71 455 rocket

[my86442]

ok so pretty much im good with what ive already got and if i want more power to the wheels to just shave a little off. right?

 

[rccktmn2]

Keep in mind by shaving the heads it also lowers the intake, so you'll need to shave that as well, your machine shop should be able to do the math for you to get it right. Don't get me wrong there is power in the heads if you are willing to do a port and polish job and intake match them but most 455s came with 8.5:1 deep dish pistons so just by getting your compression up to a 9.5 or 10:1 will make a huge improvement not to mention the cam. Almost all stock heads are also 80cc so if you mill the head make sure you check the cc's of the chamber with the head gasket and piston to get an accurate compression ratio. I'm running a 455 with TRW pistons, C heads that have been shaved .060 and a 544/544 lift 305 duration with stock rockers and bridges and an edelbrock torker intake, the crank was also stroked .018 and it has a high volume oil pump with a custom 2" drop oil pan and haven't had any problems yet.

 

[L92 OLDS]

I would run from ProComp heads. Nothing but horror stories. They are cheap but you will pay for it later.

I call BS...do you have a 1st hand account of this? There are many running them with good results. They are a very cost effective option when you compare the cost of R&R on a pair of old technology iron heads. I've read that it is recommended to buy them bare and install quality components yourself.

 

[my86442]

Keep in mind by shaving the heads it also lowers the intake, so you'll need to shave that as well, your machine shop should be able to do the math for you to get it right. Don't get me wrong there is power in the heads if you are willing to do a port and polish job and intake match them but most 455s came with 8.5:1 deep dish pistons so just by getting your compression up to a 9.5 or 10:1 will make a huge improvement not to mention the cam. Almost all stock heads are also 80cc so if you mill the head make sure you check the cc's of the chamber with the head gasket and piston to get an accurate compression ratio. I'm running a 455 with TRW pistons, C heads that have been shaved .060 and a 544/544 lift 305 duration with stock rockers and bridges and an edelbrock torker intake, the crank was also stroked .018 and it has a high volume oil pump with a custom 2" drop oil pan and haven't had any problems yet.

How are you running that high of a cam with stock components and not having any issues? Shorter push rods? im running stock rockers and pushrods in mine and noticed a big difference in travel hieght and valve clearence to the piston. there was someone on here, I cant remember his name, but he said that stock components with a high lift cam can only run up to 500 lift. My cam runs .501/487 i think. the intake i had was an old Edelbrok 04B that was ported and polished with a Holley single pump 600 jetted to an 800 with vacuum secondaries. But i upgraded to a edelbrok Performer with the same carb after a couple runs with it.

 

[1bad79]

procomp heads are fine bernard mondello has them for reasonable prices, he also had a thread on them on real olds power you can check out

 

[hurst1979olds]

I used ProComp heads once on a SBC. Got them complete direct from them and the valve stems were tight in the guides...but it was only when the engine was up to temperature.

I would probably use them again, only if I got them bare and I built them myself with name brand valves, springs and reamed the guides myself.

 

[rccktmn2]

Keep in mind by shaving the heads it also lowers the intake, so you'll need to shave that as well, your machine shop should be able to do the math for you to get it right. Don't get me wrong there is power in the heads if you are willing to do a port and polish job and intake match them but most 455s came with 8.5:1 deep dish pistons so just by getting your compression up to a 9.5 or 10:1 will make a huge improvement not to mention the cam. Almost all stock heads are also 80cc so if you mill the head make sure you check the cc's of the chamber with the head gasket and piston to get an accurate compression ratio. I'm running a 455 with TRW pistons, C heads that have been shaved .060 and a 544/544 lift 305 duration with stock rockers and bridges and an edelbrock torker intake, the crank was also stroked .018 and it has a high volume oil pump with a custom 2" drop oil pan and haven't had any problems yet.

How are you running that high of a cam with stock components and not having any issues? Shorter push rods? im running stock rockers and pushrods in mine and noticed a big difference in travel hieght and valve clearence to the piston. there was someone on here, I cant remember his name, but he said that stock components with a high lift cam can only run up to 500 lift. My cam runs .501/487 i think. the intake i had was an old Edelbrok 04B that was ported and polished with a Holley single pump 600 jetted to an 800 with vacuum secondaries. But i upgraded to a edelbrok Performer with the same carb after a couple runs with it.

