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cause they've been around forever, there's been a gazillion and a half made, and performance parts are less expensive than anything else. and they're reliably good motors. and cheap.
everyone and their cousin can afford to build one. not hatin'.

 

Thanks for the reply, but I am still puzzled about the power aspect. Is there more 'kick' because of the way the engine is configured, in terms of bore x stroke?

 

Maybe not a gazillion and a half Just funnin' with ya Larry!!!





From another site:

Dear Straight Dope:

How much is a gazillion, exactly? --johnt@ci.carpinteria.ca.us

SDSTAFF Dex replies:

Million, billion, trillion, quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion, septillion, octillion, novillion, decillion . . . lessee, a decillion is:

1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

. . . so there ain't no gazillion, it's right up there with zillion, bijillion, and uncountabillion . . . a made-up term.

Just so you know, here's the list of "named illions":

Billion has 9 zeros
Trillion has 12 zeros
Quadrillion has 15 zeros
Quintillion has 18 zeros
Sextillion has 21 zeros
Septillion has 24 zeros
Octillion has 27 zeros
Nonillion has 30 zeros
Decillion has 33 zeros
Undecillion has 36 zeros
Duodecillion has 39 zeros
Tredecillion has 42 zeros
Quattuordecillion has 45 zeros
Quindecillion has 48 zeros
Sexdecillion has 51 zeros
Septendecillion has 54 zeros
Octodecillion has 57 zeros
Novemdecillion has 60 zeros
Vigintillion has 63 zeros
Googol has 100 zeros.
Centillion has 303 zeros (except in Britain, where it has 600 zeros)
Googolplex has a googol of zeros

(Please also see my discussion of "googol" at http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgoogol.html.)

You may remember that one of the Teeming Millions once chastised Cecil for referring to "googols of snowflakes," pointing out that 1 googol was greater than the number of protons, electrons, and neutrons in the known universe. Sure, pal. Let's see you count 'em.

One last thing. The number list above refers to American number-naming practice. As long as we're quoting other Web know-it-alls (hey, why should Cecil have to do all the work?), here's what Doctor Math has to say on the topic:

"In the English speaking world, at least, there's already disagreement about what the word "billion" means. In the United States, it means 109; in Great Britain, it means 1012. The Brits add 6 zeroes per step up, and we add 3. So a British "trillion" is 1018. In a sense, the British system makes more sense--billion, trillion, quadrillion, etc., indicate 2, 3, and 4 from the roots of the names. If you think of them as meaning 2, 3, and 4 groups of 6 zeroes, everything makes good sense--and it makes no sense in the U.S. system."

Our number billion, I might add, is known in Britain as a "milliard." The Germans, who evidently follow British practice, take it a step farther and use die Billiarde, which is the equivalent of quadrillion in the U.S.

OK. So, can anybody lend me two bucks for lunch?

--SDSTAFF Dex
Straight Dope Science Advisory Board

 

Not so much that the SB is the most powerfull motor, but it is one of the most reliable. Pretty hard to kill them.

There are "dog" small block Chevies as well......307s for one.

It's just that they have been around so long...............50 years in 2005.

More than you can say for a "Hemi"....................sorry CMG and Centerline.........................

 

Are 307's a lot less powerfull than 350's? I had the opportunity of getting a truck with a 307 in it but in the end declined (as I was going to be pulling a double horse trailer with the truck) 'cos I wasn't sure of the power and reliability of it compared to the truck I had (which had a 350 in it). I am new to all this V8 stuff, but find the V8 engines intriguing. Pity they don't make a V12 truck (not including the Lamborghini Truck)!!

 

thanks for setting me straight Kevin!

i knew it was more like sextillion 350 blocks made anyway....

 

....1996 dodge 1500 ram with a 390 magnum engine...

I believe that would have been a 360 magnum not a 390.

More than you can say for a "Hemi"....................sorry CMG and Centerline.........................

Actually, when Chevrolet was touting the brand new special high performance version of their 265 cu. in. small block V8, available only in the Corvette (all of 195 hp.). Chrysler Corp. was destroying the competition in NASCAR with their little old 300 hp. 331 cu. in. HEMI. An engine that had already been in production for 4 years. Unfortunately they did have a break in production from 1958-1963 because the bean counters managed to convince management the engine was too expensive to manufacture, but when they did come back in 1964 it was with a vengeance, and they have continued, in one version or another, to rule the top fuel and funny car divisions ever since. Remember, the next time you're at the strip that even though that funny car has a Ford or GM body on it, the motivation comes from a HEMI.

