I bought a 59Chevy C60 grain truck today. at first glance I thought it was a 348. Then closer 'inspection' makes think me 454. A repower. See telltale signs of a swap. My question,is when was the 454 introduced?The truck was last liscenced in 91. The woman(in her 80s) says she last drove it in the late '70s.It was 'her' truck.It also has power steering,15' rearhoist grain box,and a tag axle from(I think) an old IH KB5.Tires are decent.Stored in a barn since 91.Cab is straight as a pin,no rust. 1/4" dust on it,A mouse apartment complex. (YUK!!) Pd $250.00. A neighbor helped me drag it home.
- Thread starter DeltaRed
- Start date
The Mark IV block family was introduced in 1965. 396CI was first. The 454 production came in late 1969 for the 1970 models.
There are many, many versions of the 396/454 family. Without the stamping codes in the block and heads, there's no idea which sub-model you have.
There are many, many versions of the 396/454 family. Without the stamping codes in the block and heads, there's no idea which sub-model you have.
timcasbolt
Well-known Member
The 454 was externally balanced, so the harmonic balancer would have a step on it like a 400 small block. The 396 and 427 were internally balanced, so the harmonic balancer is the same diameter all the way around.
CenTex Farmall
Well-known Member
Docmirror is right. The 454 was introduced to the public in 1970.
However, it is quite possible that you have a truck version of the big block, either a 366 or 427. The main difference is that the truck motor has a .400 taller deck to accommodate taller pistons with 4 rings. You can spot the difference by looking at the top bolt for the water pump on each side. If the top of the water pump casting is pretty much flush with the bottom of the head then you have the shorter deck used on 396/427 (passenger)/454. If there is space above the water pump casting before you get to the bottom of the head then you have a tall deck truck motor on your hands. Either version in any cubic inch will be fine for what you are going to use it for.
You made a heck of a deal, even just considering a no rust cab!
However, it is quite possible that you have a truck version of the big block, either a 366 or 427. The main difference is that the truck motor has a .400 taller deck to accommodate taller pistons with 4 rings. You can spot the difference by looking at the top bolt for the water pump on each side. If the top of the water pump casting is pretty much flush with the bottom of the head then you have the shorter deck used on 396/427 (passenger)/454. If there is space above the water pump casting before you get to the bottom of the head then you have a tall deck truck motor on your hands. Either version in any cubic inch will be fine for what you are going to use it for.
You made a heck of a deal, even just considering a no rust cab!
CenTex Farmall
Well-known Member
Forgot to add that the 454 counterweight is on the inside diameter of the harmonic balancer (and also one on the flywheel or flexplate) so feel around with your fingers and see if it's there. Also the truck motor has a funny looking water pump and a the intake manifold has dual thermostats.
Here's the original 454 in my 70 Chevelle. There will be casting numbers behind the cylinder head on the top of the back of the block which will tell you what you have. There should also be numbers stamped on the small deck under the alternator,passenger side front, which will help ID also,if they haven't been machined off.
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CenTex Farmall
Well-known Member
LS-5?
That's a familiar sight except I have the 402 (L34).
That's a familiar sight except I have the 402 (L34).
The LTL line I drove for fleet (40 trucks) was was made up of mostly GM Gassers. In 70s-80s they were powered with 366,396,427 and 454 V 8s. The 366s and 427s were the best running and held up best. The 454s didn't hold up as good as the 427s and were replaced with 427. They took governors off all GM V8s. The boss bought some new Ford L series with 370v4 engines and when ford engine needed rebuild they were scraped and 427 Chevys were put in them.
Unless you have a finely trained eye for the "tall deck" blocks, a quick glance under the hood at the valve covers, etc. will not tell you if it is a 366 truck engine, a 396, a "402 big block", a 427 truck engine, or a 454.
