Engine advice needed

[BTR69]

I have a 98 Chevy 3500 HD, 454 gas engine with older style Whipplecharger. Whipplecharger leaking badly from front seal, and engine has blown head gasket. Looking to have Whipplecharger rebuilt, but Whipple no longer services this older unit. I've heard about Jon Bond and Stegemeyer performance, but looking for recommendations closer to home in Wilmington NC. Anybody have suggestions?

Sending heads out & likely will be using Cometic head gaskets when it goes together. Does anyone know what kind of power is safe for the engine? Stock 454 as far as I know, about 150,000 miles on it. I'm not up to speed on these relating to how well the bottom ends will handle more HP than came from the factory. I don't know how much boost the Whipple has been adding, but will be adding a gauge when we put it back together.

Thanks in advance.

[Alan Roehrich]

The later big blocks are not great about head gasket life. You'll want to use ARP fasteners to put the heads on.

You really need to have the heads converted to adjustable rockers, especially since you're having a considerable amount of work done on them (valve job, milling, etc) and you're changing head gaskets.

The bottom end of the late big blocks is reasonably robust. The pistons, however, will not hold up well under any real amount of boost, and especially not under any appreciable detonation.

The camshaft in those really kills power. So does the stock exhaust. Both are pretty big power killers, and will go along way to negate the effects of a supercharger. If the exhaust doesn't go out on its own, a lot of the boost is just the supercharger working against a small exhaust lobe and a crappy exhaust system. You make heat and boost, but not much power.

[BTR69]

Thanks Alan. I'm planning to add headers as soon as I can justify the expense, (make more $$$ that the wife doesn't find). We are using the Cometic head gaskets and new ARP head bolts. Had considered looking into a camshaft change as well, but I'm already shelling out a bit more than I originally intended to. I'm looking into a larger pulley to lower the boost as well. Hopefully that will be a little better on the pistons. Pretty sure it was making more boost than the prior gaskets could handle. Only a 2 inch pulley as it was. I did find a shop in Missouri, (stiegemeier porting), to rebuild this Whipple. Had really hoped to find someone closer to home in NC for that. Unit should be back here in a few days. Thanks again.