Nuff said. blah, blah, blah

Centerline

 

Touchy aren't we....................................

Bean counters eh.................


To me, that means....dollar for dollar, the SBC was worth keeping around, whereas the Hemi was not. Something that the average guy could afford.........................that's just how my simple mind works.

 

Why the SBC is so good

I remember the engineering reviews made comments about those "Mickey Mouse" rocker arms. What they didn't know was GM had done extensive testing with strobe lights on running engines and they had discovered that, at high rpm, engines with rocker shafts with rocker arms mounted on them, distorted significantly, thereby upsetting the cam/valve timing. By mounting each valve system with its own independent rocker support cam/valve timing remained as designed.

 

Touchy aren't we....................................

Bean counters eh.................


To me, that means....dollar for dollar, the SBC was worth keeping around, whereas the Hemi was not. Something that the average guy could afford.........................that's just how my simple mind works.

I agree. They weren't cheap then and they certainly aren't now. Class is never cheap.

The bean counters had a very good argument since Dodge, Chrysler and DeSoto all had their own versions of the hemi and very few parts interchanged between divisions. Even a first year economics student can tell that this translates to three times the manufacturing expense. That I blame on Chrysler's management more than anything else. They did learn their lesson though since subsequent versions were totally interchangeable.

There's no argument that the SBC is affordable, plentiful, and reliable. They're just boring. Why everyone wants to be just like everyone else escapes me. Especially when there are so many other good power plants out there like the Buick Nailhead, Flathead Ford and some of the big Caddy and Olds motors, and yes even the hemi. Why be an also ran, I say do something different..... anything but a SBC.

Centerline

 

Point taken...............................

 

Originally posted by Poncho62
It's just that they have been around so long...............50 years in 2005.

Hmmmm, we went from Wright brothers Kitty Hawk to SR71 in about 50 years too. According to that view we should have a nuke powered 350, or something similar to the engine in 'Back to the Future' that runs on just about anything you stuff into it!

 

hey centerline sounds like a really nice guy. As for poncho I dunno sounds like he got involved with a bad crowd or something. I mean come on what kind of fool wants a cracker jack chevy engine when they could have such a nicer engine. J/K I dont really have nothing against chevy but If I had a choice I prefer Mopar

 

It's just that they have been around so long...............50 years in 2005.

More than you can say for a "Hemi"....................sorry CMG and Centerline.........................

Au contrare! The 331 in my Willys debuted in 1951. The SBC debuted as an anemic 265 in 1955. Didn't approach the small hemi in displacement until the 327 came out in 1967(?).

As far as power is concerned, displacement is only one variable to consider. There are +400cuin engines out there that can't get out of their own way, 'cause the factory designed them for grand-ma's grocery getter or grand-pa's clod hopper. Do a mild hop-up of a 350 and it will run circles around a lo-perf big block.

 

To Kevin45, I´m a brit and we have always used "billion", a "milliard", never heard of it.
BTW go to http://www.hotrod.com and write chevy small block in the search window it comes up with a gazillion articles.

 

There's no argument that the SBC is affordable, plentiful, and reliable. They're just boring. Why everyone wants to be just like everyone else escapes me. Especially when there are so many other good power plants out there like the Buick Nailhead, Flathead Ford and some of the big Caddy and Olds motors, and yes even the hemi. Why be an also ran, I say do something different..... anything but a SBC.

Centerline

What about AMC? My (unfunded) project car is a 74 Jav with a 360, 4speed, 3.54s. I wouldn't say a sbc is, boring... A honda civic with an APC windshield banner, that's boring. It's just that SBCs are, well, it'd be horrifingly difficult to build one that's unique.

