Funny thing about economic downturns; they may lessen the amount hot rodders are willing or able to lay out for an engine build, but they never decrease the innate desire for big, beastly power beneath the hood that commands respect. We fully sympathize with that and decided to seek out a recipe to bring trusty big-block performance within a realistic car guy budget.
To get started, we called up Coast High Performance in Torrance, California, to track down a stock 454 block (you might be surprised at how hard they're getting to find out here) since aftermarket blocks would blow our budget for this build. In keeping with our real-world philosophy for this build, we didn't even bother looking for a four-bolt main block since two-bolters are more plentiful and generally cheaper-which leaves more cash-in-pocket for parts.
For the rotating assembly, we opted for Probe's 496ci Street Fighter package, which netted us a cast-steel crank, forged connecting rods, lightweight Probe SRS forged pistons, moly rings, and Clevite bearings. For only $1,246 we had solid, reliable internals that can deliver 500+ hp in naturally aspirated trim and have the capability to handle up to 800 hp with a little push from a power adder. And be sure to check their website for online specials at www.coasthigh.com. This time around, we were lucky enough to get free balancing on the rotating assembly, which instantly saved us at least $300 on machine work alone. Now that's a deal that can't be beat.
For the rest of the requisite parts to top off the short-block assembled at Coast, we turned to Summit Racing and put together an impressive package based on their budget friendly Summit brand parts-with a little help from Comp Cams, Holley, and Weiand. All in all it's a list that reads like your standard fun and rowdy big-block that would be at home in any real-world, driven, and enjoyed street/strip car; and that was the idea. Plus, the ground shaking rump from Comp's Big Mutha Thumpr gave it a sound that should be enough to reignite the passion for any hot rodder who's been feeling the thin wallet blues.
Quick Notes
What We Did
Built a budget oriented big-block from scratch with packages from Summit Racing, Coast High Performance, and Probe Industries
Bottom Line
Big, burly power and an awesome attention getting idle for much less than you'd expect
Cost (APPROX)
$5,255 from carb to pan!
We began with the most basic...
We began with the most basic of big-blocks. Nothing fancy here, just your garden variety two-bolt main GM truck block that Coast had sitting on the shelf.
Since we're planning to keep...
Since we're planning to keep the power levels modest and we've got boulevard bruising in mind rather than drag racing every weekend, we reused the original main caps-reinforced with ARP bolts of course. Ours lacked factory numbers, so we marked them during disassembly to make sure they were reinstalled in the original order and orientation.
The heart of our beast and...
The heart of our beast and the source of its 42ci growth spurt is Probe Industries rotating assembly. We opted for the slight upgrade in the Street Fighter package to a 4.250-inch stroke cast Scat crank paired with forged Probe pistons and 6.385-inch rods.
Street Fighter 496ci kits...
Street Fighter 496ci kits come standard with -3.0cc flat-top, +18cc solid dome, or +39cc solid dome pistons, but to stave off detonation on our iron-headed, pump-gas combo, Coast altered the pistons to +13cc domes.
The Probe engine packages...
The Probe engine packages may be budget oriented, but they don't cut corners on critical components such as bearings; Clevite 77s are standard.
Even though a stock block...
Even though a stock block can comfortably handle up to 0.100-0.125 overbore, we opted to stay at 0.070 and leave plenty of room for later boring if neacessary.
Here's a useful tip for garage...
Here's a useful tip for garage engine builders out there; Shawn Mendenhall prefers to wipe each cylinder with Marvel Mystery oil since he feels it helps pull the grit and debris away from the cylinder walls and promotes ring seal in a fresh engine.
Shawn had already inserted...
Shawn had already inserted the cam bearings prior to our photo shoot and completed a thorough mock-up of the rotating assembly, so we were ready to drop the Scat crank straight in.
It pays to take time and check...
It pays to take time and check everything; we measured the crank thrust clearance with a dial indicator mounted at the end of the crank. By levering against the counterweight, it'll move the crank back and forth when setting the endplay. By and large, you'll want no less than 0.006 inch.