I am trying to buy some headers for a chevy 350, and I am told that a 350 is a small block, and I am told it can be a big block. Any help would be appreciated.

lol damnit man. a 350 is only a small block.

Big block 350... Um, nope. That's definately a small block.

yeah 350=small block for sure. it's good you asked though. now you know.

no way a 350 is a big block

A 350 is considered a small block.


A 396, 454, 502....those are big blocks.

dont forget the odd ball 427 that now can be a small block or big block

NO IT CANTWHEN IS A 427 A SMALL BLOCK IN CLASSIC STANDARDS. THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS THE NEW ZO6 BUT THATS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT MOTOR

The original 427 was a big block. You can punch small blocks way out. People are getting 450+ Cubic inches out of third generation small blocks (LS1s). MTI, I think it's them, offers a 500+ cubic inch LS1 with a machined piece of aluminum that sits on the deck for a huge stroke. 800hp N/A on pump gas...that's right.

YEA BUT THIS GUYS 350 ISNT BORED OUT FROM WHAT IM GETTING OUT OF IT

wuts a 383 considered

A 350 with more stroke/bore...smallblock.

wuts a 383 considered
As mentioned above, SB, if it's a Chev engine.... (generally, a 350ci with a 400SB crank)...

Or it could be a Dodge BB...

Who ever told you that is a dumbass lol A 350 Chevy V8 always has been, and always will be, a small block.

Now, an automotive manufactuer COULD design a big block V8 that is 350 cubic inches. Is that what you mean? :dunno:

ford had a FE series big block in the early days with the trucks that was only 330/331 ci. That series motor went up to 428ci.

Cubic inches really doesn't mean shit as far as cubes go. There are stroker packages that can now go up to 7.5 liters/455 cubic inches. The one major difference between a small block and big block is the big block physically bigger engine block, which the main advantage is even though a stoker makes just as much power, the big block makes way more torque.

i think that who ever told you that a 350 can be a big block should be punched in the throat, just to shut them up. there will never be a big block 350 its always going to be a small block.

it can be either

i have a 76 corvette
i have both a 350 small and big block

350 big block?

Well... WAY back in the day (1950's), there were big blocks that displaced 331 cubes, 332 cubes, 348 cubes, 352 cubes and 354 cubes. There is only one big block in history that displaced exactly 350 cubes, the 1958 Chrysler 350 B. It was only used for one year and only in three models before being replaced by the 361 the following year. While not really a "big block" per se, the engine does exist.

Whether Kewl 352 actually has one, well that's a different story. I'm 100% positive he does not, unless he is referring to his big block 352 Ford, which was actually in production from 1958 until 1967.

Cyco

wuts a 383 considered
i accually just put a 383 stroker into my monte, it has just over 550 hp, I LOVE IT, it can run a 12.67 second 1/4 mile

A 383 is a stroked small-block Chevy. A 383 is also a mid-block Chrysler. Neither are really considered big blocks.

a 383 stroker is a small block 350, with a 400 crank, you must get different lifters, rods, cam, usually pistons, etc,

they are particularly good engines, with one set back; they don't last long...
when you put that much horsepower out, withthat much custom stuff, it doesn't last that long...but then again, when you want performance, you really don't care if it lasts 100,000 miles

in my opinion, a small block is meant for better fuel economy, and higher RPMs, i have seen them push out up to 900hp, but they didn't last more than 25 races...
Big blocks on the other hand, you can get much more hp out of them, but most of the parts for them are a lot more expensive!!!

I have seen a Small Block 454...they took a small block 400 and bored it out, did a bunch of customization, and got it to be a sb 454...i really don't see the point

I happen to like my sb 383, but once i get my car into the low 12's or even high 11's...and once i'm out of school and have another car to drive, i will put the bb 427 roller motor, that i have for it

chevy engines are soooooo much fun to play with and experiment with; in my shop alone i have 2 crate 350's; 1 ho, the other an LS1, one 502 tall block, two 454 bb's, one 427 bb, two 350 sb's, and a 283 sb ... but take it from me, don't play with the nitrous, especially if the engine is newly built and not broken in yet...ya i had fun with my 454, shot a rod through the oil pan

but i havn't taken a tranny appart yet, do any of you know how to?
i have 3 turbo 400 tranny's and a turbo 350 tranny sitting around, with nothing to do with them

I don't know if any of you saw my news i posted yesterday, but i am the VP of the TOHS Car Club, coming up on May 27th, we are having our 3rd annual car show, and i would love it if you guys would come!!! you can bring your cars, or not
Information on the show is on our site: www.tohscarclub.vze.com
You can bring friends, or whoever you want... last year it was a bit bigger than before, but due to weather problems, the show was smaller than expected
My monte should be done, and ready for the show, so it should be there, my cousins 8 second 55 chevy drag car should be ther too!!
PM me for any info on it!

