How to Build a Chevrolet 454 Big Block Part 1: Taking the Cylinder Heads Off! 

Just got a '73 454 from a neighbor. This will be my first teardown and rebuild. And this series will be my guide!! Thanks!!

Just picked up my 454

I just want to say thanks a million for making this series!! Looks absolutely identical to the 454 I just picked up, even down to the orange paint, dented valve covers, and thick grime coating, this is truly a life saver and this being my first time ever working on an engine ever I cant say enough how helpful this is!

You’re the man Ryan, built my Sbf302 last year thru your videos. It came out mint. Starting off my 454 build now for my 81 Camaro. Thanks for making these videos man. ❤

I've got a '97 K2500 SUB 7.4L 454. This is something I want to do to it to get another 150k miles out of it. Not a mechanic, but I am comfortable turning the wrench. Thanks for making this series.

My kids and I really enjoyed this series. I watched it twice! Have you ever considered doing a Mopar build... say a classic 440 big block???

No way, this is too cool. Great series!

I been wanting to build my big 454 block for a long time worked on cars but always afraid to open up my engine, thank you for this very detailed and well explained video, i seen several videos but none of them have made it clear like this one.. appreciate your time and knowledge, you will be my guide 👊

Love 💗 great video maybe 🤔 I can do this but base where the big blossom go is small for the soul boat

Great video. About to tear down my 454. My first project. This was very helpful.

After you remove the flywheel, its often easier to bolt the engine stand's adjustable mount (seen here in black) to the engine as it bobs around on the hoist THEN you only have to line it up with the stand. Leaving the mount on the stand and then trying to line up each individual bolt can be more of a hassle. Be sure once block is attached to stand, double check the tightness of all bolts. As far as using a skinny screwdriver shaft to keep the engine from spinning around...better to just cut an old mailbox post to fit under the front of the engine for support while letting it sit overnight, if you run out of time to pull the cylinder heads and reduce weight.

I love this series its helping me a lot. Im just trying to learn more about cars

This is JUST what I need RIGHT NOW!!!! I’m takin’ a shot towards building a “Mark IV” 2-bolt main 454 at the moment. I have DAMN NEAR everything needed...I mean damn near EVERYTHING

Great Job; thanks for sharing!

I feel like The Matrix, I just downloaded " How to build my 454 Kung Fu" Watched it straight through long but thorough with great shots and instructions. Thank You.!

About to pull it outta my yacht, thanks man

Bro… you really should have wayyy more subscribers.. your vids are soooo informative!! Keep it up!! You definitely earned my sub! 💪

This is exactly what I need, THANK YOU!

I plan to get a 1980 Chevy c30 crewcab longbed dualy with a 454 so this series will help me a whole shit ton

Also, you need to get a stand with a geared hand crank head. Makes life so so much easier.

Very good video

Is it bad that my dad told me to tear apart a 454 engine when I was 12 years old? He bought a 454 and said here's some tools, tear this apart for me and don't hurt yourself.

Thank you

I have a c10 with 454. I hope to learn from this video because I just don’t trust any shops working on my truck. Never know what they can steal or swap . Thanks

Freaking good videos dude

I rebuilt the same motor 30 over. 959 block (11-21-78) but I ditched those 236 peanut port heads and found a set of 820's for $100 that I had redone.

e'ast supa cool

This is nice I'm doing the bigblock I put tiny 1969 chevel ss

There is Mark III big block and Mark IV was 1965 - 1990 after that came Gen V and Gen VI in 1996

Thanks. Working on a 1985 Fleetwood RV.

I love this series and have watched it twice. Engine work baffles me - I'm comfortable turning a wrench but knowing which parts go together and why (measurements/ratios/math) is beyond me - I've stumbled into a bare block (14015445) that I'd love to build up for a 68 Chevelle I inherited but no idea on where to start selecting the right components - any resources you could suggest for that? (b/c these videos are amazing at what to do (big thumbs up!)

thanks pro

subscribed

Can I do this same build minus the machine shop work? Thanks in advance 👊😉

Perfect! Like a LS4 '73 Corvette? Non hydraulic cam?

I liked the DOS game Street Rod as a kid

I dont care how long this great video is. Im getting the popcorn ready and im going to sit back and enjoy.

