New crate 454

Hank MI wrote:

Gale Hawkins wrote:
Not lot details but four options for 454. Note one base height is greater.

Long vs short could make a difference to do fan placement in shroud?????

The number of vanes on the impeller may be different too but just do not know. You could measure and see if you have the long or short water pump.

Gale, none of those water pumps say they're high flow pumps, just 'heavy duty' based on the bearings and impeller used and that does not mean high flow.

Once he determines whether it's a short or long neck pump he can check Summit Racing for a high flow pump. I thought they stopped using short neck pumps decades ago but I could be wrong.

Personally, I would start with the basics, carb adjustment and timing. Idle mixture on carb should be adjusted using a vacuum gauge, highest vacuum you can get. By ear or RPM can leave you with a lean mixture which will cause it to run hot. Timing, as much as you can get under load without spark knock.

Wouldn't hurt to check the mechanical timing advance as well. Not sure what it should be on that engine but it should ramp up as the rpms go up, anywhere from 15* to 20*. Also make sure vacuum is working properly.

Another thing to check is vacuum leaks, which will cause a lean condition. Check all vacuum lines for cracks. You can use a propane torch, not lit, low volume to check for leaks around carb base and intake gaskets. Shoot the propane around base of carb and along intake to head gaskets. If you hear a change in rpms you have a vacuum leak.

With a new engine, new water pump, etc. the engine should not constantly run 220* whether it has a high flow water pump or not. Get the cruising temp down then if it runs hot pulling a grade you can look at a high flow pump.

I agree setting timing by ear can be a wild card. One engines are more complex and tech skills in the old art of tuning by sound has been lost for the most part. If they pinged one would try to retard timing a bit. If they were hard for the starter to turn over one would try to retard timing a bit. In the day carbs, timing, etc were done by bracketing and often splitting the difference.

The info the starter will give you is huge because if timing is way high the firing will be well before TDC (more than several degrees in most cases) trying to drive the piston in the wrong direction.

Carbon build up on the piston tops can cause pinging for a couple reasons and if the carbon is not removed with Sea Foam, etc it will be harder to tune by ear.

Engines like our 1992 454 TBI that have anti ping feature make more HP and can run cooler on premium gas. Ethanol free gas can up the MPG a tad but that is not an option for most today.

Hope the OP gets to the real cause of his running warm issue. From our experience a 454 is a cool running engine (last least the coolant temps). On climbs that last for miles and we can only make about 15 MPH/2200 RPM in hot weather our dash gauge will go up to the red zone but not enter it we learned getting into Kingdom Come KY State park and into Yosemite by getting on the Old Priest entrance option instead of the new longer but less steep option.

Our era 454 is hard to time from what I have read because you have to get the advance disabled and find the right marks to read from based on where you are doing it from the top or bottom side of the engine.