396 combos-let's hear them

[SpiderGearsMan]

a 396 can be pretty brutal , I have a 66 model with a ton of meat on the block . been in 3 cars 12.39 at raceway park in 1987 with oval ports and a .500 lift GM LS6 cam @ 0.30 lash

[Scott Liggett]

Bah. The 454 is a truck engine. Too long of stroke to really rev. If anything, take that steel 396 crank and put it in a 454 block for a revvy 427. Road racers never used a 454 engine. They raced 427's through the '80's. Some expanded the bore and stroke and got 700hp 484's out of them. Guys like Jim Hall and his Chapparals had them.

I think your plan is solid. It should provide plenty of street fun providing he has something steeper than 2.56's out back.

[zombie289]

Not that I know stuff all about chevs but i always likes the idea of a 396 with its big port & valve size & short throw crank....My friend had one in a ski boat and it would kick 454s asses on a regular basis....

[OldMachinist]

Huh? The 496's in the Can Am series seemed to run pretty good and I think they were 4 1/4 stroke. Here I always thought it was valvetrain that limited RPM.

[groucho]

Bah. The 454 is a truck engine. Too long of stroke to really rev. If anything, take that steel 396 crank and put it in a 454 block for a revvy 427. Road racers never used a 454 engine. They raced 427's through the '80's. Some expanded the bore and stroke and got 700hp 484's out of them. Guys like Jim Hall and his Chapparals had them.

I think your plan is solid. It should provide plenty of street fun providing he has something steeper than 2.56's out back.

3.55's. I had an all iron 2-bolt 454 in a 3350Lb 68 Camaro (me not in it) and I'd wing it to 7500 pass after pass after pass. Ran 10.60.s at 129MPH (went 130 couple times). I could never get it to hook for a better ET, but man it hauled ass. I pushed it past 7500 a couple times, but it didn't go any quicker/faster

[Monk]

I'm assuming this is a hydraulic roller cam?..........have you considered a solid roller?

We swapped a hydraulic roller out of the 427 few years back to a solid and I like the switch.

[groucho]

I'm assuming this is a hydraulic roller cam?..........have you considered a solid roller?

We swapped a hydraulic roller out of the 427 few years back to a solid and I like the switch.

Attach your post to the one in question so I know what you're talkin about. Thank you

[Monk]

The 270H is .510 lift (224 @ .050). I'm looking for something snappy (light to light type shit), and I was actually thinking I should possibly entertain the next smaller cam(?). All thoughts welcome. Oh, wouldn't the bigger valves be of more use closer to 5000 RPM and not so much the light to light RPM?

Ok.......I'm assuming the Comp 270H you mentioned is a hydraulic roller?......have you considered a solid roller?

[groucho]

Ok.......I'm assuming the Comp 270H you mentioned is a hydraulic roller?......have you considered a solid roller?

No, that's a mild hydraulic. I believe if it'd been a 270HR it'd been a roller (hydraulic roller). No roller of any kind in this budget. I'm just trying to build a better version of the 396/350HP within the customer's budget.

[Monk]

No, that's a mild hydraulic. I believe if it'd been a 270HR it'd been a roller (hydraulic roller). No roller of any kind in this budget. I'm just trying to build a better version of the 396/350HP within the customer's budget.

Got it........

[groucho]

Got it........

FWIW, when I do build something for myself with a roller, it's always solid

[squirrel]

A mild street big block is one case where a hydraulic roller makes a lot of sense....I like the one I have in my 55....no worries about losing lobes.

[TheSilverBuick]

I don't know jack about Chevy's but in the Buick world, where everything is ridiculously expensive, the hydraulic roller cam conversion is a better bang for the buck than the aluminum heads by a fair margin.

[Scott Liggett]

3.55's. I had an all iron 2-bolt 454 in a 3350Lb 68 Camaro (me not in it) and I'd wing it to 7500 pass after pass after pass. Ran 10.60.s at 129MPH (went 130 couple times). I could never get it to hook for a better ET, but man it hauled ass. I pushed it past 7500 a couple times, but it didn't go any quicker/faster

I am not saying that a 454 will not run. Hell, my ex-bosses wife had a 468, 10.6:1, .660/ 250@ .050 solid roller, Brodix 335 cc heads, Dart intake, and a 1050 dominator. She drove it nearly every day. Ran 10.60's 125 mph consistantly enough to get her trophies at Sac Raceway. It was in an all steel 69 camaro.

But, that extra .250 stroke means the piston is traveling 1250 inches farther at 5000 rpm. Thats more 100 feet. Thats where short stroke, large bore engines kick ass. Piston speed is way slower at high rpms. Not to mention the extra weight being moved at a higher speed.

[Monk]

FWIW, when I do build something for myself with a roller, it's always solid

Swapped out a hydraulic roller for a solid in the 427 few years back.....like the results.
Went with one in the 409. I'm sold on 'em.