 

I don't care how boring a 350 or any other SBC is. That's what came in my 69 Camaro and that's what's staying in there. There are many good reasons why the 302 Ford and the 350 Chevy are still popular and dinosaurs like the 331 hemi and the nailhead Buick are long obsolete. One could argue that the 409 Chevy or the 389 Pontiac were the bee's knees, but they have gone the way of spats and doilies. Soon the newer generation of engines will make today's engines look like so much wasted iron.

tom

 

There's no argument that the SBC is affordable, plentiful, and reliable. They're just boring. Why everyone wants to be just like everyone else escapes me. Especially when there are so many other good power plants out there like the Buick Nailhead, Flathead Ford and some of the big Caddy and Olds motors, and yes even the hemi. Why be an also ran, I say do something different..... anything but a SBC.

Centerline

I disagree, a SBC doesn't have to be boring, it's just that everyone builds them the same. I will be building an early 327 with a Weiand intake and six Stromberg 97's for my '54 Chevy custom. Don't see a setup like that much anymore (except maybe in a museum). I wouldn't call it common anyway.

I agree though that there are way too many cookie cutter 350's (and 383's) around running almost identical components, largely due to magazine buildups I think, but this is what ends up making them so affordable to build, it's all economics, supply and demand.

Just my 2c

 

new boy

Hey I have an 87 Chevy S-10 with a small block 350 and I was wondering what the timing should be on it I mean like now its fast but I know it can be faster I can smoke the tires for a bit but I should be able to burn the hell outta the tires so if any of you know I would be thankfull to know

 

Au contrare! The 331 in my Willys debuted in 1951. The SBC debuted as an anemic 265 in 1955. Didn't approach the small hemi in displacement until the 327 came out in 1967(?).

327 came much earlier

My 64 Chevy SS had a 327 and I think the first year was 62 with the Corvette. Not positive though.


Rich

 

You are right. My dad's '63 Super Sport had a 327. You have to allow me some lee-way due to my advanced Partzheimer's. Point is, it was at least 10 years after Chrysler set the standard w/ the early hemi.

 

As Crazy Larry and a couple of the other said previously.
1. By the numbers produced over the years = availability. They are easy to find.
2. Availability of inexpensive aftermarket parts. There is no end to the list of parts available for a 350 or other small block chev. and if you have a different size engine= 305, 307, 327 or 400 most of the bolt on stuff like Manifolds, hedders and valve covers interchange.
3. Ditto the above for used goodies.
4. one of the biggest reasons is that they fit in a lot of spaces that other performance engines won't. That Little hemi mentioned above is HUGE in comparison and extrememy heavy.
Just like football, Hockey, Baseball or Soccer teams when it comes to cars or engines everyone has their favorite. Everyone will tell you why that favorite is better and for a lot of applications there are better motors. Some are capable of more towing torque and some will zing to a higher rpm and some will just have a hell of a lot higher BUBBA factor. "Hey BuBBA It has a Hemi in it!". But if you want to have decent performance without breaking the bank the 350 chev is usually the way to go.
Go to different online performance parts stores and compare prices and it proves out.
In answer to the 307 for towing, I had a 307 with old Power Pack heads, a Z28 ? Swap meet Hydraulic cam, performer intake and Holly spread bore running through a granny shift truck 4 speed in a 70 Chevy 1/2 ton long bed and it towed a large stock trailer pretty well. Not much on the hills though.
Right now I am trying to put together a 408 Stoker using a 360 Dodge for my Dodge Van and it will cost over twice what it would to build a 400 chev towing motor. Everything costs more and is harder to find . Use Performer intakes usually cause a bidding war on Ebay where you can find them for Chev's at yard sales.

 

.....one of the biggest reasons is that they fit in a lot of spaces that other performance engines won't. That Little hemi mentioned above is HUGE in comparison and extrememy heavy.......

This is an old wife's tale. A Chrysler 331-392 will fit anywhere you can put a small block Chevy with headers. When it comes to weight the 331-354 weigh within 15 lbs of a Chevy big block but you will have to add about 40 lbs more for a 392 but then the potential is much greater.

 

Since this thread started in 2004 in the introduction forum and has turned into a two page discussion over the past year and a half or so......I think it should be moved to the Lounge or somewhere.

 

Right you are, Henry..........Didn't notice that. Guess the SB is more popular that we thought.

Besides.....maybe that way Centerline won't see it, and keep harping about those G.D. HEMIs...............

Heck, he will probably want it in "Off Topic" .................Not automotive related.......... :nono:

I will move it