How interchangeable are the Chevy small blocks?

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Infinitely. I forget what the original motor ibln my nova was but it was probably a 305 since it's a base model. Me and my dad built a 406 for it over the summer and are getting parts together for another 406 for next season.

What motor are you looking at for what car?

>>14153901
Dodge Impala

>>14153945
So you know this stuff. Would it be possible to bolt an LSX 454 to a 70's muscle car that originally housed a gen 2 big-block?

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>>14153945
Ive got a 91 firechicken and it's got the shitty 305 so I am considering getting something bigger and was just considering either a 350,400, or 383
I'm leaning towards 400 just because it would be cooler

>>14154044
Yeah dude, those things are pretty much meant to be dropped in.

>>14154044
This is a little outside my realm of knowledge. I would assume that all you would need is some motor mounts and an adapter for the transmission unless you're going with a newer trans.
>>14154053
Yeah it should bolt right in there. I would either go with a high strung 350 or 400 so it's a little easier to find parts

>>14154044
And good ECU and/or ignition box. Reference the roadkill muscle truck and do what they did.

>>14154053
400s are getting hard to find. It would be easier to pull a 350 out of a truck, or an LM7 if you have the budget.

>>14154053
>>14154127
Or ya know, if you're anywhere near Chicago you can buy the 406 I'm ripping out of the nova *nudge nudge* I'm not sure on price yet

>>14154192
Nah I'm in nc

>>14154044

Different engine mounts, headers, and if reusing an auto original to a big block TH400 you may need a billet spacer for the crank and torque converter.

>>14154053

Check out a 4.7/5.3/6.0 GM Vortec from a newer truck or SUV. Not too much more than building a SBC. More power, power potential, better stock parts like cylinder heads, cheap/good EFI.

The 400 is a dinosaur. You've got to make steam holes for most cylinder heads that don't have them. Most of the blocks especially the ones left are junk. Cooling issues with the siamese blocks and a stupid rod length and ratio. 383 isn't bad but you'll be dumping money into building one instead of a 6.0 Vortec unless you can find a cheap one ready to go.

>>14154263
This. I grew up with the old shit, modern fuel management and engine design is far superior.

>>14154291

Yeah. I have a few small Chevys because I've got a ton of parts stockpiled. But the Lsx and Vortec is much better. The stock heads on even the base truck 5.3 are considerably better than any average factory SBC cylinder head and even many aftermarket units. With the price of the 5.3 LM7 the SBC is mere nostalgia or for someone with a decent setup or extra parts already on hand.

>>14153901
They all fit in a dumpster about the same.

>>14153901
It is the same family, so for the most part it will be interchangeable. However, there have been probably hundreds of variations of SBCs over the decades and shit may not fit so easily.

Things that may differ:
Alternator location (brackets/pulleys) left/right
Power steering location, same as above
Harmonic balancer thickness (will require different pulleys/brackets)
Which in turn leads to different timing covers for the different width harmonic balancers.
Oil pans, might be deeper, or shorter. It can interfere with stock exhaust if too deep (ask me how I know)
Distributors were slightly different over the years and may be harder to seat if you don't get the specific one.
Small variations may also occur. Stock 307 valve covers are slightly skinnier than 350 valve covers and will require modifications to fit properly or be difficult to install.

I just did a 307 to 350 swap and it has been a nightmare. So much for part interchangability. Everything that could be different, is different.

>>14154823
Oh, and the heads are interchangeable, BUT they may not be compatible with your engine depending on compression, valve size, hardened valves, etc.

>>14154836

Yeah you can run into problems with cylinder heads too. Almost any SBC cylinder head will bolt onto almost any SBC block, but 350 heads with larger valves won't work on some of the smaller bore engines. Also there are more modern 1 piece rear main seal cranks starting in late 80s versus 2 piece rear main seals earlier. 55-67 had small journal cranks. 68 and up had medium journal cranks. 400s had large journal cranks. Late 80s went to center bolt valve covers. Those are the major things. Long story short is it doesn't make much sense to mess with anything that's not a 350 these days. But for some numbers matching shit or class racing go with the 350. Actually scrap it all and go 4.8/5.3/6.0 Vortec.

>>14154044
Motor/tranny mounts, Headers/exhaust, new drive shaft, ECU and complete wiring harness overhaul, and a complete fuel system overhaul.

Outside of the price of the motor/tranny, you can get it in for under $2k with budget parts and careful planning.

>>14155260

Most of the LSX 454s I've seen come as crate engines with a carb or setup for one. So he could drop a huge part of the expense there. But $500 and an afternoon memes aside many people ignore the cost of things that add up putting a modern EFI engine in an old car. Most old muscle cars don't have provisions for a return fuel line for instance. Many need a custom engine swap oil pan or at least a different factory pan than those common on swapped engines. Accessory drives can be tricky too and aftermarket solutions get expensive quick. A complete Vortec swap for less than $4-5k is pretty good. For a complete aluminum LSx swap under $8-10k is pretty good.

What'd be the best option for, say, swapping out a 305 TBI from a third gen with something better? LS is obvious, but I've heard good things about the LQ line. which would be the least hassle in swapping?