Blower vs. Top End kit for 454

[swatman260]

Hey guys.. I need to defer to those of you with a lot more experience than me to help with a decision. I currently have a stock 454 on my bucket. It's out of an '86 RV and has the peanut port heads, so its pretty mild. I'm looking to kick things up a notch and am trying to decide between adding a blower (because I think there is nothing cooler looking on a bucket) or by changing the cam, heads, etc and installing a top end kit. While I would have to move my radiator forward a few inches to make room for the blower, I have the room to do so. I've found a pretty good deal on a blower that is complete from the intake to the carb, but I don't know if I'm missing something in the equation.
While not a daily driver, my bucket will never see track time. I want a good, reliable, streetable car, but I also want to have way more power than I will ever need. lol If I go with the blower, I don't want to have to rebuild the whole engine first. I would prefer to go with the blower for the look and the sound, but at the same time, I don't want to install something that is going to destroy my engine or cause me a loss in reliability. My intent would be for it to be underdriven to maintain the streetability. So my question for those of you in the know... Am I missing something here? Am I better off installing a good top end kit and gaining power that way, or can I slap a blower on top, get the look and sound I'm going for, and still have a reliable engine?

 

[dwsatt21]

With what you have said, I would go with a blower and just keep the boost levels reasonable. IMHO either way that you build power will put more stress on your internals.

 

[RPM]

Yep go with the blower.

 

[old round fart]

When I built my car I had ported and polished heads but I had a small water leak where he got in the water jacket. Put 283 2 barrel heads on the 350 block and had plenty of power. When I was building I was advised to get a junk yard motor and put the blower on it and drive it til it blew and get another junk motor. Go for the blower. You will love it!

 

[swatman260]

This is what I wanted to hear! Thanks guys

 

[fletcherson]

??? I get the blower look thing, but the whole point of a blower is to increase air flow and the heads will be a big piece of the puzzle. I guess it depends on what you want, why not get heads that will flow to go with the blower?

 

[old round fart]

Don't need as much as you get from the blower. If you have the Bucks go for it!

 

[can amsledder]

If you don't want that blower I'll take it!!

 

[tfeverfred]

Nothing and I mean NOTHING sounds as sweet and terrorizing as blower whine. If you can get it to be reliable, go for it.

 

[old round fart]

Busses and semi trucks use blowers. Why dependability concerns? Drove mine over 100k miles with no problems.

 

[Screaming Metal]

Just get the motor and stick a blower on it, done! Yea, sure, if you want to smooth things out a little in the ports, really don't have to. If the peanut ports on the heads have a really big ledge after installing the intake, some fuel might try to pocket there, port match it if you can. The surface texture doesn't a rats ass when 5-7 psi of blower pressure is thrown to it, big steep ledges while under blower pressure between the head and intake isn't the best thing....
What would make the fuel fall out suspension, as far as ledges and sharp edges in the intake to head transition, is alot more critical in a tunnelram, than say a streetblower with 5-7psi.
Throw a blower on it, if the motor has peanut heads and theres no way to portmatch them close, trade them to someone that has some that ARE close, stick it together, and ride!
One you've gone blown, nothing else quit matches that feeling....

ORF is right, 100,000 is nothing to a blower. Though the old GMC books used to say rebuild time was 375,000 miles, I'd seen them run to 500,000 and still in good shape.
I ran a 8-71 on top of a poncho motor for over 10 years running Quadrajets as carbs....rain,shine, sleet or snow....no problem.
Though, its best to limit your speeds to about 45 mph max when driving a blown car in the rain in the winter with drag slicks (grooved, of course)

 

[Screaming Metal]

Took me longer to mill out the opening of the P4B Alum. intake and tig the alum plate in for the blower to sit on than it did for me to install everything and get the engine fired up, timing set and tuned.....
That blower whine was beautiful, you could hear coming for 3 blocks away....