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Is a big block faster than a small block?

Dne'

Dne'

Well-Known Member
I have done nothing but sit here most of this blazing hot(humid) Houston day! So I was looking through Craigslist and ebay, and the question crossed my mind~
Is a big block faster than a small block? I mean the stang only weighs so much, wouldn't a larger motor just smoke the tires and not go anywhere! I don't think this is a dumb question~ for me, I just have a difficult time imagining a BB in my stang! my SB takes up enough room as it is! So answer the question, love to hear what ya'll have to say!
dne'
 
You must consider more than just engine size. The entire drive train and how the power gets to the pavement is critical. Small block cars can kick the butt of some big blocks if the one is set up real good and the other is not. It also happens the other way. I have seen stock big blocks walk all over a well built small block. So many variables.......Build what you like and have fun unless you are planning on racing regularly..... My $.02...
 
I like that answer Pete! I guess one could go extreme and ask, could a larger 6cyl done right outdo an SB! Now that would be interesting!

"AzPete" said:
You must consider more than just engine size. The entire drive train and how the power gets to the pavement is critical. Small block cars can kick the butt of some big blocks if the one is set up real good and the other is not. It also happens the other way. I have seen stock big blocks walk all over a well built small block. So many variables.......Build what you like and have fun unless you are planning on racing regularly..... My $.02...
Click to expand...
 
Yep....sure can. Look at some of the four cyl. out there that will flat kick some butt.

Another thing to consider is how long you want the engine to last........hard running makes for a short life....kinda like us. lol
 
speaking as a Big Block Mustang owner/builder I must add "there is no substitute for cubic inches"
anything you can do to a small block, you can do to a big block. Pete is right, the car has to be able to put the power to the pavement. My 429 is mild and may not have as much HP as some of these guys 347 blown Strokers but it it has gobs of torque. The car is amazing "quick" and runs and idles like a "stock" engine. It runs on 93 octane pump gas and I got as good as 20mpg (once) on the Power Tour (averaged 16 with a 2.79:1 rear gear and no OD). I have had many small blocks and some pretty radical. This by far is the most fun car I have built. I'm not saying anything against small blocks, they can be pretty stout too. My next one will most likely be a SB with OD but I love the big block!
 
I'm sitting here scratching my head...a gal wants to know if bigger is better...Sheesh...shouldn't she know by now?
 
I agree with tarafied1 and the age-old saying, "there's no replacement for displacement".

The thing that REALLY blurs the lines these days, though, is big cubic inch small blocks, like my 408w. It's got more displacement than many big blocks, and damned close to many more. Yet, it's still considered a small block, since it's all shoved into a 351w block.

My 408 will spank many a big block. But if the big block car has everything my car has, plus a few more cubic inches, I would expect it would at least beat me, if not severely.
 
Faster where, is the question? Big blocks often don't do as well in road racing or autocross due to weight and balance concerns. That's why I built my small block:)
 
my son says RICE stands for Race Inspired Cosmetic Enhancement, in the old days we used to joke about Chrome making things faster!
 
I'll be my head against a wall again.

No replacement for displacement is a 'myth', sort of. RPM is also a replacement, as is induction.

"Anything you can do to a small block, you can do to a big block". Yeah, so you have displacement there. If you make the revs high, you will, all things being equal, get more power. Yes, you can do it on a big block as well.

You can do all 3 of those things and probably much more, but those being the main ones. You can make it bigger, spin faster, or breath better.
 
"Daves69Coupe" said:
Boost is the replacement for displacement.
Click to expand...

Ok, the saying actually is 'All else being equal, there's no replacement for displacement'.

So if you have the same boost on a small block and a big block, the big block wins.

Yes, there's all kinds of replacement for displacement, but not if everything else is equal.
 
"johnpro" said:
there's all kinds of replacement for displacement, but not if everything else is equal.
Click to expand...

Actually, there is only one replacement for displacement - cubic dollars.
 
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