Big Block vs Small Block Chevy Comparison
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ค. 2024
- The most complete Chevrolet Big Block vs. Small Block video. Power capability, weights, dimensions, valvetrain, displacements, model years. Plus, a bunch of other cool details you may not know.
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396 Big Block vs 400 Small Block from Hot Rod Magazine (August 1998):
www.hotrod.com/articles/hrdp-...
Books on Amazon (affiliate links):
Big Block:
Build an amazing Big Block on a Budget: amzn.to/31yeWv5
How to Build Killer Big Block Engines: amzn.to/3abdLW9
Small Block:
Small Block build on a Budget: amzn.to/3ktAvW7
How to Build Killer Small Block Engines: amzn.to/2XKwGSK
This site also has tons of good info and is run by one of the authors of these books.
www.chevydiy.com/
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0:00 Introduction
0:51 History
1:19 Displacements
2:37 Bore & Stroke
3:34 Dimensions
4:17 Cylinder Heads
5:21 Valves
6:23 Engine Block Weight
6:58 Engine Block Strength
7:31 Maximum RPM
7:48 Total Engine Weight
8:48 Big Block = Big Needs
9:48 Lightweight Big Block
10:17 Recommended Books
10:43 Horsepower - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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Please note that I entered the 454 bore and stroke incorrectly. The 454 has a bore of 4.25 and a stroke of 4.
And to, the 427 bbc has a bore of 4.25 and stroke of 3.76 (chilton's auto repair manual), not 4.125 and 4 !!
Next time, pay attention!
Make a video about the 383 Stroker
I caught that. Do i get a gold star?
Why you all worried about room. That motor fits about everything gm builds except to 1 gen nova. Even G van..yep. 402 in a van.
The stock bore sizes used mean you will experience valve shrouding the BBC. On factory rec port head blocks you can see the bore notches to accommodate the 2.19 valves. That's the main reason going past the 2.19 1.88 isn't too popular, it just wont deliver the expected improvements without was huge over bore because of the valve shrouding.
I once shed close to seventy pounds off my muscle car by replacing my old girlfriend with a new one :)
Was she a model for FAT A GRAM?
She must have been a real porker!
👍👍😂😂
That counts double on a motorcycle. Had a g friend I taught to ride.
Old gs 750..she weighed 135...I gave her a ride when I got my first blackbird running.165 hp..she was plenty impressed. Finally let her ride it..short ride she was back in 10 min...ran to the bathroom. Guess she pinned in it 3rd, front end came up and didnt come down until she ran out into the rev limiter and then she peed her pants
Nice!!!!!!😁😁😁😂
Basically,
Chevy Small Block: does anything
Chevy Big Block: does anything *BUT BIGGER*
Not when it comes to toque. I have a 8.1 L (496ci) built with torque to pull. No GM small block can compare. The 8.1 is built to last . The military use it in the AT98.
@@donaldthomas5852 hence the “ *BUT BIGGER* “ part
Real talk
Can’t rev higher that’s one thing I guess
@@donaldthomas5852 wouldn't a cummims six be a much more efficient way to build torque?
My older brother Paul, by 4 years, always told me just to put a big block in and forget about it...and he was right..after putting a 454 in my 66 chevelle replacing the 350 in it, was dam near night and day...the torque was out of sight! Just coming off a light, sometimes i would put 2 ft of rubber down by mistake...Never went back...
Nice, I have a 69 big block
I quit a long time ago trying to keep up with all the new high horse power engines being produced today. I own a 1967 Chevelle 396 SS and will keep it the way it is. LS engines are everywhere now days. I like old school and it's simple operation. By the way, I enjoyed your presentation.
Chances are you're not fixing an ls on the side of the road. 4bbl and mechanical fuel pump is the way to go in my mind.
I couldn't agree more., Keep her old school.
I have a 69 Mach 1 351w 4 speed, 650 Holley, she runs great. I would not change her for nothing.
I also have a 68 SS Camaro I'm actually swapping out my 350 and I'm dropping in a 427 SBC from Blueprint Engines in a few weeks.
I prefer to have less weight on the front end, you have less wear and tear on your brakes, your suspension, springs, and you can maintain and negotiate corners better.
Generally speaking, a small block stroker is going to be an overall better street car because in the real world, roads are not straight, they come with curves ,dips, and corners.
Unless your dragging 1/4 miles every weekend, I truly believe the 400, 427, 434 small blocks are simply the best bets.
You get ridiculous HP and Torque in a lighter weight package, that's huge when your barreling into an unknown corner at 60 mph.
Todays 427 SBC, and 434 SBC actually produce big block power easily.
I also compared the Chevrolet ZZ427 big block, and also the 1969 427 big blocks of yesteryear. Today's 427 sbcs and 434 sbcs are more potent then many of those big block options.
Yes if you bore out the big blocks you can surpass the small blocks.
But I'm talking about a straight up comparison, if you truly analyze everything, I think you'd have to come to the conclusion that the 427sbcs and 434sbs are the best choice.
