Differences between 455s

[CamaroAdam73]

Well i've been doing my own google / oldspower homework and so far turned up ALLOT of simply mixed reviews.

I've got a chance to buy a 455, i think i posted up about this awhile back. The guy has two caddy 500s as well but i'm not going down that long, HEAVY, road.

This guy run demo derbys, so he has literally 12+ big blocks. Almost ALL are 455's.

I know he's got a slur of pontiac/ buick/ and olds.

Out of the three, if yall had your picks what would you go with, olds, pontiac, or buick 455?

I know there are many differences but which one sports the most potential to make the best power?

I'm assuming they all need rebuilt, i wouldn't take my chances leaving the bottom ends stock anyways.

The ONLY thing leaning me towards a oldsmobile are some parts that MIGHT interchange from my 403 ( headers / edelbrock intake manifold)

 

[maliburacinfreak]

as far as olds, your 403 is a small block, 455 is a big block. i doubt your headers or intake will work. i think the easiest swap would be the pontiac, since you can use the 301 mounts from a 78-up gp or lemans. the 500 caddy is actually lighter than any other GM big block, so dont count it out for that reason.

 

[CamaroAdam73]

Actually you can interchange parts between an olds 403 and 455. I know you can use 455 heads on a 403, as well as intake manifolds. My Edelbrock 3711 intake manifold is actually listed as being applicable to a 350, 403, and 455. And i'm assuming that since you can interchange heads ( with some machine work. I know the 403 uses 1/2" diameter head bolts and some other engines don't) that the headers might fit a 455 as well.

 

[Blake442]

You cannot use a 403 intake on a 455.
The difference in deck height not only makes the intake wider, but it will raise the exhaust ports as well, so your headers will not work either...

 

[dogsht]

All things equal but they never are. Buick then Pontiac then Olds. Years back one of the magazines did a comprable build on each plus the 454, 460 & 440. To my surprise the Buick beat them all. Lol It was also the most expensive. Agreed on the Caddy the newer year models with the lighter stamped steel pulleys instead of cast with no smog came in at 599. Having built one I think its the cheapest easiest to get power out of & make your car go quick for cheap.

 

[CamaroAdam73]

damn. I don't know which one to go with, and i can choose from either of the three, Buick, Olds, or Pontiac.

Did the three 455's have differences in bore and stroke??

As for the caddy 500, regardless of it being lighter than the 455 stock it's still not what i want to do right now, i feel like sticking with the 455 is a better plan.

Good call on the interchangeability between 403 and 455, none what so ever. The 403 will share parts with the 350, because they're both small blocks.

Does anybody on here have some good success story's with the 455 engines? if you could include what you've got into the engine, and what kinda power it makes.

 

[dogsht]

Of the three my pick the Buick especially in a Regal. But its really not what you buy but rather what you build. Two that I like to reference though as a whole package car done well are 455 Olds powered. Both ran hard got decent mileage were reliable would idle & not overheat in traffic etc. both used on overdrive with lock up converter and a Q-jet.

Dwight ran 12.3 at 110 mph thru muffs on radials and got a best of 21 HWY.
Bob ran a best of 12.3 at 110 mph thru exhaust on drag radials & got 15 MPG HWY.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/1381227/1 ... ss-supreme
http://www.robertpowersmotorsports.com

My 442 with 509ci Caddy ran 12.5 at 110 mph thru exhaust on drag radials and got a best of 17.0 HWY also with 200-4R, lock up converter, & 800cfm Q-jet.

 

[Bar50]

What do you want to compare?

The 455 Buick is 4.3125 bore and a 3.90 stroke
The 455 Olds is 4.125 bore and a 4.25 stroke
The Pontiac is 4.155 bore and a 4.21875 stroke

So, the Buick big bore un-shrouds the valves, short stroke rev's a little better/faster
Smaller bore Olds(same as SBC 400) smaller valves LONG stroke mountain of torque, not a lot of rev.
Same small bore Poncho(for a big block) with a long stroke, Poncho 455's wear the blocks out due to the rod angle and length.


All will run like a house on fire with pump gas, these motors were designed to drag 4500 pound barges down the freeway.

There is readily available Olds and Pontiac stuff used. All Pontiacs have the same block to ease discussion so the intakes and pulleys and such will all interchange, as will the frame mounts. Never seen any G-body headers for the Poncho. I have a '78 Gran Prix with a 6X head, small cam, 400 TH400 and it was awesome!

The Olds gains in that they used many a 455 to power jet boats. Big block Olds is big block only 400-425-455 as far as intakes and such, I have seen G-body's with 455 Olds, and have one, mine has Toro manifolds (whole '71 Toro 455), not headers. The 455 Olds sets on the 307 mounts and will drop right in, bolt right to the trans(same as your 403). Non-adjustable valve train will require machine work or a Comp Cams rocker arm/stud kit. Newer cam bearings and good main seals help with oiling. The header deal, I have own seen two types in all the stuff, they may fit, they may not...thats trial and error.

The Buick 455, well, you can mod some big car (Electra, Riviera, etc) engine stands or buy some for 68-72 GS, still gotta drill holes for them. I have done two of these swaps, I bolted the motor to the trans in the stock position and then drilled for placement, uses stock driveshaft, everything was happy. I am not sure of headers that fit with out spending big bucks. You can score an occasional intake used on ebay or whatever. Non-adjustable valve train will require adjustable pushrods or aftermarket rocker arms. Booster/wear plate for the oil pump and good main seals help with oiling.

 

[bigdan]

Oldsmobile 455 for the block quality ( more nickel)
for the originality and brute torque and easy to get parts for it .......( how about that deep blue color ) lollll

buick have the external oil pump= bad engineering , timing cover wears out also.....

car craft indeed did block comparo year ago and the big 3 were within 10 hp with same specs ( cam +compression )
so it`s more wich will cost less for same HP and durability : OLDS man!

 

[FE3X CLONE]

Actually you can interchange parts between an olds 403 and 455. I know you can use 455 heads on a 403, as well as intake manifolds. My Edelbrock 3711 intake manifold is actually listed as being applicable to a 350, 403, and 455. And i'm assuming that since you can interchange heads ( with some machine work. I know the 403 uses 1/2" diameter head bolts and some other engines don't) that the headers might fit a 455 as well.

As mentioned, a SBO intake will not work with a BBO due to the deck height differences.

The 3711 is actually made so that you run it on a SBO with small block heads or if you wanted to run BBO heads on your small block, then they have extra material left in the intake so you can port it to match the BBO port sizes. But this is still all on a small block.

Timing chains, distributor, carb, fuel pump, camshaft, lifters, rockers, etc. can be swapped between the two.

Your SBO headers will bolt up to the BBO heads. This issue is that they may hit the floor boards, frame, oil filter, etc. due again to the deck height.

The 455 only had one bore and stroke combination (4.25 stroke, 4.125 bore). Now a 425 had the same bore as a 455 with a shorter stroke (3.975) and longer rods which actually makes these rev a little higher.

Then you had the 400 BBO which came in two different varieties but I'm not really up on those.

A common modifcation to the 455 is to use the steel crank from the 425 and offset grind it back to a 4.25" stroke. So you get back to your 455 cid but you know have a smaller rod jounal size (2.200" BBC ) that helps with longevity and allows you to run a 7" BBC rod (with mods of course). You get a little better rod/stroke ratio that way too.