How do I Rebuild a 454?
- 1). Extract a 454 motor from the engine bay of a Chevrolet vehicle like the 1970 Corvette using a winch or engine hoist. Disconnect all accessories, transmission and exhaust parts from the motor and lift the engine out of the vehicle. Secure the engine to a 4-point engine stand. Disconnect the winch line or hoist.
- 2). Drain fluids (oil, antifreeze) into a catch pan. Remove valve covers, intake manifold, rocker arms, push-rods and lifters. Next pull the timing chain cover and crankshaft pulley off the end of the crank. Rotate the engine block 180 degrees.
- 3). Remove the oil pan and pistons. Loosen each piston's connecting rod cap by the two bolts that secure it to the crank shaft. Slide each piston out the top of the motor which points to the ground. Loosen the crank shaft caps and the remove the crank shaft from the engine block.
- 4). Rotate the engine 180 degrees. Remove each head in the recommended Chevrolet pattern to avoid distorting the mating surfaces. Take the engine block off the engine stand and send it to an engine builder for cleaning and machining. Match the new dimension with a complete set of compression rings and piston heads
- 5). Secure the refurbished block back onto the 4-point engine stand. Secure each head to the engine block using the correct pattern and torque recommended by Chevrolet. Rotate the engine 180 degrees with the rotating engine stand and install the crankshaft after lubricating and seating each bearing half into the bearing cap and seats. Tighten the crank shaft bolts to the specific torque recommended by Chevrolet.
- 6). Rotate the engine 180 degrees. Install each piston using a piston ring compressor. Make sure the gap of the compression ring points to 12 o'clock and both oil rings point their gaps to 2 and 7 respectively. Insert the end of the connecting rod into the cylinder and let it slide down over the crank shaft journal. Lubricate heavily. Tighten the connecting rod cap to secure the piston in place. Repeat until all the pistons are installed. Rotate the motor 180 degrees.
- 7). Tighten the oil pump to the crank shaft assembly. Insert half of the rear main seal into the block and the other half into the oil pan where the pan meets the crank. Insert an oil pan gasket in between the pan and the engine block and tighten the oil pan securely to the engine. Rotate the engine 180 degrees.
- 8). Coat each lobe of the camshaft with camshaft lubricant and install it into the engine through the opening in the front of the engine Connect the timing chain and cover the assembly with the timing chain cover and gasket. Oil the lifters and install each lifter and valve rod and cap them with a rocker arm and nut. Tighten the nut enough to remove any play in the valve rod (twist the rod, when the tightness of the rocker arm nut stops the motion of the valve rod that is where you need to be, then turn the nut 3/4 of a turn more.
- 9). Bolt the valve covers to the engine and secure the intake manifold following Chevrolet's torque specifications. Replace the crank shaft pulley.
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