This guy is listing a truck and has this posted.

79 Ford truck 4x4 has a 400 BBC motor automatic transmission runs
Any help?

 

BBC generally means big block chevy. That doesnt make very much sense to put one into an old ford truck, so you may want to ask if it was a mistake (spelling error) on his part to get more clarification.

 

Thanks Joe, will do...

 

He's probably calling it a big block Cleveland.

 

Tim's probably right.

IIRC, Chevy 400's were small blocks. The big block would have been called a 396.

 

Also a 401 if I remember correctly. 401 chevy big block or 402 been a long time.

 

Aaaaaaaaaand just to throw another monkey into the wrench, you could always throw in the concept of the Pontiac 400, which technically isn't a big or small block. Pontiac used the same block for engines from 326 to 455 cubic inches, so it's a somewhat universal block. They just changed the internals to determine the displacement.

Then again the Ford 400 isn't a big or small block either, as those terms are typically GM. Ford has families of engines (335, 385, FE, etc.), and the displacements fit into each family.

I mean, really, I'm not sure why there's any debate anymore regarding what a big block is versus a small block. We've all seen enough weird variations to know that these terms don't really have a lot of meaning anymore. There's a 443ci "small block" chevy, and a 348ci "big block" as well. When there's that much variation on the theme, the terms lose their meaning.

My 434 is still just a 335 series engine. It's not big block, it's not small block (although I'll probably tell people that it's a small block 434 just to confuse them ).

 

a true '396' is a rare bird, the first prototypes and Smokey Yunick's protested race engine were 396's... the production version is referred to as a '402' in most manuals

the Pontiac 326-455 blocks aren't identical/interchangeable but do share the same external dimensions. the internal casting's are very different, a 326 can't be bored to be a 455, and i believe the mains are different too. heads, intakes, oilpans & front covers all interchange though. aside from casting marks and stamped codes you can't tell what block you're looking at

i used to think that Olds was the same way but i guess they have 2 different deck heights for their blocks, heads interchange but intakes are block specific