woodlawnmill

I had a '73 454 Corvette motor rebuilt years ago. As I recall at the time the builder stated that it had a 4 bolt forged steel crank. Could this have been possible? Motor was pulled from a wrecked '73 corvette coupe, I saw the car.

Thanks,
SW

OldCarBum

I have a 73 454 coupe. Mine is a 2 bolt motor with a cast crank.
I believe they all came that way in 73, but it doesn't mean the motor pulled from another 73 was the original 454.

woodlawnmill

It was a matching # to the wrecked '73 it was pulled from. I helped pull it.

L88Plus

4 bolt steel cranks were rare.
Not nearly as common as 3-bolt cast cams

Grumpy 427

454 came in two configurations, either a 2 bolt main block or a 4 bolt main block. The cranks were either cast, or forged steel. Not too likely that a 2 bolt main would of had a forged steel crank. Now if your motor had been taken apart before by someone and oddly enough they had a forged steel crank laying around? then it may have gotten put in that way.

A forged steel crank will have a wide parting line on the counter weight, a cast crank has a thin one. A cast crank will make a thud sound when you tap it with another piece on metal, a forged crank will ring like a bell.

Blue79

What if you stuck a bore scope up the oil drain hole and had a look at the crank bearing caps. You only need to see one. If you drain the oil into a clean receptacle, it can be filtered and put back in.

Grumpy 427

Was reading on another forum and came across these.

All 454s were supposed to come with forged cranks through 1972. In 1973 they started using cast cranks (except on 4-speed Corvettes which continued with forged cranks).

woodlawnmill

Good idea, as I don't remember if the donor wreck was a 4sp or not. It was over 20 years ago.


SW

Grumpy 427

I ran a 2 bolt main 454 block with a stud kit in the mains, it made 708HP on the motor and 1006 on nitrous. The motor is still together, and now in a race car i had it in my 77 camaro. Stock cast crank will take 600 hp 2 bolt main block will as well.