452 cid SB2 Small Block Chevy Engine

In this Engine of the Week episode we take inside Gibbons Motorsports in Mooresville, NC and give you the details of a custom-built, 452 cid SB2-headed small block Chevy engine used for drag racing.
PennGrade Motor Oil - www.penngrade.com
Scat Crankshafts - www.scatcrankshafts.com
Elring Das Original - www.elring.com/en/
Gibbons Motorsports - www.gibbonsmotorsports.com

[@randallmason9687]

I always wanted to see what a set of NASCAR heads would do on a large cube engine. Put some turbos on it!!

[@probiethetank8825]

God damn I miss this engine at talledega!!!!

[@ronnielee482]

That engine sounds magnificent 💪🏼

[@thomasdaddio741]

Beautiful machine shop !

[@bigmike8847]

Got a buddy buying an SB2. Thank you for telling me wtf hes buying lol

[@gordocarbo]

DReam engine...if only I had at least 25k to spare. Remember when GM used to sell blocks cams and parts for these in thier power book,

[@ViewThis.]

The early SBC 400 Factory Block could be stroked and bored to a 454. I know because I have the Hot Rod Magazine/Petersen Publication Book, not magazine, that shows how to do it.

[@darrenjones9180]

Awesome

[@JohnDoe-gz8dw]

Always longed for a set of those head's

[@robertmacpeek424]

That is Awesome 👍 Jealous of those w/an SB2 to play with for sure. What RPM was it turning at the the top of the pull?

[@alternatr]

Sounds around 9600-9800rpm mate!

[@josephbutler3577]

How much did this build cost

[@deanstevenson6527]

@@josephbutler3577 . About 50 grand...but it includes some very special parts which are not just SB2 NASCAR parts. It's a very special stroker!

[@usa2121]

The nice thing about hitting this beautiful beast with nitrous is...... You'll soon be able to inspect most of its internal components without having to disassemble.

[@lionelwells186]

Nice small "BIG" BLOCK

[@ThunderAppeal]

No, its a big small block.

[@deanstevenson6527]

@@ThunderAppeal Lol. Good discussion! From the advent of the A series 4.46 inch bore spacing Small Block and the first Windsor plant 331 Hemi, Chrysler /Plymouth/Dodge/De Soto eventually said everything below the 331/354/392 Fire Power bore spacing of 4.5625 inches is a Small block. Chrysler invented the term, Chevrolet continued the use of the term Big Block with the W emgines and then the Rat Big Block Mark IV Mystery "Motor". Using that Old Mopar 1956 logic, any V8 including the 4.527 Bore spacing Ford Super Duty 445 or any of the 4.48 inch bore spacing SB2s. ..they are just Small Blocks:-) But what do I know? It's probably a Freudian " guys lying about Sizing" thang.

[@ThunderAppeal]

​@@deanstevenson6527 Bore spacing, so center of the bore to the center of any adjacent bore. But that would suggest that the bore spacing included the size of the journals, all of these measurements when the engine left the factory. There are some guy who argue that the Ford 351 Windsor is not a small block, nor is it really a big block, I believe the core of their argument stems from the size of the journals, I dont know if thats crank journals though. So Chryslers argument about the basis of calling an engine block a big block based on bore spacing arguably has merit, but there are some Mopar guys who argue that the 383 is not a small block and 383 is < 392. But Chevy's Mark IV I believe was based on the 409 but with different heads.

[@deanstevenson6527]

