OT - GM 454, what is the Good, Bad, Ugly

Kirk Grau · Aug 21, 2011

Have been looking for a replacement for my "94 Suburban with 340K miles. Still running pretty well, but going to need tires and a few other things to pass the PA inspection and it is burning quite a bit of oil anymore. Have located a "99 3/4 ton w/ the 454 for a pretty reasonable price and relative low miles. Never had one of these big blocks so looking for the collective wisdom here to guide me. I know gas mileage won"t be great, but what are the chances I can run this up 340K miles like I have with the 350 in my current "burb? Any other things I should be looking at?

'99 was the last model year with the body style we like so that is kind of limiting me although if we came up with a newer vehicle for a good price we would consider it. Just not going to spend anywhere near the $50k a new one would probably set us back.

Thanks In Advance,

Kirk

Gun guru · Aug 21, 2011

A former co-worker of mine had the Chevy 454. 9 MPG in the city and 10 on the highway.
I just thought I would tell you this before you found out yourself. This is without towing anything.

Kirk Grau · Aug 21, 2011

I know it will probably pass everything but a gas station. Use is as third vehicle and horse transportation so mileage is not a prime consideration, but still a consideration.

Thanks,

Kirk

CLYDE MASON · Aug 21, 2011

i have a 99 454 in a class a motor home and it gets 9.5 m/g the mh is a 27 foot so not big.
the 454 is very strong. next door pulls a 2255 with it on a 24 foot trailer. dont know about millage but sure not over 12

Anonymous-0 · Aug 21, 2011

Got a 1995 Chevy 3500 with a 454.It had 98000 mile when I bought it 6 yrs ago.Now its pushing 225ooo.Never had the motor or trans worked on outside of oil changes and tune ups. 9 to 10 mpg is right.With or without a load.thats pulling a 30 ft gooseneck hauling 12000 lbs or more.Id buy another one. Doug

buickanddeere · Aug 21, 2011

You will be happier with the 99 to 2006 chassis with the LQ4 or similar engine.
The savings of just going from 10 up to 15 mpg will add up.

John (C-IL) · Aug 21, 2011

I've got a 1997 GMC Dually with the 454 in it, 103,000 miles. 10 MPG for every day driving and 7 MPG hauling a 12,000# load, less when pulling a 450 bu. wagon. THe things are notorious for eating starters, but I have only replaced mine once. I like it, but my wife has a 2004 Chev HD2500 with an 8.1L and Allison transmission, it is a lot more truck than the GMC3500.

Kansas4010 · Aug 21, 2011

I have a 99 3/4 ton with a 454 and my cousin has a ton truck. Both of us have the 4-10 rearends with posi and 4x4. Both of us bought them new. They both get 15 miles to the gallon. I've put one battery and a battery cable in it, other than than nothing has ever been done. We've both had good luck with ours except we found out they don't seem to like to sit around for to long a time without being run or just small trips.

old · Aug 21, 2011

Have a friend who has a 1 ton with the 454 and 4 wheel drive and he gets 8MPG tops, it loves the fuel it does have an automatic which does not help either. If I remember right it is a 2000 give or take a year or so. The engines where good engined but sucked down the gas

David G · Aug 21, 2011

The 454 is solid with no issues, but so was the 350. You might have less compatibility issues just putting in another 350.

Goose · Aug 21, 2011

The 454 is still my all time favorite engine.

I had several crew cab duallies with 454's, and I found out they're like a diesel farm tractor. You have to work them to keep them healthy. The ones I worked the hardest, and drove the hardest, were the healthiest. If you're going to baby one in the interest of fuel mileage, you're defeating the purpose of having it in the first place.

allaroundtractor · Aug 21, 2011

I have a 1998 chevy 2500 ext cab 4x4 with a 454 5 speed trans and 373 gears it has 179900 on it .I get 13 miles to he gallon runnin around 10 pulling 10,000 pounds with it , no problems. Great truck and engine.

