Long before the muscle car wars, Chevrolet was already experimenting with V8 power, offering an overhead-valve engine as early as 1917. Ford’s 1932 flathead V8 often gets the spotlight for igniting the hot rod era, thanks to its affordability, reliability, and smooth performance, but the idea of putting a potent eight-cylinder in a car was already in motion. That pioneering spirit set the stage for decades of V8 innovation across Detroit, from small blocks and big blocks to Hemis, supercharged mills, and high-revving performance engines.
Chevrolet embraced this tradition like no other, building a range of V8s that powered everything from street rods to full-size trucks. And among them stands the undisputed king: a massive big-block crate engine with more displacement than any other bowtie V8 and horsepower figures that venture into four digits. This is Chevrolet at its most extreme, a crate engine built to dominate on the dyno, the strip, or in any build daring enough to handle it.
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The ZZ632/1000 Deluxe Is An Absolute Beast Of A Crate Engine
Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine 05
Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine
Chevrolet
Bore 4.6 inches
Stroke 4.75 inches
Displacement 632 cubic inches/10.4 liters
Internals Forged pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft
Compression Ratio 12-to-1
Horsepower 1,004
Torque 876 lb-ft
If you haven’t seen it before, the clunkily named ZZ632/1000 Deluxe is an absolute beast, a V8 with staggering displacement. In the 21st century, where 350-cubic-inch V8 engines are considered enormous, this 632-cubic-inch V8 is mind-bendingly monstrous, yes, 632 cubic inches. In non-freedom-units, that’s a staggering 10.4 liters, which really puts the big in big block.
The Bore Is Massive And Stroke Even Longer
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Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine black background
Chevrolet
Based on Chevy’s Gen-IV tall-deck big-block architecture, this 632 has some huge internal dimensions, as is required to support this level of displacement. This engine’s bore is a gargantuan 4.6 inches, and the stroke is even longer, clocking in at 4.75. The pistons filling those massive holes are practically as large as gallon-sized paint cans.
Like A Sumo Wrestler That Does Ballet
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Engine
Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine black background
Chevrolet
Despite the 632’s gargantuan pistons and undoubtedly heavy rotating components, this engine can still rev, and hard. Like a sumo wrestler that also does ballet, this V8 practically pulls like a small Honda four-cylinder, redlining at a heady 7,000 rpm. This is doubly impressive, not just because of the mass of the rotating assembly, but because the forces at work inside an engine do not increase linearly – they grow roughly by the square of the rpm. This means the engine has to be incredibly strong to control the forces at work inside as those massive pistons and connecting rods whirl around at 7 grand. Undoubtedly, this V8 sounds amazing at redline when breathing through a good, free-flowing exhaust system.
This V8’s Output Is Absolutely Staggering
Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine 02
Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine black background
Chevrolet
OK, so this pumped-up bow-tie big block has massive displacement, absolutely huge lung capacity, but what does that get you? Well, hopefully you’re sitting down because this engine is rated at 1,004 horsepower and 876 pound-feet of torque.
Yep, this V8 has a four-figure output figure, and it gets tantalizingly close to the 100-hp-per-liter specific output threshold. Well-tuned, high-revving engines can struggle to achieve this, and here we have a “primitive” pushrod V8 with just two valves per cylinder pumping out a stellar 96.5 hp per liter of displacement.
Impressive Power And Torque Curves
Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine Dyno Chart
Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine dyno sheet
Chevrolet
This biggest of Chevrolet big blocks is an ideal powerplant for all kinds of muscle cars or other custom automotive applications, though, it might be a little overkill in some vehicles. Imagine one of these V8s in a small, lightweight T-bucket. If a driver ever sneezed and hit the accelerator pedal a little too hard, the frame would probably twist into knots.
Aside from its staggering peak output figures, the 632’s dyno charts may be even more impressive. The horsepower curve, for instance, is very linear, climbing smoothly and evenly to the peak, which is achieved at 6,600 rpm. Similarly, the torque curve (if you can call it a “curve”) is practically as flat as a countertop, without any dips or sags along the way. Maximum torque is served on a silver platter at 5,600 rpm.
This Engine Is Built To Last But You Pay For The Privilege
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Front Three-Quarter
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Front Three-Quarter
Chevrolet
Like other Chevrolet crate engines, this one should come with a surprisingly generous warranty. Customers are protected from factory defects for 2 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. Obviously, this doesn’t cover neglect or abuse, and since this V8 is “intended for competition use only,” there’s probably going to be a lot of both while in service, though, if you install a 632 in your hot rod, muscle car or project vehicle for use on the street, we won’t tell anyone.
As you might imagine, an engine this large and powerful is not cheap, though the pricing may not be as outrageous as you might expect. These big blocks currently go for around $33,000 new from various aftermarket sources. That’s the price of a brand-new car, and a nice one at that.
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Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine Components
Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine Components
Chevrolet
As alluded to earlier, the Chevy 632’s internals are incredibly rugged – and they have to be to support 1,000-plus horsepower. The crankshaft is forged steel, as are the H-beam connecting rods. And as you might imagine, the pistons are made of forged aluminum for greater durability.
When it comes to the cylinder heads, that’s where the magic really happens, and the 632’s block is capped by some very special units. Made of aluminum with a spread-port configuration, these heads are fitted with massive 2.450-inch-diameter intake valves, while the exhausts, which are made of titanium, clock in at an even 1.800 inches. These valves are what allow this big block to ingest huge amounts of air and fuel, and force spent exhaust gases out with minimal restriction.
A Saucy Camshaft Is Needed To Hit 1,000+ HP
Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine Cylinder Heads
Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine Cylinder Heads
Chevrolet
Controlling those valves is a suitably saucy camshaft. This 632’s bumpstick has a 0.780-inch gross lift on the intake side, and 0.782 for the exhaust. The sturdy, shaft-mounted rocker arms amplify that at a 1.8-to-1 ratio for even greater lift. As for compression, this engine squeezes air and fuel at a ratio of 12-to-1, meaning that, yes, premium, 93-octane fuel is recommended, or you will start breaking things.
A Rock-Solid Foundation
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Chevrolet ZZ632-1000 Big Block Crate Engine
Chevrolet
Surprisingly for a high-performance engine, this one’s block is made of cast iron. Many modern powerplants have ditched this material in favor of aluminum, which is appreciably lighter. Iron, however, is strong, extremely stable in service, and easy to machine during the manufacturing process. Additionally, cast iron is cheap, does not necessarily require separate cylinder liners, and can make future rebuilds easier than if the block were made of aluminum. Underscoring this engine’s foundational strength, the forged crankshaft is supported by main caps that have four bolts rather than just two like you’d see on lower-performing powerplants.
From the foundation on up, this Chevy 632 big block V8 is built to last. That durable cast-iron block, forged internals, and carefully designed cylinder heads deliver massive output and likely phenomenal durability as well.
Sources: Chevrolet, Summit Racing, CrateEngineDepot.com