I scored a 69 455 for 200 bucks on CL. I want to build it up for my cutlass to replace the 455 that is in it. the motor isn't bad but it's just to mild for me now.

I have it all pulled apart and will start measuring this weekend. no scoring at all and bearings look new but the guy i bought it from knew nothing about the motor. so hopefully no surprises. it's not the first motor i have built or measured up. came with the C heads.

my cutlass has 3.42 gears and a th350 that i built last year. Ide like to get as much out of her as possible with out boring the motor if i don't have to and i want to use the C heads. This car is meant to be just a nice weekend warrior that i can tinker with.

What I am wondering is?
Is this a 9.5 to 1 motor? or how can I tell? measure dish size?
what cam grind would you recommend?
Carb size?


I have tried to search for builds like this but havn't been able to really find much.

thanks for your help!

 

Measure the bore, make sure it hasnt already been messed with.

There's a small valve C head, and a big valve C head, 2.02, or 2.07 I believe, cant remember, someone will know

Get yourself a Performer RPM intake, Dont get a torker or anything made for super high revs, even though its called the performer RPM, it still has good low end

I would get a valley tray from dick miller if you go with aluminum intake, that way you can run a good intake gasket from sce or someone

If your not planning on spending a lot of money on the heads, dont go over .500 lift on the cam, theres just not enough room without cutting the guides down.

Harland sharp makes a really good roller rocker for the olds heads without having to machine them, thats what I have

If you dont care about gas mileage, get a holley 4781 850 cfm carb. oldsmobiles love carbs

If you are wanting to spend a lot of money on the heads, have them ported, and machined for guide plates and studs. You will have unlimited options for rockers that way, but make sure to check the port match on your intake and heads, when we built mine, we had to port match the intake and heads, they were a bit off on top, and thats the most important side of the port on these!

I personally am a firm believer in the toronado crank scraper and windage tray along with oil pan, it add's another quart over normal pans, and even though its not as effective as a milidon or other race setups, its better than nothing

Other then that, headers, hei, dial in the cam, you will have a monster, I basically described the engine I have, which was built with lots of input from the guys on this site

I have a 68 toro engine ported big valve C heads, .523 lift cam, and a bunch of other goodies, and it will break 235 75's loose at 25 mph easy

I used to work at a speed shop where I got to work on 585+ cubic inch dragster engines, and my awesome crazy old boss was having more fun toying with the 455 olds than he was with the 585 cubic inch chev!

 

All engine specs for the 60s engines. Unless it's a 2bbl engine you have a 10.25cr engine. Your Quadrajet was rated at 750cfm

http://www.carnut.com/specs/gen/olds60.html

 

I too like the "dreaded" Toro pan system for a street engine. I'll take extra oil over the "chance" of a few HP loss. JMO, Ken

 

nice thanks guys I have the performer intake and hooker super comps on the car right now that i was gunna take off for this motor. I will be measuring the motor this weekend.

still unsure about the cam really.

 

The Toro pan is fine if you heat the hump with a rosebud tip in your acetylene torch and flatten it. That is the only negative besides its lack of windage trays in the sump. I'd add front and rear trays about 2" up from the bottom. Before getting extras like roller rockers (I have run stock rockers with wild cams successfully), strongly consider forged pistons, overbore and hone, new rings and bearings. Aftermarket rods are a lot stronger and almost as cheap as rebuilding stock rods and using ARP bolts in them.

 

It will be fun no matter what, it goes back to the age old saying, "speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?"

 

ok so far I have the performer intake, good headers, toro pan, windage trays, roller rockers that's all from my other motor that will come out in the spring.

I'm thinking this cam or one close to it. I would like your opinions!

comp cam grind number 287TH7
.050 at 234.00 and 249.00

 

I really like kits that come with springs that are matched to the cam's I just did a quick search on summit, I like this one, but it really depends on what you are planning on doing with the car

This one has kind of a low duration on the intake to give you good low end throttle response, when you get too much intake duration the charge will tend to bleed off and you have to get up in the rpm band to get any power. this one says it comes in around 1,200 but I bet if your converter is loose enough, and your tires arent very big, it will feel like its coming in right at 900.

I know someone else has a lot to say about this, this is just my .02 cents. If you have the money, buy a roller cam and lifter setup, really streetable, and you can run really really REALLY aggresive profiles. on my wishlist for my 455 build for my omega is a roller cam.

If you get yourself a 13 bolt quadrajet (the ones with the blue plug in top) you will have the ability to do way more adjusting to the carb than if you use a standard oldschool 9 bolt quadrajet, which will be night and day better than a stock carb

However I built a nice Qjet for my 455, pulled it off and put a 4781 holley just for fun, and I was amazed at the difference. I love the 850 holley, so thats what i have been using

No matter what you do, the engine will be a complete dog if you dont curve the distributor when your done, My friends have had great luck with the Davis unified distributors, you call them, tell them all your info, and they send you a curved distributor,
or if your on a budget like I am (too many projects) do like I did and find a shop that can spin them, and tell them all your info and they will curve it for you

Mine right now is 10 degrees initial timing, it only advances to 34 total though, and its all in around 2,500 I believe, I cant remember i have to look, it only has a couple degrees vaccum advance to keep it cool cruising down the interstate, the rest is mechanical for when your hard on the throttle!



http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cc...22-4/overview/

 

well really the car is having fun on the street no racing really. i have to trailer to a track because there arn't any around me. so it won't probably see any track time. I currently have a 2000 stall in the car and will go bigger if i have to.

 

An Erson TQ50 will work perfect in that combo. Specs are .504 lift on both with 228/235@.050 duration. It'll work with that converter and a stock valvetrain if you're headed that way.

 

Good advice from everyone and on that note I would like to add that if you can find one of the old o4b Edelbrock manifolds they work really good for idle to 5500 especially if you cut down the plenum divider 3/4 of an inch and then match the ports. This old manifold is overlooked alot and I seem to find them at swap meets and several times in junkyards. They usually ask 100 dollars for them and they really work with a little prep. Also if you carefully grind the Edelbrock off and paint it the factory color Nobody will suspect its an Aluminum intake. Just adds to the wow factor when people see how good your car runs.

 

well I got the motor fully torn down. someone has been in it before and recently. I'm gunna still start fresh. crank has a few small scratches but has new bearings in it. I'm gunna get the crank ground with new bearings and ballanced. I will have the block sent in for cam bearings, decked and cleaned and honed. bores are at min spec so I will keep stock pistons and such for now and go with some new rings and such.

Still am unsure as to what to do with my heads. i'm gunna use the big valve C's that i have. gunna send them in tell them what kind of cam i'm lookin at and see what they say i guess.