454 problems

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454 problems

Home > Discussion Forum > Mechanic's Corner - Engines

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All Messages in Thread	Author	Date
454 problems	Vernon Graham	9-3-03
1992 GMC Suburban. No compression in #7 cylinder + oil running down back of engine onto crossover pipe Any ideas?
Re: 454 problems	Gary CC NV	9-3-03
Sure sounds like a Head Gasket problem to me also. Clean the area real good, fire it up, and with a mirror and a flash light or drop light, look around.
Re: 454 problems	Chuck P32 454 w/33K Mi.	9-3-03
Sprry to hear that, What miles R U at and what were you doing when FALIURE Occoured or did it slowly come about (betting it happened all at once) If it happened suddenly SOUNDS AS IF a) VALVE TRAIN (hung or burnt valve) B) Head Gasget allowing oil and compression out... Let us know what you find please cvoc13@yahoo.com
Re: 454 problems	ron harvey	8-19-06
Developed a knocking sound on startup. chevy 454 cid. 35000 miles. wondering if lifter or rod.
Re: 454 problems	Gary CC NV	9-6-03
"A) Melted a piston down, hole in it.." If this Engine had a Hole in the Piston, wouldn't it have a Hole bunch of Blow-by too?
Re: 454 problems	Chuck	9-10-03
Are you considering the afore mentioned 502? I hope so as costs might only go up very little if at all. Over say Rebuild, and or NEW Create 454... 48 Cubes, is about 48 HP and 60 FT Trq... If you follow the CHP mag artical you can have 650 HP and 650 TRP on 87 Octane and NO Driviablity loss.... incredible..
Re: 454 problems	E DOWLING	8-11-04
454 FUEL SYSTEM HAS BEE REPLACED COULD PISTON THAT DRIVES FUEL PUMP BE DEFECTIVE
Re: 454 problems	Layle Willis	5-15-04
My 1989 motorhome with chevy 454 blows oil into the air cleaner. I only use about 1 quart of oil in 1000 miles. That isn't a problem, but the oil in the air cleaner is a mess to say the least. Any sugestions on how to vent crankcase pressure? Thanks Layle
Re: 454 problems	anthony	4-3-04
Im trying to look for a pair of exhaust manifold for my 74 chevy truck 3/4 ton
Re: 454 problems	Vern	9-4-03
Chuck; Actually, the whole thing developed rather gradually. First there was low power, then a miss developed, and finally smoke out the rear end. I was pulling a '93 Prowler 26B TT at the time. The truck has 96,000 miles on it but I had hoped for much more before troubles set in.
Re: 454 problems	Chuck OConnor	9-4-03
Chances are VERY good (Bad) that you have either A) Melted a piston down, hole in it.. from Pre IGination or hot spot or lean out condition or all three plus more.. or B) Lost a head gasget, C) Was smoke the kind that dispeared quickly IE Water Vapor or was it blue and LOTS AND LOTS of it as in OIL... or BOTH and does your dipstick have coolant in it? If so (how far did you run it like that? if more then say a few seconds and or min's at most it is time to buy a BRAND NEW 454 from over the counter and install it rather then rebulid yours.. Cheaper and BETTER factory build engine and 12K miles warrenty, for about 4,000 plus about 15 hours install, at say 100 bucks an hour give or take you should be able to have a BRAND NEW engine installed for about 3500 plus 1000 low end (4500) to 4,000 plus 1000 in other stuff you ought to do while you are doing a ENGINE replacement (water pump, starter, alt, clutch fan, Raditor if it is older then 5 years) so I would guess if you drove a hard bargin you could get a FACTORY NEW 454 or 502 installed for like 4000-5000 on min, where as a rebulid will start off being BID less, it will work it way up to that amonth and take three times as long and be less then half as good as doing it this way... Create Engine is the way to go in my opinion.. top side estimate I can see would be 7000 with almost everythung new, Rad, Pumps, all accy's and paying 100 bucks an hour the most I can see in terms of hours is about 20-25 as R&R of engine is only goiung to be about 6 - 8 hours.. (oh yea do new exhuast manifold at that time as well What is your budget to replace and or FIX your engine? How relible do you want it... These engines are in HIGH demand postions in these P30 P32 (MH) chassis
Re: 454 problems	Sam Watson	9-4-03
Chuck, good observation. The current production engine will have reverse flow coolant circulation which cured one of the 454's problems. In my years of experience, holing the #7 piston was almost always caused by running the #5 & #7 plug wires parallel and against each other which resulted from induced current in the #7 plug wire when #5 fired igniting the fuel/air charge in #7 before it was compressed so that, in effect, it was a lean, slow burning mixture which scrubbed off the protective layer of inert gases from the top of the piston and so exposed the low melting point aluminum to the high combustion temperatures.
Re: 454 problems	Vern	9-6-03
Chuck; The smoke was bluish white & was coming from the crossover pipe from the oil dripping off the back of the engine. Don't know where it was leaking from yet. Vern
Re: 454 problems	Vern	9-6-03
Sam; You mentioned "inert gasses". What are they. where do they come from & how did they get into my engine? If a replacement block (or more) is recommended, what do you think about putting in a 502 cu.in.? A friend did this in his motorhome & is very happy with it. Vern
Re: 454 problems	Chuck P32 454 Chevy 33K Mi	9-7-03
I recall reading an write up/ test in Chevy High Performance Mag when the 502 was pretty new and they Bought a Marine 502 (Taller Deck hight as I recall) and all they did was cut.0010 or.0050 off the heads and put in a Crane hyd cam, and on 87 Octane were dyno;ing it out at 650 by 650 I say again it was 87 OCtane, Also it was OVER 500 FT Lbs from as I recall 1700 RPMS on up, IF I was going to do a Engine I would Find that write up and compare it to the Trq cruve I want and I am sure I would do some KIND of 502 (othen then the smog legal issue)
Re: 454 problems	Sam Watson	9-6-03
Vern,not all exhaust gases, (inert gases), are cleaned out of the cylinder on the exhaust stroke, a thin layer, called a "boundary" layer, lays across the top of the piston, and more or less insulates the 1100 degree melting point aluminum from the 2500-3000 degree combustion flame, lucky for us! The 502 is a great engine, if engine rebuild/replacement is indicated, then go for the 502. As we used to say in the early days of drag racing, "there ain't no subsitute for inches (cubic, that is)"
Re: 454 problems	Vern	9-10-03
Sam; You were right on. The garage called this morning - there is a hole in #7 piston.