I have 3 B.B. Chevy engines. One in my Chevelle, just a mild .030 over marine cam all torque engine. It still pulls 13.8 when I lean on it. Also have one that's out to 489 stroked and bored to .030 over. That one hits the 12's in my Chevy El Camino . I have another one pure stock out of a 3/4 ton dump truck sitting on a stand that turns over but needs everything. Can any of these iron blocks be taken to 500 cubic inches or more and used primarily for street use or is that not feasible? Do I need to go with an aftermarket block or a GM Performance block or will my early engines have enough meat in them for more cutting?
@2many projects - Machinist told .060+ can be done with sonic testing. Then told me if I really wanted to go further, an aftermarket block with a 4.375 stroker crank can go safely to 510 cubes would be best. Too much for me, so I stayed with the 489 like you did.
The 489 has gobs of torque but just thinking I can do better and a 496 seems like not that much better. A 500 something is my hot button but wondering if any of my blocks can take the stress. I had a brief flirtation with a 509 or maybe it was a 510, crazy exciting. Yes it scared the innards out of me when hammered but it was a good scared I felt.
Starting with a 427 tall deck, we went .100 over and .250 stroker crank and it made 505ci. But, we had non shrink grout in the lower end for strength with 13.4 cr. With no concrete, you had better have the cylinder walls sonic checked for core shift.
Why waste money machining a small block just use a BB ....it already has the stress load design built into it ...if you go that way with a SB you need to use an after market block like Dart... ect........if your worrird about weight use a Cadillac 500 its about 30 lbs heaver than a SB Chev...they are made out of nickle iron ....super toque..
What is the dump truck engine? 366, 427 tall deck, 454? You didnt say what any of the engines started as. In my opinion, chasing a number is silliness, as it seems that is what you are trying to do. It seems the 489 suits it's need well, another 8 cubic inches isn't going to make that much difference as well as another 20 for that matter. What REALLY matters, is matching all your parts, Cam , Compression, Carb(s), Heads, Intake, Headers. That is where you can make or break a combo. It wasn't all that long ago, the 502 was a great combo, then the 555, and 572 seemed to be king, and now we are into the 632+ being a common combos. Your going to need a decent head to move some airflow too, and as it goes, the $$$ start adding up fast. I think any 489 / 496 is about the limit I would go on a stock MK IV block. In my opinion, if you want to build big, get a good aftermarket block for the foundation. You wouldn't build a house nowadays on the dirt ground, would you? Now, you'd want a great concrete foundation. Same thing with engines.
The dump truck Big block in a 454 stock and in need of refreshing. I do have a pair of polished aluminum GM Performance heads to use that I will be liberating from the stroker 489 engine which has a .030 over bore presently. Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
There are some good BBC books around and worth reading. I'm planning on turning my 396 into a 427 the hard way, only going .030 over with a 4" crank with the right compression height pistons.
He said the dump truck is a 3/4 ton, that's 454 stuff....the tall deck motors came in trucks larger than 1 ton. put a huffer on it, it'll act like it's bigger. Mild 454 in my 55 ran low 11s in very streetable trim, the slightly hotter 427 in my light AWB Chevy II has been in the 9s. No fancy stroker cranks or big overbores, it all bolts on.
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