How Much HP Does A Chevy 632 Big Block Have & How Much Does The Crate Engine Cost?

The 632 cubic-inch big-block, the most powerful engine Chevy has ever built, is available among the automaker's ZZ crate engine lineup as the ZZ632/1000 DELUXE. Carrying Chevrolet part number 19432060, the tall-deck cast iron big-block V8 features 4.60-inch diameter cylinders and a 4.75-inch forged-steel crankshaft stroke. The billet steel camshaft works with hydraulic roller lifters, providing up to 0.782 inches of lift with up to 287 degrees of duration at 0.050-inch lift or more. Peak horsepower for the Chevy ZZ632/1000 occurs at 6,600 rpm with a rating of 1,004 hp, while maximum torque comes in at 5,600 rpm with 876 lb-ft, all without the aid of forced air induction.

Titanium 2.450-inch diameter intake valves, housed in aluminum cylinder heads, draw the 93 octane or higher fuel mixture, provided by 86-pound-per-hour fuel injectors, into the cylinders through a 4500-style throttle body and aluminum high-rise single-plane intake manifold. During the compression stroke, the forged aluminum alloy pistons compress the fuel-air mixture into the cylinder heads' 70cc combustion chambers at a 12.0:1 nominal compression ratio. On the exhaust stroke, spent gas is pushed out past 1.8-inch diameter titanium exhaust valves.

Chevrolet offers an extensive lineup of performance power plants, from the popular LS3 crate engine with 430 horsepower to the 460-hp LT1, and 638-hp LS9. While Chevrolet doesn't list official prices on its website, authorized retailers such as Gandrud Performance Parts do, and they are as high as you'd likely expect.

Gandrud Performance Parts lists the Chevrolet ZZ632/1000 suggested retail price at $42,224.81 but has that marked out and a lower price of $32,935 on display. While that's more than the cost of a number of new cars in 2024, getting over a 1,000-horsepower engine backed by Chevrolet could be worth the price.

If you're simply looking to refresh your LS3-powered GM car without the hassle of waiting for an engine rebuild, a 430-hp LS3 long block could work well and is reasonably priced at around $6K. Compare that to nearly $10K for the complete LS3 crate engine. Take the word "complete" here with a grain of salt, as there are some things you should know about crate engines. Most performance crate engines are not designed as direct replacements for any car, so you'll likely need extra parts like wiring harnesses, adapters, modified engine mounts, and so on. Crate engines are complete in the sense that they have everything required for them to run, as long as you have everything else required for them to operate in the vehicle.