I have a 455 short block casting #485428, I believe it is a 1974 block. I have a set of #62 heads, The date codes are C249 and C259. Then I have an Edelbrock Performed RPM intake #7156.
My bigggest concern is whether the parts will mechanically fit together and work or will there be some machining to get everything to fit together.
You should be good to go unless someone has done a lot of machining to some of them. You may have height issues getting under your hood with the rpm. Some do, some don't.
Kind what I was thinking, unless the piston to deck height is on the large side, and/or the camshaft closes the intake valve really late that's a lot of volume to get squeezed into 72CCs
I've done the math and with the deck height I may need a dished piston to get the compression down to the 9.5 - 10 area. I know I don't want to go higher than that on pump gas (we have 93 octane here). I'd much prefer some aluminum heads but the price tag for those is not in my budget. The 62's were a Craigslist buy about 5-6 years ago for $150.
The block appears to have not been bored yet and there is practically no lip at the top of the piston holes. I was able to push the pistons out the top easily when I tore it down.
My heads were supposed to be 72cc. They actually measured out at about 74-75. I ended up with a 13cc dish which gave me 10.7:1. A little bit high but mine are alum heads so it works. Probably should've gone to about 15cc. Iron heads are way different. You'd have to do all the measuring to figure how much dish you're going to need. I used to run 9.7:1 with iron heads but that was pushing it.
Don't know what the number of my bellhousing is but it's a stock 68 and my TKO bolts right up no problem. One thing you should check is bellhousing crankshaft run out. The TKO needs the center of the crank journals to be right in the center of the bellhousing register. Mine was out so I used offset dowel pins.
I also have a stump puller, you'll want to be able to flow some good air for that camshaft. My heads flow 310/220 at 55.
I also have the rpm intake, like Bob says some have hood clearance problems with it. I had to lose the one inch spacer and use a drop base filter housing to keep the hood from making contact.
Don't know what the number of my bellhousing is but it's a stock 68 and my TKO bolts right up no problem. One thing you should check is bellhousing crankshaft run out. The TKO needs the center of the crank journals to be right in the center of the bellhousing register. Mine was out so I used offset dowel pins.
I also have a stump puller, you'll want to be able to flow some good air for that camshaft. My heads flow 310/220 at 55.
I also have the rpm intake, like Bob says some have hood clearance problems with it. I had to lose the one inch spacer and use a drop base filter housing to keep the hood from making contact.
I have read about the offset dowel pins before to make everything line up for the Tremec.
As far as flow rates..... I have been back and forth about using aftermarket aluminum heads and I think life would be easier if I just went that route. I would be able to buy them in the CC I need to get the proper CR for the engine to run right and get better flow. I want to build a full roller motor. To my understanding I will have to replace the valley pan and use taller valve covers. Anything else I need to change as well?
A warning! Please, if you do go with a roller set up, don't buy the Comp Cams 857-16 hydraulic roller lifters. I know there is going to be a pile of folks saying they use CC stuff no problem and it's great etc. etc.! I don't care, don't use them! The first set I got wouldn't hold oil at all. Would work fine for a few miles then clack like out of adjustment solids. I kept phoning CC and they kept telling me to tighten the adjusters more and more. Finally one supposed tech expert told me to tighten them down two and a half turns. I asked him how many turns it would take until the valves didn't close, he didn't know what the hell he was talking about. The dealer I bought them from replaced them, second set weren't much better. Then two lifters broke! That cost me a fortune! Complete tear down, cylinder hone, re-ring, new cam bearings, new camshaft, grind crank, new crank and rod bearings, new seals, new lifters, new pushrods, new rockers, new etc. The folks at the dyno shop told me they'd had nothing but trouble with the comp lifters and wouldn't consider using them on any engine, Pontiac, Ford, Chebby, none. You can used whatever you want of course, but why take the chance when there are better brands out there? Just a warning from experience.
I put in Crower solid rollers, Crower roller rockers and Smith Brothers pushrods. I've only adjusted the solid lifters once since I put them in 7,000 miles ago and they're quieter than the hydraulic lifters.
I don't know why you would have to replace the valley pan, I didn't. You will need to buy an adjustable push rod so you can measure to determine what length pushrods you'll need. After the engine is assembled of course. You may want to have the block deck micro ground for the flattest, smoothest finish you can get and use a quality head gasket such as a Cometic MLS, to insure a good seal between the aluminium heads and the iron block. You'll most likely have to buy custom head bolts, ARP make good ones for the Pontiac. I had to use SCE intake gaskets, don't know if they're needed with Edelbrock heads. Autolite #3924 spark plugs work well with aluminium heads on Pontiac blocks. You should port match the RPM intake to the heads, I did my headers as well.
That's about all I can think you'd need off hand.
Oh yea, if you have power brakes, really tall rocker covers may contact the booster, You shouldn't need the real high ones, must be some that will clear the rockers and the booster, but something to think about before you buy. .
Roller cams are not needed unless you just feel like spending lots of money for no reason. SFT been in my engine for 10 years now, no problems what so ever. Last 12 Pontiac engines I have built for people have all had flat tappet cams and are all still running.
I agree with that. There're are a pile of flat tappet Pontiacs out there with no cam issues at all. I didn't put mine in for any anticipated power gains. After two of my buddies had there camshafts fail within two weeks of each other I was just so afraid of having a cam melt down on me, I went for the roller for some supposed piece of mind. Didn't work out well though. I figured since I had the engine in pieces and had spent a pile of cash on it so far anyway, a roller set up would reduce my anxiety over the camshaft failing. I know of a couple shops near here that won't build an engine without a roller of some type.I guess it only takes one or two bad cams to make one gun shy. I don't know if all the failures we heard about a few years back were due to the oil like the cam companies claimed or if there were just a batch of bad cams. I remember a few years back factory Chebby cams were failing at an unusual rate. But I do know what lifter brand I would and wouldn't buy.
Most of flat tappet cam failures are due to improper break in. If you use the good cam break in paste on the cam lobes, use the engine break in additive and prime the oil pump so you have oil pressure as soon as the engine fires and also have the ignition timing set correctly for when the engine fires you can immediately bring it up to 2500 RPM or so for 20 minutes. It should last a lifetime.
I agree with that as well. And not keeping things clean during assembly, inaccurate machining, improper installation of cam bearings, driving the cam tunnel plug too deep, etc. But some of the cams were just made with bad surface hardening, inaccurate mahining, of lobes, not straight,etc. I had one that was so out of true I don't think I could have gotten it into the tunnel if I hammered it. Forget what the out of true measurement was when I checked it but way beyond spec.
I agree with that as well. And not keeping things clean during assembly, inaccurate machining, improper installation of cam bearings, driving the cam tunnel plug too deep, etc. But some of the cams were just made with bad surface hardening, inaccurate mahining, of lobes, not straight,etc. I had one that was so out of true I don't think I could have gotten it into the tunnel if I hammered it. Forget what the out of true measurement was when I checked it but way beyond spec.
D4VE67, sorry for getting off topic.
I don't mind at all, lots of good info. I've helped rebuild 2 engines in my life, both times having someone who knew a lot more then me telling me what step to do next. One was an old Chevy 350 (1968 casting) and a Dodge 318 (1972 casting), and both were over 20 years ago.
This time I am going at it with my 16 yo son assisting using a couple of books and bouncing ideas off you guys. I'm not building a race car BUT since I am spending the money to rebuild the engine I want to get the most bang for my buck. My biggest fear is doing something wrong and having the engine grenade on me.
Just a thought A good machine shop will install cam bearings and if you want them to they’ll build the bottom end for you that way all you have to do is throw the heads on and put the pushrods in and either torque the rockers and or adjust if that type of rocker system put the front of engine together and the accessories and break in If your going to do it all get a good engine book and you can use the internet for help or this site Good luck Make sure your machine shop checks the crankshaft for cracks
I gave some misleading info, I didn't replace the valley pan but I forgot I clearanced the one I have. Just had to tap the bottom of the pan baffle a bit with a small hammer. Not much, took about three minutes. Forget if it was the drivers or passenger side, I'll try to find a pic to show you.
Mickey's idea about a how to book seems good, Rocky Rotella has one "how to rebuild Pontiac V-8s".
Sorry no pic. Now that I think about it some more I bought a new tomahawk valley pan when I got the rest of the parts for my build. It fit so bad I reused the old one after clearancing it. I think I put a couple srtips of dum dum putty on the pan then turned the crank by hand and checked if there was contact with the putty. It will depend on the hight of the lifters and the lift of the cam lobes as too how much clearancing is needed. You'll should make sure the old pan is cleaned out spotlessly in the baffle. Don't want any crud from there getting into your new build.
You'll also need to get a new distributor gear, the stock one will wear with the steel camshaft.