454 engines

[Lyndon S.]

Does anyone on here know much about 454 engines during the early part of the MY 1971. What I would like to know is during the strike of 1970 that started around September 14 of 70. That lasted till about the end of November. Did they use 4 bolt main blocks to fill orders for LS-5 cars. Are were corvette casting 512 454 engines built with 4 bolt mains regardless of HP.

[Joe L.]

Re: 454 engines

Does anyone on here know much about 454 engines during the early part of the MY 1971. What I would like to know is during the strike of 1970 that started around September 14 of 70. That lasted till about the end of November. Did they use 4 bolt main blocks to fill orders for LS-5 cars. Are were corvette casting 512 454 engines built with 4 bolt mains regardless of HP.

Lyndon-----

The '512' block was manufactured into both 2 and 4 bolt configurations. Were some 1971 LS-5 manufactured with 4 bolt? It's possible but I can't say one way or the other. However, a 4 bolt block can be identified by the machining/fittings above the oil filter.

[Lyndon S.]

Re: 454 engines

I have seen two of them that had 4 bolt mains and oil pan windage trays and the studs. And I know one also had a steal crank in it for sure. I mean always thought that stuff was for the LS-6 engines, also one engine also had the big push rods in it. It was a unmolested LS-5 engine when I tore it down. No one had been in it until I took it apart, still had the original steal head gaskets on it.
On the one had I am not sure but I think that they all did come with a steal crank regardless of HP through MY 1972 454.

[Thomas H.]

Re: 454 engines

My Sept 70 build, 71 LS5 has a 4 bolt main.

Tom

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[Lyndon S.]

Re: 454 engines

Thanks
Tom , what is the build date on your car? Its before they went on strike? Also what is the casting date and the engine assembly date of the engine? Do you know if it also had a steel crank vs. a cast crank? Also what about the push rods ? See with that windage tray and it studded like that, its seems to me that is LS-6 stuff, I am trying to determine if it was due to the strike or was that in fact how CORVETTE LS-5s came and only them and not the other car lines that used a LS-5 engine

[John H.]

Re: 454 engines

Does anyone on here know much about 454 engines during the early part of the MY 1971. What I would like to know is during the strike of 1970 that started around September 14 of 70. That lasted till about the end of November. Did they use 4 bolt main blocks to fill orders for LS-5 cars. Are were corvette casting 512 454 engines built with 4 bolt mains regardless of HP.

Lyndon -

That strike was against ALL of GM; during that 67-day strike, NOTHING moved in any GM plant, except in the powerhouses so the pipes wouldn't freeze. No blocks were cast, no engines were built, and no cars were assembled. The corporation started up in November in exactly the same condition in which it shut down in September.

[Thomas H.]

Re: 454 engines

Thanks
Tom , what is the build date on your car? Its before they went on strike? Also what is the casting date and the engine assembly date of the engine? Do you know if it also had a steel crank vs. a cast crank? Also what about the push rods ? See with that windage tray and it studded like that, its seems to me that is LS-6 stuff, I am trying to determine if it was due to the strike or was that in fact how CORVETTE LS-5s came and only them and not the other car lines that used a LS-5 engine

My car is serial number 1632 which puts the build date around Sept 5, 1970. Interesting side note, I bought the car on Sept 6, 2005.
Casting dates are as follows:

Block: 4/6/70
Heads: Believe it or not, I can't find them in my notes, but I do recall they were May or June dates (car is in storage or I would check)
Starter: 6/10/70, interesting to note that it is part number 1108418 not 1108400 like it should be. I don't know if it was ever replaced, but if it was it is kind of ironic that the date falls in line with everything else.
Intake: 6/8/70
Carb: 7/17/70
Trans: 8/13/70

The valvetrain has 3/8" pushrods and guide plates.

The crank is forged.

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[Thomas H.]

Re: 454 engines

Pic of crank

IMGP2403.jpg

[Joe L.]

Re: 454 engines

I have seen two of them that had 4 bolt mains and oil pan windage trays and the studs. And I know one also had a steal crank in it for sure. I mean always thought that stuff was for the LS-6 engines, also one engine also had the big push rods in it. It was a unmolested LS-5 engine when I tore it down. No one had been in it until I took it apart, still had the original steal head gaskets on it.
On the one had I am not sure but I think that they all did come with a steal crank regardless of HP through MY 1972 454.

Lyndon-----


The windage tray was used for all 1965-74 Corvette big blocks, 2 bolt or 4 bolt.

All 1970-72 with 454 used 3/8" pushrods. 7/16" pushrods were used only for L-88 and ZL-1. I strongly doubt that any 70-72 were ever originally equipped with 7/16" pushrods.

All 1970-72 454 crankshafts were forged steel. LS-5 did not have nitride-treated journals nor were they cross-drilled. LS-6 crankshafts had nitride-treated journals and cross drilling.

[Lyndon S.]

Re: 454 engines

Did they do anything special before they went on strike? Did they ramp up production of certain components that other wise would have not been so. Like casting a large amount of blocks and going ahead and then assembling them into engines before they shut down completely. I wonder if they had any idea how long the work stoppage would be . And once they started up again any idea how long it was before they were casting 454 engine blocks again?

[Lyndon S.]

[Joe L.]

Re: 454 engines

Joe
So in your opinion as the resident parts expert on this board would you say that all 454 corvettes had a 4 bolt main? Are would you say that was a anomaly for those engine of the LS-5 persuasion

The LS-6 didn’t use large push rods in those aluminum heads on it with that solid lifter cam?

Lyndon-----


I consider that 4 bolt main LS-5's were the exception rather than the rule and any built would have been 70-71. According to GM, they were all supposed to be 2 bolt. For 72-74 all were 2 bolt as the GM #3999289 block was only manufactured into 2 bolt main configuration although it's possible that some SERVICE blocks of this casting were 4 bolt.

3/8" pushrods ARE large pushrods. PRODUCTION small blocks never used anything bigger than 5/16" no matter what the power rating. The 7/16" pushrods used for L-88 and ZL-1 are SUPER large pushrods. They were not used for anything other than L-88 and ZL-1 and, if I recall correctly, only 1969 L-88's used them.

[Lyndon S.]

Re: 454 engines

But on LS-5 engines at the time I thought on a hydraulic lift cam they would have used the 5/16 -in pushrods. The 3/8- in surprised me on that engine .

[Lyndon S.]

Re: 454 engines

What I am trying to determine, is what is the norm for a LS-5 engine during that period right before and right after the strike.

[Lyndon S.]

Re: 454 engines

Did all 4 bolt blocks for 454 engines, get the oil -cooler provisions in it? Are was that only for the LS-6 engines in corvettes . Could it be a true 4 bolt block yet not be tapped for the oil cooler?