Well, let me tell you about this here 454 piston thing. It ain’t as simple as it sounds, I tell ya. My grandson, he’s always tinkering with them old cars, and he’s been trying to explain it all to me. Says there’s different kinds and all that. He was goin’ on about some kinds of pistons, said something about some are made “forged” and some are “hypereutectic”. Said it is important to choose the right one.
He was going on and on about these things called “Icon forged pistons IC779”. Said they have a head volume thingamajig. He was reading from his phone, eyes glued to that darn screen. What in the Sam Hill is a head volume? It’s all beyond me! He kept talking about the decks of the block and gaps. I don’t know what any of that means. That boy uses big words that I don’t understand.
- He said if you have a 454 Gen IV, whatever that means. I don’t know what generation we are in now.
- He said something about closed chamber heads.
- He also said something about domed pistons.
And then he says you gotta have a “Compression Ratio” around 10 to 1 or somethin’. He said he wants it to be 10.5 to 1. All those numbers, my head was spinning! I just nodded along like I understood. Bless his heart, he tries. Said you have to have the right ratio for it to work right.
And get this, he was askin’ about if there was a difference between a 427 and a 454 piston. Like I’d know! Then he says somethin’ about a “350 vortec build”, a “cam” and “piston selection”. More words that I don’t understand. That is a lot of technical words. I think he said something about a “4 piston caliper rotors.” I think he just likes saying these words.
He was talkin’ about this 454 HO having an 8.75:1 “flat top pistons” and a 119cc chamber. Said mine might have the dish pistons and not the true flat tops. What is the difference between dish pistons and flat tops? He was saying going to a dome piston, even a small dome, will put you somewhere. I didn’t quite catch where though. It is all beyond me.
Another time he was saying how it’s a super exciting day because they were putting pistons back in the engine. Said it was a lot of prep work and dedication. What does dedication have to do with putting pistons back in? He said “thank you so mu.” I don’t know what he was thanking for, bless his heart. I guess he was talking to someone on that computer.
He also said that a .030 over piston should fit in a .030 bore with no problem. Said that the clearance is built into the piston whether it is a forge or cast piston. What is the difference between a forge and a cast piston? He also mentioned that on a 454 block, it is a good idea to have them. Have what? It is all so complicated.
Then he starts talking about open or closed chamber heads. He says you gotta know about the pistons to know about the heads. He says “Unless it’s a pretty old motor, probably open.” “If it’s not stock,” he says, then I don’t know what. That boy has too much information in his head.
He was reading some article or something. Said he was going to delve into what a rebuild kit is. He said something about it being necessary for your 454 Big Block and achieving optimal performance. What is optimal performance? I don’t know what he is talking about. He said “buckle up.” I don’t know what he meant.
He kept going on about an engine having a weak 8.2:1 factory static compression ratio. Said that is optimistic. I don’t know what that means. Said a non-blueprinted motor can be to of a point lower than its official rating. He also said that low-compression mills don’t respond well to big “hot rod” cams, and you want to concentrate on torque anyway. What in the world is a cam? Or torque?
He said they can build a 700hp 454 engine for $2,403. That is a lot of money. He said that Chevy guys would rather eat dirt than drive a Ford. But some Chevy guys don’t agree about their choice of powerplant. Said the original small-block has a lot going for it, including power potential, minimal weight and even affordability. I don’t know what any of that means.
Then he said that the 1970 versions of the Chevrolet 454 were the most powerful. Said the LS5 putting out around 360 horsepower and the LS6 delivering about 450 horses. Said the LS6 was phased out after 1971. I don’t know what any of that means, either. Sounds like a lot of horses though!
It’s all a big mystery to me, this 454 piston business. But he seems to know what he’s doin’, that grandson of mine. I just hope he doesn’t blow anything up! He’s a good boy, though. Just a little too into them cars, if you ask me. But what do I know? I’m just an old lady who doesn’t understand all this newfangled stuff.