Most people just think about raw HP and TQ numbers and forget about handeling, cornering, and keeping extra weight off the front end.
Another really practical advantage about small blocks is the fact that they take up less room in your engine bay, it does make things much easier to work on, that's a huge win.
I think there are simply way more pros then cons running a small block car vs. a big block.
Ls engines are just as simple with a carbie on them
Big blok big
Smol blok smol
Done
Big brain moment
If I was concerned about weight I wouldn’t have gotten a big block lol
Like 200lbs makes a fkn difference. Thats like sayin you could run faster if they cut your balls off.
@@funkmaster2258 Yeah but that 200 lb difference is negated by the superior power difference a BB provides.
@@extremedrivr thats kinda my point. And if weight is such an issue lose ot someplace else.
@@funkmaster2258 It's only 110lbs. All iron BBC 685 vs SBC 575 an iron LS with aluminum heads around 500lbs, LSX aluminum heads 570lbs all aluminum LS around 400lbs. As to how much the weight matters it's about about power to weight so you need values to determine that.
@@Dayandcounting yea see i cant use sarcasm. Look if you double the weight you need 4x as much power to accelerate at the same rate but no 200 lbs isnt sht. I dont for the life of me understand what makes people think this is any kind of real question. Are people really that dumb ? There is no question more power is better. You can build to whatever hp you want , that is easy. Whats hard is traction. The extra weight may actually help you if you have a 4 link set up properly . Conversely if its not drag , if its a road course , the weight can kill you if it exceeds what suspension and braking can handle. There are alot of courses where acceleration pays off more than top end. Because its fkn hard to turn 110 degrees at 200 mph. There is no 1 answer. Its dependant on the track. As bad as formula 1 cars are they dont pull 6s just like a chevy 2 isnt going to handle like indy.
I had a Chevelle with a 454 with iron heads. Didn’t think about weight till after it was in. The car originally had a small block and you could feel the weight difference on freeway clover leaf entrances (turns) - had heavier duty springs.
But the torque! Wow ... I could stand on it from a stop, the car would get sideways easy, once you hooked it was a rocket all in by 5500 rpms. Midrange torque was impressive put you in your seat musclecar power.
No replacement for displacement, no small block will ever beat the torque a big block gives you from idle..
Exactly it’s bigger bat further away the ball goes .
Small will keep up but the bigger will definitely travel away faster.
That's why I believe that corvettes really shouldn't be big block cars, unless for pure drag racing. The advance suspension from the factory was set up for lemas style racing not drag racing. A big block will be heavy around the corners, while the small block is more balanced. My thing is a 350 small block is similar to a big block in rpm characteristics at 2 thousand rpm to 5 grand, not in torque and horse power but in stroke characteristics. Not scientific measurements, but natural engine functionality. The 454 has better power/torque under 2 grand and up to 5 grand. But the small block 350 can rev out more.
The weight of the 396 in my 1970 SS Nova never bothers me except during parking maneuvers as it has no power steering.
Armstrong Steering!
Felt that. 67 barracuda 440 no power steering
Bigblock=big mucel! 😁
40 years ago when I was in high school; the other revheads would laugh at me when I would say "There is no substitute for cubes" or "no replacement for displacement". I began to modify my 1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88 which came standard with a big block. I dropped in a 455 with Edelbrock intake and blackjack headers which like in this video had to be bent around the steering box. Because this motor achieved high torque at low rpm I'm still driving it decades later.
Steer the front with the steering wheel, steer the rear tires with the throttle!!
No sb will beat the bb's torque off the line.. Gladd you still got your bb 67 Olds..
I have owned equal chevy 2500hd trucks. One with a 6.0/4l80e and one with an 8.1/allison. The 8.1 absolutely pulls trailers better and does it at half the rpms of the 6.0 small block. I like the feel of the big block better
Heck yeah, that TORQUE bro..
You are also incorrect about the 427, it has the same stroke as the 396 (3.76), and the same bore as the 454 (4.25).
I put a Doug Herbert built 454 in my 57 Chevy I have had several small blocks and no complaints but the torque of a big block no COMPARISON
I’m looking at a 454 for my 55 Chevy but have been tempted to go LS. Any thoughts?
@@theylive2749 I'm old school love the carbs and valve covers just build it the way you like it you'll be satisfied
I always appreciated the abundance of aftermarket goodies available for the small block back in the day. But you can get pretty much anything now and I gotta say....I'm always impressed when I see those big ass heads.
409 was a wicked bb but are so hard to find an original now days. The first one I ever seen was in a 64 and a half impala. The heads are what really caught my attention. They were built in a W shape, which i thought was really cool. Wasn't until I got older that I realized how cool and rare they really are.
