Blue Collar 454, Part 2

Ccrp 1210 Cheap 454 Big Block Build Part 2 01

Big-blocks are fun, and we freely admit to being addicted to their easy torque and big horsepower numbers. Two months ago, we assembled a dirt-cheap 454 that made 408 hp and 511 lb-ft of tire-frying torque and were pleased with ourselves for a while. OK, a while only lasted about two minutes before we started talking about how we could do it better but still not spend a ton of money. This build is the outcome of those discussions. We decided to go bigger on the cam, add more displacement, hang a set of forged pistons, and also step up the valvetrain a bit. As you will see, the cost is about twice what we spent in our initial build, but we added 150 hp to the mix, and the additional money we did spend on things like good fasteners, pushrods, and rocker arms will put us money ahead for the changes we’ve already started discussing for the next version of this engine. In the meantime, let us know what you think of the Blue Collar 454 v. 2.0.

This is the same engine from our July issue that made respectable power for its modest $1,900 price tag. After disassembling it, we dropped it off at JMS Racing Engines, where owner Mike Johnson bored and honed the block for our 0.030-over Sealed Power forged pistons.
This is the same engine from our July issue that made respectable power for its modest $1,
Changing pistons changes the balance of the rotating assembly, so JMS’s Jeff Johnson weighed the new pistons and our stock rods, coming up with a relatively heavy 1,240-gram bobweight. All 454 big-blocks are externally balanced from the factory, so he balanced ours with the balancer and flywheel installed.
Changing pistons changes the balance of the rotating assembly, so JMS’s Jeff Johnson weigh
Our Sealed Power forged pistons can be installed with either press-fit or floating wrist pins. To use floating pins, however, the stock rods would have needed bronze bushings installed in the small ends, driving up the cost. So we decided to stick with press-fit pins. The normal procedure is to heat the small end of the rod and press the pin through before the rod cools.
Our Sealed Power forged pistons can be installed with either press-fit or floating wrist p

Cam Specs Comp XS290S

	Intake	Exhaust
Duration at 0.050	252	260
Valve lift (with 1.7 rockers)	0.598	0.598
Lobe separation angle		110 degrees

Even with the heavy pistons and rods, Jeff had to remove some material from the crank and was able to get the balance within 3 grams.
Even with the heavy pistons and rods, Jeff had to remove some material from the crank and
In the assembly room, Jeff installed the upper bearing shells and rear main seal before dropping the crank in. Note the orientation of the seal—the big lip points to the front of the engine, the smaller one faces the transmission. Jeff used a light coat of Gasgacinch on the back of the seal before fitting it into the block and main cap.
In the assembly room, Jeff installed the upper bearing shells and rear main seal before dr
JMS new guy, Stephen Komlos installed the moly-faced Sealed Power 1⁄16, 1⁄16, 3⁄16 standard tension rings included in our rebuild kit.
JMS new guy, Stephen Komlos installed the moly-faced Sealed Power 1⁄16, 1⁄16, 3⁄16 standar

By the Numbers

Compression Ratio Chart
Bore	4.28-inch
Stroke	4.00-inch
Cylinder head volume	120 cc
Piston dome volume	minus 50 cc
Deck clearance	0.009-inch
Gasket compressed thickness	0.041-inch
Final Displacement	460 ci
Compression Ratio	12.53:1

Then Jeff drove them home and torqued the ARP rod bolts. You may have noticed a bit of a dome on that piston. It’s actually a 50.00cc dome, and that, combined with a 0.041-inch head gasket compressed height, 120 (-ish) cc open chamber cylinder heads, and the pistons sitting 0.009-inch below the deck, yields a 12.53:1 compression ratio. Get the race gas ready.
Then Jeff drove them home and torqued the ARP rod bolts. You may have noticed a bit of a d
One area we didn’t skimp was on fasteners. To stand up to the abuse we have planned for this engine, we installed a full complement of ARP fasteners. After installing all the pistons, Jeff torqued the rods before installing the oil pump and pick-up.
One area we didn’t skimp was on fasteners. To stand up to the abuse we have planned for th
We also decided to increase the size of both the intake and exhaust valves. Note the difference between the stock 2.08-inch intake valve on the left and Summit Racing’s 2.19-inch valve. Their upgraded exhaust valve measures 1.88-inch (compared to 1.72, stock), and both are back-cut and swirl-polished. JMS cut the heads for larger seats and performed a three-angle valve job.
We also decided to increase the size of both the intake and exhaust valves. Note the diffe

On the Dyno

RPM	HP	Torque
4,000	357	469
4,200	402	503
4,400	437	522
4,600	469	535
4,800	488	538
5,000	505	530
5,200	523	528
5,400	530	516
5,600	535	502
5,800	543	492
6,000	552	483
6,200	547	470

For our cam selection, we went to the bottom of the page for Comp’s Extreme Energy series solid flat-tappet cam. We actually ordered the K- kit, which included a timing set, lifters, and valvesprings, retainers, and keepers.
For our cam selection, we went to the bottom of the page for Comp’s Extreme Energy series
Cylinder head guy Pete Hillemeyer checked the installed height of the springs, adding a series of shims in place of the stock rotators under the exhaust springs.
Cylinder head guy Pete Hillemeyer checked the installed height of the springs, adding a se
Higher rate valvesprings required upgraded pushrods, and we chose Comp’s recommended 3⁄8-inch, standard length pushrods. We also ordered their aluminum roller rocker arms, which also required taller rocker studs and taller valve covers. With our cylinder heads assembled, we bolted them to the block with a pair of Fel-Pro MLS head gaskets.
Higher rate valvesprings required upgraded pushrods, and we chose Comp’s recommended 3⁄8-i

