Chevy Big-Blocks: How to Build Max Performance on a Budget

by David Vizard

Overview

The Chevy big-block has been installed in millions of cars and trucks over the past 50 years, including Camaros, Chevelles, Corvettes, Impalas, and a multitude of trucks. Extracting maximum performance has been the pursuit of engine builders ever since this engine was new in 1964.

As a follow-up title to his How to Build Max-Performance Chevy Big-Blocks on a Budget, master engine builder David Vizard takes big-block Chevy engine building to the next level and shows how to build these extreme high-performance engines without breaking the bank. It goes well beyond basic performance techniques and delves into exceptional detail on each component group of the engine. Vizard shows you how to build the ultimate big-blocks for the street: engines that are up to 850 hp on 91-octane pump gas, which is a monumental achievement.

The Chevy big-block has been substantially under-valved, and the key to getting the best performance from this engine is to deal effectively with this design limitation. Vizard explains how to minimize intake-valve shrouding, reveals the science behind all cam-timing events, and explains how to arrive at the correct valve overlap for maximum efficiency. Vizard also covers the nuances of piston ports, rings, and connecting rods so that the rotating assembly is strong and working at its peak. Finally, a special section presents a number of max-performance big-block sample builds.

This volume includes a huge range of cutting-edge aftermarket parts and advanced tuning techniques. If you're serious about building a max-performance Chevy big-block engine for the street or track, you owe it to your engine and yourself to include this book in your automotive library.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613251621
Publisher:	CarTech
Publication date:	03/18/2015
Series:	Sa Design
Edition description:	New
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	683,667
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

David Vizard is a revered engine builder and acknowledged Chevy big-block engine expert, which is why GM contracted him to develop several engine packages for the Chevy big-block crate program. He has authored more than 30 highly respected engine-building and automotive titles, penned about 4,000 magazine articles, and contributed scores of web articles to popular sites. Often referred to as "Vizard the Wizard," his work is often the subject of blogs and editorial pieces in popular automotive magazines. He currently owns and runs an engine research and development business in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword by Terry Walters

Introduction

Chapter 1:

Displacement Decisions

Bores and Flow Anomalies

Minimizing Intake Shrouding

Bore Offset Power

Piston Wrist Pin Offset Potential

Modifications to the Bottom of the Bores

Bore Finishes

Modifications to the Lubrication System

Head Bolts and Studs

Strokers and Crank Clearances

Tall-Deck Blocks

Aftermarket Blocks for Big Inches

Aluminum Blocks

Other Critical Dimensions

Lifter Bores and Flat Followers

Lifter Bores and Roller Followers

Chapter 2:

Pistons, Connecting Rods and Crankshafts

Piston Porting

Dome Development

Gas Ports

Piston Rings

Connecting Rods

Crankshafts

Crank Dampeners

Chapter 3:

Lubrication Systems

Oil Pump

Block Modifications

Crankcase Vacuum

Oil Pans

Chapter 4:

Cylinder Heads

Port Shape and Volume

Flow Curves

Production Heads

Aftermarket Iron Heads

Aluminum Head Sources

Chapter 5:

Intake Manifolds

Single- and Dual-Plane Intakes

Rectangular-Port 4150 Intakes

Dominator Intakes

Options by Manufacturer

Chapter 6:

Single-Carb Induction

Brake Specific Air Consumption

True Street Carburation

Using What You Have

Mechanical or Vacuum?

High-Flow 4150-Style Carbs

Carb Flow Capability

Spacers

Dominator Tips

Chapter 7:

Tunnel Ram Intake Manifolds

Power Attributes

Dyno Test

Race-Only Applications

Chapter 8:

Electronic Fuel Injection

Carbs versus EFI

EFI System Variations

Port Injection

Chapter 9:

Camshafts and Valvetrain Events

A Few Basics

The Importance of Overlap

LCA Selection

Flow Figures

LCA Compression Correction

Optimal LCA

Wide LCA Syndrome

Cam Timing Precision

Chapter 10:

Valvetrain Optimization

Cam and Valve Lift

Cam Factors

Rockers and Ratios

Ratio Analysis

Pushrods

Stud Girdles or Shaft Rockers

Rocker Arms

Valvesprings

Retainers

Valve Weight

Cam Master Program

Chapter 11:

Ignition Systems

Advance Curve

Spark Power

Plasma Ignition

Crank Triggers

Chapter 12:

Exhaust Systems

Primary Lengths

Collectors

Evacupan Fittings

Chapter 13:

Chevy Big-Block Builds

Build 1: Edelbrock E-Street

Build 2: Entry-Level 496

Build 3: 482 Revisited

Build 4: UNO 525

Build 5: AFR 510

Build 6: AFR 572

Build 7: 496 EFI

Build 8: Pro-Filer Oval-Port 87-Octane

Build 9: 712 with Pro-Filer 12-Degree Heads

Source Guide

Editorial Reviews

"Put it this way, if using the wealth of experience and information in this book net you over 25 hp over and above what you would have been producing without using it, you should consider it the cheapest 25 hp you ever gained."

American Car Magazine