I installed an LS6 crate engine in my 1970 RS Camaro. Backed it up with a TH400 Trans with 3500 stall converter with manual valve body and a 3:73 read end. If you breathed on the accelerator the tires would go up in smoke and lay rubber for as long as you stood on the gas pedal. At 60mph on the highway you could punch it and the tires would break loose and car would start to drift sideways ! I overrevved the engine several times to 7500rpm and never broke anything. Sold the car to a friend of mine 25 years ago and he still has it.
You need better tires! Problem solved
I absolutely love the in depth high quality break downs! Keep up the awesome content
Meh, I had a 509 casting 400 small block. I bored it .030 over and stuffed astroker crank in her and made a 434 stroker with as much aluminum on top as possible. The only thing that was iron was the block.
That small block spanked 427's and 454 equipped cars all day. It was in a 68 z/28 Camaro with a M21 close ratio muncie and 12 bolt 373 posi. The 302 was put away for safe keeping but the muncie and 12 bolt was used.
Gobs of torque and I will never go 383 not when one has already had 434.
I completely agree
I am in the middle of a BB build right now and I have 2 concerns . ground pounding torque and 500hp both can be achieved pretty easily with a BB
Good cam, intake and headers and your at 500. I like nice pistons too. Rev my LS5 to 6500. Some valve spring issues occasionally with missed shifts.
Use a nice roller cam, you’ll never go back
Back in around 1970, a friend and I put a 426 HEMI in his 1967 bright apple green Dodge Van. We rode it to school in North Miami, Florida and afterword for crusin, drag raceing and just fun. He later bought a 1966 yellow HEMI Charger. Joy I always had 440 magnums in my multiple MOPARS. Love big blocks. However. My 2004 Z06 Commemorative Corvette has a small block, LS6 that is the best of them all. Over 130,000 miles on it and still runs like new and no leaks. I love V8s
Concerned about BB nose weight? Moving the battery from in front of the front wheels to the trunk it the same weight transfer as moving the engine back 10"
No way, a 40 pound difference does that much? Do you know what that would be like if done to a car with a small block?
@@trashbandit2449 I guess moving the engine backwards does that little (concerning the center of gravity).
@@trashbandit2449its easy to check, measure the height of the front and rear of the car at the bumper, pull the battery out and put it in the trunk.
Had s couple esrly 70"s Camaro back in the day. I got one down to 3050 lbs with a 50/50 weight split. Lowered with g 50 15s on rally sport wheels. I was 2 mph faster on the skid pad and 2 10ths quicker on a slalom course than my buds 84 vett
@@blackbirdxx928 wow that's crazy, especially for such a front heavy car
Bbc>Sbc
I have a 62 Nova and built a 327 425 hp small block. Tasty fast! Best small block Chevy ever built.
Love the 327. They rap up quick
Novas are a amazing
@@ryanpoloski4322
283 cui with twin turbo pushing 7500rpm
I was always a small block guy. Loved 327s and 350s. Wanted a 327/M21 4 speed ‘68 Chevelle.............until I bought a hopped up big block Chevelle. Yeah, it’s only a 396. But, the smile factor and the respect from the folks that lived during that time are priceless. I’ll probably ditch the TH400 in favor of a 5 speed someday. Right now, it’s just too much fun driving that time machine.
Hell yeah man, that TORQUE off the line wins hearts all the time..
Big Block All Day Torque is where it’s at 😎
Biggest problem I have ever concurred with a big block Chevy motor is their owner thought they were now GOD
That's right....TORQUE💪
I like the medium block, you get a good balance of the two
Oh yea? Lol
The petite block is good too :)
LMAO
lol
Funny as hell!!!
Good job on the charts , great info for someone like me who can't remember every dimension of every block and head
You do a fantastic job explaining all of this. You GOTTA do a full BIG BLOCK video!!!!!
Listen, when your behind a 454 you ain't gonna give a shit about weight. All that power will let the neighborhood know what you have!!!😎👍
I LOVE your channel's format and the way you do your vides. You are awesome man!
These days, for anything streetable/daily driver, SBC all the way, save for something extreme like a tow rig. What with widely available stroker kits, roller cams and AL heads and intakes, it's easy to get big streetable power in a shocking small and light package.
Yes but you still need more RPM to make that power. Don't get me wrong, Small Blocks are powerful but its Big Blocks where the true power lies because you can make more with less RPM.
@@extremedrivr yes to both, big block is best for towing n pushing weight, small block for daily driving n saving money on gas..lol But i prefer big blocks no matter what..
Great info, I did not realize that the big blocks came with such a large stroke. Superior torque is a huge plus.
I honestly feel like this channel is going to blow up soon! Really informative and detailed
Most people I have ever known that owned a big block it was on a stand in their garage. Their story of it usually included the short time it was in their car where they quickly broke something ( something expensive ) and they were running a small block in their car since then.
Then there was the guy in car club I was in that had 57 Chevy and he put his big block in whereupon my friend blew it off the road three times in a row with his 350 so he took it home and pulled it out.
@@michaelszczys8316 Try comparing apples to apples.
BIG BLOCK HISTORY PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
348, 409, 427, 366, 427 TD, 454, Vortec, and then whatever the new LT and LS are
Hell yeah!!!
