Thread: 454 build. Opinions on build.

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do not buy parts of any kind until you have the entire build on paper and know that everything will work with everything else.............for sure.....

1. When I buy a boneyard motor, most of the time I will leave the cam bearings in and clean the block at home so that the caustic soda that the machine shop uses will not destroy the bearings. I have yet to see a used stock motor that needs the cam bearings changed.

2. Use oil-based modeling clay from a hobby shop or craft store, shaped into a cone and affixed to the bottom of the oil pump pickup to check clearance between the pickup and the bottom of the oil pan. Oil the clay so it will not stick to the pan. Shoot for 3/8" to 1/2" clearance. If the pickup is too close to the bottom of the pan, it can suck the pan up onto the pickup, shutting off the oil supply to the pump. If the pickup is too far away from the pan, the motor could run out of oil if the oil level is low. Do not use Play-Doh for this operation. It will not hold its shape. Ask me how I know.

3. Measure your stack of parts to be used, for instance 1.525" piston compression height, 6.135" rod length and 2.125" crankshaft radius adds up to a stack of 9.785". Using a composition gasket, Fel-Pro 1037, that compresses to 0.039", cut the block decks to a new block deck height of 9.790". The new piston deck height of 0.005" (piston down in the bore by 0.005" with the piston at top dead center) added to the 0.039" gasket thickness will make a squish/quench of 0.044", ideal in my opinion for a BBC. A tight squish/quench has been called "mechanical octane" due to the anti-detonation qualities it adds to the motor, so it is often possible to run the motor on a lesser grade of fuel without detonation if you engineer a tight squish/quench into the mix.

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