The13Bats

I am likely missing something or maybe not,

How can they build and then give free shipping on this engine?

https://m.ebay.com/itm/COMPLETE-454-...714?nav=SEARCH



Ps,
Dont ask why im looking at engines.

pauldana

Hey 13Bats.... been a while..

Its basically a rebuilt 454... nice engine but still a basic rebuild..


...and those that we have dynoed have made about 485-500HP and 525-550lb/ft of torque....

I would bet about 450hp.... still a lot, and the tq will probable be in the 500 range. I believe they are pushing there numbers... but its all GM so it will last a good while as well... I would try and work on getting a full roller motor though... This unit is a flat tappet, one of the reasons so cheep, .... don't do a flat tappet... less HP and less over all miles on engine before rebuild.

I would rather go small block full roller.. jmho

The13Bats

Thanks
No sbs for me, bbs must

So how much do you think that engine has in it,

Had they used the roller stuff how much extra would that have been?

pauldana

100,000 miles flat tappet
200,000 miles full roller

cheap HP go higher compression... 11:1 with aluminum heads 10.5 cast

and 20 more free hp on roller cam with similar lift and duration due in 2 parts, less drag on cam, quicker ramp time to open and close. giving longer duration at higher lift throughout cycle


$500+ more for full roller

The13Bats

The thing is i dont need 500 hp,

I dont even want it as bragging rights per say but rather just coolness factor,
In the same way i like hooker side pipes and a stick,

Its really kind of childish in a way but ac cobra replicas great example, ive never been next to one that wasnt over built, you can feel the engine through the ground,
Sitting at idle like a gagging goldfish, then romps right into the hp, one just feels the car is bad ***, even if it might not really be,

Im old school stuck, but know Times change a car like a new c7 is insanely fast and not really radiacal and i can hardly hear one idle or drive by,
It does little to get me revved up,

So if i step up in engines i want something that revvs me up but isnt so radical it looses its fun factor for me....

cv67

Other than springs what do they do as far as machining to heads doesnt say

TimAT

Not to pop your balloon, but with much any BB build using good parts, you're going to need to stuff a potato in the exhaust to stay under 500.

427Hotrod

It's nothing real special for sure. cast crank, resized rods, and some hypereutectic pistons which you can bet are the cheapest available. They don't list any brand names...so you can assume the worst. Not sure what balancer/flywheel they sued to balance it since they aren't including it. It's an externally balanced motor so you need those to balance it.

It might run just fine for cruising around...but I'd rather go to VortecPro and get one I KNOW is built right for not much more money.

JIM

The13Bats

It wasnt a balloon remark, lol
My remark was more that i dont need 500 hp most street cars dont but this time around i do believe i want it, just because.

And while 500 is easy with a 454 rebuild, they have their stigma from the zillions of smoggers in rvs and trucks that had what was it like 220hp

Anyhoo,
Any opinions on the engine i posted?

Rescue Rogers

OEM heads and crank, probably a knock off chinese intake. Flat tappet cam as mentioned above. Parts for a good rebuild is about $3000.00 for off the shelf pricing and brand names, these guys probably have a business account that gives them wholesale which could be close to half of that so they are still making a good amount even with machining. They probably up production and are a little over stocked at the end of the year to show a loss at tax time and are trying to dump that inventory to get their cash back. Im sure pricing is figured into the price as well

The pricing I did from summit with all the small parts needed to put in a roller cam was well over a $1000.00.

Still a good deal

It looks like their 427 dart short block is identical to summits same short block including the pic but at a substantial savings. If that is true then these guys are a reseller and have access to good parts at a low price. So tthey probably are passing along the savings to move some motors. Looks like a good deal even after digging into them a little

The13Bats

I admit its been a while since i built an engine priced stuff out etc,
I also know some guys who can and do build at home will tend to hate crate engines just because,

This one was one of two or three others i saw on ebay and really unless its junk i didnt see how they can profit much,
Doesnt the free shipping cost a fair amount,

Guys free feel to post built engines you feel are better values and if you know of junk post that to,

Do most agree roller is worth the extra $$$

Rescue Rogers

i just got a short block delivered from indiana to massachusetts for $150. These guys may owny have $2000 into that entire motor. You got to figure in buying in bulk for them makes a huge difference too

I'm into this hobby for the busy work of rebuilding motors and trannies. I think its fun. Its like building a car model I can drive. Same reason I did my own gunsmithing.

derekderek

I don't like mass-produced heads. When they build them cheap they use cheap parts. Guy had a 496 up on Craigslist around me he wanted three grand for after it sucked the valve it idle and broke the block. He ended up getting about six hundred bucks for it. There were aluminum Pro Comp heads, the castings aren't so bad but the cheap Chinese valves will kill your engine. Buy a short block. By bare head castings. Get them put together with name-brand Parts by somebody you know and trust.

