Budget 454 home rebuild with no machine work cheap 

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I'm just starting a 454 rebuild myself. While I have built and rebuilt engines before, I usually had someone with more experience nearby to talk to. That man died two years ago... (it was my dad, and he'd been looking forward to doing this build with me. He left me his entire shop full of tools though, so I at least get to use those) so I'm sorta on my own this time. Watching you do this has helped me ask the right questions on the net, and get the answers I need. Thanks for this. It helped.

Brother I spent weeks teaching myself how to rebuilt my 350 tbi motor in my 1991 k1500. I had to do just like you and do it all at home and didnt have any special tools to get it done. Watching you I see a few things that I should have done differently but so far I been driving it for 3 weeks now and no issues yet! degreaser scotch bright pads and long wire brushes were my best friends for several days lol. I love knowing that I am not the only person doing shit on a non budget and pulling it off. Keep up the great content. I am definitely a new subscriber. Thank you for posting this!

I rebuilt my slant 6 in the backyard in 1982 with a Hanes manual and the same torque wrench. It worked just fine!

David Freiburger and Steve Dulcich would be proud. For a low buck build,I think you done a great job. Sometimes a fellow just dont have tons of money to do an engine. I'd run it and twist it to 6500 rpm in a heartbeat!

You say you arent a professional but this video's quality speaks for itself. Great job and I learned a lot.

Years ago I built a 454 in my driveway with no machine work doing just what he did. My block was in much better shape. A set of 427 closed chamber heads and a Crane Hi-Energy cam and new rings,bearings and gaskets. It ran great and didn't smoke.

Good job man. One thing I would do when building an engine is to wear foot protection, ie steel toe boots. Back in 2010 when building a 540 engine I turned the engine around on the engine stand to get to the bottom end and I had forgotten that the intake manifold was not bolted down...it fell on my left big toe and basically shattered it. Took like 30 stitches. Never been the same since. Also they do make an installation tool for the spiral locks that makes it 10x easier to install.

YOU bring me back to my late 60 and 70s we built all of our motors this way I spent more time under them old cars than I'd in them 😆

Finally someone who uses a three prong hone that will straighten the taper of the bore and not a ball hone that just follows the taper!

Oven cleaner works well for cleaning parts. Molybdenum grease for hard parts(cam lobes,lifters,push rods,valve stems,rocker arms,etc Regular STP for bearings,and diesel oil ,which has lots of wear additives like break in oil,but much cheaper. Which can be run all the time ,for longevity. I use this because of cost of production. The cheapest I've found, and works very well.

Watching you with your kid in there takes me back to when I was a kid watching my dad build his 396 in the back yard with the same type of tools great memories

Awesome video brother that's how we did it back in the day because we didn't have the money and still don't have it to do what all these other guys do and they ran fine I never blew one up won a lot more races than I lost turning my engines seven grand all day long thank you for sharing this with us

I built more engines like this for close to 50 years, never a problem. Just use good parts and check all clearances. Tide works wonders for cleaning blocks. Toilet paper and Trans fluid for wiping down cylinders. Wipe until theres no more gray on the paper.

Hay looks pretty good. One thing to keep in mind is that you hone for a decent ring brake in . Thats it ,if you go chasing scratches you are just making the bore bigger.

I might be old fashioned but every new car I buy I always add STP to my oil it has never failed me. Good for a motor with a few markets in the cylinders.

Pretty good video next time run the stone faster up and down the bore to get a little bit better crosshatch ! Also may want to run a brake cylinder stone through the lifter bores real quick👍🏻

Always grind the flash and edges off the block. Every edge that is soft or sharp and I mean by soft id that casting flash that is blocking the oil drain definitely has to go. Doing all the oil returns are a great thing because it frees up the oil drainage because it doesn't have to build up to pore over the edge before it goes down and then it will leave puddles around the drains if you don't clean them up. You know and I hope you have a great morning.

Hi. Building motors for fifty years, and I can't count how many "home brews" I've built in a similar manner. Never had any problems with them. There are a few things I do differently, some added steps, but you did great. Thanks for taking the time to show some of the "young guns" how they can save a few bucks.

