BUILDING BLOCKS
Laying The Groundwork For Your Engine
Byline: Wayne Scraba
Photo Credits: Wayne Scraba
09/14/07
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The groundwork for a high-performance engine always begins with the cylinder
block. The choices are voluminous--used, new, iron, aluminum, billet,
and heavy-duty and Bowtie blocks from your Chevy dealer. Though there
are plenty of very good options out there for a high-performance engine
combination, it’s tough to beat the hardware offered by GM Performance
Parts (GMPP).
GMPP catalogs 25 cylinder cases for small-block applications (not counting
the LS-series engine) and 14 cylinder blocks for big-block builds. Applications
range from the mildest of street performance engines to Nextel Cup circle
track engines to Pro Stock drag race combinations. There’s more
here, too: The leading edge machining practices incorporated by GM can,
for the most part, be copied for any cylinder block, including one for
a street engine.
WHAT’S A BOWTIE?
The Chevrolet Bowtie cylinder block has always been constructed for one purpose—racing. Typically, they incorporate thicker and/or siamesed cylinder walls, a thicker deck surface, more meat in the crankshaft webs, and in some cases revised oiling (along with other improvements). The first Bowties blocks were called marine blocks and were delivered before GM had officially returned to racing. The party line was that these cases were intended for boat applications where conditions mandated more robust hardware. Racers saw the real application immediately and they also picked up on the small raised bowtie that was cast into the block. The name stuck. Over the years, those first marine big-blocks have evolved, spawning a complete line of heavy duty big- and small-block castings.—WS |
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