Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
We risked wiping a cam to wake up Paige's 454 Big Block Chevelle just 5 WEEKS before Rocky Mountain Race Week 2.0!
The budget plan was simple: bolt on a set of ZZ502 GM Performance Oval Port Aluminum heads and stuff a Comp Cams XE274H hydraulic flat tappet cam (11-246-3) in this scrapyard pulled 454 BBC to spice it up for drag-and-drive. It blew up fast - after consulting Brand Racing Engines, there was no good way to get the valve spring installed height right on our ZZ502 heads for the flat tappet cam, the spring install height on the heads just won't work and no time to figure out other parts and we're no where near well off enough to get custom order parts.
So we called an audible: out with the aluminum heads, in with a set of old-school 781 casting iron heads. Not as good on paper, but a massive upgrade over the awful peanut port heads on the motor, and they work with the parts we already had.
Tear down revealed this dirt-scrapyard 454 was actually loaded - 30 over Speed Pro pistons, double roller timing set, Melling M77HV oil pump, all looking brand new (total score of a $500 marketplace find). We cleaned everything up, loaded the XE274H with Comp DLC lifters and Clevite Cam Guard, packed the 781s with PAC Racing Springs, sealed them with Felpro 8180-PT2 head gaskets, and took it to BradFab's run stand for final assembly and break-in.
Then the longest 20 minutes in hot rodding: flat tappet break-in straight to 2000+ RPM, no red flags, cool down overnight, check the valvetrain, and fire it one more time to hear that new cam chop. Now it's time to stuff Paige's refreshed big block back in her '64 Chevelle and get ready for Race Week. . . at least that's the plan!
Paige's 1964 Chevelle - 454 Big Block Chevy / 4L80E swap / drag-and-drive build playlist linked above.
#chevelle #chevy454 #bigblockchevy #enginerebuild #hotrod
CHAPTERS:
00:00 5 Weeks to Race Week - The Plan to Spice Up the 454
02:15 Why the ZZ502 Aluminum Heads FAILED With This Cam
04:30 The Audible: 781 Iron Heads vs Peanut Ports
06:45 Teardown Surprise - Scrapyard 454 Has Good Parts
09:10 Cam Install: XE274H + DLC Lifters + Cam Guard
11:30 Building the 781s + Felpro Head Gaskets
14:00 On BradFab's Run Stand - Assembly Complete
16:15 The Dreaded 20-Minute Flat Tappet Break-In
19:30 Next Morning Inspection - Did We Wipe A Lobe?
21:30 That New Cam Sound + Packing For Home
23:00 Next Up: Back In The Chevelle For RMRW 2.0
Affiliate links & shop staples I actually use:
[PUT YOUR TOP 2-3 LINKS HERE - per your rule, high-value links stay near the top]
Primeweld TIG225X TIG / YesWelder MIG205-DS Pro MIG - what we weld with in the shop
Super Clean - garage cleanup process [if applicable to this video]
Follow the Chevelle / Nova Wagon / Trailer builds - new long-form every week at 9:01am CT.
We risked wiping a cam to wake up Paige's 454 Big Block Chevelle just 5 WEEKS before Rocky Mountain Race Week 2.0!
The budget plan was simple: bolt on a set of ZZ502 GM Performance Oval Port Aluminum heads and stuff a Comp Cams XE274H hydraulic flat tappet cam (11-246-3) in this scrapyard pulled 454 BBC to spice it up for drag-and-drive. It blew up fast - after consulting Brand Racing Engines, there was no good way to get the valve spring installed height right on our ZZ502 heads for the flat tappet cam, the spring install height on the heads just won't work and no time to figure out other parts and we're no where near well off enough to get custom order parts.
So we called an audible: out with the aluminum heads, in with a set of old-school 781 casting iron heads. Not as good on paper, but a massive upgrade over the awful peanut port heads on the motor, and they work with the parts we already had.
Tear down revealed this dirt-scrapyard 454 was actually loaded - 30 over Speed Pro pistons, double roller timing set, Melling M77HV oil pump, all looking brand new (total score of a $500 marketplace find). We cleaned everything up, loaded the XE274H with Comp DLC lifters and Clevite Cam Guard, packed the 781s with PAC Racing Springs, sealed them with Felpro 8180-PT2 head gaskets, and took it to BradFab's run stand for final assembly and break-in.
Then the longest 20 minutes in hot rodding: flat tappet break-in straight to 2000+ RPM, no red flags, cool down overnight, check the valvetrain, and fire it one more time to hear that new cam chop. Now it's time to stuff Paige's refreshed big block back in her '64 Chevelle and get ready for Race Week. . . at least that's the plan!
Paige's 1964 Chevelle - 454 Big Block Chevy / 4L80E swap / drag-and-drive build playlist linked above.
#chevelle #chevy454 #bigblockchevy #enginerebuild #hotrod
CHAPTERS:
00:00 5 Weeks to Race Week - The Plan to Spice Up the 454
02:15 Why the ZZ502 Aluminum Heads FAILED With This Cam
04:30 The Audible: 781 Iron Heads vs Peanut Ports
06:45 Teardown Surprise - Scrapyard 454 Has Good Parts
09:10 Cam Install: XE274H + DLC Lifters + Cam Guard
11:30 Building the 781s + Felpro Head Gaskets
14:00 On BradFab's Run Stand - Assembly Complete
16:15 The Dreaded 20-Minute Flat Tappet Break-In
19:30 Next Morning Inspection - Did We Wipe A Lobe?
21:30 That New Cam Sound + Packing For Home
23:00 Next Up: Back In The Chevelle For RMRW 2.0
Affiliate links & shop staples I actually use:
[PUT YOUR TOP 2-3 LINKS HERE - per your rule, high-value links stay near the top]
Primeweld TIG225X TIG / YesWelder MIG205-DS Pro MIG - what we weld with in the shop
Super Clean - garage cleanup process [if applicable to this video]
Follow the Chevelle / Nova Wagon / Trailer builds - new long-form every week at 9:01am CT.