Showing the oil passages was pretty cool, I guess I know how it works but have never seen it in action with water. Great video, new subscriber.

I did my motor this way at home power washed it. Clr sat overnight in the coolant passages in the block and the heads. I wiped each cylinder with a lint-free tow while using the xylene after honing each cylinder. Tomorrow will Mark 6 years running strong. I used a 160 grit jump all the way to I want to say it was 4:40 or 420. The other mistake people make is they don't clean the stones in between. When you do so it makes for a nice finish

My uncle is an ACE mechanic and he would say - throw a kit in it ! What I learned was you can get oversized bearings to compensate for normal wear with no machine work needed - plus the big question , “ how much are you going to drive it ? “

I had a low compression smogger motor with a rectangular port intake, a 3 angle valve job and lunati cam that was fairly mild. In my '69 Chevelle I managed a 13.2 et. Loads of fun on the street.

Same craftsman beam style torque wrench I’ve been using for many many years, good luck on the build and nice choice on the piston rod combo you should have a nice stout bottom end.

I did the same thing in my 64 Buick Wildcat in 74. Put 93k miles on it. Lots of fun.

Just blows my mind how you taught yourself all this . Literally a genius

so far this year i have got 4 crate set ups for free from 6,000 miles to 58,000 on them . the engine has heavy rods, pushrods, steel crank high flow heads rated at 450 hp at 485 torque with a 02xx 400 r turbo good to 800 hp and the engine does have a 4 inch stroke instead of the stander 4 1/4 inch stroke . a good hint is use diesel in the ports to clean them out does a real good job then wash it with dish soap the soap with wash the diesel out of the ports then rinse it with pressure . u can put plugs in the port hole to get more pressure through the port . this is stuff that old man bell told me to do on my first rebuild at home at age 14 on a 283 that is when i learned a lot about engine then leaned the most at age 17 on a pro built 327 that bell built and designed i just helped and learned he explained every step and y we need to do the things we did to the engine . he said he did everything u could to a sbc even seasoned the block and polished the inside of it . the engine pushed just over 1200 hp on pump gas no nitro . we used a lot of titanium in the build just the rods where 4200 for the set running 13.5 to 1 on compression which bell said that is the most u can do on pump gas . i have had it up to 15,000 rpms many times been running for over 20 years i retired it when old man bell died

Consider a cross hatch pattern in the future for better ring sealing

Spiral locks aren’t to bad going in but can be tough to remove. The rod bearing tang always faces the outside of the block or the same side of the dome with these pistons. It will be a fun street engine. Most anyone that’s ever raced started out building a engine like this. Several things you could of done different but good job for a basic no machine work rebuild.

A couple helpful hints for ya. The honing operation should be pushed up and down rapidly so you get a cross hatch pattern. When filing the rings it is better to mount the file in the vice and push the ring to get your proper gap. That way you can control the squareness of the gap. When trying to set the end gap of the oil control rings, stack 4 or 8 rings together and they wont twist on you. holding them together you can open the gap if necessary. Check again your connecting rods. When installed the numbers of the rod should be on the bottom.

Hell yeah this is going to be a sweet ride when done. Definitely going to need aluminum heads to get some weight off the nose.

You do see why it's a million views right, thanks for the prep work. Outstanding!!

Reminds me of the engine rebuilds I did when I was young with rebuild kits from J.C. Whitney 👍😁

If you put your drill in low range and use a medium to fast stroke, you can get a nice cross hatch. On iron blocks I use yellow or green bristle discs. White is fine grit and is more suited for aluminum.

I've built a few sbc and a loose motor is a happy motor. Within reason of course but most race engines have looser clearances. Keep up the good work dude you don't need to spend thousands at the machine shop if you start with something halfway decent 👍

"If your a person, you'll say some words." I chuckled at that line. 😅

Take a 2X4 and a sludge hammer. TAP.. the crank fwd and back...recheck end play. Main bearings will now be seated.

Finally got time to watch your videos. I use super clean. I have tried once to use purple power and found that it didn't clean as well compared to super clean. All I use now. By it in 5gl and cheaper.

