Mopar Engine I.D.

B CHRYLER Big Blocks

350 "B" Engine

1958 • 4.06" bore x 3.38" stroke
It may be hard to believe, but Chrysler built a 350 V8 some 9 years before the "Brand X" 350 arrived. The 1-year-only engine was considered a little brother to the 361. The Dodge Ram Fire version with single 4-bbl made 295 horsepower, while Plymouth's Golden Commando made 305 hp using two Carter 4-bbls.

361 "B" Engine

1958-66 • 4.12" bore x 3.38" stroke
Chrysler's new-for-'58 "B" engine faced the unenviable task of replacing the early Hemi as the company's biggest power producer. But, through solid engineering and modern (for the time) production techniques, the 361 proved up to the task. Although on the small end of the big-block scale, the 361 did pave the way for larger displacement engines in the years to come. Performance was good right out of the box, with a little-known electronically fuel-injected version making over 330 horsepower. While the later engines tend to grab most of the big-block glory, it all started with the 361.

383 "B" Engine

1959-71 • 4.25" bore x 3.38" stroke
For 1959, Chrysler engineers opened the bore of the 361 up to 4.25", a jump of almost 1/8", and the 383 was born. Destined to become the workhorse big block, the 383 struck a fine balance between power, reliability and (relative) economy of operation -- with an emphasis on power. A dual 4-bbl version released in 1963 was conservatively rated at 340 horsepower. By 1968, the single 4-bbl Super Commando 383 was rated (again conservatively) at 335 hp and was the standard engine in the new Road Runner, which became one of the most popular muscle cars ever built. Rarely the "star of the lineup", the 383 was nevertheless the standard bearer of Chrysler's big block family.

400 "B" Engine

1972-78 • 4.34" bore x 3.38" stroke
The largest of the short-stroke "B" engines, the 400 was a late arrival on the big-block scene. Designed with an eye on the unleaded gas/low emissions future, the 400 was created by enlarging 383's bore to 4.34". Compression ratios were kept low on the 400 since the engine was engineered to replace the base 383 in non-performance applications. That's not to say a 400 can't be built to perform, however. The big-bore/short-stroke combination is a sure recipe for horsepower, if blessed with some compression and a decent set of heads, since the engine can be revved without encountering the high piston speeds faced by long-stroke engines.