@@ThunderAppeal The splay between banks varies by about 9/16 to up to an inch, that info is recorded and based on bearing width plus a margin. The bore centres are measured on the left and right bank and you find that by measuring any cylinder head gasket. Some engines, like the flathead 136/221/239 and Jaguars V12 are like slant six Valiant or L series Datsun six cylinder engines, and have varying bore centers to allow a space for a bigger bearing or maybee where the trust is taken up, or extra Cooling can be given between cylinders under more thermal stress. The V6 Essex 90 has a different splay distance between banks to other 90 degree SB Ford V8s. But the finger print of generic Big and Small block size was most likely defined by Chrysler and Chevrolet in 55 to 58. Chrysler actually had five different bore pitches from the first Hemi in 1951 to the 1966 426, and then rationalized there plants to just 4.46 and 4.80 inches. Chev went 4.40 and 4.84 inches Ford responded with three, the early 1952-1966 223/215/262 I-6 and 53-62 Y block V8 4.38 small blocks which was shared on the 62-2001 SBF 221-351, the late 1969 -1982 335 series Clevelands. The 4.6375 FE/FT, and the many 1958-1967 MEL and 1968-1998 385 Lima versions with a huge 4.90 bore centre. The old Truck Super Duty was even larger than the Lima plant engines, something like 5.25 or so. I have to check my notes. So US Big and Small block terminology is actually fashioned by Mopar and Chevrolets need to rationalise and home in on a specific kind of marketing demographic. People down here always call big blocks truck engines, but in Chrysler, Chevrolet and Fords case, the truck engines were a result of the Big Three's need for strong upper echelon performance cars before the AMA race ban. Definitions probably follow those early cases. Splay and bore pitch varied to suit the perceived needs of the late 50s. Ford probably got it wrong with the avaliable stretch in the FE. But they had another two bigger variantions of the Big Block Limas asside from the 332-428. Chevy kept pure to the 1955 SBC and 1958 BBC. So did Mopar. I really love how Chevrolet totally blew the DNA of the old traditional 4.40 SBC, and the SB2 was a radical and brave departure. Ford responded to it. It's a very special GM engine needing lots of complicated tooling and although it wasn't a huge sucess compared to Fords, it sure makes a lot of power with brilliant reliability and it's very easy to find blocks and parts if you know what it is. IMHO, you'll not see the FR-9 come down in price because it is even more of a specialized engine. Check out Keith Dorton Six cylinder salt lake racer SB2 sans two cylinders. The SB2 is an absolute marvel of GM's Power train guys going for broke to eke out every, ahem, "small block" Horsepower on the table. Many great things will happen with those forlorn blocks because they are tougher than the 4.40 bore spacing engines.

[@douglasgauvin5906]

How about a 496 how much hp w8th a tunnel ram for a drag car

[@wesleycook3181]

the SB-2 cyl head has to be the best flowing head ever

[@stellingbanjodude]

That horsepower seems good until you think about it, cups unrestricted motors were around 900-950 out of 358 cubes

[@GreatLakesLogger]

Still pretty badass. You know it was a radical cam if they bored the cam journals our to 52 mm. Usually that's to accommodate a lot of lift and by the ram it obviously had a ton of duration

[@thereluctantgearhead4544]

Could have just bought a used NASCAR engine for probably half the money.

[@danielcantrill3104]

Was built as a nitrous motor not for NA. Always make less when setting it up for nitrous

[@erikalston4496]

Sb2 NEVER made 900 hp in NASCAR trim. So this is impressive.

[@jubjub905]

Its going to make less as its intended for nitrous....

[@alkennedy1124]

Are theses engines small block base engines , Or are they big block engines block base ??!! Thanks BigAl California

[@gordocarbo]

Small block with 400+cube bore long stroke

[@boomboom2673]

i'm going to get myself one from them and go whip dunkmaster ass with it

[@shadowopsairman1583]

A kitty/minion/shetland eater.

[@billclark5943]

Sounds about 8200

[@josephbutler3577]

How much is this motor

[@dennismoore9147]

about 60,000

[@joesmith306]

BlaBlaBla

[@mechanical.mullet]

Kinda low numbers for that much cubic inch for sb2 na

[@KingJT80]

not really a 358 SB2 cup engine will never make 900, let alone the 950-975+ this thing makes..they'll make 800+ for sure and you dont need to make the most you can with nitrous. now if it was all motor setup with 15:1 yeah maybe it should be making 1000+

[@tomhanson4153]

no rod or crank info..pssst

[@gordocarbo]

Long rod. super expensive crank like a couple grand a pop

[@basedsigma5634]

Yes, im also curious how they get to 452 ci..with only a 4.185 bore. I have a 4 inch stroke with that bore, makes 441 ci. So they have to be using a 4.125 inch stroke....🤔

[@gordocarbo]

@@basedsigma5634 YEs...friend built a 23 deg sbc that size. Wont make the power the one in the vid does but st drivable and runs 9s with a moderate solid roller