progress
 

Hey Storm ..thanks for the post and info ....please keep it up through the entire project .... was it a $$ issue on not replacing the rods ? or maybe less than 600 HP is ok ?

Re: 454mag rebuild in progress
 

Jeff said there was no point on replacing them, they are in mint shape. And they are forged, not cast so they are the good stuff.
I guess I could have replace them, but $ is always an issue, otherwise i wouldn't have rebuilt, just woulda gone new.
I'm trying (with jeffs help) to put the $ towards the stuff I need, like a beefier drive.
I'm sure you all can appreciate that.
And I will try to take pics w/ updates when i make it to the shop, which should almost be weekly.

Re: 454mag rebuild in progress
 

I've heard very good things about Jeff and I'm sure he's checking everything. You'll be pleased with the finished product.

Re: 454mag rebuild in progress
 

I'm sure of it. That is why I went with Jeff.
I originally wanted to have Mesa do my engine, but being so far I was hesitant.
Then I spoke to Jeff, and he was exactly what I was looking for.
He really knows his stuff and has had a long time relationship w/ rich zul.
He's really easy to talk to and I feel he'll be there to help me in the future, especially since he is local.
I'm glad I jumped on board w/ JC performance, and look forward to having him work on my boat(s) for years to come.

I'm posting this rebuild because I felt there were plenty of others out there in my situation and would like to see what I'm doing. There are also others out there that just like to see these works in progress. And then there is the shameless plug. :D

More to come.

Re: 454mag rebuild in progress
 

A nice option would to do some bore notching----it would be an ideal thing to do as long as the block is bare....good for about 20-30hp according to JimV. But it will lower your compression a bit. JimV could tell you more about it. Anyway, looking good-----have fun!

Re: 454mag rebuild in progress
 

:D :D :stupid:

Re: 454mag rebuild in progress
 

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is bore notching????

Re: 454mag rebuild in progress
 

KAAMA, I know we've discussed this at length before (over bags of Oreo cookies and Cokes)
and I can understand the theory behind it but I still don't think that it's good for the 20 to 30 horsepower that has been suggested, depending on the engines being built. I find it hard to believe that SuperV's engines would have made another 20-30 on the dyno down at Earhart's shop that day.
In a nutshell, bore-notching is grinding away the cylinder material that hangs out past the head gasket in the areas near the valves. Lay the headgasket on the block and notice the oval appearance of the gasket hole and the metal that can be removed from the bore, effectively unshrouding the airflow path into the cylinder.
I'll admit that it can be done cheap enough to be worth the effort.

Re: 454mag rebuild in progress
 

Looking good Storm... :drink:
Did you decide to upgrade to a roller cam?
How fast is that baby going to spin to make 550HP?

If you do buy an XR upper, I would be interested in you stock Bravo upper.

Re: 454mag rebuild in progress
 

Pat, we're sticking w/ a flat tappet w/ roller rockers.
Jeff didn't think the cost of a roller cam was worth it.
I'm sure he could tell you why better.
I think it was going to spin 5500.
And as far as the bravo upper... I'll know soon if i upgrade.