Nobody heard of the gm 351 v6 have they
This isn't Block history month.
I guess the biggest critical difference is that the Big Blocks were made for racing and the small blocks were made to fit in all their vehicles-FACT
I’ve built a few of both. Big block all the way. My favourite was an LS5 I built in a 69 chev pick up. Smoke rear tires at any speed below 45kph with an automatic. Fun
45 Kommunisms Per Hour? What is that in Freedom? ; )
@@jesseowens1492 28 mph
@@jesseowens1492 LOL!! I too prefer mph but most of the world uses kph, too funny comment tho, too funny..
This is about 70% accurate.
Yeah it definitely has a few errors. The 454 lived on way past 1975. The small block wasn't replaced by the ls family of engines. The opti spark Lt style engine came before the Ls. I'm only 2 minutes into the video and found these errors.
@Donalld Allhands yeah I have a 94 Silverado with a 454.
True, I own a suburban that has a 454 and it’s from 92 almost 20 years newer than 75.
A Ford guy knows a small block will make way more than 360hp. It looked like he had block integrity power listed for the big block and the 70 Z28 motor advertised output for the small block. However I give em a pass. It's great to see young guns keeping the old stuff alive. The more he studies the more he'll learn.
Yea my fleetwood bounder is a 98 and it has a 454
Another great video. All facts no BS and it nice to hear an actual voice not a robot. Thanks Auto Guild. keep it up, stay safe
This is the BEST SBC v BBC comparison I have seen. Definitely keeping for future references.
LoL. I was going to post your channel reads just like the books I read back in the day, now I see why. Great content!
Hard to beat a big block!!!! 💪💪💪💪
Great info... Won a bunch of beers on this information. Thanks!
yes, engine weight is definitely a consideration, especially if you are looking for a pro touring setup, wanting to track (curcuit/round course) the car. every pounds less makes a noticeable difference in handling and cornering, especialy if you are approaching and exploring limits in spirited or competitive driving/racing. (either the limits of the driver and his skills or the physical ones of the vehicle )
anyways, the amount of sheer unlimited choices that are offered in America, by the big manufacturers oem, through their crates, or the countless custom shops and independent engine builders is unparalleled in the world. truly exceptional and make every builder and car and performance enthusiast happy, whatever you are looking for, whatever your want and whatever the project, you will be served and will find the perfect fit and solution. greetings from germany.
One day I will have my square body with a crate 454, my favorite engine out there!
I was surprised that the extra weight of the big block didn’t negate its 41 hp and 22ft-lb advantage over the small block. I’ve always believed that shedding weight is adding horsepower, but it must take a lot of pounds lost to make 1hp
it depends on the g forces if its a dragster you will be going from zero to top speed all at once so each pound is making several pounds of drag under acceleration and deceleration
There's no replacement for displacement!
@@Shadowrunner340 big block torque
@@samholcombe3129 As long as you can put that extra torque to the ground. Remember, "spinnin' ain"t winnin'."
Thank you so much for explanation between the two....
I blew up my 350 on my nova so I ended up finding a big block...yes it cost way more ..I'm still in progress due funds..but hope one day she would be running good..and then ill go to aluminum heads....great video by the way
The etymology of calling them rat motors according to either a Hot Rod or Car Craft magazine I read many years ago: Chrysler's hemi was known as the elephant, and when people began doing well with small block Chevrolets it was "The mouse that scared the elephant", so they got the nickname of the mouse motor. Then the big block came along, so the mouse motor's big brother was nicknamed the rat.
One of my favorite motors you don't hear much of, to me it's the best of both worlds, the small block 400 with a 350 crank, let the fun begin 👍
They have thin cast walls on the Pistons so they end up distorting at high horsepower and destroy the engines and they constantly have overheating issues-FACT
@@jamescaban7710 Because of their large, 4 1/8" standard bore, 400s have siamesed center cylinders, not thin wall casings. I've built many of them over the years and never had any overheating problems. I have 406s in 3 of my vehicles right now-my 74 Camaro, 70 Malibu and 78 K25. Overheating is no more common with a 400 than any other small block. As with any old block, it they should be sonic checked before any machine work takes place.
On the other hand, I don't know why anyone would want to de-stroke an engine like the op says. Running a 350 crank in a 400 block not only reduces engine displacement to around 372", it's also not just a drop in swap. These days, you can buy 383 "stroker" kits to drop a 3 3/4" crank into a 350 block without turning the mains but, I've yet to see a 3.48" crank that has the 2.65" 400 journal size. Bearing spacers are available to do it but, as I said, I don't know why anyone would.
@@MikeBrown-ii3pt Mike you are obviously quite intelligent and can make it happen the general public f**** that all up and this isn't the norm good work my friend...