Parts List

Description	P/N	Source	Price
Used 454 long-block	N/A	Hot Rod Magazine	$300.00
Sealed Power Engine Rebuild Kit	CSMHP771-300	Summit Racing	779.95
Fel-Pro MLS cylinder head gaskets	FEL-Q1071	Summit Racing	159.9
ARP cylinder head bolt kit	ARP-135-3601	Summit Racing	77.15
ARP connecting rod bolts	ARP-135-6401	Summit Racing	64.38
ARP main cap bolts	ARP-135-5002	Summit Racing	38.96
ARP rocker arm studs	ARP-135-7102	Summit Racing	44.8
XS290S cam and lifter kit	K11-679-5	Comp Cams	514.95
Roller rocker arms	1021-16	Comp Cams	314.95
Comp Hi-Tech pushrods, exhaust	7931-8	Comp Cams	79.95
Comp Hi-Tech pushrods, intake	7941-8	Comp Cams	79.95
2.19-inch intake valves	SUM-V8022-8	Summit Racing	69.95
1.88-inch exhaust valves	SUM-V8030-8	Summit Racing	69.95
Stage 4 intake manifold	SUM-226052	Summit Racing	199.95
Intake manifold gasket (oval port)	SUM-G2412	Summit Racing	16.95
Q-Series 750-cfm E85 carburetor	Q750-E85	Quick Fuel Technology	661.50
Water pump	SUM-312016	Summit Racing	149.95
HEI distributor	SUM-850001R	Summit Racing	80.95
Break-In engine oil	1590-12	Comp Cams	59.95
Sealed Power assembly lube	SLP-55-400	Summit Racing	4.50
Autolite spark plugs	AR-25	Summit Racing	47.60
MSD 8.5mm plug wires	MSD-35379	Summit Racing	85.95
Fram oil filter	PH30	JMS Racing Engines	5.95

The intake manifold we ordered, Summit Racing’s Stage 4 single plane, was on back order, so our Hail Mary pass was this unknown swap meet piece a friend dropped off in the middle of the night. It had a Dominator carburetor flange, but fortunately, JMS had an adaptor. We ran the engine first with 110-octane race gas and Summit’s Street and Strip carburetor used in July’s issue. Then we switched to Quick Fuel’s green carburetor.
The intake manifold we ordered, Summit Racing’s Stage 4 single plane, was on back order, s
E85 makes best power at approximately a 7:1 air/fuel ratio, therefore Quick Fuel’s metering blocks are modified with larger passages to flow more fuel. Other modifications include an aluminum main body and stainless steel floats, jets, needles, and seats. Ethanol isn’t as corrosive as methanol, but it still can tend to cause problems, so it’s best not to leave E85 in the carburetor or fuel tank for extended periods of time.
E85 makes best power at approximately a 7:1 air/fuel ratio, therefore Quick Fuel’s meterin
In case you haven’t guessed by now, the green metering blocks mean this Quick Fuel 750 carb is set to run on E85, which we bought from a local 76 station for about $3.60 per gallon, a bargain compared to $4.50-per-gallon 91-octane, and a steal compared to the $9.00-per-gallon 100-octane needed for this high-compression engine. JMS’ Nick Prohaska filled the cell in their dyno room, commenting that he liked the smell of the E85 as it ran down his arm, adding that he’d consider wearing it like cologne. Ladies, we can set you up!
In case you haven’t guessed by now, the green metering blocks mean this Quick Fuel 750 car

Labor

Parts total	$3,908.09
Hot tank, bore, hone, and install cam bearings	250
Rebuild cylinder heads	500
Resize rods and install pistons	200
Balance and polish crank	210
Total	$5,068.09

What’s Next?

As mentioned in the intro, it didn’t take more than a few minutes’ discussion before we began scheming what to do with this engine next. Look for a bigger, less streetable cam, low tension rings, and some home porting. We really want to see 600 hp out of this combination with the stock, oval port heads. We’ll also hit it with some nitrous for a hero horsepower number that looks good on newsstands and will feel awesome in a car. Stay tuned!

The Quick Fuel carburetor worked great right out of the box, and we saw a peak horsepower number of 552 at 6,000 rpm. We were especially pleased with this combination’s broad torque band, making no less than 450 lb-ft between 4,000 and 6,100 rpm, with a peak figure of 538 lb-ft at 4,700 rpm. That’s your author working the throttle in JMS’ dyno room; they were having software problems that made their electronic throttle stick open intermittently.
The Quick Fuel carburetor worked great right out of the box, and we saw a peak horsepower
Being in there while the engine was running at full throttle gave us the opportunity to shoot the intake manifold with a heat gun. At full throttle under load, we saw temperatures at the base of the carburetor hovering around 84 degrees. We snapped this picture after the engine was shut off and we had a free hand to work the camera. Within just a few seconds of being turned off, the intake had heated up more than 10 degrees. Because E85 has greater latent heat of vaporization than gasoline, the air/fuel charge is much colder than with gasoline, which also helps prevent detonation. End
Being in there while the engine was running at full throttle gave us the opportunity to sh