What exactly does 'small-block' mean?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,158
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From: Henderson Nevada
Originally Posted by prc6vette
Both the 6.0L & 7.0L engines are referred to as 'small-blocks'. That would seem to indicate displacement is not what 'small' is defined by? 
Mopar had the 273/318/340 small blocks and the 360/383/426/440 big blocks. Ford had the 221/260/289/302/351 small blocks and the 352/390/406/427/460 big blocks.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Paradise Island
Hmmmmm
Thinking back to when I was young.. 
... I remember my dad's '56 Bel Air that had a "small block" 265 
Then he traded it for a '59 Impala that had a "big block" 348 ... then a '65 Impala 327, 300hp "small".. then a '67 Caprice 396, 325hp "big"..
...the LS2 has a hell of a pedigree, don't you think??
... I remember my dad's '56 Bel Air that had a "small block" 265 Then he traded it for a '59 Impala that had a "big block" 348 ... then a '65 Impala 327, 300hp "small".. then a '67 Caprice 396, 325hp "big".....the LS2 has a hell of a pedigree, don't you think??
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,158
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From: Henderson Nevada
Originally Posted by prc6vette
So it has more to do with the physical size of the engine then (i.e. packaging)?
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Bucks County Pa
Originally Posted by mforman42
In the 'olden' days, most manufacturers, including Chevy, had two families of engines, big and small. For Chevy, this meant the 'mouse' motors (265, 283, 302, 327, 350, 400 et al) and the 'rat' motors (396, 427, 454, et al). The displacement was not the only indicator; the size of the engine was different, as well. The small block, then, refers to the smaller mouse motor family, and the big block was the rat motors.
Mopar had the 273/318/340 small blocks and the 360/383/426/440 big blocks. Ford had the 221/260/289/302/351 small blocks and the 352/390/406/427/460 big blocks.
Mopar had the 273/318/340 small blocks and the 360/383/426/440 big blocks. Ford had the 221/260/289/302/351 small blocks and the 352/390/406/427/460 big blocks.
and wasn't the Mopar 360 just a bored 340 small block (I could be wrong) 
Racer
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 455
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From: Mineral Virginia
I thought in addition to bore spacing, it also referred to the ability to overbore the engine. Small blocks were limited to a 2X overbore, the big blocks could go 4X as well as accept a stroker kit to create mountain motors. Good times, good times.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: SIOUX FALLS SD
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The big blocks also were generally higher torque engines that would produce a lot of low end and were a little less higher rpm engines than the mouse motors. The big blocks were also known to blow up much easier. They just didnt seem to take the high rpm's as well as the high reving smallblocks. I has a big block Camaro and a big block Monte Carlo and Impala. Those were the good ole days. It's hard to beat the new technology.....that's why I am in the C6 section...only a matter of time til one will be sitting in the garage. I cant wait to get the 400 hp with an automatic and Z-51 package.
Those were the good ole days. It's hard to beat the new technology.....that's why I am in the C6 section...only a matter of time til one will be sitting in the garage. I cant wait to get the 400 hp with an automatic and Z-51 package.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Raleigh NC
The term is "historical" in its origin, and I don't know that it has a precise meaning these days. I first heard the term in the '60s applied to the smaller V-8 engines. Displacement of these engines was in the 300-390 cubic inch range. The major manufacturer all had engines in this displacement range. They also had some bigger engines -- well over 400 cubic inches that were refered to as "big block" and other names.
Today's Corvette 6.0 liter engine is in the "small block" displacement range, and it more or less evolved from that series of engines. Since it is one of the biggest displacement engines in a passenger car today, it seems pretty strange to call it "small block," but 35-40 years ago, it would have been a small to medium sized V-8.
Today's Corvette 6.0 liter engine is in the "small block" displacement range, and it more or less evolved from that series of engines. Since it is one of the biggest displacement engines in a passenger car today, it seems pretty strange to call it "small block," but 35-40 years ago, it would have been a small to medium sized V-8.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Austin Texas
Originally Posted by mforman42
Mopar had the 273/318/340 small blocks and the 360/383/426/440 big blocks. Ford had the 221/260/289/302/351 small blocks and the 352/390/406/427/460 big blocks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Henderson Nevada
Originally Posted by MitchAlsup
I thought Ford (circa 1968) had 3 sizes for blocks: small {260/289/302} medium {350,351, 38x} big {390,406,427,428,460}
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,158
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From: Henderson Nevada
Originally Posted by drrichie
You forgot a few - the Chevy 305, 307, 402 and 409 and wasn't the Mopar 360 just a bored 340 small block (I could be wrong)
and wasn't the Mopar 360 just a bored 340 small block (I could be wrong) 
Also, the 348/409 were a totally different family that came from the Chevy/GMC truck line. In the day, we referred to them as the E-block, because of the shape of the block at the deck (it looked like an 'E').
I'm pretty sure the Mopar 360 was a big block, but I'd never stake my life on it. You could be right....
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
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Originally Posted by 1955 BelAir
Bore spacing