@@jamescaban7710How many 400's have you owned that destroyed themselves or overheated? Before the LS motor came out I used 400 small blocks in a lot of my street hot rods, my stock car, and my pickup that I towed my race car with. I still have the pickup and that 400 has over 200 thousand on it and still runs great. The 400's I used in my stock cars had incredible torque for pulling the car up off the corner and I never had to turn them over 5500 RPM. And the street 400's when I put them in a Chevelle or Nova body was good for 12-second quarter-mile times. I never broke any of my 400's, and I never had any overheating problems. The old wife's tale about overheating problems comes from people trying to run a 400 with too small of a radiator and or a bad clutch fan, or they used different heads without drilling out the steam holes. Chevrolet used the 400 in everything from Monte Carlos and Impalas, to trucks and Blazers with no overheating problems when using the factory cooling system. I have built many 400's for myself and others and they have been a great motor for everything I have used them for.
small block heads are fkt design..chev floged the 350 to death.they should of made a 350 big block,better design,
I have a 2000 GMC C3500HD with a 454 Vortec. I bought it 3 years ago. It was a retired government truck sold at auction and it had only 43,000 original miles on it. Sadly, 2000 was the last year for the 454 but it was the first year for 4 wheel disc brakes. I love that truck.
My daddy (35 you marine mechanic), told me to buy a stock L78 396 for my '55 instead of my buddies built 331 small block (claiming 400hp in 1975). He was correct-w/headers,and a double pumper, more torque- it was a way more reliable driver
I think the block strength for the small blocks is a little off. If you’re just referring to the block, not the crank or other factory components. I had a 408 that used a 1971 400 block that made a little over 600 hp. Still had factory caps and main bolts and frequently saw 7,000+ rpm. Good video though, liked the weight comparisons for sure.
Would like to know more
@@DRG00DandS3XY what would you like to know?
@@brandon_419 heads, intake, carb, cam, valve diameter...
@@DRG00DandS3XY it had dart pro 1 227 cnc heads with minor port/chamber work and 2.08 valves, dart single plane 4150 intake, quick fuel 950 carb, mahle power pack pistons with a 4cc dome that put the compression at 12.5:1, and a .670/.630 264°/272° @ .050 cam.
How to make a big block as light as a small block? CADILLAC 500!
I was thinking 68-70 472, or 500 with 472 or 425 heads, but yeah. They all came with forged cranks too. A simple intake manifold change to aluminum and weld on flanges for bbc headers, recurve the distributor, there ya go. They are about bomb proof as long as there's a couple quarts of some kinda oil in them. Cheaper than most builds too
@@assymcgee2835 the 500 is a stroked 472. Not a good idea to put the 425 heads on a 472 or 500. The bore is way too small. Picture 305 heads on a 350. The only thing the 425 shares with the 472 is the stroke of 4.06 inches. The 425 vote is 4.08 inches. The 472 and 500 both have a 4.3 inch bore.
@@markdubois4882 its been done, and alot of guys, me included, run 305 ho heads on mild 350s. I think a few if the cadillac engine builder sites recommend the 425 heads also, but you gotta run 100+ octane
572
@@shadowopsairman1583 a 572 is just a punched out 454.
The caddy 500 is only 60# more than a 350 SBC.
I appreciate that he talks about the engine dimensions, now at least I know the roughly size about a small block crate engine will be around where
Just received my LS engine poster. Getting my frame tomorrow. Have it hung by Friday. Awesome
Very cool, thanks for supporting the channel. I have mine up in my garage. : )
5500 had a new 68 chevelle 396 375 hp saw 7000 rpm all the time completely stock
Yeah the l88/zl1 472 loved 7200rpm all day long
I scored a 69 Chevelle 375 HP in 1978..rebuilt it with stock cam .30 overbore...in a 74 Camaro ran 12.20 ETs..sold the car and installed it in a lightweight 57 chevy and ran 10:90s..its in my 56 150 utility sedan today with a six speed and 69 Chevelle 12 bolt..bought the car in 1981 with a 283" that an auto shop installed after buying it at auction from Pacific Bell..they serviced it since new..tried to buy it in 66 but they wouldn't sell..LOL
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Been idle for 13 years and being gone over to live in Las Vegas heat...
This video has been done before. Maybe not on TH-cam but in every car magazine since the beginning of time!
Don't get me wrong, this was a great refresher! Have a like and a sub, sir 👍
For me and with today's tech Small Blocks rule the world. We work with Honda "Small Block" in the Honda V6 J-Series engines. Today's motors can handle so much power but big block still has that nostalgia. If you want power, weight savings and overall speed, strap some Turbs to the small block and you probably are right at the big block size with space in mind but also making more power and that TQ. Our little 3.2 V6 motor made 560/464 on 8psi of boost..that's 175WHP (NOT CRANK..so 198-200hp per liter crank?) per liter on a stock block....and 8psi is nothing in boost amount
With that said, aint nothing like a Big Block with a 108 Cam chop 🤗
unmatched level of information... NAILED IT...!
Keep the stats & info coming job well done
There is no substitute for Cubic Inches……. In torque we trust 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
We'd better enjoy it while we can.
