GEN VI questions

[wallaby]

I'm looking at a decent price on a GEN VI shortblock: how much of my current Mk IV stuff will swap over?

Cylinder heads?

Intake manifold?

Will the supplied oil pan fit in the Monte?

and...does it have provision for a mechanical fuel pump?

 

There must be some nightmare involved somewhere with pushrods or rocker arms or something somewhere... I'm just trying to get an idea of how easy it can be done. If I can't re-use the stuff I already have, I might as well be thinking about an assembled engine.

[Mike 57]

Aftermarket heads will work, with the right head gaskets some Mark IV heads will work or leak water into the lifter valley. Should be good on valve train. The lifter bores are raised so some of the link bar roller lifters will not work. Standard hydraulic and solid lifters work. The lifter bores are raised for the GM link bars and spider. I think the pan will work. The rear main is one piece so you ring gear/Flywheel will not work. The Gen 6 454 is supposed to have a fuel pump boss, don't know about the 502.

[72 LS5]

I just put a 2004 GEN VI 502 in Big Blue last July.

 

When GM came out with the GEN V, they a lot of heat from customer with regards to using the Mark IV cylinder heads on the new block. The GEN VI is revised architecture to commonize the MarkIV and GEN V block. "Water jackets were revised near the deck surface so that Mark IV or GEN V head gaskets can be used interchangeably" (from the GM catalog).

 

I'm using old Performer heads with the gaskets they recommend. The big 7 QT oil pan works, no problem. But it won't work on a Chevelle. In recent years (I think 2006ish), they added a mechanical fuel pump provision, otherwise you have to run electric.

 

All my old stuff bolted right up - manifold, distributer, water pump, brackets, mounts, starter, etc. I got new push rods from GM for the factory roller - they would be different than a flat tappet 454.

 

Since the GEN VI was designed for a roller cam, no reason not to use one. Most of the stuff is affordable right from GM. If you use a cam much over .600 lift or so, aftermarket lifters are recommended. Davey has a lot of experience with this....

[680HPStroker]

If you buy a new shortblock it will have provisions for a mechanical fuel pump. As already stated it's a roller block. It needs to stay as such, or money will go down the drain. There are two versions of the 454 block. One can be bored over and the other can't, or at least that's how it was six years ago.