bence13_33

I have a few mods planned for the 454 before I drop it in, and was wondering if they were even worth the effort? My plans were to:

- Paint The Lifter Valley With High Temp Paint
- Install A Lifter Valley Oil Shield
- Purchase A Moroso Oil Pan w/ Integral Scraper & Windage Tray
- Purchase Crane Long-Slot Steel Rocker Arms (1.7 Ratio)

Painting the lifter valley isn't going to gain me any power I know, but I have heard that it helps with the oiling process. Are the oil shield, Moroso oil pan and Crane rockers worth the effort?

I have also decided to stick with the Comp Cams 294 solid lifter cam. I'll see if I like the power that the cam makes, if I think I can do better I'm going to purchase the 306 solid lifter cam :reddevil .

Techno

Just my 2 cents.
I've never understood the concept of painting the lifter valley. Before I put something that could end up in the oil I would smooth the casting instead (which I did). why paint if metal is smooth?
I've never heard of doing this with the heads yet they also have a large amount of oil pumped to them why not paint them too?
Something anyone who thinks the oil is slow to return needs to do. After a drive shut the engine off and without waiting check the level. Then check it after a few minutes then after it has sat.

I think the shield is nice.
The higher ratio will help but don't know the negative aspects, other than piston clearance.

Flareside

Bence, I bet your next cam is the 274, not the 306 :p: ...Just razzin' ya.

bence13_33

Techno:
That kind of confused me too. Why would you want to put something in your lifter valley that can potentially chip off and make it's way into your oiling system. I guess I'll hold off on the painting of the lifter valley.

Joe:
Oooo, now that Joe has a 540 in the works he's sportin' a little 'tude. j/k Joe ;) . Norval used a cam much like the 306 and said it was the best cam he had ever owned (pulled from idle all the way up to 7400 RPMs).

Any comments about the Moroso oil pan with windage tray and scraper? I've heard that the windage tray and scraper are good for a few horsepower in the higher RPM range.

Racer16k

Yes! Unless the block is absolutely clean and oil free your going to have problems with paint inside the motor. The lifter valley oil shield will help a little depending on the difference between oil and water temps. A good oil pan with scrapers and windage tray are worth every penny. Try to get one with a kickout at the rail if you can. A good oil pan can be worth 15hp. Why would you want to use stock type, long slot or not, rocker arms on this motor. Anybodies roller rockers are worth 10hp not to mention 10-15 degrees less oil temp. If looking for bang for the buck get the pan and roller rockers. Go to an oval track racers swap meet, there is lots of this kind of stuff dirt cheap. Hardly anyone uses big block stuff on an oval track anymore, but that doesn't mean that isn't a lot of really good stuff sitting in peoples garages just waiting to be bought. :yesnod:

fauxrs

In my opinion the difference between a plain old rebuild and a quality one is the little things. A whole bunch of little 1/2 hp fixes adds up.

This is not to say that painting your lifter valley will gant you anything. The only thing to gain there is oil drainback. but at the same time I would epoxy in screens over the drainback holes at either end of the valley as well as over the cam holes.

I have yet to build a GM v8 that didnt have a lifter valley baffle - it may be at the most worth a single HP by preventing hot oil from being splashed onto the underside of the intake (especially in a big block where the cam is exposed).but they help retain lifters should there be a failure of some sort which is a good thing.

I also deburr the block - smooth out the oil drainback holes - use a windage tray, crank scraper, and oil baffle at the pump.

Unless you completely smooth the lifter valley walls, you will never get the same kind of smooth drainback you would get with painted walls. Painting will also, supposedly, prevent any loose sand or other casting leftovers from being sucked into the oil. I read that somewhere and it seemed like the most spurious claim I've ever heard. If you clean the block properly you dont have to worry about paint coming off.

Long slot rockers are only needed if lift exceeds the capability of regular rockers - I would go to a Roller if it were me.

bence13_33

The problem with roller rockers is that I don't believe I can fit them. I am running power brakes and need to purchase a special set of "Corvette valve covers" (the one valve cover has the rear portion squashed in). These valve covers do not allow the use of aluminum roller rockers or stud girdles. Maybe I'll get the Comp Cams Magnum stamped steel roller tip rocker arms (1.7 Ratio).

I am gunning for 550 horsepower (I know, I said that with 500 hp :D ). Right now I'm pretty certain I'm above 500 horsepower...probably near 525 hp.

Do you guys have any ideas on how to get me to my 550 hp goal, and I promise I'll be satisfied with the 550 hp *spoken with his fingers crossed* :).

jonvolk

yes, i highly suggest the crank scraper, windage tray, etc, etc..i still havent decided about the painting but smoothing it out llike you would the combustion chambers of a cylinder head should do the trick.

as for the rocker clearance...put the power brake stuff in a box and go to manual brakes....and before you start yellin at me about manual brakes and a big block...the car that i traded for the vette was a 68 camaro w/ a 396 making well over 500hp. the brakes where fine and i had all the clearence i could ever want...just my .02

mountainmotor

In my opinion the biggest little thing you have overlooked is the working of the combustion chamber on that series head. Besides the cam choice :)

Techno

A few other little things that could be done.
Equalize the combustion chamber sizes,and smooth them. used scotch-brite rolls on a die grinder, burette and piece of plexi-glass.
Match the intake and exhaust ports. Use gaskets to scribe the location.
The flashing thing on the valley and head oil returns. Also smoothing the castings.
Chamfer the oil supply hole on the block for the pump, this might be a different engine, forgot.
Magnetic oil plug
Make sure the exhaust cross over valve works
Non-parralel running of 5 & 7 ignition wires
I thought there were few more.

Flareside

Bence, you've got mail!

bence13_33

The combustion chambers on the heads are polished. The intake ports on the heads are gasket matched perfectly and the exhaust ports are gasket matched to 2" header primaries.

Suppose I wanted to go to manual brakes, what exactly would it take to do this? I'm seriously thinking about going to manual brakes.

shawn_cake

Got rid of the stupid mech roller in my BBC this summer - went to a Crane PowerMax Hydraulic Roller HR-240/365-2S-14 IG. Didn't loose much power, and the enhanced driveability and lowered maintenance requirements are a big benefit. This cam is even a bit much for the street...

Flareside

Bence, I've got manual brakes, and they work just fine. I don't miss power brakes in the Vette (although I am installing power steering!) I believe the only things you need are a manual master cylinder and the brake lines that attach to the MS. I believe the bolt holes in the firewall also have to be modified.

-Joe

TheOman

Every time I see this stuff about painting the lifter valley I just grind my teeth. Seems like a go-fast feel good kid of thing. If it was necessary why would the factory neglect it on every high performance engine they made for the street? Why risk this stuff getting in you oil and your lifters and God knows where else. As to the oil returning faster well I guess so but the question is do you NEED it to return a micro second faster?

I put this paint stuff in the same category as using steel wool on bearing inserts, using grooved inserts on both sides of the journal, blending oil pump to main bearing cap passages and so many other Hotrod myths. Hockum! Doesn't even make sense on the full on race engines let alone on a streeter. Can't see the paint just seems dumb.