last gen 454

So I got a screaming deal on a '98 K2500 with a 454 and manual transmission. Because it has a gear vendors overdrive in the truck it's going to be no trouble to recoup may investment and then some to leave me with an essentially free engine.

What are my low buck options for squeezing enough hp or torque out of the engine to justify the weight in something like an Opel Kadett?

I'm planning on staying manual transmission, tossing between old school (A833, Monza T50, or Corvette 4+3), more modern (NV3500 or T5), or weird (Supra 5-speed or the truck NV4500 with a Bravada AWD transfer case.) That means I don't need to match the cam to a particular torque converter, but I would like to keep it fuel injected.

What is my path to success?

Your path to success includes not using any of the transmissions listed.. the 4+3 would be the best one off that list since it's a Super T10 with an add on overdrive unit, but any of the others would be ticking time bombs behind even a mild 454.. the A833 might survive, but where are you going to find one any more?

you need to be thinking Muncie M21 or M22 here..

Regarding power: the heads are pretty alright, so a different cam and an aftermarket intake manifold is all you really need there. Maybe a 502HO takeout cam and some higher ratio roller rocker arms for 500ish hp and about that many torques..

Yeah, a high power BBC will liquefy A WC T5, strip the gears out of a NV3500 in few days, maybe make it out of the driveway with a T50. If you want a stick and not horrible 1 ton truck gear spread (e.g. NV4500, SM465, etc.) you need a big input Ford toploader (aftermarket bell or adapter plate on a chevy bell), M22, Super T10, iron case 833, or for something properly indestructible, a NASCAR surplus 4 speed dogbox.

There's a reason people like to run a TH400 behind builds like this, a fairly mild TH400 will hold up to 500+ ft/lbs and break driveline stuff less often.

Will an sm420 Muncie hold up?

In a chassis that is under 2k# even with the engine and that can only accommodate a 205 tire width I suspect most of the transmissions I listed and already have would be fine. I also have sm420 and sm465 truck boxes but I would have to run a rear axle with a 2.xx ratio to tighten their ratios up enough to be useful.

But, aside from the transmission issues, what are my options for the engine? Supposedly the ls motor ecus can be made to work, and the hp tuner suite I already have will let me program it to convert from batch fire multi port to sequential multi port efi. While in theory that should make it more efficient, in practice is it worth the effort? Any particular cam recommendations, given that it is a roller cam already? Will it handle boost?

If you don't mind massive gear spreads, sure.

Bear in mind, changing the final drive does NOT change the gear spacing! A 3.6:1 Second that leads to a 1.7:1 Third and a 1:1 Fourth is still going to be silly wide and not fun inducing. Even with normal rearends, you never used First unless you had a huge load on a trailer...

That's the main problem with a big block once you get past the bulk and weight. Your drivetrain options get expensive fast.

I converted a 4 speed 440 Road Runner to a TKO600 once. I didn't like the way it drove with a 4 speed and I didn't like the way it drove with the TKO600 either. Transmissions beefy enough to handle big block torque tend to shift horribly, and big block + close ratio trans makes for a very "interesting" time trying to drive smoothly. So your other option, as you pointed out, is a super wide ratio trans that means you're always in the wrong gear.

Did drive a small block Vette with a T56 that actually worked really well. But a small block and a big block are two completely different animals, even comparing a 400ci SBC to a 396. Lots more inertia in the big block.

Other than the random pursuit of the oddball award, why would you want all that extra weight in the nose of an Opel??

Sounds like a ton of work to end up with something undriveable.

I'd be looking for something like a Vista Cruiser wagon, or an old Elky to drop that 454 into.

I would not bother going full sequential injection. In theory better but in reality you will not notice a difference.

Why would one need to shift a 2K pound vehicle with 500+ ft-lb of torque? Pick a gear and go.

dean1484 wrote: I would not bother going full sequential injection. In theory better but in reality you will not notice a difference.

I used to think this. However my recent experience Megasquirting a Buick V6 has changed my opinion greatly. Due to some config difficulties, we got up and running on batch fire. It sounded and felt "off", not quite like it had two dead cylinders but it wasn't nearly as smooth as it was on the stock computer. I plugged the stock computer back in and it ran fine. Plugged the MS back in and weak cylinders. Before diagnosing that further, I got it tuned roughly (very roughly) so it would run okay, then did some digging and head scratching and got it to run sequential.

Dead smooth and even on all six.

So, what I am thinkin', apostrophe, is that it is a geometry issue. The runners on the intake manifold are super short. The injector is at the base of the manifold but the actual runners are maybe a finger's length long before they all spit into one big common plenum. It's also 3.8 liters of engine (a hair over .6l/cyl) with 60lb injectors, which are small for what the engine is, but it's still trying to idle at 900rpm with .6l/cyl and 60lb injectors, the injection times will be very short. So if the batch fire timing is such that some fuel gets injected during a reversion wave, it's going to blow the fuel into the plenum, starving that cylinder of fuel and making other cylinders over-rich.

But on something with super long runners like a TPI or a Gen V/VI big block barrel manifold, with injectors sized more sanely like 24lb injectors per .8-1l cylinder, it probably doesn't make as much of a difference beecause there's a foot of runner between the plenum and the injector.

I think you'll be ok with an nv3500 in such a light car. My c1500 has the older "weaker" getrag version of that transmission and it's living behind my 454. Truck weighs 4k empty, and i do not baby it.

Also the nv4500/np241c(assuming transfer case, might be different if push button 4x4) is worth quite a load especially to the lemmings on a certain ahoy mateys 4x4 site that think the nv4500 is the pinnacle of manual transmission excellence.

Like Patgizz said, that NV4500 setup is fairly desirable in the off road crowd, but the gear ratios of the NV4500 would suck for anything that isn't a truck.

I have one of the early "weak" NV3500s (HM290) in my wagon with a reasonably stout engine (small block, but still) that gets used in a sporting manner. While the ratios still aren't great, I don't think it would be bad behind a big block because you aren't revving very high. I'm only unhappy with the NV's ratios and a 2.93 rear end if I'm zinging up to redline, but if you're down in the 3000-4000 rpm range, it's okay. Most of these transmission failures are due to improper oil (DO NOT use typical gear oil; the layshaft bearings don't get lubed and then boom, trans failure. Stick with Synchromesh). IMO, very underrated transmission as long as you don't expect it to be a sports car trans.

What do you plan to do with the car? With that much power and that little weight it seems like you would either be upshifting super fast, as in only spending a few seconds in each gear, or taking off in 2nd or 3rd and going straight to high gear. A wide ratio truck trans and the lowest numerical rear gears would help some, plus improve economy and give you ridiculous potential for top end speed. I think before I would put any money or time into increasing power I would put the engine in stock. I bet you won't think it's underpowered.

You have access to a monza t50. I have a good case with bad gears. Been looking for another for years. Please share.

I don't just have access to it Stan, it's on the shelf in my shop. There are lots of transmissions on the shelves. I have a problem, perhaps.

If you need something drop me a pm.

Plan would be to install the engine in the kadett set back about a foot, with the front seats set back the same, and add a burley rear end for ugly car giggles.

And you shall call it Oliver