HeadsU.P.

I broke the head off a valve on a 396. Went right through the piston. It was all stock, all GM parts. So I guess GM BBC heads are junk too?

It happens to all manufacturers.

The13Bats

Okay,

So my motivations in posting this thread,

I have been busy on my 69 and thought one area that was good was the engine,
I lost a vw engine years ago to water and really thought i had it sealed up well,

But no, its siezed up tight, i of course have my magic mix of oils and solvents soaking trying to break it free but even if it comes unstuck i would expect there would have to be some damage,
My car spent 9 months with one guy then 7 months with another both were epic fails and who inows what might have happened to my engine while with them.

So moving to the next step, i can pull and install an engine here, i can pull and install parts but its not practical for me to build an engine here, so i might have to mail order unless i found a guy near me, and i like to explore all my options.

So what do i want?, well you guys know im a budget builder so i want to stretch my dollar,
Big block is a must,
I would like something about 500 hp IF it will run on pump gas and not have that idle that sounds like it might stall,

I went online hunting and saw some good buys on ebay like this link i posted, and expected it to get trashed here which it really didnt, so im surprized,

while i bet there are some great buys on craigslist and seems a lot of fresh builds dont get used and listed on cl how does a person know its not junk,

I have seen several magazine stories where they build engines i would love to have at a price I would pay so this is possible,
but i like personal feedback one only gets in a thread like this, so if you like something please say so if you think it sucks say that too,

And i will try to gain more infomation in what the right move for me will be...

Thanks all

bence13_33

I just glanced over the engine but there aren't really any "go-fast" parts listed. Basically stock re-conditioned I beam rods (doesn't say whether ARP bolts were added), stock crank and hypereutectic pistons. None of that is tremendously bad, in fact I ran a cast crank in my 468 for a long while and saw 7000RPM passes regularly. The thing that is costly is the head work. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that those have the smaller valves (2.08/1.72s I think that's what they are) and not the 2.19/1.88s. If there hasn't been work like bigger valves, valve job, combustion chamber unshrouding, bowl blending etc.... then you can assemble that motor relatively inexpensively. Also if the heads have no work done that camshaft and intake are a bit much for the setup. I'm not saying it isn't a good motor, the price seems pretty reasonable as long as the machine work is quality.

cv67

Most "rebuilds" if youre lucky at that price,

Bats Id tear it down, take it to someone local see what they can do for you
Nothing wrong with a polished or reground crank doesnt have to be pricy to make 500. Some bowl/short turn work, little compression youre close if not there.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevy-BIG-B....c100011.m1850

Pop Chevy

Did you look at the guys feedback? It's 100% pos. Sounds good to me.

pauldana

Ask them to send you a copy of one of the dyno runs for the engine,,, it would be interesting to see///

The13Bats

I might call a mail order outfit or two but dont want to waste there time if i dont at least think i might buy their wares,
But they do perhaps on purpose leave out important to know specs about their product,

So my engine is still froze up thighter than a hummingbirds twa...tweet

I thought i looked it up but i got slightly more crest fallen today to see i got peanut port heads, sure guys use them and big great engines but for not that much more that could have been a greater engine.

Ive also been reading all over the net and while people will make mistakes or lie a dyno sheet and parts list is pretty good,

The stories that will likely give some of you more bucks up guys stomach cramps do things like take a smogger 454 bottom end likely what i have,
Drop in a somewhat big cam and use aftermarket oval port heads, they get over 500hp, and boast they did it for 2500,
Some even use pp heads,
5k would buy a lot of bb if a guy builds it or knows where to shop,

Seems pretty much everything i read agrees that aftermarket oval ports are better than either rectangle or oval port stock heads, flow better,

I am not going to build the very cheapest but i just might consider building my own, to a degree that way i know what i have,

Im likely not going to put 100k on this 69,
Im not going to be beating on the engine or taking it to the drags,
Some parts are great to have but overkill for what i need,

Im going to stop in at a local machine shop here in eustis,
From the outside it looks like it could be a hum dinger,
Some cat in his 70s turning out coolness, who knows,

So any of you 500 or better hp 454 cats got videos posted where i can hear what your car sounds like