Need your valued ADVISE

[1BIGJIM]

Ok guys I need some of your expertise and much valued advise. I am starting to rebuild my BBC 454 MARK IV and setting up the game plan. Nothing wild, I need reliability and only have access to 91-octane gas. (1) I would love to put a Roller Cam in but I am worried about the horror stores I have read about regarding Roller Lifters problems in some forums. Is it worth the extra $$$ or put the money to a good set of heads? (2) I was planning of a good set of forged pistons, what compression ratio would I be safe with 91 octane.
Thanks
JIM

[Hotcrusader76]

Jim,
Lakeboat driven:
If it was my BBC project I would put the money into a good set of heads, AFR, Worlds, or even a flowed (yes flow benched) set of ported large oval ports.
Then spend the money towards a complimentry intake manifold preferably a solid single carb from Wilsons manifolds who makes a killer Victor style.
Once that's done get some KB Hyp for cost savings or some JE slugs and keep it around 10-10.5 compression.
Lastly, call up COMP Cams or Isky and ask them about a solid lifter design if you want to do it cheaply over roller. Otherwise go hydraulic.
IMHO....the roller cam can be tossed to save cash and you can make the solid torque curve back with the heads.
Boat that the wife is skeered to ride in....
990 Rect port heads and a roller cam with a tunnel ram.
case closed.
Hope that sheds some light for ya.
~Ty

[1BIGJIM]

The compression sounds a little high for 91 octane gas even with forged pistions?

[Hustler]

I would'nt go more than 10:1 on the compression if you want to run pump gas. At 10:1 you should be fine, at 10:5 you will either need to back your timing down or run an addative.

[Hotcrusader76]

You can run 10:5 just make sure you let COMP know that you're going to run 91. Plus if you go with AFR heads you won't have any issues at all. Trust me on that one.

[Hotcrusader76]

Just remember with the right cam you can keep that compression ratio.
Just look at the guy at the Engine Masters challenge who had 16:1 compression on 92 octane!:eek!:
Yuppp...he did it....little detonation towards the end but it was achieved and later run with the trick gas on a Pro-stock....
Now that's a good "VE".

[Hustler]

your right about the aluminum heads, for some reason I had steel heads stuck in my head

[Hustler]

Let me ask you this How much do plan to spend and how much HP do you want to make?

[1BIGJIM]

I want to keep it reliable. 450HP would be great 400HP would be nice. I planned on buying some kind of heads as the current engine has the small oval ports on them. I was hoping to find a good used set her in a forum. Don't trust Ebay. The current engine was rated at 330Hp.

[1BIGJIM]

AFR's might be out of reach$$ I should probably mention I will keep it under 5,000 RPMS and this is a BRAVO application. I would also like to keep the outdrive together...