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difference between big block and small block

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Old May 18, 2004 | 06:04 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by nogo73
Its like comparing apples to oranges . Chevy also have some werid motors that don't fall in any where(409-348) that are refered to as early big blocks but they were put out in the 50's. They have come out with new motors Lt1,Ls1,Ls6, 4.8,5.3,8.1 that are just that and should not be considered small or big blocks. same deal with ford I mean when a 4.6 weights more than a 460 is it a small block or a big block It simply does not apply.I mean where does the flat head come in. Ford engines are better than chevy any way so why compare the two. If you ever get to listen to the old motors you could tell if it was a chevy, Ford or dodge. Speaking of dodge they really dont have a small block or big block line ethier.
They used to... 318/360... small block
440 type motors... Big Block
 
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Old May 18, 2004 | 06:26 PM
  #32  
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I had a 66 Merc Montclair with a 410 and it was indeed a FE engine
 
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Old May 18, 2004 | 06:30 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by nogo73
Speaking of dodge they really dont have a small block or big block line ethier.

273/318/318-poly/340/360 are MoPar small blocks
361/383/383RB/400/413/426W/426H/440 are MoPar small blocks
 
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Old May 18, 2004 | 07:18 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by oldhalftons
273/318/318-poly/340/360 are MoPar small blocks
361/383/383RB/400/413/426W/426H/440 are MoPar small blocks
I hope you menat that the 440 and such are mopar big blocks.

The smallblock mopars are very different that the big blocks. The distributors are in the rear of small blocks, front on big blocks. Also, they had different bellbousing bolt patterns.
 
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Old May 18, 2004 | 08:08 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by 92f150I6
I hope you menat that the 440 and such are mopar big blocks.

The smallblock mopars are very different that the big blocks. The distributors are in the rear of small blocks, front on big blocks. Also, they had different bellbousing bolt patterns.
Yup bolt patterns were different
4 bolts at the top/bottom (I think top, not sure)
are all 3/8s on the big blocks and the outside 2 are 3/8s on the smallblocks, while the inside 2 are 1/4''
 
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Old May 18, 2004 | 08:36 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by 92f150I6
I hope you menat that the 440 and such are mopar big blocks.
yeah I did.

Where is that typo repellent?
 
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Old May 18, 2004 | 09:25 PM
  #37  
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HUUUUUMMMMMM!!! Seems to me some one built a small block 400 and a big block 400 but I don't know who that was???? Anyone else remember that?
 
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Old May 18, 2004 | 09:40 PM
  #38  
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Ford 400M, bigger than a small block, maybe a big block, have never hugged one.

Chev 400 SB.

Check out July 04 4Wheel and Off-Road magazine (now on newstands everywhere) Feature on: 450-Cube Small-Block Chevy.
Special Block from Dart. I think they make 351W special blocks as well.

Just around the same time of the 400 SB, the 396BB became a 402BB.

Here's a question, maybe we should do a new thread: Anyone out there have experience with a small block with big block cubes? Let's include 302 to 347.
And, if you will admit it, 350 to 383 chev. Stock motors need not reply. How do these things hold up? Is it worth it, as 4Wheel and OR is doing, to make a big motor out of small and tune it for low end? That would answer the real question behind this--do you have to have a big motor as in lots of iron to hold big power?
 
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Old May 18, 2004 | 10:41 PM
  #39  
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ford 400, 351M, 351C are 335 series motors which are called small blocks. even though the 351M/400 are as big as a BBF, and many people think they are BB, they are not big blocks.
240 I6, 300 I6, 289, 302, 5.0, 351W, 351C, 351M, and 400 all share the same bore, bore spacing, and head bolt pattern. They all are considered small blocks.

FE 410 = 428 crank in 390 block.
 

Last edited by F150daniel; May 18, 2004 at 10:47 PM.
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Old May 18, 2004 | 10:54 PM
  #40  
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ggarrahan-just checked my books again, as you said and sure enough the 410 was an FE, built in '66 and '67 only and used in Mercury. Now, I'll allow as to how there may very well have been a Y-block 410 in '58 used in the Edsel, but my '54-'63 Chilton's manual conveniently omits any mention of the Edsel at all. I'm just assuming that it was a Y-block...? And I have several different books that mention the '66-'67 410 as an FE.
 
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Old May 18, 2004 | 11:33 PM
  #41  
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The 400 (Not a 400M ) is considered a small block by Ford.
 
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Old May 19, 2004 | 12:07 AM
  #42  
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Hey, if you REALLY want to some V-8 size little known facts to chew on.......
Ford NEVER made a 351 cid V-8, they are all 352 cid
The 400 is really 402 cid
The 428 is really 427 cid.
And the 427 is really 425 cid!
Ford had their reasons for all this trickery!!
I wont even get into Big truck engines and metric conversions!
The designations "Big Block" and "Small Block" are slang terms and hold no real meaning unless there is more than one type of engine to describe! What about the old AMC V-8s? They went from 243 to 401 CID using the same basic block {I think}.
I guess if you have a Taurus with a 3.8 it is a Big Block and the 3.0 version is the Small Block!!
Works for me!
I had a 77 Ranchero with a 351M and a C-4. Since the 351M has the 429-460 bell housing pattern I guess you COULD put a C-4 behind a 429-460 Big Block with factory parts. If you could get a convertor and flywheel to match!?
Those Crazy Ford guys! No wonder Chevy boyz can't deal with Ford stuff!
 

Last edited by bobcatv8; May 19, 2004 at 12:18 AM.
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Old May 19, 2004 | 02:57 AM
  #43  
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The Chevy guys were always confused about Ford stuff. GM put out a nice book to tell everyone what was what. Ford didn't get the word out as well. Chevy guys say Ford parts don't interchange, -little do they know...

When they made the FE 352 they rounded up, so to differentiate they rounded down for the 351, then ended up making three different varieties of the 351 designated C, W, or M.

The only factor I can see to determine BB v SB is bore spacing. -Just my 2 cents.
 
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Old May 19, 2004 | 06:19 AM
  #44  
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what about the mopar 241,276,331,354,392 where do they fit?
 
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Old May 19, 2004 | 09:21 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by nogo73
what about the mopar 241,276,331,354,392 where do they fit?
Other then heads they are alot closer to small blocks compared to later hemis.
They have rear distributors, wet intakes.
They actually use SB timingchains and gears.
 
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