You have inspired me to do my own rebuild on my 5.3 when time comes.

I always had lifter tick when I started my engine when I overhauled. My 454 GM. Had a technical bulletin on lifter tick it said drill a tiny hole in oil galley behind timing chain what caused the tick was air pocket at start up I have never had another. Lifter tick since check into that when you go back together

Pretty sure to prelube the oil pump and galleys on an LS, you can unplug the injectors and coils and turn the key in the ignition and crank it for a few seconds, stop, and repeat once or twice more and then it should have moved all the oil through the block and pump without the heat and stress of it actually running dry.

One trick I use is ; when using a drill driven cylinder hone, you can also add some light grit valve lapping compound in with your hone oil. When I say hone I mean your cylinder de-Glazer. Just check very often. Alot of what looks like rust is just staining.

My dad and I rebuilt a 301 Pontiac like this in 1988 and it ran fine for six more years

The comedic value of this is priceless! So much material 🤣👍🏻

You need some crosshatch for best cylinder to piston oiling. Slow down the hone speed and move up and down slow rate to create x-hatch marks. Wash well with warm soap and water. Dry well and lightly oil cylinders. You will be happy with your work

Good job. Next time go at it with a faster speed and slower drill speed. You need a cross hatch. Also before you torque the mains. Seat the thrust bearing

Great video!! I did my cylinders the same exact way,I kept hitting the bottom of the block and messed up my hone. I don't have a good cross hatch, but figured the cast rings would seat good. I also staggered my piston rings wherever, and got told I'll regret that, not so sure why when the rings move in the cylinders ..

A 454 and a BMW E 30 this man has awesome taste in cars

Superb job !! We love your videos !! Shared !!

Very intelligent and thoughtful. Thank you!

Don Not Overlook the importance of compression braking during at least the first 50 miles or more. To seat correctly, the rings need compression on top of them as well as during acceleration. Coast it down hill in gear and this will help seat the rings better.

Poor man has poor man ways...great job....rock on bro.

Great job but some advice I would coat the the cylinders with ATF before I drop the pistons in the rings will seat better on break in.

I see so many mechanics throw away reusable parts because they're lazy. But I do question that one valve just a little.

Great build ! I built a low compression Peanut Port 454 Big Block that I am extremely happy with .

Really should remove the freeze plugs and make sure there's no blockage of the water passage

Great video. This is the video that made me subscribe to your channel and I’ve watched them all to date and some older ones!

iam realy enjoying this build mate nice work your knowledge is awesome

Good job on the King bearings they are the best!

Nice job! But no more videos of the build? That's too bad. Inquiring minds want to know how it turns out.

It's nice to know that you don't have to buy the Snap-On Grease Wiping Shorts (tm), to build an engine. Those things are like $400 a pair.

looks like a blue merle Australian shepherd at about 14 and one half min.

Once the engine is assembled & running. Run a mix of 50% water × 50% vinegar though the engine it will clean up that rust in the inner block & clean up the latroluses on the alloy intakes & other bits.

Seen you torqued the crank shaft main caps from back to front. Think torquing main caps it should go from the center and work your way out

Old school! We’d rebuild engines like that in our front yard

don't you think you should have ridge ream it first then glaze broke it

13:07 those are used bearings that have been scuffed up. You can see the second layer of copper showing through. Good job my man. Reminds me of my first build similar to yours but I used calipers instead. Sub from me

Dingle ball hones are the way to go, no comparison with ease and the job they do

I e done 4-5 motors like this being really picky when I started reassembly , but haven’t had much luck always have a knock either wrist pin or a rod or main bearing knock . So I’m going to try one more then I’m going to machine shop

Cylinders look good, but a ball hone would leave a nice cross-hatch pattern,this will cause the rings to rotate, keeping them free in the pistons

I'm hooked. Now I gotta see how she turns out.

Looks good run it honed many a block like that it won,t smoke.

I see you found a good use for the BMW, a parts tray !!

Safety 3rd, Love the steel toed flip flops! JK. Nice work, I'm currently rebuilding my 454.

