2020 marks 65th anniversary of Small Block heritage
LAS VEGAS — At the SEMA Show, Chevrolet Performance is celebrating 65 years of Small Block innovation with a its all-new SP383 EFI. A contemporary twist on the classic 383 Small Block “stroker” combination, the SP383 EFI melds the big torque of the long-stroke 383 with the drivability of electronic fuel injection.
“Chevrolet Performance’s newest crate engine builds on a pioneering legacy of engine innovation,” said Kris Mayer, general director for Chevrolet Performance. “It also expands our unmatched crate engine portfolio, offering customers opportunities to build the project vehicle of their dreams.”
Since 1955, Chevrolet Performance’s Small Block engines have powered everything from vintage pickup trucks and muscle cars to motor homes and boats.
SP383 EFI
Chevrolet Performance’s new SP383 EFI is based on the ZZ6 EFI crate engine — including its high-flow, Fast Burn-type cylinder heads with modern valvetrain technology — but features a longer, 3.800-inch stroke to help build more torque.
Like the ZZ6 EFI, the SP383 EFI features a port-style injection system, with the injectors plumbed in the carburetor-style intake manifold. The throttle body is mounted in the conventional position of the carburetor, which supports a classic appearance that looks at home under the hood of vintage vehicles.
Chevrolet rates output for the new SP383 EFI at 450 horsepower and 436 lb-ft of torque.
Two versions are offered: the SP383 EFI Deluxe (P/N 19418640) and the SP383 EFI Turn Key (P/N 19419199). The Deluxe kit includes the throttle body, distributor, damper and flexplate, while the Turn Key assembly takes the content of the Deluxe and adds an air cleaner, front-end accessory drive, breather, PCV valve and starter.
Both crate engine kits include a “plug and play” engine controller and harness.
Legacy of engine innovation
Chevrolet began offering high-performance, factory-engineered crate engines to racers in the late-Sixties, including the all-aluminum ZL-1 Big Block engine that would become the focal feature of the 1969 COPO Camaro. In the late eighties, the “ZZ” series of Small Block engines was introduced, ushering in the modern era of ready-built performance crate engines developed for vintage vehicles.
Today, the Chevrolet Performance portfolio features the industry’s largest OEM crate engine lineup, including nearly 50 Small Block, Big Block, LS, LSX and LT crate engine packages, as well as LS- and LT-based E-ROD packages that carry CARB Executive Order numbers that make them legal for installation in millions of pre-1996 vehicles in California.
Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to offer 50-state street-legal crate E-ROD engine systems, while the range of LS, LSX and LT crate engines has grown in recent years to match customer demand. Additionally, Chevrolet Performance offers approximately a dozen performance four-, six- and eight-speed automatic transmission systems, as well as six-speed manual gearboxes, torque converters, installation and adaption kits, and the electronic controllers to match them with every offering in the crate engine portfolio.
In fact, the wide array of engine and transmission offerings inspired Chevrolet engineers to develop the groundbreaking and industry-exclusive Connect & Cruise systems, which pair crate engines with recommendations for complementing transmissions and all the necessary controller kits. A detailed chart in the Chevrolet Performance catalog outlines the matched components and their part numbers for at-a-glance comparisons and easier ordering.
“Connect & Cruise systems eliminate the guesswork in selecting the right engine-and-transmission combination for your project,” said Mayer. “Once you’ve selected the engine, our factory-matched combinations match it with a Chevrolet-recommended transmission and identify the necessary controllers, harnesses and other supporting components you need to help get it all installed and running quicker — and with the confidence it’s the right combo for your classic vehicle.”
All of Chevrolet Performance’s crate engine and transmission systems, including E-ROD and Connect & Cruise systems, are identified in the all-new 2020 Chevrolet Performance catalog, which is available from Chevrolet dealers and other Chevrolet Performance retailers. It is also available online at www.chevroletperformance.com.
More new products at SEMA
SuperMatic™ 6L80-E
The new SuperMatic™ 6L80-E six-speed automatic transmission offers a technologically advanced balance of performance and efficiency when matched with Chevrolet Performance’s LS and LSX crate engines.
It is based on the same robust transmission offered in a number of rear-wheel-drive production vehicles, including the Camaro and Chevy trucks, but enhanced with specific internal components that contribute to a higher output torque rating of 650 lb-ft – a 45-percent increase over the regular production six-speed transmission. A “deep” 4.02 first gear ratio helps deliver strong standing-start performance, while a 0.67 top gear helps reduce engine speed on the highway.
LSX-SC cylinder head
Inspired by the COPO Camaro, the all-new LSX-SC cylinder head is based on Chevrolet Performance’s proven, high-flow LSX-LS7 design, but optimized in key areas to enhance strength and cylinder sealing for supercharged and turbocharged engines. Like other LSX cylinder heads, it is made of tough T356 aluminum, but produced with a low-pressure casting process to improve density. Additionally, the head is treated to Hot Isostatic Pressing — commonly known as “HIPing” — to optimize the aluminum alloy’s mechanical properties and density.
