True or false: A standard 396ci engine is a small block?

FALSE. It's a 9.800 deck height Mark IV Big Block Chevy. Shares the same 3.760 crank stroke and 6.135 rods as a Mark IV 427, though a smaller bore. And then there is a Factory .030 over 396 known as a 402.

What made them so inefficient, as some have stated, was the head's chamber design and also their ridiculously excessive piston to head 'squish' tolerances. This gave them poor BSFC's, among other things.

The curve-ball question here is what year engine is in question..?

camshaftshaun@gmail.com

False. Big block.

And "need to know," that is not entirely true. The term "big block" refers to the size of the cylinder heads and the angle at which the cylinders are oriented from one another.

The LS7 Corvette engine is 7.0 liters, or 427ci, and it is classified as a small block.

False

The OLD 396 was a BIG BLOCK if this is a CHEVY you are writing about! IT was typical for GM to make BIGGER and BIGGER engines in the late 60's and early 70's They ALL sucked gas, BIG TIME and had to get out of their OWN WAY because they were SO VERY HEAVY! The NEWER CHEVY 428 engine is considered to be a SMALL BLOCK engine! THANKFULLY, the older fuel and energy wasting 396 was laid to rest YEARS AGO! It was a very basic TWO VALVE engine with a CARB and push rods in it! MOST reside in MUSEUMS now or in showcases. SMALLER well made V8's had MORE potential as they could REV UP HIGHER and NOT waste as much energy as a GAS GUZZLING larger displacement engine would! I used to EAT THEM with a HIGH REVVING BOSS 302 from 1969.

If I recall correct it is based on the earlier 348. Still, it was considered a Big Block back then. Considering the 348 was brought out with the 265/283 small block.

A Chevy 396ci is a big block engine. 350ci and below are considered small block.

small block 66 degree bank

big block 90 degree bank

True