What book would work best for me?
I am now about to start the engine build up part of my project. I have a Gen4 454 w/stock crank and 049 bare heads. I need some advice on assembely, valve size, cam/rod clearance. My goal is to get about 500 hp on this street car.

I am considering:
How to HOTROD Big-Block Chevy's Bill Fisher and Bob Waar
Big-Block Chevy Performance Dave Emanuel
Rebuilding Gen V and Gen VI Big Block Chevy Engines Mike Mavrigian
Any others?

Thanks for your input.

My vote is to get a copy of: "How to HOTROD a Big-Block Chevy". My copy, some 20 yrs old or more has some good info on how to soup up the older big blocks. It was also somewhat of a history lesson as it showed and described in detail some of the milestone big block engines in the early days (L-78, LS6, etc). I liked this book because it referenced all of the GM born parts that could be used in combinations to get what you want. However, the original dime a dozen GM parts (refered to in the book) for these motors are getting more expensive these days. There are modern equivalents available for much of this though....

Ed Staffel's great book, "How to Build Max Performance Chevy Rat Motors" and the old HPBooks, "How to Hotrod BB Chevys"!!!!


AND I just gotta throw this one out there to make you foam at the mouth!!

The Best of Hot Rod Mag., Vol. 10 Tech. Library, "How To Build Monster Chevy Big Blocks"!!!!

And of course there are more too...

pdq67

This is the most up to date book I have found...has some good info:

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Block-Chevy-Engine-Buildups/dp/1557884846/sr=1-1/qid=1157866449/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-7876326-7110230?ie=UTF8&s=books

Now, it is a NEW book!

Haven't seen it on the shelf yet?

pdq67

Hehe,, just got it in the mail last week.. havnt had time to even look inside the pages yet though... :(

I like "How to Hot Rod BBC's. Some good reading in there. 500HP should be easy to obtain with your combination. 049 heads are good cores. 1.88" exhaust valves will help it breath. A good set of headers, dual plane intake, and a cam in the 280 range should put you in the 500HP range and still run good on pump gas and be totally streetable.

Since your heads are bare, you may as well put the 2.19" intake valves and 1.88" exhaust valves in. They don't cost anymore than the 2.06"/1.72" valves you are going to have to buy to put them back together stock. A little bowl blending and 3 angle valve job will help wake her up, too. Heads and cam are where your power is going to come from. A short block put together right will hold up to 500HP without any fancy lower-end parts (stock rebuild, 2 bolt main, cast crank, etc).

Thanks for the great info on books and heads. I just ordered How to HOTROD Big-Block Chevy's. Looks like it will be a good start. As for valves, I was leaning to the 2.19/1.88 but was concerned they were too big. Not sure if there is such a thing as too big when talking about valves.
thanks again!