What GEN is the big block? And I have one from a 73 G.M.C. I'm looking to buy the same year so I can learn to rebuild. Thank for your vid

Holy crap why am I even watching this I'm struggling just trying to figure out how to remove the engine and put the new one in 🤣

So that motor's cylinder is 4.25? That means it's not been rebored? If it had been rebored, can you rebore it a 2nd time? Or is there another way to recondition it a 2nd time?

so, gen V heads would be the same removal process? or, since mine is throttle body injected, would the intake manifold have different bolt placement so I could just unbolt the intake with the TBI still attached?

I messed up and all the lifters fell out... How bad did I mess up?

I picked up a truck for the fresh 396 BBC to use in my Chevelle I’m pulling the motor - haven’t pulled one before Question for you - I want to leave the 4 speed in it and remove engine only. Can I pull it by just removing bell housing and converter bolts? Any tips? Thank you in advance!

Did you check the head codes before tossing them? Might be good ones

I want to replace the crank shaft, but can I do that while the engine is still in my RV? It’s a 1991 Fleetwood Bounder, we don’t want to have to take the entire engine out, but we’re pretty sure the thrust bearing is broken. What would be the best way to go about this without pulling the engine out?

What you are calling a rotor is a distributor. The rotor is the plastic piece on the top of the distributor under the cap.

Hello good sir! So I am finally ready to follow this series bolt for bolt on my gen 4 454. I am very excited and quite nervous. I probably won't have TOO many questions coming your way, but if it's good for your channel I certainly can come up with some. I do have a quick one to start- is there anything that you maybe forgot that's really important in this series that I should be aware of? :)

Great series of videos! Question...454 BB or LQ9 for an older square body pick up?!?

Minor slip up...you pulled the distributor, not the rotor. Gonna go through and watch this tear down while I wait for more on the 5.3.

This is awesome. I have a 454 from my Grandpa's '84 Chevy pickup that I'm working on. One of the pistons is frozen, so I'm trying to think of an easy way to break it loose without rebuilding the engine. :) I bought a breaker bar to try to turn the crank over...any tips/ideas for that?

Hi there , how do you the numbers of the heads and pisteins the steady one and the unsteady ??

what website do you use to order the parts to rebuild?

Need help with vac lines. 454 7.4 l big block. P30 cassie. For my motor home

What engine is better ls2 with full bolts on + cam or.. 454 engine with full bolts on + cam?

How much money have you invested with parts and all out sourced labor start to finish on this????

You don’t have to install rockers in the same location it makes no difference where they go. You better make sure you put the head bolts back in the same location and use the same impact and socket to

I have no clue why I’m watching this! I’m those guys that open car hood scratches the beard and pretending that I know what I’m doing 🤣 Q: why do you throw away the bolts?

Most of us geezers call the "rotor" a distributor. Picky, picky, picky.

Wonder whats needed to get 500hp out of one of these? Or even a 350

Good vid but its a distributor not a rotor but all in all a good vid

How much an engine 454 like this one running for?

I would've used an electric impact wrench instead of air or turn em by hand don't want to rethread the holes

How many hours of labor?

How many horsepower are we talking at the end of this?

Looking to put a gen 4 in an '79 Z28 camaro

if you still have your intake i would like to buy it

Wish i had a gen 4...got a gen 5

I really want to rebuild a 454 hope to god I can find something on Craigslist

I need to replace my push rods! Help

About how much was this build

Great video series...but damn there's a lot of talking.

tap the heads with dead blow hammer you will not have to pry on them

Sorry, it's called a Mark IV, then Gen 5 and 6 The only big block before the Mark IV is a W head big block.

part two?

Hey brother i got a 454 that i want to rebuild

Distributor not a rotor and they are called push rods not rods.

Man the water jackets were pretty cruddy

It's not called a rotary it's a distributor

Find it difficult to put faith into an individuals mechanical knowledge that refers too the distributor as a rotor.

It’s a distributor 😂😂

Why don't you clean it before you pull it apart .you don't no the first step

You dumped a bunch of dirt down into the block.

GM made the 454's up until the late 90's, i think it was 99._

You damn sure ain’t the smartest lol

Hit the gym bro. Hearing you strain is brutal

It's not a gen 4 it's a mk1V. Lost me right away

I want to take out a stuck fuel push rod on my 454 how would I go about doing that ? @2carpros