Will someone please help me find out something about this engine and what mods I would need to put it in my 91 Z-28 convertible. I need to know the differences in the tall deck and the standard deck and any other information is more than welcome.

 

tall deck, standard deck? These aren't v8 small block fords. There are 2 modern factory chevy engines. Small blocks and big blocks. They are totaly different from eachother and are not tall/short deck versions of one another. If you don't know that much at least (I'm not trying to be an a<a>ss here), you need to go do some research before you ask if you can put one in.

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-Tas
'89 Formula WS.6

[This message has been edited by Tas (edited October 25, 2001).]

 

The heads sit higher on the block as compared to the passenger block. So when you bolt on those swap headers they will sit slightly higher and may hit somewhere.
There is only a few low rise intakes that
have any chance of fitting under the hood
without a scoop. All will need spacers to adapt to the tall deck block. For oval port heads you've got the Edelbrock Torker II
and the factory cast iron flatty Q-jet. For
rectangular ports you've got the factory
corvette LS-6 flatty intake. The oval port intakes will work on the square port heads
(with port match) but not the other way around. All will need a drop base air cleaner
like the old L-88 Z-28. Measure first before ya lay out the bucks for one. Some of the front accessory brackets are/may be different. You'll need an electric fan. Some
people use the short water pump setup. ('68
and back)

 

Maybe you should read the topic and question again. There IS 2 versions of a big block, a tall deck and a short deck!

 

The tall deck block is IIRC .400" bigger from crank centerline to head deck than a standard block with the "PASS HI-PERF" markings behind the timing cover. This allows for longer rods and/or longer stroke, which makes them popular with racers. Plus, the walls are usually thicker, which allows for greater overbores. Only 2 engine sizes were available this way, 366 and 427; needless to say, the 427 is the one everybody goes for, as the 366 has the same stroke but smaller bore.

I've never put a big block of either size in one of these cars myself; but Miles who posted above would be a good source of info about where the clearance issues are. My gut feeling is that with the heads hung that extra distance out in space, the header and wiper motor and all those other top end fitment issues will be that much more severe.

I would not use an upside-down Vette intake on anything if I could help it. I threw one in the trash off of my 74 454 Caprice convertible when I put a 396 intake on it - I'd say it was 20 HP easy with no other changes whatsoever. And I will absolutely not use a "drop-base" air cleaner on anything, as the top of the air horn ends up too close to the breather lid. That kind of swap would definitely require a replacement hood, which would be one of the easier issues to handle.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

were these in production cars/trucks? I know there are a ton of variations of racing blocks. Rocket block, short deck block, Sb2.2 block....

 

Yes; tall-deck blocks were used extensively in trucks.

 

Right... the tall deck came in gas-burner dump trucks, school buses, etc. Not light trucks like pickups. There are lots of them in the world.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

ok, that's why I didn't think it was in regular producition vehicles. Makes sense now.

 

The reason the deck is .400 taller is that a tall deck engine has an extra compression ring on the piston.

I wouldn't recommend putting one in a street f-body. There is barely enough room for a standard deck BBC. You would have even more problems trying to fit headers on with the heads higher than a regular block. You couldn't use a standard intake manifold without special spacers (easily available) or use a tall deck aftermarket manifold. The distributor needs to be longer.

By using different pistons and a stroker crank it's easy to build a bigger engine with a tall deck block. That's the downside of a SBC block. The deck height is too short to build a big engine out of it.

You can take a 427T block (7.0 liter) and bore it out .125". use a 4.125" stroker crank and get 496 cid.

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z SuperPro ET Bracket Race Car
461 naturally aspirated Big Block (times are for the current engine)

Best ET on a time slip: 11.447 altitude corrected to 10.99
Best MPH on a time slip: 119.42 altitude corrected to 124.86
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP: 493
Best 60 foot: 1.586

Racing at 3500 feet elevation with a typical race day over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

[This message has been edited by Stephen 87 IROC (edited October 25, 2001).]