Build A Small-Block Chevy

Just think of the fun when...        read full caption Just think of the fun when we roll into a cruise spot and tell everybody that we’re running a 427, then pop the hood and watch jaws drop when people realize that we&8217re packing a 427 small-block. This is how our mill looked when fully trimmed out and ready for dyno flogging. Notice part of the trick serpentine-beltdrive pulleys that are new from March Performance.

We started our project with...        read full caption We started our project with a GM Performance Parts Bow Tie small-block that was machined to deliver 4.125-inch bores and had a 9-inch deck height and align-honed mains. Although the Bow Tie block has added beef for improved strength, if you want to save a few bucks, you could machine a used 400 small-block.

Taylor forged slugs with a...        read full caption Taylor forged slugs with a 9cc dish, which will deliver a pump gas-friendly 10.48:1 compression ratio.

To achieve the magical 600hp...        read full caption To achieve the magical 600hp level that we wanted, Lunati recommended a roller valvetrain package. The Lunati cam is a mechanical roller design with gobs of lift, the Lunati roller timing-chain set features lots of adjustability for cam degreeing, and a set of Lunati roller rockers will help reduce friction.

The Lunati 4-inch-stroke crank...        read full caption The Lunati 4-inch-stroke crank swings so wide that there would&8217ve been rod-to-cylinder bore interference. Thus, E.T. Automotive used its Standard Abrasives grinding gear to notch the lower edges of the cylinder bores (arrows) to provide clearance.

After the block was machined...        read full caption After the block was machined and had its bores notched, it was thoroughly scrubbed. Then it was painted the same color as the car for that show look. Just prior to assembly, the block was given another superscouring to remove any grime or small shavings.

For added strength, a set...        read full caption For added strength, a set of ARP main studs were threaded in place. Then the King High Performance main bearings from Lunati were fitted along with a slathering of assembly lube.

The Lunati crank was carefully...        read full caption The Lunati crank was carefully positioned, and the main caps were fitted and torqued to spec. Notice the "contoured wing" design of the Lunati crank. The edges of the crank throws are tapered, which diverts excess oil away from the rods and helps build added power by eliminating windage. Also note the crank&8217s rod journals, which are gun-drilled to reduce rotating mass.

Taylor pistons come with premium-quality...        read full caption Taylor pistons come with premium-quality plasma-moly piston rings. The ring ends were carefully ground to generate a 0.024-inch top-ring endgap and a 0.020-inch gap for the second ring.

The pistons and rods come...        read full caption The pistons and rods come fully balanced. Here the pistons are fit to the rods and then the small Spirolock retainers are installed to retain the floating piston pins.

The Lunati mechanical roller...        read full caption The Lunati mechanical roller cam (PN 50199) was given a coating of engine oil and then installed in the block. The cam delivers impressive figures that are needed to deliver the big power that we want. Cam specs are 0.627-/0.627-inch lift and 252/260 degrees of duration at 0.050-inch lift, with a 110-degree lobe-separation angle. The lobe centerline was ground at 106 degrees, which will give added rod-to-cam clearance with the big stroker crank.

The Lunati mechanical roller...        read full caption The Lunati mechanical roller lifters (PN 72840) were given a shower in Quaker State motor oil and then carefully fitted to the block. No special- assembly lube is required to break-in roller cams.

The Lunati nine-keyway roller...        read full caption The Lunati nine-keyway roller timing-chain set (PN 93100-9) was installed in the straight-up position but can be easily phased to advance or retard the cam, if desired.

To ensure that the camshaft...        read full caption To ensure that the camshaft was properly phased, a Lunati degree wheel was used to verify cam- timing specs.

Shooting for 600 hp is a tall...        read full caption Shooting for 600 hp is a tall order, but in case we need a few extra horsepower to achieve our goal, we opted for a Bo Laws three-piece timing cover (PN 60004). If cam advancing/retarding is needed, simply pop off the outer cover to access the timing chain.

To guarantee proper oiling...        read full caption To guarantee proper oiling at high rpm, a high-volume oil pump and oil pan from Hamburger&8217s was used. The oil pan features a built-in windage tray that will promote better oil control and may even deliver a few extra horsepower due to reduced windage.

TCI’s new Rattler 7-1/4-inch,...        read full caption TCI’s new Rattler 7-1/4-inch, internally balanced harmonic balancer (PN 870002) was fitted to quell unwanted vibrations. The balancer is fully degreed for easy timing and valve adjustments and is fully SFI-approved for racing.

As with any engine, one of...        read full caption As with any engine, one of the biggest keys to big power is a pair of high-flow cylinder heads. We opted for Eicke/Grant Induction Applications’ new CNC-ported aluminum heads to deliver the airflow that will be needed to feed the burly 427. For a rundown on the heads, refer to the Honkin&8217 Heads sidebar.

The Eicke/Grant Brodix 11x...        read full caption The Eicke/Grant Brodix 11x SP aluminum heads were fitted to the block and then held by ARP head studs. Sealing the combustion pressures is a pair of Fel-Pro head gaskets (PN 20-1034).

The Eicke/Grant heads come...        read full caption The Eicke/Grant heads come fitted with 7/16-inch screw-in studs and guideplates. The Lunati 1.5:1 roller rocker arms (PN 84148) were fitted, and Lunati polylok retainers were threaded on.

