I'm looking at buying another engine and I've found a few 400-455 types that seem within my price range. The only problems is that when I've looked them up they seem to have very little power to them. If I were in the situation of a more powerful 350 or 400 should I take that or should I go for the lower powered but more potential 455? What would I have to do to increase the power on something like that. Sorry if these are fairly broad and basic questions, but I've definatley never done a swap before but I'm all about new challenges.

Finally, this is prob not in the right section, but I'm looking for a used car for this engine, that way I can get rid of my stock diff and get a more realistic one or even possibly one with posi. (I'm assuming it is more likley going to have posi if it is bigger than 305-350)

 

More cubes = more power for the same money, and more driveability and reliability to boot. Increasing power isn't too difficult to do if you know how a motor works. The better you can make it breathe, the more power you can make. If you want easier, more reliable, more driveable power, use the bigger motor. The bigger motor won't have to rev as high to make the same power as a smaller motor.

Usually, the parts to change that will make the biggest difference in performance, are the camshaft, cylinder heads, and exhaust system. Those are the best parts to start off with changing or modifying.

 

thats awsome advice I thnik it was exactley what I was looking for. I'll continue to look into the bigger ones.

Off topic question... whats the easiest way of telling if a car has posi without the obviousness of a burn out or taking it apart? (thinking again for the 455 car.)

 

yep. I met this joker at a local car show the other week with a world 454 small block that didn't even lope.He bought the short block and put in a mild comp hr cam and it makes about 600lbs of torque.
I think it was a HR 276 if I remember right.That would be a nice cam in a 350 but with 454cubes it probably makes peak hp at 4800rpm.Real sleeper.

 

first, a 455 is a BOP motor, so you'd need a different trans, and a handful of other things. If you want a big block, a 454 is easier, and cheaper.

posi, you can look for a tag on the rear end, but that's hit or miss, if it's ever been opened up before. Burn out works, kinda. Easiest is to remove the cover, it's a whopping 10 bolts, and a very good opportunity to change the fluid. Takes about 2 bottles of gear oil, and some RTV to seal it back up. When you're looking inside, it's pretty easy to spot a positraction unit, vs an open unit.

 

what is a BOP engine? By the definitions I've kinda found off the internet "To deliver a powerful blow to suddenly and sharply".

One that I was using for an example was out of a Buick Park Avenue and had a 455. I figured I could just drop that in and than once I blow my tranny (only a matter of time I'd assume) than I could throw in the old one from the buick (although it may be a pain as its automatic).

I figured I'd take the drive axel and diff off that car and than just make it so it fits into the camaro. I assumed worst case I'd have to buy a new shorter or longer drive axel.
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forgot to mention that is why I was wondering about the posi, because if I were to try and buy this car I doubt the current owner would let me take appart their diff in their laneway and since they're located 4-6 hours away from me I was hoping there was some other way around it. This is the original owner. My hope was that I could find out according to the VIN or at least as to if the car originally had the posi because if not, at that point I'm buying this car literally for the engine only and than if I'm lucky maybe the drive axel which means I'd want to spend a lot less.

The asking price for this car is 1200 canadian with 53000 original miles.

 

BOP = Buick, Olds, Pontiac

Those motors use a different bellhousing bolt pattern than a small or big block Chevy.

The big Chevy, like the 454, would be much easier to install than the BOP 455 motors, because it basically drops in where the small block used to be. The same trans can bolt up, and the motor mounts are the same.

 

oh, and building up a BOP motor is considerably more $$ then a BBC. HP per HP, dollar to dollar, it's cheaper with the chev.

where is this car? (since you mentioned canada). That's a damn good price with that low of miles (km's) on it. I'd guess that's not a true #....
Look at the diff cover, one of the 10 bolts that hold it on, should have a metal tag on it, that will have a code. Check on the main page of TGO, in the technical articles area, they have a chart which tells you what it is. It'll say "POSI" on it I think anyway, the code will tell you the ratio.

 

I'm located in ottawa ontario... the deal has fallen through though and I've lost out by the sounds of it, but if your anywhere around here and know someone sellin 350+ please, don't be shy!

 

check in the local forum for that area. Fbird is in that area I think, he'd probably know where you could find one.

 

Alright so apparentley my hearings just off... it is a 454, although because I took so long to get back to him someone else has called dibs.... it was 500$ fully built except without the computer! Oh well, but this fellow has a 350 he's selling for 250$ complete... I was just wondering how I would know the difference between a 4 bolt and a 2 bolt and is there anything else I should keep my eyes open for when going to see a completed engine.

(I got a lemon engine when I first bought the car and have spent unreal amounts on a 305 with almost no improvements and don't want to get messed over making the same mistake of not enough research....although this time it'll be a 5k less mistake but either way.) Thanks for the help so far everyone

 

The only way to tell if it is a 2-bolt or 4-bolt is to pull the pan and look.

Get the casting numbers off of the block and heads before you consider buying any engine. You could actually be buying another 305, or the heads could be the worst smoggers you've ever seen out there (makes your 305 seem powerful).