Hello I Just Bought A 69 Nova With A 350 In It And Im Putting In A 454 Is There A Special Motor Mount Set Up I Have To Get And Will It Fit With The Factory Brake Booster Any Help Would Be Great Thank You!!!!!!

Keith

Sent you a PM with illustrated parts list and part numbers and what is required.

Big Dave

Big Dave,
This is a common question and your parts list probably answers most of it right off the top. Maybe you could talk one of the moderators into putting it up as a sticky or something!

Just a thought!

i agree:D

Just discovered this site this morning and was quite impressed with the forum. I wanted to post a reply in this particular thread because I'm also converting a '69 Nova SB to a 402 BB.

I would really appreciate receiving the list of parts Big Dave mentioned that I will need during the conversion. I've been researching online venues and have gained some knowledge, but am sure I haven't covered all my bases.

My latest question I'm pondering is will I be able to use my existing flywheel and bellhousing in the conversion? I haven't been able to find the answer to that question. I have a Muncie M-22.

Looking forward to enjoying this site.

Pop-a-Top

It's in the mail; so to speak.

Big Dave

that would be very handy to have all the info in one place(i too could use it). thanks big dave!

400 small blocks and 454 big blocks have unique flywheels and flexplates with exterhnal balance weights. All other two piece rear main seal engines use neutral balance flywheels and flexplates that will interchange as will all the bell housings. Just be sure to use the correct starter for the flywheel used.

Thanks Dave for a great article on converting a SBC to a BBC. As a first timer, I find myself with more questions than answers. This article will help a lot.

Thanks to Robert for the information on the flywheel / bellhousing issue. Since I have a 350 4-speed now, and I'm changing to a 402 with the same 4-speed, from what you said, it appears I can just use the same flywheel / bellhousing combination. And, I can just use the same starter since it apparently matches up with the flywheel on the car now.

Thanks to all...

Mike
Pop-a-Top

thanks big dave that is a great article. excellent info on the swap!! has my vote for a sticky!!

Pop-a-Top, what have you done to the BB? I have built a train car load of these and tried almost every streetable combo and have seen a lot of money wasted, horsepower not claimed, some of it very easy and cheap to get.;)
I just installe a 396 today, am working on two 496's and one 505 for the street now.

rhorne, unfortunately, I'm probably in the category you've described..I'm sure I've wasted some money and no doubt left horsepower on the table...I found a good 402 block and heads and had them assembled at the local machine shop...It will be mostly stock, though the shop recommended a little more cam...with the heads they put in new valve guides and all new hardened seats...stock lifters, with 7/16" pushrods...I'm putting an Edelbrock Performer RPM with a Holley 770 cfm Street Avenger carb...I don't have an ignition system yet and I think I should go HEI, but I haven't much of clue what a good HEI set up for this combination might be...I'm replacing a perfectly good 350 that is similarly built...I hope to be able to sell it once I remove it...I told myself that I just wanted a big block, and getting past all the conversion hurdles is my primary goal with this effort...once I officially have a big block Nova, then I figured a year or two down the road, I can start to think about performance upgrades...I'd appreciate your comments on all this, any recommendations you might have and don't hold back, tell me how dumb I was...But, it's only money and a heck of a lot of fun...The long block is on an engine stand in my garage, waiting on me getting all the accessories rounded up...right now I'm trying to find the pulleys for the short water pump (single groove crankshaft, alternator and water pump pulleys) no P/S or A/C...I hope I'm not in over my head.......

SBC water pump pulley will work as will the pulley for the alternator and the alternators are the same, just the brackets for the alternator are different.
The crank pulley will bolt on, but the register on the big block is much larger than the small block.
You didn't say which heads and pistons you have or what cam.
The carb and intake are good choices, though I prefer the Q-Jet to any other street carb, they are just hard to set up:thumbsup:
If you can tell me your set up now, before you go any further, I can tell you my experiences and maybe save you some greif.:yes:
One of the biggest problems I have seen on this engine is compression related-too much or not enough. Either one is not impossible to correct, but DEADLY to performance. Too much and you will not be able to control detonation and will kill the motor. Too little and you will have no power. Believe me, it is far easier and cheaper to correct now if you have the problem and it probably is not much money. I truly hope you do not have these porblems, but I can help if you do.

rhorne, the heads are GM 6272292, and came with the block 3999290...I can't tell you what the pistons are other than they're cast and not forged...I relied on the machine and assembly shop to make some good choices for me, since I knew nothing and they are a long time family-owned shop in this area and have been around almost 50 years...I got a card with the cam that says:

intake @ cam .295 @ valv .501
lift: exhaust @cam .295 @ valv .501
advertised duration 280/280
cam timing @.50 intake max lift 109 ATDC duration 214
exhaust 119 ATDC duration 214

The machinist who put the new valve seats in said that a mistake he sees is people putting in springs that are too strong and destroy the cam..So, he put in what he said was in his opinion a good compromise between too weak and too strong...I could get more specific information from the shop but I didn't ask too many questions because I really didn't know what I needed to be asking...

I sure appreciate your helping me out with this and your comments on what I'm doing are most welcome, good or bad...

The biggest cam problem is the oil we have today. On other posts in this forum you can get a lot of info about this problem-please read before you start your engine:thumbsup: You can loose a cam lobe in about 10 seconds of startup if you don't do it right.:mad:
You also need the CORRECT valve springs, not a guess. I don't know your machinist so I'll assume he knows which ones to use.
I'll have to look up the head number, but if you know if they are open or closed chamber, I can give you a guess. I don't have my info on the numbers here today.

those heads are open chamber 70 - 78 402 ,454 heads
probly have 2.062 in and 1.770 ex valves and I believe they are 118 cc

hello my name is max and i have a 73 2dr nova i have a question i have a
454 block # 10069286 withs from a 90-91 truck 4bolt main and the heads are 336781 73-85 oval port and 30+ 6.135 rods comp cam 230/230 @ .050" int/exh .520/.520 int/exh comp cam kit cca-k11-208-3 comp push rods, comp cams magnum steel roller tip rockers needle bearing cam button
clevitte 77 main & rod bearings -10 under,Speed Pro .340 dome pistons & moly rings i hope to install this weekend i have the bb mounts and tall motor mount my car has p/s & power brakes and i want to keep the compression
about 10.1 to 10.2 . what Thickness head gasket do i need sorry for the long
discription .http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/10/web/2458000-2458999/2458736_1.jpg
thanks in advance

10.2:1 with steel heads is pushing the limits of pump gas and the cam mentioned is not very radical (great for the street though). Your gasket thickness is determined by how close the piston is to the head. You need to measure how far down in the hole it is and figure on 0.045" to 0.060" clearance if you can get it to maximize what little quench or squish the open chamber BBC head has. (with a more radical cam valve to piston clearance also becomes a concern, but once again you are not far off stock cam specs on lift).


Big Dave