Thanks for the videos.
The video on headers was great also 👍
Great video! I love my VI Gen 7.4l 454.
Ford guy says “Great video mate “!
Thank you very much
All the best
👍🇦🇺
Ford engines have so many varieties
@@SnoopysVet
Haha! Sadly no!
Clevo Windsor flathead🤔 oh yeah 🧐FE!
When you look at al the incarnations of the Chev small and big block there’s just no boundaries!
😐
I’m still a Ford guy though 😀
Yeah !!! The Ford guys say !!! Hey Chevy BOYS what happened in the 1963 Daytona 500??? The mystery Motor Died!!! The Ford FE 427 took the top 5 positions at the end. Then Ford went on to take on the world!!! And kicked ass there too!
And aussies lean strongly to small blocks
365 max HP on small block needs corrected the 1970 LT1 was factory rated at 365. GM lied it was more. Really liked the weight comparison.
Keep up the good work, this channel is starting to gain traction
Hope so! Thanks for the note. : )
Great vid! Very informative and easy to follow. Can you go into Mopar engines in the future?
I've always liked small blocks for cars and always had big blocks in trucks.
I would agree, Thats a pretty good strategy!
@@AutoGuild Big Blocks make more power with less RPM though so I prefer BB over SB for that reason alone.
Small block V8s are cool sure.
I have one in my modern 99 Jeep GC Limited but Big Blocks are where all the raw power is found.
Z11 was a 409. The aluminum Mk IV big block was the ZL1.
You may want to check the weight savings between the iron exhaust manifolds and mid length headers. It should be closer to 30 lb.
Z11 was a 427, but still a W style engine. Really cool engine, shame so few were made.
I had a 1970 Chevelle in High School with a small block 400. As I got older I built a 454 with iron heads and block and replaced the 400. Even with the heavier front springs the car never drove and handled as well. That is why I went LS. After I upgraded to the driveline I decided to swap in an LS2 instead of the big block. I actually sold the car about 8 years ago and am looking to build another car. It just depends on how you plan on using the car. My choice at this point would be a big block with aluminum heads and a sniper EFI.
The LS option is great but the big block is really cool. The small block 400 was no slouch either. If you plan to do the power tour or drive long distances I think the LS would be the best bet.
My old bosses explanation is the best. Two guys and two 44 gallon drum oils. Small block guy hugs it to lift it while big block guy simply lifts it up by one hand.
Plain simple goodbye
I
Never saw the need for any muscle car with more than 450 HP if it’s never going to see a race track. Small block is definitely the way to go for the weekend driver.
My favorite chevy engines were the 283 and the 454. I had vehicles in both sizes.
For a bunch of Chevy guys, a $5,000 aftermarket engine block sounds expensive.
But a couple of years ago Matt Farrah (Smoking Tire) bought an air-cooled 911 from the '80s, and the engine was puffing a bit of smoke. Soooo, he takes it down to the local Porsche guru _who charges him $18,000 for a basic ring and valve job_ .
That did include engine R&R, which takes a Porsche mechanic maybe two hours total for combined removal and replacement. Of course, there was engine teardown and re-assembly. But again, that's easy; it doesn't even have a cooling system to deal with and he can just plop it down on a bench. It wasn't bored, the pistons _were_ re-used, and the cam wasn't replaced -- just new rings, valves, and guides, and they must also have done the crank bearings and surely they honed the cylinders. No machining work at all. Astonishing.
There is _nothing_ special about an air-cooled Porsche engine. But the same job on a SBC (with two more cylinders) would be something like $400 for good parts, including a fresh timing chain and gears, and let's say labor is $2,500, so $2,900 total. That hardly even makes sense, because for around $4,000 you could have the thing fully rebuilt with fresh bores and new pistons -- the works. Even if I'm low by $1,000, there is still no comparison.
Just saying...
