Well, 454 is in and runs like a bat out of hell...I never knew what power felt like till now.

Only a few minor issues during install. Wired up a push button starter instead of trying to figure out the diesel ignition. My buddy hooked up the spark plug wires one position off on the distributor, after we figured that out it fired right up. Broke in the cam and all was well. Had issues making the '83 hydroboost lines work with the '79 hydro boost pump I had. Flare fittings on the '79 stuff and o-ring on the '83. My buddy tried to make a hose with about 6 hose clamps holding it together....He happened to be standing in the engine compartment when it exloded on him.

Ended up getting a hose made with the o-ring fitting on one end and the flare fitting on the other. $56. We scratched our heads for awhile trying to think off a good way to flush the diesel out of the tanks. Then my buddy came up with the idea to put the air nozzle from the air compressor on the return line from the fuel pump and see if the fuel came out of the supply line, which worked so well it emptied 4 gallons of diesel out of the tank in about 5 minutes. Pressurizing the system like that did find a leak in one of the tanks though. There was a small dent in one of the tanks with a small crack in the dent. Doesn't leak with no pressure in it though...lol
Well anyways, the big block put a huge smile on my face....for the entire 45 minutes I got to drive it. I was out driving around about an hour ago, enjoying the power and being proud of myself for putting the cam in correctly, adjusting the valves correctly, getting it to run right etc, when the Summit brand water pump siezed up, which bent the studs holding the fan to the pully, which sent the fan into the radiator like a rototiller. I was motoring up a hill at about 55mph when it happened, scared me so bad I almost had a seizure. A CHP officer stopped, pushed me off the road and gave me a ride home.
Now I need another new water pump, a radiator, and a new fan. Not to mention a couple more gallons of anti-freeze and the hassle of getting a ride for me and my tools to the truck, which is about 10 miles away, and changing the water pump on the side of the road. I sure hope Summit makes this right...I'm alittle pissed off at them.