Dean Olson · Aug 21, 2011

I like everything about the 454 but the fuel milage. You'll love the horsepower and torque. Mine have all been very reliable. It's important that you have a eat shield on the starter. You'll cook it without. Next issue is good battery cables. I step up to #2's when it's time to replace them. A good hi cranking amp battery is a must also.

johndeeregene · Aug 21, 2011

i have a 98 3500 crewcab duelly, pull 32ft duelly trailer, 2 tractors i will get 10 to 12 without the trailer a little better not much. i dont push it i let the truck do what it wants to.
have lots of power an pletty of lowend. i have 410 gears. straight pipes an a hypertech phrase 3 chip, cold air intake, with pods. i have 79 thousand on it. on warrenty rebuilt rearend, an transfer case, i just did have to pull the heads cause of breaking a couple of manifold bolts off in the heads, replaced the distubator, was not advancing properly, that is from sitting a garage an not driving it.
with the big blocks you have to let them breath, in an out, to get power an to deep power. i change the oil every 2500.
just my 2 cents worth
johndeeregene

Billy Shafer · Aug 21, 2011

That engine will suck down gas. Faster than you can put it in.

Erik Ks farmer · Aug 22, 2011

I have a 98 3/4 ton longbed ext cab 4x4 and get 10 empty and 10 loaded. It likes fuel but pulls well, I like the truck for farm use.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 22, 2011

(quoted from post at 16:21:10 08/21/11) I know it will probably pass everything but a gas station. Use is as third vehicle and horse transportation so mileage is not a prime consideration, but still a consideration.

Thanks,

Kirk

How big is your trailer??? We just loaded two horses and zoomed along in the kia sorento like they weren't there. And got almost 25mpg (2.5 liter diesel motor). Don't know what a gasoline one would do or if they sell them in diesel in your area but comfortable, peppy, look nice, and reasonable priced.. Nice daily driver too.....

And, before anyone starts whining about imports, take a look at where your American stuff is made (parts, etc)

Anonymous-0 · Aug 22, 2011

I used a 1995 3500 w/454 pulling goosenecks,got about 10 to 12 mpg,but I never went down the drive without a trailer hooked to it.
I was making money with the truck,so I figured the gas cost part of doing business.
Know one thing,it sure would pull a trailer.I used to say makes hills flat!!

buickanddeere · Aug 22, 2011

Why don't you change the oil every 500 miles?

Kirk Grau · Aug 22, 2011

2 horse with a dressing room/tack area. Trailer probably scales around 2500 lb. I have never weighed it, but assume two horses and loaded with all the show gear we probably end up 6000-6500 lb. Not looking for the big engine for the power since the 350 did fine and I tow the critters pretty gently.

We have had some of this discussion before, I just like to have a substantial vehicle for towing. Like having enough weight/leverage to control the trailer in possible panic situations. Have seen results of trailer getting the advantage of an undersized tow vehicle and it did not look good. Trailer similar to ours" towed by a Ford Explorer. Was told they were only trying to slow down some and the trailer started pushing and resulted in everything on it"s side.

Kirk

Anonymous-0 · Aug 22, 2011

put a load opn it and it will drop as much as acouple more miles

2cylpartsinfo · Aug 22, 2011

I have had two 454's one in an '82 dually the other in an '88 dually, both had 4:11 read ends. As others have said they are good work trucks, as long as you are loaded you get your money's worth. You hardly notice hills, they just pull. Both of mine got 9 MPG loaded or empty.
I had more problems with high exhaust system failures than anything else. Burnt manifold gaskets, warprd manifolds, burnt spark plug wires (later one had spark plug wire heat shields which helped).
Mine did nor have overdrive, '88 was a changeover year, later trucks did have overdrive.
For a work truck I would recommend, for everyday driving (empty) I would not.
Hope this helps.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 22, 2011

(quoted from post at 04:32:20 08/22/11) 2 horse with a dressing room/tack area. Trailer probably scales around 2500 lb. I have never weighed it, but assume two horses and loaded with all the show gear we probably end up 6000-6500 lb. Not looking for the big engine for the power since the 350 did fine and I tow the critters pretty gently.

We have had some of this discussion before, I just like to have a substantial vehicle for towing. Like having enough weight/leverage to control the trailer in possible panic situations. Have seen results of trailer getting the advantage of an undersized tow vehicle and it did not look good. Trailer similar to ours" towed by a Ford Explorer. Was told they were only trying to slow down some and the trailer started pushing and resulted in everything on it"s side.

Kirk

Had a car transport trailer with a big steel poop wagon on it (total 7500-8k pounds that started to sway a little cause without realizing was going about 80 mph, slowed down a little and the surge breaks smoothed everything out nice.....

Whatever works....

Hope you find something that fits....

barnE · Aug 22, 2011

Some earlier ones burned oil like quart in 500 miles. Dave

OT - GM 454, what is the Good, Bad, Ugly

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