I also noticed a difference in travel height so I put some clay on the piston with headgasket and torqued it down wit the piston at tdc and checked the clearance. I don't recall the exact measurement that I got but the valves were not touching the piston, you also have to take into account the headgasket which when torqued adds .040 of clearence or heighth to everything. As far as cam is concerned all your dealing with is a circle, all cams for oldsmobiles have the same circle or base, then you add a lobe to it, so the pushrod length really doesn't need to change and all your doing is adding to the amount the valve opens. The only real problem with running a high lift cam with the stock rockers is the bridge setup and as long as there is no binding there should be no problems.

 

[my86442]

I used ProComp heads once on a SBC. Got them complete direct from them and the valve stems were tight in the guides...but it was only when the engine was up to temperature.

I would probably use them again, only if I got them bare and I built them myself with name brand valves, springs and reamed the guides myself.

I think ill look at getting a bare set and build them my self. :lol: ive noticed a few of ya saying close to the same thing about how tight the valve stems get after the engine gets warm. I think it may cost me more but in the long run, i think ill be satisfied. Ive been going on this engine build since before my son was born. Had it torn down twice in a little over 6 years. Now its time for a complete shake down. Im a go all out and build it the way i should of the last time, :lol: and deal with my guts out after it i realize how much ive spent and all the beer ive drank thats decided to go to my back bone when it throws my *ss in the back seat Taxes are close, I think ill start than and say the hell with the 355 im building and put the 468 in my 81 and give the monte back to my brother

 

[my86442]

Keep in mind by shaving the heads it also lowers the intake, so you'll need to shave that as well, your machine shop should be able to do the math for you to get it right. Don't get me wrong there is power in the heads if you are willing to do a port and polish job and intake match them but most 455s came with 8.5:1 deep dish pistons so just by getting your compression up to a 9.5 or 10:1 will make a huge improvement not to mention the cam. Almost all stock heads are also 80cc so if you mill the head make sure you check the cc's of the chamber with the head gasket and piston to get an accurate compression ratio. I'm running a 455 with TRW pistons, C heads that have been shaved .060 and a 544/544 lift 305 duration with stock rockers and bridges and an edelbrock torker intake, the crank was also stroked .018 and it has a high volume oil pump with a custom 2" drop oil pan and haven't had any problems yet.

How are you running that high of a cam with stock components and not having any issues? Shorter push rods? im running stock rockers and pushrods in mine and noticed a big difference in travel hieght and valve clearence to the piston. there was someone on here, I cant remember his name, but he said that stock components with a high lift cam can only run up to 500 lift. My cam runs .501/487 i think. the intake i had was an old Edelbrok 04B that was ported and polished with a Holley single pump 600 jetted to an 800 with vacuum secondaries. But i upgraded to a edelbrok Performer with the same carb after a couple runs with it.

I also noticed a difference in travel height so I put some clay on the piston with headgasket and torqued it down wit the piston at tdc and checked the clearance. I don't recall the exact measurement that I got but the valves were not touching the piston, you also have to take into account the headgasket which when torqued adds .040 of clearence or heighth to everything. As far as cam is concerned all your dealing with is a circle, all cams for oldsmobiles have the same circle or base, then you add a lobe to it, so the pushrod length really doesn't need to change and all your doing is adding to the amount the valve opens. The only real problem with running a high lift cam with the stock rockers is the bridge setup and as long as there is no binding there should be no problems.

yea see i didnt realize the gaskets gave that much clearance. I did the same with mine but instead of clay, i used Playdoe. same thing i spose but i didnt know that about the bridge set up. but glad i do now. One thing i did do when i checked the height of the lobe before i put the cam in, was that i took a quarter and set it flat at the top of the lobe next to the cam journal. between the cam that i took out and the one i put in, i could fit 2 on the old cam before it finally reach the top of the journal. the new on was a little over half of the quarter was sticking up past the journal.