Thought I killed the 454

[FarPoint]

I was having some issues with vacuum leaks, high idle, the Check Engine Soon light, and the IAC valve on my 454 w TBI.
One of the mounting screws for the IAC valve was siezed- totally siezed- and broke off. And has since defied heat, Aero Kroil, a perfectly centred drill hole for a good easy out- and a good easy out.
So I drove it about 100 highway miles, and about 20 miles on semi rough logging roads.
It started to run rough, ping(despite good gas) and was generally way down on power.
If that engine was running that bad in a boat - I would have pronounced it DOA.
I barely made it home and just left to cool off.
Decided to do a compression test - and VOILA!! A couple of plug wires are off.
Did the compression test anyway - 150 across the board.
Screwed it back together with a new IAC valve and all good.
The screw is broken off in the TBI and the IAC valve is hanging in there by one only, so I ordered a refurbished TBI unit complete.
More on that later.
On to the Dash AC NEXT.....

[TerryH]

Your subject title "Thought I killed the 454" brought back memories of my youth.
In my my mid teens I managed to acquire a - best of my aged memory -  1952 Ford with, fortunately, a Flathead. Given my age and financial situation then most of the gas I used in it was compliments of a length of garden hose and a gas can. Repairs and parts are another topic.
Long story short, I managed to run the engine almost entirely out of oil. Sounded like a printing press.
When I finally was able to deal with it - in those days Service Stations had what they called 'Bulk Oil', came in bottles with spouts, totally unsealed but dirt cheap - I did so.
Engine ran fine for a couple of more years for me. For all I know, it nay still be.
Point being, it is -to me -very difficult to kill one of these tried and true older engines.
As well, it is extremely enjoyable and satisfactory to work on one where the given solution to a problem is NOT CONTINUALLY "swap with a known good part/module".

[FarPoint]

Absolutely correct. Especially when I was convinced that I was going to have to swap the whole 454.
I too, remember the bulk oil. My Austin A55 used lots of it.

[penskepartyof4]

I was assigned an ARMY duece and half with a few extra tons of weight on it. My supervisor decided to take me and it out for a lesson. It was a 62 ish turbo diesel. We drained ALL of the gallons of oil out of the engine. Filled it up with fuel and took it out to the hills in Texas for a ride.

Yea... I have never tried that since. We put the drained oil back in it after it cooled down from the test drive. WOW!

[Rickf1985]

I have worked on hundreds of multifuels and I have never seen one last more than a few minutes without oil, and that is with no load.