A 383 is a stroked small-block Chevy. A 383 is also a mid-block Chrysler. Neither are really considered big blocks.



Sorry, but in all the time I spent working in MOPAR dealerships in the '70s, I never heard ANY engine referred to as a "mid-block".

The 383 and the 440 MOPAR engines share the same block - as do the 396 and 454 Chevy engines.

All are referred to as "Big Blocks".

You've never heard the term mid-block? Really? Do you live under a rock? I'm just curious.

funny thing is, is that i drag race on a professional level, and i havn't heard that term either

sorry

You've never heard the term mid-block? Really? Do you live under a rock? I'm just curious.

"Mid-block" COULD be a regional thing amongst your car club buddies......just like the exhaust parts catalog calls the pipe coming off the exhaust manifold an "exhaust pipe", but Mainers call it a "head pipe".

Just because Mainers call it a "head pipe" doesn't mean that it's the correct term for the part.....just a regional thing.

None of the MOPAR performance books I have - acquired from both MOPAR and non-MOPAR sources - refer to ANY engine as a "mid-block".....and, as I pointed out earlier, I never heard the term in my MOPAR dealership tenure - the heyday of the 383 and 440 "Magnums".

There is the "B" big block which includes a 361, 383, and 400.

And there is the raised deck "RB" big block that includes a 383 and the 440.

Why would the exact same engine block casting allegedly be called "mid-block" with one bore/stroke configuration (383), and "big block" with a different bore/stroke (440)?

That would suggest that the 400-plus cubic-inch Chevy "small blocks" somehow morph into "big blocks" once the bore/stroke configuration equals a certain displacement.....which I simply do not buy.

Interestingly, most of the internals and externals interchange between the "B" and "RB" MOPAR blocks. Calling one a "mid-block" and the other a "big block" would suggest otherwise....which simply isn't the case.

And, how does your comment about me living under a rock jive with your sig, which starts off stating, "Stick to the facts, keep the personal attacks out, state your opinion, and make a point......"

Haha.

Fine, it's a regional thing. Oldsmobile and Pontiac 400 and 455 engines were always referred to as mid-blocks to me as well.

Cyco

The 383 is so main stream now days its easy to build one that will live. I have a 383 in my SS. It has all the best stuff in it. I beat on it like a redheaded step child. The major differance between the old way and the 383's of today are in the aftermarket cranks. The 400 mains are larger than that of the 350. The new cranks dont have this issue.

Basically anything over 400c.i. is considered a big block with a handful of exceptions.

Its the block size. There is a differance between the size of the blocks. You really need to see them setting side by side to understand....You can build a 454 CID small block these days. So the CID is now subjective.

thats what i said before, but i have gotten to know the difference just by looking at them between a big block and a small block... if they ever threw a mid block in there, i would be all screwed up

ALSO, if you look at a SB 283 and a SB 350, so far there is only one difference that i can nothice...just above where the water pump is on the 283, there is a little "rib" going from the top of it, extending up only about an inch, but that is the only difference

Right, but just compare three different cylinder blocks next to eachother and you'll see what I mean. Put a 302 Ford, a 455 Buick, and a 460 Ford next to eachother. Then tell me the 455 is a big block. I know it's classified as one, but strictly speaking it's a lot smaller than a big block Ford, or a Big Block Chevy, and while larger than a small block, the block itself is rather small.

Its the block size. There is a differance between the size of the blocks. You really need to see them setting side by side to understand....You can build a 454 CID small block these days. So the CID is now subjective.

He's absolutely correct.

You could buy an absolutely stock 366 or 396 "big block" OR a 400 "small block" from Chevrolet, so displacement isn't the determining factor.

Mopar designates the "B" and "RB" engines as "big blocks", and that works okay for me.

chevy 350 is a small block no matter how much you put in it, it is still a small block

There is no big block BOP engine...put them all side by side. outside they are the same and they are not big blocks.

ya, i dont know whats up with buicks so called "big block"

but i do know 1 thing Buick did right; they made the 1985 Gran Marque (if thats how you spell it) turboed V-6 and amazingly super fast!!!

But i'm still a chevy guy!!

Oh, I would say the 70 GS was badass as well as the 87 GNX. I am a chevy fan too but I like something from all parts of GM.

Amen to that man!!!

even Pontiac made some good stuff, as well as GMC, Olds, Buick, Cadi, all the old school stuff basically in the 60's and 70's and even some 50's!!

I like them too!