454 Long-Block Build - Tech project

The small sprocket should slide right onto the crank and lock into place with the key.

All of the bearing caps were tightened and ready to be torqued.

Jerry made sure that all of the piston seals were to the tolerances that he requested for the 60-over pistons.

The main bearing studs should be torqued down to 90 lbs, as this engine will produce some major torque and the crank needs to stay lined up.

The crank needed a key to allow the timing chain to go on.

The caps were then placed on the crank.

The studs were all hooked up with nuts to tighten down the bearing caps.

The sprockets were lined up and the chain was slipped over the crank and bolted on.

The pistons were cleaned and prepped.

As you can see, the bearing's hugging the crank and the key's being tapped into place.

Each of the pistons and connecting rods were assembled individually before being bolted to the crank. Spiral locks keep the piston pins in place and are used in pairs on both sides of the piston.

The rings and seals were put on the piston as they're ready to be dropped in.

The pistons that went into this 496 were forged-dome pistons designed for running on 91 octane.

After installing the pistons, the crank was ready to be torqued down. The torque was set at about 65 lbs and was the last major thing that had to be done to this long-block.

This long-block's ready to be topped off with whatever combination of heads and intake we come up with.

The piston walls were wiped down and felt for smoothness before installing any of the pistons.

A piston clamp allows Jerry to compress the piston ring and push it through the wall of the engine.

One of the advantages of a big-block is that you only need minor adjustments to make it a stroker motor. In this case, you can see how much had to be modified to allow the connecting rod to travel freely.

Before putting the long-block on an engine stand, the necessary holes were plugged.

The end of a wood-handle mallet was used to push the piston through without damaging the top of the piston.