You can load a car down with all sorts of modern technology, you can add some heated leather seats and a ten-speaker audio system. But at the end of the day what counts is what you’ve got under the hood.
What are the specs of a 350 Chevy engine?
The 350 Chevy engine is a 5.7L (348.5 ci) small-block V8 with a 4.00 and 3.48 inch bore and stroke. Depending on the year, make, and model, hp will range from around 145 to over 370.
History of the 350 Chevy Engine
The Chevy 350 is part of the Chevrolet small-block engine family, a series of V8 engines dating back to the mid-1950s and debuting in 1955 Corvettes and Bel Airs.
You have chief engineer and general manager Ed Cole to thank for that. This is the guy who developed the Corvair and revolutionized the American auto industry, pioneering the budding muscle car design.
Stock car racers fell in love with the small-but-powerful engine and nicknamed it “Mighty Mouse.” The engine went through a few generations of evolution before finally developing into the 350 in the late 1960s and debuting in the 1967 Camaro.
Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, the 350’s mix of small size and big power made it a standard feature in muscle cars and racers like the Corvette, Camaro and Trans Am. This engine was the platform on which many drag racers were built.
After fourteen generations, Chevy small-blocks were officially retired in the early 2000s in favor of newer, more energy-efficient engines, with the final 350 being sold as a “Vortec 5700” option in full-size GM vans like the Chevrolet Express.
There’s a lot to be said for fuel-efficiency, but you can’t beat the rumble of a 350 (well, actually 348.5, but 350 is easier to remember)-cubic-inch V8.
Which Models Have a 350 Chevy Engine?
The original 350, the L-48, debuted in the 1967 Super Sport Camaro, and then found its way into the Nova, Caprice, Impala, El Camino, and Chevelle. It even made it to Australia where it powered the 69-74 Holden Monaro and the 71-74 Statesman.
Starting in 1967, you can expect to find a 350 in just about any Camaro or Corvette. It’s also been used in a number of Malibus, Impalas, and the Pontiac Firebird from 1987 to 1992.
For much of the 1980s and early 1990s, the 350 was the go-to for Chevy police cruisers like the 1991 Caprice.
By the late ’90s, the golden age of the American muscle car had come to a close and the final run of 350s, the Vortec 5700, aka the L31, a 5.7L V8 truck engine, was mostly used in vans like the Chevrolet Express and the GMC Savana.
The engine was officially retired in 2002, but you can find modified 350s still being used today to build watercraft engines under the RamJet 350 name.
General Motors have announced the production of a new line of modernized 350s, but it seems that these engines will be used to maintain classics rather than to build whole new models.
People Also Ask These Questions About the Chevy 350
What Year is the Best Chevy 350 Engine?
This one is largely a matter of opinion. If you want to know which engine is technically the best, that’s the Vortec 5700 you’ll find in 2002 models.
Some drivers love the 1992 L98, a relatively fuel-efficient rebuild of the engine with aluminum cylinder heads. But this one maxes out at 250 horsepower, so for peak muscle-car power you want the 1970-75 LT-1 performance mode.
How Much Power Can You Get Out of a Chevy 360?
With the right upgrades like performance exhaust and high-flow air filter and intake, you can get up to 375. Beyond that, you’re gonna blow the engine.
Is There a 350 Big Block Engine?
Yes, the 350 B-Series. You’ll find these in a number of 1958 Plymouth and Dodge cars. These will pass 400 hp.
Are 350 Engines Reliable?
350s are considered by some to be the most reliable engine ever made. In their day they were the king of the drag strip, but they could handle towing and off-roading. They even put a 350 in the Oscar-Meyer Wienermobile, and you’ve seen the size of that thing.
How Much HP Does a Cam Add to a 350?
One of the best ways to upgrade the power in your 350 is to take the 2G out and put a Q-Jet in its place. This can bring the horsepower up a good 30 hp.
