86 Monte SS Build!

[bulletholez]

Well i'll let you know in advance, this is going to be the absolute slowest build thread ever between my job and family and finances, but it's happening. Plans are...

86 Monte SS
454 punched and stroked to 496 (or maybe 505 we'll see!)
aluminum heads and intake
full roller valvetrain

th400 with a little additional bullet proofing and a full reverse manual valve body

9in rear

haven't fully decided on heads/cam/intake yet hence no details wanted to do a 6 speed but for the sake of my chick being able to drive it we're sticking with the 400 (and the fact that i have a 400 already)

I'll be slowly updating this as i get things done!

 

[Opie Knievel]

Cool. I completely understand having to take your time because of finances and etc. Do you have any pics of the car?

 

[bulletholez]

Cool. I completely understand having to take your time because of finances and etc. Do you have any pics of the car?

 

[Opie Knievel]

Looks good!

 

[bulletholez]

Still puttin along slowly... got a chance to escape the woman and baby for a bit and clean up the block some. bottom end rotates nice and smooth, no ring ridge, no gouging, no noticeable imperfections on any surfaces, cam bearings all look clean and smooth. still debating on getting a whole bottom end refresh kit with some dome pistons to get me in the 9.5:1 ballpark area (this motor came from a 1990 truck... low comp and peanut port heads) but we'll see what budget allows. mated to the TH400 with stock 3.73s for now it's not going to matter what power it puts out im sure it will be an ice skate! selling some parts off my old turbo BMW on Wednesday, maybe ill order my intake and carb as a christmas present to myself, at which point i'm sure i'll be too excited to slap it back together to do anything to the bottom end til next winter. Planning on having this going in spring time, but one nice-ish weekend to pull that 305 and 2004r and slap this in i may not make it that long.

 

[565bbchevy]

Nothing like a big block in a Monte, looks like a nice project.
I would hang on to the 200R4 if funds allow at a later date you might want to get that built to handle the power and then you can also enjoy the overdrive.

 

[bulletholez]

Nothing like a big block in a Monte, looks like a nice project.
I would hang on to the 200R4 if funds allow at a later date you might want to get that built to handle the power and then you can also enjoy the overdrive.

Funny you mentioned that! I was actually considering just leaving the 2004r in there because of the overdrive but was unsure of how well it would handle a mild big block, plus i'm trying to go with as little electronics as possible. since i don't have the money to blow on building a transmission this year, but having both trannys laying around, i figured whichever i went with could get a shift kit and fluid change. how well you think the 2004r will hold up? this MAY get aluminum heads but will still be a low comp motor either way as i'm not doing anything to the bottom end. so let's say this won't be any more than a 400hp/500tq motor no matter what i do, will the 2004r handle that or should i just put the TH400 in and not worry about it. Overdrive would be nice but it's honestly not a necessity this car may possibly never see the highway anyway.

 

[565bbchevy]

I would run the th400 for now, the 200R4 would need a performance rebuild to handle the power but can be built to handle it.
Maybe after a few years of driving your Monte and possible finance changes you might decide that you want overdrive and at the very least keeping the 200R4 will provide you with a core.

 

[bulletholez]

I would run the th400 for now, the 200R4 would need a performance rebuild to handle the power but can be built to handle it.
Maybe after a few years of driving your Monte and possible finance changes you might decide that you want overdrive and at the very least keeping the 200R4 will provide you with a core.

pretty much my plan! honestly once it's together it probably won't come back apart, i need to start enjoying my toys. i have a 1990 GMC 3500 2wd that's getting an 00-03 silverado power/drivetrain as soon as i find a parts truck and a precision rifle to buy for competitions next spring/summer. anyways enough about my life, another update! had a mild cam (summit k1301) and double roller timing setup in said GMC truck above (454 truck, spun a crank bearing, sad me) that i actually spent the time to retrieve! should be a good cam for the stock stall from the truck in the much lighter monte (sounded good too!)

Barren truck motor

cam lifters and timing

and how to turn your basement into a shop because you haven't put up a garage yet!

 

[565bbchevy]

another update! had a mild cam (summit k1301) and double roller timing setup in said GMC truck above (454 truck, spun a crank bearing, sad me)

I will assume that you kept all the lifters in order to their respective cam lobes