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Cadilac motors

Taylor

Taylor

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jul 17, 2002
Posts
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Location
Elizabeth, CO
I'm getting interested in doing a Caddy 472 or 500 motor swap. I've done some research and still have some questions.

The 1970 472 & 500 have a compression ratio of 10:0:1 while the 71-76 have a compression ratio of 8:5:1 is there any reason to avoid the older higher compressions motors?

Also is there any reason to chose a 472 over a 500, other then price?
 
What ever happened to the member who use to be a moderator, lived in OC, Calif and was a real estate broker with his wife? He had a 500 Caddy motor in his k5 and would be a good resource. Is he still around?
 
Big Blzn said:
What ever happened to the member who use to be a moderator, lived in OC, Calif and was a real estate broker with his wife? He had a 500 Caddy motor in his k5 and would be a good resource. Is he still around?
Click to expand...

Your talking about Branndon and I'm not sure what happened to him.
 
I'm not a caddy expert, just my opinion on a couple i had in the past. I had got a 472 in my Dad's Coupe de ville (1972) and it flat hauled butt. 10 to 1 ran on midgrade fine it and smoked the tires when the 400 trans hit second.:D I had a 500 later on and my mother in law had a 500 also early and later 80s and they moved along but a real boat ancher compared to the 72. I think they went up in cubes just to make up for the lack of power when it passed smog crap. :crazy: The 472 also got about 25% better MPG too.

Bailey
 
The 500 and the 472 were available at the same time.

Smog hurt them both and eventually killed them off.



I PM'd Brandon a while back and never heard back from him. However one could do a search and find PILES of info on this sort of thing.
 
well like I said i don't know much about them but i don't think they had 500s till 70 although i was in the wrong decade it was mid 70's on the 500 i had :rolleyes:. Anyway the peak power was no more than 25 horses between the two the 472 was just a bit shorter stroke and seemed to run a whole lot better IMHO.

Bailey
 
The newer cams are MUCH better for these engines than the factory issue. The factory had to do wonky things to meet emissions and really was detrimental to power. I've read that one of the best mods to wake up these engines is getting a newer design cams. Even the new cams that are considered mild (stock or bump above stock performance) are supposedly a big improvement. Read a good article on one of the Cad forums about old (bad) vs new cam profiles for these engines. I'll see if I can find the link.
 
Kert (cyberfire) is also running a caddy in his trail rig. Might want to hit him up for info
 
So I'm looking on Craigslist last night and I find a 70' 472 a local guy is selling. He only lives a couple miles away so went there this morning to check it out, its complete from carb to pan, it came out of a running Coup Deville and looks in surprisingly good condition. For a $125 couldent pass it up! The stock numbers on this motor are 375hp and 525fpt, after I add a new cam and manifold this thing should be a BEAST!
 
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Damn you...

Nice score

Since you did so well - you can come by and help me build this weekend.... :D (The K5 build is happening in Elizabeth too)
You should at least stop by at let me check out your truck for a minute ;)
 
ezoliver said:
Damn you...

Nice score

Since you did so well - you can come by and help me build this weekend.... :D (The K5 build is happening in Elizabeth too)
You should at least stop by at let me check out your truck for a minute ;)
Click to expand...

Sure that would be cool, let me know were your doing your build at.

If anyone else local is interested in a caddy motor there is another guy I have been talking to that sent me an email today:

"Sorry I do not have one in that years & I am going to scrap the rest of the cads
this week. I am just tired of showing cars & not selling them. I have a 73 cad
with a tittle & four more 74-80 the 73 has a 501 but if I sell them the person who
buys them must take a hole car or pull the motor them self!
call me 303 287 2480
THANK YOU
John"

He is selling the complete cars for $400 each!!! I would have gone that route but its hard to hide a hole car from the old lady, were as a motor I just put in the corner of the garage.:whistle:
 
the 1970-72 caddy 500s are about 450hp 450ft/lb torque stock. usually behind is a th400. great swaps. but the 400 will have to be divorced from the x case usually, unless you buy a adapter. the cranks are not machined for pilot bearings so manuals require some machine work to use. they are good strong torque motors. upgrade parts are VERY $$$. but with just a intake and cam they pull like hell. the intake is the biggest upgrade you can do. the factory one is real ****ty, but with minimal upgrades they rock and are very dependable. but they are also low rpm motors, the stock ones redline at 4kish. if you don't mind spending the $$$ i HIGHLY recomend a caddy motor. they make incredible HP/TQ compared to other GM motors. if you decide to get one, get a 500, 472's are not worth the time imo.
 
I have a 500 in my K5 and the dyno on mine was 395hp and 520tq on pump regular. My biggest expense was the valvetrain, I went with shaft roller rockers and that was $700. Did I have too? No, but I have the parts to turn 6500rpm now too:wink1: The current engine runs out of steam at 4900 rpm but will turn 5500 no problem. The 534 cubic inch 12-1 compression stroker will be a much different story:deal:

So whats it like and how hard is it to do? I love it, and way simpler than I thought. If you wanted to do a cheap build than find a used engine and do a timing chain, lifters, cam and spacer on the intake. Keep the lift under .500 with a slow lobe profile like the old Crane cam shafts and the stock springs might live. Or pull the heads and install Pontiac ram air IV intake and exhaust valves with small block chevy springs and retainers and have fun....I haven't had the courage or the need for low range yet, I suspect it will bring broken parts when I flog it hard on the 10 bolts:crazy:

DSCN0231.JPG
 
I believe that 1968 was the first year for the 500, in Eldorados only. Be prepared to have hardened seats installed in the heads. Those old heads were built for leaded fuel, and will pound out valve seats and valves, without either lead substitute, or hardened seats.

I think the highest advertised HP was 385, once again in the 68 Eldo.

The last year or 2 of 500 production, Caddy actually ran TBI.:eek1:
 
The more I read this thread, the more I want to swap a big block caddy into my truck :thinking:
 
3 on the tree said:
I believe that 1968 was the first year for the 500, in Eldorados only. Be prepared to have hardened seats installed in the heads. Those old heads were built for leaded fuel, and will pound out valve seats and valves, without either lead substitute, or hardened seats.

I think the highest advertised HP was 385, once again in the 68 Eldo.

The last year or 2 of 500 production, Caddy actually ran TBI.:eek1:
Click to expand...

Caddy was the first american engine with a high nickel casting, no need for hardened seats because they are already there.

Supposedly they ran TBI in 75, I'm not sure never saw one. The 76 did have it and the setup is almost useless unless you have all the hard to find parts. The injectors are very $$ and the computer is way slow.

The best forum for info is www.cadillacpower.com
 
IIRC there was actually port injection in there somewhere too. I remember looking up stuff on rockauto to try to figure out if it was worth it to put EFI on the one I was building around.

But yes, high nickle castings, BIG cubes (with room for even more), and once an aluminum intake is put on them they're not much heavier than an SBC.

I'm sure George knows the weight difference and what they can be stroked out to. I know that i've seen combinations up to 540 cubes.
 
And people think I am crazy to run pontiac motors. The pontiacs can rev alittle higher and have a touch less torque than caddys. Great motors for trucks!
 
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