The_real_wild1 wrote:
So what is considered a big block anyways? Wasn't there a 392 big block? Same as the 6.4 hemi.
"Big Block" was first applied for marketing the 1958 Chevrolet "W" series (348, 409, 427) but generally refers to a V-8 with sufficient bore spacing to allow a cylinder bore in excess of 4 inches, and enough deck height to allow enough stroke to build the engine undersquare, or at least almost square. "Big Block" to distinguish from the "Small Block" V-8 Chevrolet introduced in 1955. "W" engine was replaced by the "Mark IV" big block which started out as the 396 (366 as a truck engine) and grew to 402, 427, 454, 502 and 527 sizes. The Mark IV is the engine people most often think of when they say "big block"
Equivalent to the W series was the 1958 FE engine from Ford (332, 352, 390, 427, 428), later replaced by the "335" series medium block (302, 351, 400) and "385" series big block (370, 429 and 460). The "385" also replaced the (1958) MEL big block (383, 410, 430, 462).
At Chrysler, the "B" engine was introduced in 1958 to replace the 1951-58 FirePower Hemi (241, 270, 276, 291, 315, 325, 330, 331, 341, 345, 354, 392 . The "B" big block came as 350 and 361, the taller "RB" block as 383, 400, 413, 426, and 440. This engine was developed into the 426 Hemi, but that was a new block to accommodate the more complex valve train.
Larger cars that got OHV V-8s earlier than Chevrolet (1949 Oldsmobile, 1953 Buick "nailhead," 1949-62 Cadillac, 1951 Chrysler FirePower, 1952 Lincoln Y-block, 1950s Packard) more often were "medium-block" with displacements originally 4 to 5 liters, some ultimately growing to around 400 CID before being replaced by more modern big blocks that could be sized in the 400-500 range.
"Big Block" is not just about displacement, as small blocks can sometimes be bored and stroked to large sizes, with tall-deck Chevy small blocks being built to 427 or larger for competition applications where engine life is expected to be short. Improvements in casting technology enabled bigger bores on a small bore spacing.
