jhopper408

I can't believe how many people refer to big blocks in Pontiac, Ford, Chrysler. Chevy is the only one that has big blocks and small blocks. The mouse and the rat.

Dynra Rockets

Wha? Ford and Chrysler also have small blocks.

jhopper408

Nope. And never had. Same block. Different bore. That's it! I bored engine blocks for years.

Bob K

Ford 289 (small block) and 390 (big block) blocks are different as well as 273/318/340/360 and 383/440 blocks.

Dynra Rockets

So a Ford 260/289/302 (and 351 Cleveland tall deck) are the same as a Y and FE? (and the SHO 3.4 V8)

jhopper408

The rat and the mouse. Refer to the forum. It's posted. Just check it out. I was just making a statement. I was reading it on a Pontiac forum. Just conversation.

74dkred454

I assume you are talking physically, if so, Pontiac had what is referred to as a "mid block" for all bore's, larger than a SBC, but smaller than a BBC.
Ford had both and so did Chrysler depending on bore, as a side note the old 426 Hemi was slightly larger than a BBC.

7T1vette

Ford had the "Y" block engine (272, 292, 312), the FE engine block (352, 390, 406, 427, 428). While they didn't refer to them as BB and SB, they were. Ford also had the 261/289/302 smaller block engines for the Mustang and smaller vehicles in the 1960's & 1970's.

Pontiac blocks were all basically the same external configuration from 347 to the 455 engine. No SB/BB for them.

Big blocks for Chrysler were the 'wedge' engines and the 'hemi' engines.

jhopper408

That's correct. But as I said. The bore was the only difference. Chevy held the reference for big and small. I've bored so many, I just know. Thumbs!
John.
And by the way, it's really explained well on the forum somewhere.

jhopper408

They still weren't referred to as big & small blocks. It was still the bore. The physical sizes of the blocks in Ford were different. But it's still the bore. Period! And never referred to as BB& SB..

derekderek

The bore is the only difference? So they all have the same bore spacing and deck height? And did you notice how the block extended below the crank centerline in the FE and Chrysler big blocks? The BBC is actually smaller than the others without the big square heads.

jhopper408

What I'm saying is that people didn't stand around and talk about big block Ford's and Chrysler. It was Chevy talk. It's like saying a big block caddilac vs small. The 350 SB and the 400 SB were the same block. One was 3 $ 7/8s the 400 was a 4 inch bore but it wasn't BB vs SB
So it was Chevy that had all the big and small blocks. That's it!
Thanks
John..

Dynra Rockets

I hear people talk about small and big block fords all the time. FYI... 350 chevy = 4" bore and the 400 has a 4.125". The 283 and 307 had 3.875" bore

jhopper408

Yeah you got me on the bore. Typo. But Ford people can talk about it. But it's still incorrect. It's still Chevy talk. When I rebuilt blocks, my boss would say go grab that Chevy big block or small block. He never referred to Ford's or Pontiac or Dodge that way. Nore did anyone. So when they say that. To me it's still incorrect.
thumbs!
Thanks
John.

Dynra Rockets

This thread ranks right up there as one of the most nonsensical yet. Thumbs!

jhopper408

Hahahahaha. But it's fun!

Tonio

Not where I'm from. Guys talk big/small block regardless of make. In the Shelby Cobra circles, the first question asked is whether it's packing a big block or a small block.

Also around Mustangs;

http://performance.ford.com/enthusia...tang-myth.html

"Ford's first response to that powerful market demand came in 1967, when Mustang not only got bigger, but it got its first big-block as well – the venerable 390-cubic-inch "Thunderbird Special" V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor and a rating of 320 horses. The standard engine in the T-Bird, this same 390 workhorse engine could also be had in many Fairlanes and full-size Fords. Opting for the 390 in your Mustang cost $264, which was far cheaper than the extra $434 (over the base 200-cid inline six) that it cost for the "Hi-Po" 289 (by now called the "Cobra") small-block."

Mopars too:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_B_engine

"The Chrysler B and RB engines are a series of big-block V8 gasoline engines introduced in 1958 to replace the Chrysler FirePower (first generation Hemi) engines. The B and RB engines are often referred to as "wedge" engines because they use wedge-shaped combustion chambers; this differentiates them from ..."

jhopper408

I guess.that it depends on how old you are. I'm 62. And the time that I came from,no body but Chevy referd to a big block except chevy .Just a thing of pride. Go Chevy!
John.

Priya

My husband is happy he can put 426 Hemi heads on his small block 360 - he heard they wouldn't fit.

Dynra Rockets

Nope. The Ford small block and Ford big Block (FE) have always been referred to as "small" and "big" and I'm not far behind you in age.

Besides completely different architectures the FE has a bore spacing of 4.63", a deck height of 10.17" and a main journal diameter of 2.749". The small block has a bore spacing of 4.380", a deck height of 8.2" and a main journal diameter of 2.249". IT IS NOT JUST THE BORE!

FE on left, small block on right.