Not shore if this is the right place to post this but what do you guys know about the the 8.1 496 BBC truck motors? I'm thinking of using one in one of my non g-body projects. My idea is to use a bone stock 8.1 with the dart carb intake and an hei distributor. Some of the things I'm wondering is how well do those bottom ends hold up under work truck conditions? Would I be better off with an old used 454? The reasons I ask is the truck I'm thinking of putting it in is a heavy work truck about 11000 lb with a th400 4;10 gears and 31" tires and needs to do 80 mph at times not often but when it dose it will be about 20 minutes at a time yet I need torque because it will almost always be towing. Before you say it no I'm not going to change the transmission it's not in the cards to do an aod at the moment. Besides plowing with an 11000 pound truck and an automatic I don't trust a 4l80 or a 700r4 and during the summer I don't want to sit in Jersey traffic with a stick. So what is the screamability of a carbed 8.1? Thanks guys
8.1 liter big block Chevy
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Basically, the '88 Fiero of the BBC universe. Solved all the long-standing technical issues, then, just when they got it right, they killed it. Only a few things interchange. Your truck will pass everything but the gas station.
They're plenty tough but, just like any other truck big block, they don't really like to rev. You really need an overdrive whether you want it or not.
What engine is it? 8.1 there are afew different years an actual cubes.
I have a 502 HT Vortec bbc in a 16000lb RV with 400th an 19" rims & 32"tires an l believe 4.10's, with trailer on behind an you punch it she will roll the tires. Gas mileage suck's 12mpg empty an 10mpg pulling a 32' car trailer load an that's driving at 55mpg. Everything's forged internals. 406hp/541tq in my 502. This engine is basically a 454 punched out, well sort of.
I actually pulled it out to put in my Monty SS.
The 8.1 Vortec your talking about(l believe) is basically a stroked 454 an 60 over with forged internals, l have one of them also, that started in a Truck but now is in one of my cars. Alot of fun, cops hate it an bad gas mileage with either fuel injection or carb. Best l ever got was 10.5mpg in a car an that's with a 4L80E, it got 6mpg with the 400th.
I also have a 468(454) in another car that gets 14mpg(4L60E)an l think it's guessing but a good 400hp an she's got a snap to her. But nothing forged.
There all 4 bolt mains an if l had to pick an engine to throw in a truck l'd go with the plain Jane 454bbc for simple reasons, cheap parts an easy of finding them. The vortecs are really expensive to build up.
A 4L80E is basically a 400th with an extra gear, an you will want that extra gear to come to that 80mph you want. 400th will do it but it will be screaming an they don't like that an neither will you wallet.
You want to cheap out use a toggle switch for lock up on the 4L80E or 85.
I have a 502 HT Vortec bbc in a 16000lb RV with 400th an 19" rims & 32"tires an l believe 4.10's, with trailer on behind an you punch it she will roll the tires. Gas mileage suck's 12mpg empty an 10mpg pulling a 32' car trailer load an that's driving at 55mpg. Everything's forged internals. 406hp/541tq in my 502. This engine is basically a 454 punched out, well sort of.
I actually pulled it out to put in my Monty SS.
The 8.1 Vortec your talking about(l believe) is basically a stroked 454 an 60 over with forged internals, l have one of them also, that started in a Truck but now is in one of my cars. Alot of fun, cops hate it an bad gas mileage with either fuel injection or carb. Best l ever got was 10.5mpg in a car an that's with a 4L80E, it got 6mpg with the 400th.
I also have a 468(454) in another car that gets 14mpg(4L60E)an l think it's guessing but a good 400hp an she's got a snap to her. But nothing forged.
There all 4 bolt mains an if l had to pick an engine to throw in a truck l'd go with the plain Jane 454bbc for simple reasons, cheap parts an easy of finding them. The vortecs are really expensive to build up.
A 4L80E is basically a 400th with an extra gear, an you will want that extra gear to come to that 80mph you want. 400th will do it but it will be screaming an they don't like that an neither will you wallet.
You want to cheap out use a toggle switch for lock up on the 4L80E or 85.
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All valid points. I appreciate the input. I guess I should have told you my reasoning. I don't trust the small block I'm currently running, yes running it's my daily driver shore it's the little 350 that could but do to issues I've had with it in the past I thinking it's my week link. So a swap is going to happen sooner or later but on a limited budget I can't do engine and transmission at the same time it's 4wd the th400 and np205 work great for now. I've contemplated many different swaps but when you start pricing out everything and adding it all up there's no such thing as just grabbing LS and throw it in. A diesel swap is way too expensive and probably a stock 454 would be best. The 8.1 Vortec idea stems from the the fact I know where I can get one from a family member that has it out on a stand. Now 10.3 mpg don't sound to bad especially since I would have the most modern big block Chevy they made. Well short of fuel injection because it's from a burnt camper that's why I'm thinking carb and distributor. Thanks agine guys
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