Chevrolet Crate Engines Explained: 383 Stroker, 454 Big Block, 350 Crate Motor & More!

Chevrolet Crate Engines Explained. The complete guide to Chevy crate engines, from the 350 small block to the 1,004 horsepower ZZ632 and GM's eCrate electric conversion kits. Every current Chevrolet Performance family, compared in one place. UPDATE (2026): Chevrolet Performance has moved things around since I recorded this. The LT5 is GONE. Off the crate engine lineup entirely, not repriced or backordered. eCrate is now installer-only through Lingenfelter, needs a GM 4-speed automatic (4L60/65/70/75), supports Level 3 DC fast charging, CARB EO# B-88, and the battery alone weighs 947 lb. Corrected ratings: ZZ6 EFI is 420 hp / 408 lb-ft, HT383 is 323 hp / 444 lb-ft, LS376/515 is 533 hp / 477 lb-ft, LS376/525 is 525 hp / 486 lb-ft, ZZ572/720R makes 680 lb-ft. Warranty tiers: 24 months / 50,000 miles standard, 36 months / 50,000 on E-ROD, 12 months unlimited on transmissions bought separately. Correction: the LS3 6.2L uses rectangular LS3/L92-style heads, not cathedral ports. Common castings are 823 (LS3) and 821 (L92) with 2.165/1.59 valves. Thanks for the catch. WHAT IS COVERED Small block: 350 HO, SP350/357, SP350/385, ZZ6, ZZ6 EFI, HT383, HT383E, SP383, SP383 EFI Big block: ZZ427/480, 454 HO, ZZ454/440, HT502, 502 HO, ZZ502/502, SP502/605, ZZ572/620, ZZ572/720R, ZZ632/1000 LS and LSX: LS3, LS364/450, LS376/480, LS376/515, LS376/525, LS9, LSX376-B15, LSX454 LT: L8P, L8T, LT1, LT4 E-ROD, the CT racing series, Connect & Cruise turnkey packages, and eCrate THE THING NOBODY PUTS IN THE PRICE The engine is 40 to 60 percent of what a swap actually costs. Cooling, fuel delivery, the controller package, the transmission, motor mounts and exhaust are the rest. A $9,000 engine is rarely a $9,000 project. GO DEEPER Free written version of this breakdown, with spec tables: https://www.buildpriceoption.com/chev... The 454 on its own, 454 HO vs ZZ454/440, including what each one actually ships with: https://www.buildpriceoption.com/chev... Video:    • Chevy 454 Crate Engine Explained: 454 HO S...   THE BUYER'S GUIDE The Chevy Crate Engine Buyer's Guide compares all 55 current Chevrolet Performance engines across 8 families, with real part numbers, engine weights, assembly levels, what each advertised price leaves out, six worked build recipes and a printable cost worksheet. 111 pages, instant PDF. https://www.buildpriceoption.com/chev... CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:17 Overview 0:43 Chevy Crate Engine Buyers Guide 1:17 A Brief History of Chevy V8s 3:32 Engine Family Overview 5:41 Chevy Small-Block Crate Engines 6:13 350 HO Turnkey 6:33 SP350/357 Turnkey 6:50 SP350/385 Turnkey 7:09 ZZ6 Turnkey 7:28 ZZ6 EFI Turnkey 7:44 HT383 7:59 HT383E 8:10 SP383 Turnkey 8:27 SP383 EFI Turnkey 8:57 Chevy Big-Block Crate Engines 9:23 ZZ427/480 Deluxe 9:48 454 HO 10:10 ZZ454/440 10:34 HT502 10:58 502 HO 11:16 ZZ502/502 Deluxe 11:39 SP502/605 Deluxe 12:02 ZZ572/620 Deluxe 12:24 ZZ572/720R Deluxe 12:46 ZZ632/1000 Deluxe 13:31 Chevy LS & LSX Crate Engines 13:58 LS3 Crate Engine 14:30 LS364/450 Crate Engine 15:01 LS376/480 Crate Engine 15:27 LS376/515 Crate Engine 15:51 LS376/525 Crate Engine 16:17 LS9 Long Block 16:46 LSX376-B15 17:12 LSX454 18:00 Chevy LT Crate Engines 18:22 L8P Crate Engine 18:52 L8T Crate Engine 19:18 LT1 Crate Engine 19:53 LT4 Crate Engine 20:25 LT5 Crate Engine 21:16 Chevrolet E-ROD Crate Engines 21:29 E-ROD LT1 6.2L 21:48 E-ROD LT4 6.2L Supercharged 22:37 Chevrolet Racing Crate Engines 23:07 CT350 Crate Engine 23:33 CT400 Crate Engine 24:00 CT525 Crate Engine 24:30 525 RLB Crate Engine 25:14 Chevrolet Performance Connect & Cruise 26:58 Chevy eCrate Electric Conversion Kits 28:22 What Chevy Crate Engine Is Right for You? 29:04 Wrapping Up Subscribe for more deep-dive performance content:    / @buildyourown   #ChevroletCrateEngines #ChevyCrateEngines #383Stroker #BigBlockChevy #LS376 #454CrateEngine #BuildYourOwn