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K30 with a big block question?

I can confirm what Wade's saying. Knowing the right people within GM anything was possible. When I worked at GM Fleet I was part of a group that set up special equipment options (SEO) for fleet units. We put together an option to use the flex-fuel e85 5.3 from the Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon side on Silverado trucks. It was mainly for Corn Co-ops to highlight the use of Corn in making e85 fuel. We did all kinds of small batch options for fleets that the regular public didn't know was available then.

But going back to the 60's and 70's it was a matter of knowing the right person to get a special order through. The Central Office Production Order (COPO as most have heard of it as) process did more than just put 427's in Camaros and Chevelles or LT1's in Novas for builders like Yenko, Nickey, Berger or others like them. It's how one offs came to be like the 1 of 1 1968 Camaro Z28 Convertible built for Chevrolet head honcho Pete Estes at the time. '68 Z28 Convertible
 
Doesn't make sense why they couldn't put a big block in any 4wd. I swapped in a 454 in an 84 1/2 ton and didn't do anything Unbolted 350, pulled, lowered 454, bolted up, drove it. Did the same to a 79 Malibu. Typical small block, dropped in a 454. Was even factory 4 speed. Didn't use any special parts. Stock small block clam shells, stock truck manifolds. Not that it would matter with a truck, but if can do to it to a car, then don't see why a truck wouldn't work.
 
b454rat said:
Doesn't make sense why they couldn't put a big block in any 4wd. I swapped in a 454 in an 84 1/2 ton and didn't do anything Unbolted 350, pulled, lowered 454, bolted up, drove it. Did the same to a 79 Malibu. Typical small block, dropped in a 454. Was even factory 4 speed. Didn't use any special parts. Stock small block clam shells, stock truck manifolds. Not that it would matter with a truck, but if can do to it to a car, then don't see why a truck wouldn't work.
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It's not couldn't but wouldn't
 
I'm not sure I have a lot to add but the 454 in my crew cab came from an 85 K30 regular cab SRW. FWIW
 
I bet emissions had a lot to do with GM not putting 454's in K5's..--'73 was when they first started adding catalitic converters and a lot of other crap (air pumps,ported vacuum switches,etc),and after a few years,only some trucks with 8600 GVW were exempt ..

I've swapped a few 454's into 4x4's,I had to use the clam shells that came on the trucks 350 though,the 4x4 versions are different,the motor mount thru bolt holes are about 1" further away from the block than the ones used on cars and 2wd trucks..other than that there isn't much difference..
 
diesel4me said:
I bet emissions had a lot to do with GM not putting 454's in K5's..--'73 was when they first started adding catalitic converters and a lot of other crap (air pumps,ported vacuum switches,etc),and after a few years,only some trucks with 8600 GVW were exempt ..

I've swapped a few 454's into 4x4's,I had to use the clam shells that came on the trucks 350 though,the 4x4 versions are different,the motor mount thru bolt holes are about 1" further away from the block than the ones used on cars and 2wd trucks..other than that there isn't much difference..
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The 4x4 clam shells and accessory brackets.
 
Yes,a BBC has accessory brackets & pulleys all it's own,nothing off a SBC will work--luckily the 454's I swapped in had everything still intact as far as the alternator & P/S brackets ,pulleys,etc..
I put the engine in with the car clam shells it came with and though it went in OK,it was tilted slightly downhill on the front,and the oil pan was almost against the cross member--swapping the clam shells solved that problem..

I had to fab up front exhaust pipes too,but some claim the SBC ones will work,but the 454's exhaust manifolds had a larger opening and 3 bolt pattern ,so my original pipes would not bolt up..they were only 2-1/4" O.D. and the 454 needed 2-1/2" O.D. pipes and larger 3 bolt flanges..
 
And since 2007 you can't get a big block in any car or light truck. :frown1: Amazingly, that's 13 years after Ford stopped and after 3 decades after Chrysler. AFAIK, there were no big block cars since the 70's?

Soon they'll be as hard to find as Dana 60 fronts?
 
I've been trying to find a complete take out 80 454 singe I grabbed that k30 that's missing one. Probably a month now. Everything is easily over a grand for questionable engines.
 
Big blocks came in more things and ran a much longer life cycle.
I never knew of a time in the last 25 years when a running big block in the Midwest wasn't a grand++.

When I lived in Denver you could get them from the junkyard for 200 bucks all day. Because no one wants them with the modern turbodiesel.

If anything, everyone being LS crazy, big blocks are worth less then ever and easier to find.
 
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i have 2 454 engines . 1 needs cam drove it home popping when you hit passing gear rpm . pulled intake and 5 flat exhaust lobes . 80k miles from a 78 c-10 suburban all factory .
2nd 454 got in trade deal . never tore in to it yet .
then i have a long block 8.1 with 50k miles .

price is right there for sale . . . but as said bit harder to come by these days in known good condition .
 
I've been seeing more old school BBC for sale this year than in the past 5,probably because the LS craze is in full swing and those are plentiful here thanks to salt & rust...
However most of the BBC I see are NOT a "drop it in and run it" deal,they have sat a long time,or have missing parts,need a rebuild,etc..
One that runs well enough to use as-is is still easily worth $1000 here,most are higher !..
Only "bargain" you might find is a RV that has sat since the 70's with a 454 that has under 40K on it--I see those fairly often,FREE if you can haul it away..with six flats,you'd need a 18 wheeler flatbed to tow it, $$$$$$$ then no scrapyard will take the leftovers unless you pay them,or spend a month cutting it up into small pieces..and there is guarantee it'll even run if its not "stuck"...
 
There is no point to really buying and building stock big blocks anymore . If you are building a towrig then go diesel. If you are building a hot rod go LS or just buy a Crate Engine , you can’t build a decent big block for cheaper then what a crate engine costs these days.
 
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