The Easiest 900 hp Ever
This little propeller inside the Vortech blower looks like it belongs in a kitchen blender, but it stuffs enough air into our big-block to provide scary power levels. We tagged 926 hp with only 6.9 psi of boost.
For the clincher, we brought back our secret weapon: a Vortech YS-trim centrifugal blower. We covered the installation and operation of this carbureted blow-through system in the original Import Killer article in Aug. '02, and we changed absolutely nothing when we bolted it back on for this go-round. The blower components were reinstalled onto our 454 in less time than it takes to change an intake manifold, and we didn't even change the jetting in the Mighty Demon carb installed inside the Vortech carburetor airbox. As a precaution against detonation, we filled the fuel system with Unocal 100-octane fuel, retarded the timing to 30 degrees before top dead center, and let it rip for the numbers.
The blower's boost level can be dialed in with a pulley ratio change. A smaller pulley on the blower spins it faster to generate more boost and undoubtedly more horses.
In typical centrifugal supercharger fashion, the higher the engine revs, the more boost is generated, carrying the torque curve with it. With torque comes horsepower, and it basically came down to a matter of at what rpm we wanted to draw the line and stop. We bumped the total timing to 32 degrees and set the dyno control to a peak of 6,800 rpm. The 454 rewarded us with 926 hp at 6,700 rpm with a humble 6.9 psi of boost. The implication is clear--with the Vortec-blown combination, output is limited only by our nerve and the remarkable strength of the 454's bottom end.
--Steve Dulcich
The "Partial" Crate Engine
By now, some of you may have noticed that not much is left of our 454 H.O. "crate engine" except for its original short-block. Also recognizing what an excellent foundation this short-block represents, GMPP now offers the 454 H.O. as a partial engine package (PN 12498778), which comes with a four-bolt block, a 1053 forged-steel crank, 4340 forged-steel rods, forged-aluminum pistons, a damper, a flexplate, a front cover, an oil pump, and an oil pan. Scoggin-Dickey Performance Parts lists it for $3,298 plus shipping.