But, then again, we know it was swapped, and of my list, a "454" would have been the most common engine from a wrecked vehicle available at a boneyard for a swap, IMHO.
not likely a 454. Spec sheet is on the inside of the glove compartment door; it will give the original motor size. On the drivers side of the engine, back next to the firewall, are raised numbers where the tranny bolts to the engine. These block numbers will tell you what engine is now in the truck. 327 small blocks were also commonly put in those trucks. Even a 283 would fit.
had a hole in my 366 on the passenger side. Never did know why. Came when I was hauling a trailer with a 14,000 lb. excavator too. Still brought the load 500 miles that way, tho. Had to take the oil cap off the valve cover pan so the pressure didn't build up & oil stayed in the engine. It was a long slow trip.
timcasbolt
Well-known Member
Actually, there were many different versions of the 454. They were used for cars, trucks, boats, and countless industrial applications.
Back in the early 1980's I went to a farm sale to buy a 1962 C-60 Chevy truck with a 16 ft bed and hoist...After popping the hood I saw that the original 6 cylinder had been replaced with a 454....I ended up buying it for $1200....That was one strong truck..I don't have a picture of the 454..
have two 86 GMC 7000 single axle grain trucks. to haul from field to ben, can get 450 bu on the trucks, they had 366 from factory when engine went bad I put 454 in the trucks. got a GM crate motor 454 ci with 450 hp, both of these trucks run strong..got to be careful clutches and drive shafts taken off in soft fields...parts will fly
DoubleO7
Well-known Member
- Location
- Crystal River, FL
What led you to buy the 450hp versions for that application?
Seems like low rpm, lower hp, torque monsters would have been a better fit.
1948CaseVAI
Well-known Member
I had a 1974 or 75 3/4 ton Chevy "Camper Special" pickup with a 454. I don't know anything about Chevy engines, but the badge on the fender right in front of the doors said "Camper Special" with "454" right under that.
CenTex Farmall
Well-known Member
Very nice!
CenTex Farmall
Well-known Member
The truck motors supposedly had more nickel in the block casting. The dual thermostats, higher flowing water pump, sodium filled valve stems and 4 ring piston add to the durability at higher power levels. When the trucks are working and pulling a load, your foot is a lot closer to the floor than a typical pickup truck application. You're using more of the available power vs. a passing maneuver in a car or pickup where you make high power for several seconds.
Not saying one couldn't build an equally durable 454 but as delivered from GM the truck motors are designed to live longer at working power levels.
Another aspect is that the shorter stroke of the 427/366 (same crankshaft) equals lower piston speed at a given RPM and adds to the longevity.
Not saying one couldn't build an equally durable 454 but as delivered from GM the truck motors are designed to live longer at working power levels.
Another aspect is that the shorter stroke of the 427/366 (same crankshaft) equals lower piston speed at a given RPM and adds to the longevity.
timcasbolt
Well-known Member
That would have been the 240 hp LE8. A good, reliable engine that liked it's fuel.
timcasbolt
Well-known Member
The 450 hp was the LS6. An absolute beast with 11:1 compression and a solid lifter cam. I doubt very many of them made their way into farm trucks.
Take a close look at the intake runners where they meet the heads. The truck/station wagon engines have oval ports, actually more like rounded rectangle ports which are a bit wider than tall. The high flow, high comp heads are call "D" port. The intake runners are significantly taller than wide. These indications tell you if it's the truck or performance engine. The truck engine would be better for your application.
Although the heads can be interchanged, the rest of the engine won't support the hi flow D port heads very long. I did this on an old jet boat I had, and it didn't last long before a piston got loose in the bore, and started rocking and knocking. Of course, I beat that poor boat motor like a rented mule, so that might have done it too.
Some 454s as mentioned had a skirt ring. Three rings on top, and an oil skirt ring to keep oil consumption from becoming an issue. The 3 ring truck 454s could use oil after hard work. Really wasn't a problem, they never fouled the plugs, it just would burn some oil. The feds didn't like that of course, and it could never play in the cat laden engines, so the skirt ring was a 'solution'. Didn't change compression, but also lowered the crankcase blowby.
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