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Need help deciding powerplant

Gilderbeast

Gilderbeast

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Feb 19, 2019
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Location
Fargo, ND
I have a 1980 K30 single cab, long bed, single wheel, with mark IV 2 bolt main 454. Its lifted 4 inches with 4.10 gears and sm465 currently. I plan on driving the wheels off this thing and occasionally tow a boat or car trailer. Probably a max of 10,000lbs. I have a 15,000 class 5 receiver hitch on it. I am struggling to decide what engine I want in it. I have a forged crank for the current 454 in the truck that needs to be polished. I am thinking of either: 1. using the forged crank, coil near plug, going EFI and putting a NV4500 in it, 2. Cummins with NV4500, 3. Vortec 454 with 4L80E and coil near plug. Thanks.
 
What exactly are you inquiring about?

Any of those options would suffice for occasional towing. Looks like you need to decide if you want gas or diesel, 5-speed or auto...
 
What would be the best option for me to go with? The truck already has the manual sm465 and 454. I have a forged crank for it. Is it worth putting the money into that vs going with a cummins or newer vortec 454?
 
Gilderbeast said:
It has dual tanks. I want to get overdrive in it.
Click to expand...
So put over drive in it.
Put an efi kit on it and be done.



Is the crank a stoker crank? Not really worth it to pull the engine just for a forged crank. If your adding cubes then yes.
If your dieing to spend money, then spend money on heads and cam.
 
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bbc as its setup already . swap in nv4500 for almost a 1k rpm drop at highway speeds . forged crank if you need it for massive power and rpm use . otherwise a good setup 2 bolt main cast crank setup with ARP hardware will be just fine.
 
No its not a stroker crank. I have 781 heads and .500 lift edelbrock cam in it currently. My compression ratio is like 8.4:1
 
The heads have been milled. Guides have been machined to allow .550 lift. Not sure if I should port them or just go with some AFR heads. I was thinking about possibly getting a lunati roller cam. Around .600 lift.
 
If you got the cash go aftermarket. If your trying to be more budget friendly, port and Polish up your 781s. Those are decent heads.. 600 lift cam would be a good start. Keep the duration out of it to make it reasonable Streetable. Watch your LSA if you plan on fuel injection.
110 and above for fuel injection.
 
beags86 said:
If you got the cash go aftermarket. If your trying to be more budget friendly, port and Polish up your 781s. Those are decent heads.. 600 lift cam would be a good start. Keep the duration out of it to make it reasonable Streetable. Watch your LSA if you plan on fuel injection.
110 and above for fuel injection.
Click to expand...
There are 4 cams Ive been looking at.

20110120 276/286, @.50 218/228, lift .570/.570 LSA 112/108
20110121 278/288, @.50 232/242, lift .575/.575 LSA 112/108
20110711 272/280, @.50 221/229, lift .575/.575 LSA 112/106
20110712 282/290, @.50 231/239, lift .600/.600 LSA 110/106
 
Gilderbeast said:
There are 4 cams Ive been looking at.

20110120 276/286, @.50 218/228, lift .570/.570 LSA 112/108
20110121 278/288, @.50 232/242, lift .575/.575 LSA 112/108
20110711 272/280, @.50 221/229, lift .575/.575 LSA 112/106
20110712 282/290, @.50 231/239, lift .600/.600 LSA 110/106
Click to expand...
Out of those choices, I would pick the second one based on what you have listed so far in this thread. I don't have time at this second to search for a cam but I'll look later I still feel like you need to improve that 108 lsa, plus I don't recall right now but I believe EFI doesn't like a split lsa. I would try to get a even LSA 112 or above for intake and exhaust.
 
beags86 said:
Out of those choices, I would pick the second one based on what you have listed so far in this thread. I don't have time at this second to search for a cam but I'll look later I still feel like you need to improve that 108 lsa, plus I don't recall right now but I believe EFI doesn't like a split lsa. I would try to get a even LSA 112 or above for intake and exhaust.
Click to expand...
Sorry the second number is ICL
 
Gilderbeast said:
It has dual tanks. I want to get overdrive in it.
Click to expand...
I have a R30, 454, Automatic and just did a Gearvender overdrive. Easy install, but not cheap. Definitely helped with Highway cruising! but haven't really done much Highway driving. I'm pretty sure they have a kit that will bolt to the SM465. I like the Big Blocks.. thinking a 502 if I need to replaced mine.
 
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