By Dave Ashton
For those who believe there is no replacement for displacement, Chevrolet has a rare treat for y’all. A new crate powerplant packing 1,004 hp and 876 lb-ft of torque, via a 632-cubic-inch/10-liter V8 block.
In the muscle car world, Dodge has held the power crown for some time with the 840 horsepower Demon model. Then Dodge upped the ante with the Hellephant crate engine, producing 1,000 hp. Now it’s the turn of Chevrolet with their new ZZ632/1000 crate engine. It may only have 4 hp more than the Hellephant, but differs tremendously in design. The Chevy engine has opted to go for a free-breathing 10 liters design, rather than Dodge using a 6.2L V8 and a supercharger to make up the power levels. The Chevy incarnation also runs on 93 octane pump gas.
The Chevrolet ZZ632/1000 Gritty Details
As you would expect from this type of engine, it takes a tried and tested formula, with old-school sensibilities, then adds on top modern design techniques. The engine block is hewn from cast iron, with more or less the same mold as the ZZ572 crate engine, just made bigger to fit in the 632 cubic inch capacity. The bore is 0.040 inch larger than the 572-cubic-inch ZZ572 V8, and has a stroke that is 0.375 inch longer.
Power in the ZZ632 crate engine hits its power peak at 6,600 rpm, and tops out at 7,000 rpm. There is no direct injection here, instead, the engine uses eight-port injectors going through high-flow aluminum cylinder heads with symmetrical ports. The port heads have been given a special codename by GM – RS-X, after Ron Sperry who came up with the design after his 50-year stint at General Motors.
For the general specs of the engine, please see the bottom of the page.
The next pertinent question is which unsuspecting car is going to have this beast of an engine dropped into it? Silly sized engines require a certain level of controlled recklessness, with the job of pairing engine to car going to Hoonigan. The car they have chosen or have been thrown their way is a 3rd generation Camaro Z/28, which has apparently been part of Chevy’s development fleet since the 1990s. The task here is to get the car kinda ready in 3 weeks for the 2021 SEMA Show. Check out the video below to see where the guys are up to with the build….
As for this post’s title question of if the ZZ632/1000 is better than the Hellephant is really quite subjective. One thing’s for sure, there will be some sort of drag race in the future between these two crate engines. We just need two parties who are mad enough or brave enough to put a spectacle like that together.
Chevrolet Performance ZZ632/1000 Specs
Displacement: 632 cu in (10,348 cc)
Bore x Stroke: 4.60 x 4.75 in
Compression Ratio: 12.0:1
Power: 1,004 hp @ 6600 rpm
Torque: 876 lb-ft @ 5600 rpm
Maximum Recommended Engine Speed: 7,000 rpm
Block: Tall Deck 632 Bowtie Sportsman, cast iron, four-bolt main caps
Cylinder Heads: RS-X Symmetrical Port, CNC-machined aluminum
Crankshaft: Forged steel
Connecting Rods: Forged steel
Pistons: Forged aluminum
Fuel: Electronic port injection
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