Written by Moore Good Ink and published by Drag Racer.

Introduced in the mid-nineteen-sixties, Chevrolet’s big-block is regarded by many as the most rugged and reliable large displacement automotive V8 engine design of all time.

It also sported canted valves, which open toward the center of the cylinders and therefore away from the walls, promoting better air flow. A further key innovation was four-bolt main bearing caps that brought greater security to the engine’s rotating assembly, which could operate happily in the upper 6,000rpm range.

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