the big block swap 305-454 david meets goliath!

[INSIDIOUS '86]

this time goliath is the winner.

the old 305 first, 235thousand miles, this engine ran for 11 months with a rod knock and still ran when pulled, we called it the mystery machine..it was a mystery how it ran still...HAHA! oil psi nver above 10 psi and usually pegged at 0

we got the bbc cleaned up with a hose and gunk engine degreaser then used vht engine enamal chevy red orange and painted her nice like took the small block shroud and radiator out and used the big block radiator safety wired to core support now and a corvette clutch fan from a 69 bbc we used the holley and distributor from the old engine and then ran into a snag
big block torque converter bolt pattern is bigger than small block bolt pattern
thanks to the genius of GM a th400 torque converter was subd for the th350 and the issue was fixed, we turned the key once and she fire up and idle like she was at home and cozy like always, we also had headman headers that came with the deal!

so for 450$ on craigslist a complete 454 carb to pan and radiator and headers
not to mention his truck was bought free and the 305 was all it needed to run, his truck is the real "deals on wheels" and already within the short year hes had it done many great journeys and has many stories

[INSIDIOUS '86]

some more of it finished and me doing the tins

[Fixwhataintbroke]

looks great!

[meter swinger]

Looks great with the lettering in red
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[BigBlocksRule]

Looks great...but everything looks better with a healthy big block under the hood!!!

[Zane M]

Looks Great!

[Smoke_Dog]

Nice lettering and paint scream!!!

[motornut]

looks at home there now! nice work

[Pop's C-10]

nice change

[INSIDIOUS '86]

now he wants to get some more power for less dollars HA! I keep telling him with a big block there will not be less dollars!

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Well we thought she was to big to fail but the poor 454 flat cammed last night starting with cyl 6 exhaust stop moving and unfortunatly he had to drive her home and just before he got to his driveway it had enough and stalled out and wouldnot even turn over. Let's pray to the engine gods that she just needs new bearings and a cam. Looks like a 268 cam is in the works
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[86c20]

hope it is just that and nothing major. i do no that a stuck valve will lock a motor but a few stabs of the starter will brake the push rod in half so could be the cam. may turn after she cools down to.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Well I think the rest of the cam started going flat. We're hoping the crank surfaces aren't scored and we can just go with new bearings. I'm sure the engine has metal particles trapped everywhere in the babbit
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[semperfidoordie]

What all was needed for the swap? I am going to be doing this to my 77 K10 and was curious what all new parts I would need. It is a 4 speed and I didn't know if it was completely interchangeable or what...I'm in a similar boat getting a 454 intake to pan for $400 so I'll be cleaning it up and throwing a cam, dual plane intake, headers and carb in it. Nice motor sorry to hear it flat cammed but great reason to upgrade

[86c20]

the swap is ez just need the right headers and the fly wheeel and clutch kit for what ever motor you are going to. the mounts are the same. one thing to know is the 305 has the v6 rad you will want the bigger one if you want to cool it or if you work your truck hard. but it is all but up and and ez to do. same bell housing to. i did it with out pulling the trans at all.

[semperfidoordie]

My truck has a newer rad in it. How do I tell between the big one and little one? Also so I will need just the flywheel? What kind of a clutch kit should I look at? My first BBC swap if you couldn't tell haha. and it's my DD so I would need it up after a 3 day weekend so want to have all the parts before hand

[86c20]

if it is just a 454 truck motor and not a high hp just get a stock kit for it and same for the fly wheel. thats all i did when i did mine but it is just a stock truck 454 in a one ton. i did mine over 4day thanks giving weekend. and i was not working that fast the pulllys where the hard part diff brackets. if your motor has them you are all set. and the diff is the sixe of the rad. it takes diff hold downs. if i remember right the big ones are straight out form the core support and are out farther too.

[semperfidoordie]

Hmm..I may have the larger radiator as I know it's not the original. As for the motor it's complete, pulley's and brackets. I will look for a clutch kit and flywheel. Thanks for the help so far man.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

So an update to the saga of my buddies truck. We finally got around to tearing it down. It's been bored .060 over and the bores look decent. But the crank was .020 under on the mains and .040 on the rods. So the crank can't be used again since the cam material ate all the bearings in the motor. All the way down through the copper to the steel backing. Not a single one grabbed and spun surprisingly. The cam had 7 lobes completely wiped and a few of the lifters were a good 3/8ths-1/16th shorter than they should be. And damn the took a beating. It WAS a comp 260h lol. Now that we have it apart we are planning on de glazing the cylinders getting a new crank and having some work done to the heads and put in a lunati 268 voodoo cam. Should wake up a bit more and hopefully stay together this time round