MEGALADON

has anyone ever put a 454 in a 80-82 vette. I sold my LT4, all my wheel
sets, my 396, 400, and now all my stock parts from my vette are for sale.
Just so I could buy a LS6 for my 81. I just bought a 77 chevy pickup for
dirt cheap, with a 454/400trans. SSOOOO maybe with all this money
I could build a 454 with a 5speed. but if you have not seen my website
with my hood, im sure i would have to change to an L88 style hood to.
please let me know on this swap, or if its not well for this style vette. :)

bence13_33

It's really not all that difficult to change over to a big block. Although the swap can nickel and dime you to death. Depending on what intake you go with the stock hood may have to go. The stock low rise intakes will work but really hurt performance. Your best bet is a Edelbrock Torker II intake, it's the lesser of the two evils but even it really holds the motor back. A bigger radiator will be needed to handle the extra heat of the big block. Pulleys are different from small blocks to big blocks. Brackets are also different from small blocks to big blocks. Bellhousing, motor mounts, transmissions, distributor are the same for small blocks as they are for big blocks. Some people recommend changing the front springs, but I never did. You will most likely have just outgrown your exhaust system. I would recommend nothing smaller than 2.5" dual exhaust with headers for the big block. Headers/exhaust manifolds are also different for big blocks. Water pumps are also different from small blocks to big blocks, but you'll still need a short style water pump for the big block.

MEGALADON

YUP, i already knew everything you said. but will the motor mounts need to be moved?any frame changes? do i need to take my ac unit out?
stuff like that. I want a fast street car, not a freeway car. I know my
IRS has to be upgraded if im correct due to high torqe. I would build the motor with all matching edelbrock setup.

bence13_33

I'm still running pretty much a factory IRS setup. I have a 4.11 posi rear end, big block side yokes (they use the caps instead of the straps), Spicer u-joints and halfshaft loops with stock '76 halfshafts. My car is also a 4 speed with 10" slicks and I haven't had any problems with the rear end yet (knock on wood). My 454 was putting out roughly 500 horsepower (ran 12.1 @ 118MPH down the 1/4). The motor that will be going back into it this summer will be 700-750 horsepower. So the stock rear end is decently tough...if you plan on street tires you will be fine because the tires will break loose before anything else breaks, it's when you start hooking up that you run into braking parts (but you run into that with every setup with time).
Motor mounts are in the same position on a small block and big block so the big block drops right in without any problems. No frame changes. Your AC unit should be fine. My car still has the AC box in it and I don't have any problems. You could still run AC with the big block if you wanted to also, you'd just need the brackets. I took mine out because of the weight, it was harder to work on with the AC and the belt robbed some more horsepower.

MEGALADON

Do you have the stock hood?
Do you have headers?
Did you feel a big weight difference with the BB install
Any handling difference. (better or worse)
I think where im really going, is it worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know I can get easy HP out of a BB

THANKS AGAIN P.S. do yopu have any pic's
:cheers:

Marks69BB

I would go for it if you don't have to worry about emissions. As Bence said above, everything will fit if you get the BB pulleys, brackets, etc. Unless you're building a drag car, I would at least consider the front springs though since that would improve handling.

Cheers :cheers:

Fevre

Def check on how strong your rear end is, if I am not mistaken 80-82 is weaker than pre 80 rear ends. Check with Twinturbo, he is VERY knowledgable.

bence13_33

Megladon:
No I don't have a stock hood, but I used one with the Edelbrock Torker II intake. I then got tired of the track performance of the Torker II and went with a Holley Strip Dominator single plane and an L88 hood. I have Hooker header side pipes. I run open headers with my big block everywhere. The headers are 2 1/8" primaries into 4" collectors...which is pretty big for even a stout 454, but it's the only size the side pipes come in. I noticed that when I dropped the big block into my car with the stock springs the front end sagged a little bit but nothing too major. Handling was a little different, I noticed a little bit more "push" whenever I would take it into the turns hard. Now I don't run it hard through the turns anymore, I have slicks on it and only care how fast it can go in a straight line. I did just purchase a pair of aluminum heads for the motor which should shave a good bit of weight off the front end (should handle closer to what an all cast iron SBC would). It's not hard to get a big block pumping out 500 horsepower and torque to match. An easy horsepower gainer on a big block is headers. You will see gains anywhere from 25-50 horsepower depending on how radical the motor is. Exhaust manifolds just don't flow well enough on big blocks.

There is a picture of my motor in my signature but I'll post some other ones.

MEGALADON

Yea, if im correct, they are good for under 500 HP. I would not want to go to a straight axel rear.I know with edelbrock set up, the HP rating is under 550
HP if im correct for the 454. I will get the heads to. Im thinking this might be a 4 bolt main block. being in a 1 ton truck, not sure yet. Will pull tomorrow
:D

MEGALADON

just seen your sig Bence, its SWEET

bence13_33

Here's the first pictures of the completed motor. The intake shown is the Torker II intake....I even still had my heater hoses running (wow it seems like so long ago).







Here are the pictures of my motor with the Holley Strip Dominator intake.

MEGALADON

pulled the motor yesterday, on the rear it said hi perf pass,
does this mean anything good. I have not broken the motor down yet,
as for I am thinking of just dropping it in a host for now. :thumbs: