I am in the planning stages of building a straight axle '55 Chevy 4 door into 2 door sedan, and it will be powered by a 427. I am going to run a 4 speed and a 3.70 gear. What would be a good engine combo that will run on the street pretty decent with pump gas. I am going to run an Edelbrock Cross Ram for the looks and two 500 cfm Holleys, so that is pretty much a given. I need some suggestions on compression ratio,heads, and cam.
I'd stick with a good set of oval port heads. Lots of good hydraulic cams available. Use the good oil since big blocks are hard on camshafts.
Oval port heads with some clean up on the ports,2.19/1.88 valves put in,10-10.5:1 comp,hyd cam(i will dig up some specs on one I have ran with good luck) Also If it was me I would have it balanced.
For a cam I really like the old TRW TP233. Of coarse the number changes to a speed pro number now and I don't have my book now. It's .523 lift In. and .555 Ex and a real torque monster. I have had no luck with crane or comp cam. They like to go flat. I went through three crane cams in an engine a year ago before we went with a speed pro. I'll post the number later. I also found new replacment springs for a 440 chrysler police intercepter work very well with stock retainers if you don't want to replace retainers and buy rotator eliminators. They worked for me with this cam. I used a set of 366 truck heads cut for 1.88 and 2.19 valves, angle milled .100 gave me 87cc. They work well with a closed chamber dome piston. Jeff
Check www.speedomotive.com I got 1 of their 500 hp big blocks. Couldn't be happier for a street car. It will show all the specs and cam choice. Only difference, I went 1 size bigger on the cam due to the fact I was running a stick shift and manual disc brakes.
I'm (almost) getting ready to put together a 427 for my 61 belair. Oval port heads are for wussies, we all know that everyone who wanted to go fast with a big block in the old days ran rectangular port heads. I have a pair of 291 rect port closed chamber iron heads, I bought some almost used 11:1 popup TRW pistons on ebay, found some 7/16" rods and I'm putting new bolts in them. I have a steel crossdrilled crank from an old 396, and a 70s 454 truck block that I'm probably going to smooth out to make it look a bit more like the early ones (although I also have a 66 396 block that is the one that can be punched out to 4.25", I just hate to do that). I have a low-mileage L-88 cam and lifters I pulled out of an engine a long time ago. Not sure what intake I'll run, for now I have an early factory rect port aluminum single 4bbl intake and a torker II, I really need to do some more shopping...although the GM intake will fit everything under the 61 hood, which is not a concern on a 55.
In my 55 I run a 454 with a set of the early big oval, semi closed chamber heads with flat tops and a Comp 280h. I think it's the perfect combo for running to the ice cream store, super reliable, got good low end, you don't have to machine your spring seats, and its got a good pattda, pattda sound with enough balls to back it up...
You're on way to an excellent combination contrary to what many believe. Built 2 last year with the Edelbrock "Square-Port" crossram. These intakes produce some serious torque AND horsepower numbers. The first was a 396 with G.M.'s "Winters" aluminum heads, these are the second design castings with the "D" exhaust ports. Some very mild porting, a solid lifter cam, and tested with 93 octane, it made over 500 HP. The next unit, a 427" BB, same heads, same cam, made over 550 also on 93. Good luck and I would try to find some of those heads, they have 295 cc runners and were designed for the "small" BB's, producing some awesome torque. Using 10.5 C.R.'s and the open-chamber heads works real well! Thanks, Gary in N.Y. P.S. Here's a shot of the intake/carbs as it was used in the dyno room!
Those Winters heads are cool (i have a set) but they're old technology, unless you're going for period correctness you'd be better off buying new heads, it'd be cheaper and they'd flow better.
since this is a traditional message board, I would not be surprised to find someone going for period correctness. Another thing to consider is that guys used to get 550 or so hp out of a well set up 427 in the mid-late 60s, so those junky old heads still make a shitload of power.
I am running a similar setup. I have a 10.25:1 CR, oval port heads ( from a 67 396 350hp ), roller rockers, and a 280 degree Comp Cam. It is a good street setup for me. I am using the factory aluminum single Holley intake manifold, against a TH400 with a shift kit. I have an overdrive installed and was running 4.57 gears, but have changed the rear end and am now running 3.73 gears with the overdrive for better mileage. I have been running this configuration in a 55 Chev Cameo half ton for over 15 years with no problems. I have had a big block in the truck in various combinations since 1970 when gas was cheap. The original 427 ( I still have all the pieces), was the 435 horse out of a 68 Vette . and the high CR and large port heads made it it a pain in the butt to drive on the street. Bob
I never called those heads junky or said they don't make power. If thats how i felt i sure as hell wouldn't be holding on to mine so tight. Here's my set up (minus the injection)
For a camshaft you could look at one of the "blueprint" muscle car cams in jegs or summit, can't remember who makes 'em. Check out the one for the BBC with the RPM range 4000-7500. I think its the 427 Vette cam, but I dunno for sure. Also, Comp Cams Magnum series are good, sound badass! My Dad put a 292H in his 327 for his Camaro, he likes it. Later- John
As for cams going flat, pay attention to the details. Follow manufacturer's recommendations as for open and closed spring pressures. Check all lifter bores for burrs(I like to roll some 400 wet or dry and polish each one with my finger and WD40) and make sure a lifter rotates easily in each, coat the stick with assembly lube, then do the same with the lifters, again rotating each one for peace of mind. Also, observe proper break-in at start up.
Another note, I am a big fan of solid lifter cams! They don't have as much monkey motion and have more area under the curve. Give me a set of early oval ports and an old school solid any day, tailor the C.R. to the fuel available. An early short block with 10.25 comp. will be about a point lower with open chamber heads and make as much power once it comes up on the cam.
I ran an Offy crossram with Edelbrock carbs on the 454 in my old coupe for a while one of a few setups I played with probably not the most bang for the buck of combinations but deffinately one of the best looking, in my eye anyway nothing exotic in my combination, '68 Chevy alum. rectangle heads, big valves, mild port work... all good machine work, decent cam, and all good fasteners throughout as for rectangle vs oval if you already have the manifold go with the heads that fit it or visa versa
427 seems to be the ticket. i'm thinking about building one also. i'm looking for a truck deck though. with some 6.535 rods and a 4 -7 swap cam. compression about 12.5:1...on e85. tunnel ram style. (a dream motor) yeah i know. but so far I'm running a 55 with a straight axle and it's ready to roll whenever i turn the key. running currently with a gm crate 454 doug nash 5 speed and 9 inch. the crate is a fine motor but i want to go racing. 427 with some rpms.
Oooolllld thread....but still decent info. These days I would step up to a hydralic roller cam. Howards have them very reasonably priced.
so far i got a short block with dimple rods and trw pistons. some 990 heads and getting a cam done up by schneider, solid lift .560...dart intake and looking to install some 3.89's onto the the doug nash 3.28 first gear...any lack of low end torque will be excused by the gearing. probably won't be very street friendly, but whoever said 55 gassers were street friendly.
I gotta give this one a better rating... It ticks me off when idiots out there mark threads like this one as "lame"...
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