I started out with a 383 Chevy and the oil pump broke in two in hi gear at the track. Now I use BBC oil pumps in my SBC engines. Then 400 SBC At 13.1 compression and I burned up a few of those 4 bolt blocks with NOS at the drag strip. A 250 shot. They ran great for A little while. Next I got a 427 or 435 .040 over truck tall deck and I put Pop up pistons and H beam rods and 68 Corvette 3x2 cast oval port head's and a team G with a 750 DP Holley and 1 7/8 inch headers and a 3800 ATI stall turbo 350 and 4.10 gear .550 solid Cam at 108 and A gear drive. Ran it for 15 years and won a championship with it. Then I pulled it out and stroked it to 525 and changed it to a 4.56 gear. Ran great for a few years 11.0 1/4 Mile out of the boxes. Then I decided to go back to the street and I broke roller rockers in short order and I went to shaft rockers for about 500 dollars after machine work and bushings to remove the roller bearings that fail on BBC after a few miles with a solid roller cam. That and the 1050 Holley put me at about 10 K into the 525 motor. Everything was forged steel and Diamond Pistons 12 to 1 cr. 121 CC head's. Open Square Port aluminum. 320 runner's Big intake. I felt pretty good but I wanted it to run cooler on the street so I got a rollerized 2800 torque converter and the builder put a heli coil in one of the bolt holes and painted it black so I didn't see it. It was running great for about a month and I was going home and I stopped and I took off and I shifted it at 5000 RPM and when I hit 3rd. Gear or high I Heard a Pop and it started shaking like crazy and I let out and I was two blocks from home and I pulled the engine out and then I saw the Heli coil still on the bolt with locktite and I said what in the hell is that Heli coil doing there ? . They refunded me for the torque converter but I lost my block and transmission in the process. So I decided to replace the transmission and build a 355 four bolt main with Pop up pistons and A solid Cam. I put it in the car and my old ATI stall converter and it ran okay but it was nothing compared to the 525 that I took out. And I am serious about it ran great ! . Well I drove it to a few car shows and around town last summer and it was a good little 355 SBC but it was not a 400 SBC or 427 BBC. And I had a 454 once for a few months before I stroked The 427/435 to 525 but it was not consistent enough for me and I sold it. Well everything said and done I decided that a 355 SBC is not working for me and I just put another 454 in the car. I have a 89 formula 350 Firebird as a daily driver and I like the 350 in that car but in my race car I have to have at least a 454 engine. I trashed a nice 427/435 and A 525 using that same block, building a street BBC stroker is expensive if you want a 11 second engine that is going to stay together. I Did it and I was fooled by a hidden Heli coil in a New torque converter. Big blocks Are not very forgiving if something goes wrong. The crankshaft was so hard that when the torque converter bolt came out it flexed the front main bearing in the block and stacked the two bearings and cut out the block about a 1/8 of a inch. It was a 13 inch Turbo 400 torque converter and a little 6 inch racing front Harmonic dampener. The Torque converter was twice the size of the harmonic balancer so it lost the battle. Everything in the transmission was bent. The engine was internally balanced with Mallory welded in place. I was only at 5000 RPM when it happened. I used to race as A 427 at 6200 shifts. 427 BBC is a friendly engine if you can keep the pushrods and rocker arms together. I used 7/16 inch molley pushrods and Roller rockers but not on the street. It was a track only car back then. On the street I kept having roller rockers arm's failing on my solid Cam BBC. I'd break them in half and I'd knock out the bearings. I ended up with stainless steel adjustable with shafts and steel bushings. I made a set for 500 dollars but they cost 1500 to 2500 dollars for a set of them normally. A 400 SBC is the cheapest HP in my opinion. But real power is A Big block . My 350 formula eats a lot of gas for the engine size but it handles great so I don't mind. I don't think that My 454 with the 4.56 is going to be any harder on gas than the 350 with the 3.31 gear to be honest under normal cruise driving. My 525 was getting around 10 or more mpg on the street with a 1050 dominator on it. Probably around 12 MPG. A 10 gallon fuel cell went around 100 miles before I stopped for gas. Of course I added a little bit of toluene for octane purposes. And A little mystery oil in that. I was over 11 to 1 actual compression on the street. Everything was a little bit cheaper back then but the principle is still the same.
Small blocks for life
I was pouring over these specs when I was a teenager in the early 80s. I won't nitpick any of your errors because nobody's perfect. I've grown to appreciate the LS engine, but I almost think it's too perfect. I still like some of the quirks of the old engines.
The ls engine is far from perfect, n i beat a 5.3 swapped single cab Silverado in my stock P71 with my 4.6L 2v..lol But i do like the LS7, dayum, time sure does fly..
New favorite channel! So well done sir!
The big block with the black 427 valve covers is a ZZ427 crate engine from GM. Tuned correctly, 525hp with hydraulic lifters, oval port heads, choke and vacuum secondaries. Pump gas, 93. It's rated at 480hp.
ET's Tell the real story. Power to weight and drivability. Been looking into the LS market like them 6 bolt mains.
Agreed and you can make a 454 LS and have the best of both worlds.
I needed some of this very info in 1981 oh well better late than never :)
You do a great job with these videos, I have a 1967 Camaro with a ZZ502 and have had the car for 40 years.
You have me beat I've had my Camaro 32 years, bought it when I was 15. I saw the video of your 67, very cool! Are you planning any more mods for your car or is it "done"?
@@AutoGuild Just making it more streetable ,it has been a race car for the last 25 years.
@@rickboretirementplan I'm curious. What is its best ET and trap speed?
@@AutoGuild With a stock ZZ 502 power glide and 456 dana 60 it has run 6.48 @104 1/8 mile. In hot weather it would run 6.60 all day long.
@@rickboretirementplan That's impressive! My camaro has a tired 327 thats probably making 150hp, its so old and tired, LS swap is coming soon. So what are you doing on your car to make it more streetable?