A Lunati aluminum stud girdle...        read full caption A Lunati aluminum stud girdle (PN 91653) clamps onto the rocker-arm polyloks to help prevent valvetrain deflection during high-rpm operation. To set valve lash, simply loosen the stud girdle and turn the polylok(s).

The Eicke/Grant heads have...        read full caption The Eicke/Grant heads have such cavernous intake ports that special Fel-Pro intake gaskets (PN 1206) were required.

A Brodix SP-1 high-rise, single-plenum,...        read full caption A Brodix SP-1 high-rise, single-plenum, aluminum intake manifold (PN HV-1014) was bolted to the heads to move large quantities of airflow. For a few extra bucks, you can have the SP-1&8217s intake ports port-matched to the gasket size that will be used, which in our case was extra cavernous.

A pair of GM Performance Parts...        read full caption A pair of GM Performance Parts aluminum valve covers provided enough room to clear the roller rockers and stud girdles. The covers were painted the same blue hue as the block and then were sanded along the letters to provide a machined look.

To provide enough petrol to...        read full caption To provide enough petrol to feed the hungry 427, a BG Fuel Systems Super Speedway mechanical fuel pump (PN 170014) was bolted on. The pump delivers 120-gph fuel flow and comes with a choice of -8 or -10 AN inlets.

The BG fuel pump delivers...        read full caption The BG fuel pump delivers juice to BG&8217s new Gold Claw carburetor (PN 7402010GP). The Claw has removable venturi bores to adjust the overall cfm airflow and a specially contoured inlet opening. It features special billet-aluminum metering blocks, revised fuel inlet routing, and more.

To deliver ample spark to...        read full caption To deliver ample spark to light the 427, we ran one of MSD&8217s new Pro Billet low-profile distributors (PN 8570) backed by an MSD 6AL ignition and a Blaster II coil.

To promote more even engine...        read full caption To promote more even engine cooling, the Brodix SP-1 intake has provisions for its Water Kit that allows coolant to better circulate between the front and the rear of the engine.

To ensure that plenty of coolant...        read full caption To ensure that plenty of coolant would be shuttled throughout the engine, a high-flow aluminum water pump (PN 8222) from Weiand was used. Keeping this type of big engine cool is of paramount interest so that the motor can be reliably cruised during weekend outings.

The Brodix 11x heads have...        read full caption The Brodix 11x heads have a spread-center exhaust port that helps build added power but requires a special exhaust header. Not to worry, Hedman offers its line of street-car headers with the special spread-port header flange. For some extra bucks, Hedman can even coat the headers with a high-temp silver coating from Performance Coatings.

Famed Pro Stock engine builder...        read full caption Famed Pro Stock engine builder Dale Eicke uses his years of knowledge to custom-port the heads (you can choose from Brodix, Dart, and others).

BG Fuel System&8217s Barry...        read full caption BG Fuel System&8217s Barry Grant then digitizes the port dimensions on the heads and stores the info on his computer. If you order a pair of heads, the info is retrieved and the heads are CNC-ported to match the original specs.

After the CNC porting is complete,...        read full caption After the CNC porting is complete, the Eicke/ Grant heads are treated to a full-competition valve job. Notice how the combustion chambers have also been fully CNC ported for high flow and consistency.

You can choose what size and...        read full caption You can choose what size and type of valves you want fitted to your Eicke/Grant heads. Want titanium valves? Not a problem. We opted for 2.10-inch intake and 1.60-inch exhaust valves constructed of stainless steel.

The Eicke/Grant heads are...        read full caption The Eicke/Grant heads are fitted with valvesprings that match the aggressiveness of your camshaft. Our heads were fitted with Lunati’s new Pro Mod dual valvesprings (PN 73067) that provide 555 pounds of holding pressure to keep the roller lifters firmly seated on the burly Lunati cam.

Sure, you can build any engine to produce big power, but when you opt for smaller cubes, you have to work so much harder to do the job. Bolting on a blower, a turbo, or nitrous will make your small small-block really hustle, but if you want to pound out power without power adders, big cubes are the way to go.

Recently we wanted to undertake a hefty project: Build a bulletproof, big-cube small-block Chevy that would spit out 600 hp while sipping pump gasoline. No, we're not talking that 100-octane pump stuff, we're talking the 92-octane juice that you can buy at your local Mi-T-Mart gas station. Moreover, the engine had to be tough enough to be driven on the streets without breaking, backfiring, or belching coolant at every stoplight. True, such an engine isn't intended for cross-country long hauls, but it should be able to be regularly punished each weekend.

Building this mill obviously involves using top-quality parts that will likely bruise your wallet, but even so, we’ll use parts that an average schmoe can get from a mail-order outfit or from a local speed shop. We skipped using 18-degree cylinder heads, rods made from unobtainium, and handfabbed induction parts borrowed from a Winston Cup car. Rather, we opted for traditional wares, such as 23-degree aluminum heads, steel rods, and a lumpy roller cam. Did the parts team up to deliver the tons o’ torque? Well, ummm, maybe. OK, here’s the deal: We’re lame. We thrashed to get this story done and, at the last minute, ran out of time to finish the dyno test. Still, we’re confident that the 600-hp-on-pump-gas claim is realistic, and as a guarantee, if the engine barely squeaks out 500 hp, we’ll eat the story. That’s right, we might have to enjoy a lunch consisting of five pages’ worth of engine edit. But for now follow along as we show how E.T. Automotive bolted together our mighty Mouse.