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    Results 1 to 6 of 6
    1. #1
      Join Date
      Jun 2002
      Location
      Santa Clarita Cal,
      Posts
      804
      Country Flag: United States

      How much does it weigh?

      I'm curious what the weight is on some chevy engine combos.

      steel big block with steel heads?
      aluminum big block aluminum heads?
      steel LS with alum heads?
      aluminum LS with Alum heads?

      I really want an Aluminum BB!

      RSK68
      Rick Klein


    2. #2
      Join Date
      Feb 2009
      Location
      So-Cal
      Posts
      149
      Country Flag: United States
      My dad and I have and weighed a keith black aluminum block with sleeves, studs and all and it did not weigh much less than the cast iron one. I thought it was only about 50-60 pounds. It cost about 7500 so, for the money I did not think it was worth it.

      keith Black on his stage 1 & 2 blocks made them the same thickness as the orginal cast block and they broke fairly easily. (I have heard the same about the old ZL1 block) When the stage 3 blocks came out they were about twice as think but the weight savings was not as much. Now this was all for nitro so on a car that is not supercharged it may not matter. If you look at the aluminum blocks of today they are much stronger then even the cast iron blocks so I do not think there will be a significant weight savings, but there will be a significant strength improvement.

      Both guys in Nostaglia Top Fuel that run a BBC (Arnold Birky & Brendon Murray) both ran cast blocks at one point and went to aluminum one becuase the block did not move around as much. Cylinder head clamping force is significantly improved having the extra 4 head bolts in the block (I think dart now makes a cast iron version of that block)

      Hot Rod Magazine did a write up awhile ago about how much you could save going to a aluminum heads over cast iron ones and I thought it said the pair of aluminum heads were equal to the one cast iron head.

      My car with a full interior BBC w/aluminum heads, intake, ps pump (c6 model), water pump, pulleys, etc. weighs 3410 with about 3/4 of a tank of gas.

      Try looking up a drag race forum, I am sure they will have the exact weights down to the ounce.
      James Faria
      07 GT500 740rwhp

    3. #3
      Join Date
      May 2008
      Location
      Austin, Tx.
      Posts
      1,539
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by jfaria78 View Post
      My dad and I have and weighed a keith black aluminum block with sleeves, studs and all and it did not weigh much less than the cast iron one. I thought it was only about 50-60 pounds. It cost about 7500 so, for the money I did not think it was worth it.

      keith Black on his stage 1 & 2 blocks made them the same thickness as the orginal cast block and they broke fairly easily. (I have heard the same about the old ZL1 block) When the stage 3 blocks came out they were about twice as think but the weight savings was not as much. Now this was all for nitro so on a car that is not supercharged it may not matter. If you look at the aluminum blocks of today they are much stronger then even the cast iron blocks so I do not think there will be a significant weight savings, but there will be a significant strength improvement.

      Both guys in Nostaglia Top Fuel that run a BBC (Arnold Birky & Brendon Murray) both ran cast blocks at one point and went to aluminum one becuase the block did not move around as much. Cylinder head clamping force is significantly improved having the extra 4 head bolts in the block (I think dart now makes a cast iron version of that block)

      Hot Rod Magazine did a write up awhile ago about how much you could save going to a aluminum heads over cast iron ones and I thought it said the pair of aluminum heads were equal to the one cast iron head.

      My car with a full interior BBC w/aluminum heads, intake, ps pump (c6 model), water pump, pulleys, etc. weighs 3410 with about 3/4 of a tank of gas.

      Try looking up a drag race forum, I am sure they will have the exact weights down to the ounce.
      No disrespect, but, you must have never picked up an aluminum BBC head and a cast iron one... The aluminum heads are each roughly 35# lighter than the cast iron heads for a total weight savings of 70-75#.

      The same goes for the block... When my new 632 cubic inch aluminum short block came in, a buddy and I lifted it out of the bed of my truck, BY HAND, and stabbed it on my engine stand... I PROMISE you, you couldn't do that with a cast iron long block... When my short block came in we weighed it at work on our accurate shipping scale prior to driving to my house... it weighed 282 pounds... for a weight savings of 120-125# on the short block...



      Between these two areas there is a total weight savings of roughly 200# between a total cast iron engine and an all-aluminum one...

      Here's a listing of engines off of Chevrolet's website... As you can see the weights jump all around... That's why you have to click on the items and look at the "completeness" of the item to make sure it is closest to "apples and apples" when comparing them.

      When you look at the listings, the LS7 (LS-series) is listed at 440#. It is a COMPLETE engine, minus accessory drives and the like. The 572 "Deluxe" engine listed toward the bottom of the list is a COMPLETE engine. It is listed at 580# (140# more than the LS-LS7). If you then look at the "Anniversary Edition 427" it is a COMPLETE aluminum big block listed at 460# (120# less than the 572 and 20# more than the LS-LS7).


      The new crate motor that Chevrolet has come out with is shown below... the LSX-454. If you watch the SEMA video on Streetfire showing this motor with the GM rep introducing it, he says the engine will be 80# heavier than the LS-LS7, or 520#.

      Here's the link: http://videos.streetfire.net/video/G...ate_200738.htm



      In summary, here are the APPROXIMATE different weights:

      - LS-LS7 - 440#
      - BBC (All aluminum) - 460#
      - LSX454 (Cast iron block, Aluminum heads) - 520#
      - BBC (Cast iron block, Alum heads) - 580#
      - BBC (All cast iron) - 660#
      Ray
      FEW FRILLS, just BIG CHILLS!!!
      1972 VW Bug (427LS/T56 Magnum/9"-3.70 gears)
      18"x10-1/2" (315/30/18) Front, 18”x12" (335/30/18”) Rear
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...-Lady-Bug-quot

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Feb 2009
      Location
      So-Cal
      Posts
      149
      Country Flag: United States
      I agree with you completely. I did say that I thought 2 aluminum heads equal the weight of one cast iron head. One the block, I think it depends on the brand and what size studs/sleaves/mains you have on the block. We have a 8 bolt main block with 4.500 sleeves and 9/16 studs (w/ 4 extra per side/head). I am sure that is heavier than the 427 anniversary edition block.

      No offense taken.
      James Faria
      07 GT500 740rwhp

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Jun 2002
      Location
      Santa Clarita Cal,
      Posts
      804
      Country Flag: United States
      Ray,

      Thanks for the info, this is exactly what i needed to know.
      RSK68
      Rick Klein

    6. #6
      Join Date
      May 2008
      Location
      Austin, Tx.
      Posts
      1,539
      Country Flag: United States
      Hey James,

      I'm SO sorry for misreading your post about the aluminum heads!! I guess I read it too fast...

      I'm sure the Keith Black setup, made for drag racing, would be "heavy duty" everything... all the items you described definitely would add to the weight of the block!

      The Dart Big M block I purchased is much closer to a direct comparison (construction-wise) to a factory cast iron block...

      I apologize again for mis-reading your post!
      Ray
      FEW FRILLS, just BIG CHILLS!!!
      1972 VW Bug (427LS/T56 Magnum/9"-3.70 gears)
      18"x10-1/2" (315/30/18) Front, 18”x12" (335/30/18”) Rear
      https://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...-Lady-Bug-quot





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