This is the first time I saw one of your videos. And honestly it's amazing and great. I am a true big-block Chevy type of guy I'd like the low-end power and grunt whether it's a three-quarter ton truck or car. Why they gave up on the big block I don't understand the government in fuel economy I guess but I was hoping and praying for a newer version of the 8.1 liter 496. It would be nice to touch base as I am putting an 8.1 liter back on the road
But I like my 454 in my 69 chevelle lol. I care a bit about the weight, but when I bought it, it came with the 454, and it had already been upgraded with brakes, wheels, headers, etc. I like the way it feels and handles right now so I'm keeping the big block.
Keep it that way, you'll regret the torque you lose by going with a sb..
@@P71ScrewHead lol, I bored and stroked her out to a 508 and threw on a 8-71 supercharger. The big block is staying
@@brycehill6678 Heck yeah man, oh the eargasms that engine must give..
Big blocks make off idle torque. Right off idle you could have stock 350-400 ft-lbs of torque sometimes double what small small blocks offer. The issue with big block cars that always matters is traction.
But I have a modded L82 1976 4 speed with a small over driven blower reworked 2.02 heads 9.1 compression 800cfm vac carb blowers cam roller rockers hi volume oil pump clevite 77 bearings big tube hooker headers and dual 3 inch exhaust, variable lift and duration valve system ,which gives much less lift at below 3000 rpm = car act like big block on steroids super flat torque curve from 1000 to 5500 rpm
I knew a really big guy; he weighed about as much as a small block. We called him "the beef". Drove nothing but big blocks cause he needed the extra power LOL. I bought a 72 gmc full load pick up off him with the 402. Had air, wood grain panelling on the doors, headliner, etc. My neighbor at the time offered to buy it and like a fool I sold it albeit for more than I paid.
Would like to see if you have any thoughts on performance mods for the old Mustang 6 cylinder engines, when I was a kid and vintage Stang's were dirt cheap, my best friends dad bought him a 64 1/2 with a 6 cylinder for a project car. The word was milling the head to raise compression and some other mods to gain performance, they called it the "Ferrari" mod... We were going to strip every ounce of weight we could to turn it into a backroad burner. The only rules dad imposed were "respect my tools, keep the shop clean, and don't kill yourselves". He meant it to be a learning experience, and it was.
The 402 was called a 396 in the 70-72 chevelle, was called a 400 in the full size chevys, and was called the 402 in the pickups.
400 is a small block, the 396/402 was never known as a 400, ever.
@@mr.e1220 the 400 small block was called the Turbo Fire 400, the 402 big block was marketed as the Turbo Jet 400. So yes the 400 was offered in both small block and big block.
@@matthewsherman1450 if that is what marketing called them, it sure is misleading. I guess u are correct in a marketing sense. But a 402 is a 402...big block. A 400 small block cannot ever be called a 402, so marketing made a huge error. That's probably why that knowledge is not remembered among many, it is bad marketing. Also, a 402 was not just in trucks, many full sized Chevies had a 402, including Monte Carlo.
so what is the different from a 68 396 and a 70 402 nothing
@@jeffrey4547 402 is a 396 bored .030 over.
Yes! Do BB History video! Awesome info, thank u!!!
502 as a complete assembly...mid 1990"s bare 502 block was available early 1980s
Great pieces of US industry, wish GM could still build engines keeping 900hp with no problems
This comparison started in my reading in 1970+-.
Great info, I’d love to have a big block muscle car one day!
Stroke a 454 to 496ci 10.5:1 comp and run AFR aluminum oval port heads. stick a comp cam 280-290 hyd roller cam in it. 600 hp and 650 torque all day long. Have a good trans though cause that rat engine is gonna pull hard
"When the student is ready the teacher will appear." Class is now in session!
Small block in lighter cars. Excellent video thanks for sharing!
I used to circle burn dirt tracks with my Buick 455 I ran that motor at 6000 to 6500 at the end of every straight. Won almost every race unless I got knocked out. Never turned a bolt on it for four years
Yeah right!! Everyone knows 455 Buick is the king. Those things even see 5k and the bearings are all over the bottom of the pan, cylinder heads like a pencil sharpener hole, Come on man 😂
Big block: Big smiles
I dont care about weight that much but i love being able to run 700hp n/a all day long on e70
Sorry is that a big or small block?
@@henrymccarty8014 496bbc
@@williamking8684 sorry is that a small on or big block I font knoe I'm bearly learning
@@henrymccarty8014 i said its 496bbc
@@henrymccarty8014 its a 496ci or 8.1L, which would be considered a big block
I have a 67 Cougar 390 GT. I love the fact that its a Big Block. You just cant beat that sound of the thump of a mild cam and good exhaust pumping out back. A small block is no comparison. I swapped out the intake for an aluminum version. Installed an aluminum water pump. Jba tri y stainless race headers. Installed a Mini starter. Moved the battery out back. Installed an aluminum radiator with electric fan. All this made the 390 only 50 pounds heavier than if a 302 was in the engine bay.
Fantastic video. Cheers...
Your channel is severely underrated for the amount of good content it has...Keep up the good work.