You will be time head if you pull those Pistons and put a ball home through it. JMO. Sure helps seat your rings.

Good morning to you and have a great day.

I was always told not to touch the face side of the bearings unless you had rubber gloves on otherwise the oils from your hands contaminated it.....

Cool, good demo and explaining all the process.

I built many that way, always had the nay sayer, until the engine was running, if you're not running on a professional circuit, which I was not, I built some pretty stout engine. One thing I did do was put radiator flush in the blocks and pressure wash the water jacket clean👍

Please continue to speak your truth.

When there's a will, there's always a way, god bless you n all at home.

P. S., Put some time in with the dog it's looking restless and board. Don't want a anxiety troubled pup. God bless and enjoy your day.

Watching this video I’m not really sure how much I actually need to hot tank my block, especially because I’ll have to get everything for it - barrel, cooker, propane, probably rent the engine hoist again, etc. I think with my engine brushes I can do an okay job and have not minimal, but less concern of flash rusting everywhere. One concern is that my galleries are already rusted from having the heads off for so long when I did the head gaskets before. That’s my fault and I knew the risk.

I been using stp for putting them together for 60 years No problem

Great job get a vise and install your pistons on the rods then the rings I also have a ring spreader makes it easy,I got a ole 454 and 781 heads I might change out my 350 my race car and trailer needs a little ump!!

Only thing different I would do is check ring gap at bottom of cylinder cause there's a different measurement.

I gotta do all that happy horseshit with a 67 Chrysler 383. It runs good, no smoke, no knock, so I might not have to hone it or replace the rings & bearings, though. Haven't cracked it open yet.

Use pants to wipe fingers...✍✍✍✍✍ Great video!

You are hilarious 😂 awesome video and laughed the whole time!!

WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE CAM BEARINGS...SINCE THERE SEEMS TO BE DISCOLOR ON THE SURFACES AND THEY ARE'NT VERY EXPENSIVE! HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH OIL PRESSURE, ALONG WITH MAIN/ROD CLEARANCES. PUT THE RODS ON THE PISTONS, AND PUT THE ASSEMBLY IN A VISE TO HELP STABILIZE THE PISTON WHEN YOU INSTALL THE RINGS. THAT WAY THE RINGS WON'T GET STUCK IN YOUR SHIRT! LOL. A WHOLE LOT EASIER!

Wipe those cylinders with atf. Cleans better. And install with atf. Preferably.

Well done man 👍🏼 I wished that you put a link for the first part in the description box and explain a little more .

Your .0040 in hole more then likely came from your pistons pin height, some will make you sit .0020 deeper on stock block height cause they're shorter for rebuilding engines with the block decked. Gotta make sure you get the pistons that are the stock height

The comments of praise on here are astounding!! Removing metal until a groove is gone means you have removed the surrounding metal until it matches the depth of the groove. If the depth of the groove is even .003 thousandths of an inch deep, you have increased the overall diameter of the bore by .006 thousandths of an inch! By the way, about .006 is the maximum piston to bore clearance on that motor. Now let's add a hone with independently mounted legs and you've got a tool that was only ever designed to break the glaze being used as a hillbilly boring bar. That hone can only follow the surface and shape of the bore, which is quite likely, no longer round. You would have been better doing nothing. As a professional mechanic for over 45 years, do not do this! Any comments on here of someone saying they've done this for many years without an issue are either liars of the highest order or too stupid to know a terd when they step in it. And as side note, if you're going to hone, just point your garden hose in the cylinder and turn it on. You need to carry the particles away or they'll just gum up your hone stones. And, just in case somebody wants to comment on me condemning honing and then giving instructions on doing it. Honing is only after the bore has been measured to check for diameter, out of round and taper. Then, and only then do you "break the glaze" and put a crosshatch in the cylinder wall. What is the crosshatch for? They retain oil.

Thank you so much. I learned a lot

3:00 I like the sound it makes.

Engine tech is reboxed name brand. Mostly king bearings and hastings rings

Crimes against engine rebuilding should carry a 10 year sentence.

Good job showing telling, the poor mans way thanks for showing telling see ya next time see ya bye.

Nice job Sleeperdude !