4-30-20 day for the 430 CanAm aluminum big block Chevy
 

4-30-20 day 430 CanAm aluminum big block Chevy

Even to this day, the 430 BB Chevy is not very well known. I see different info on these engines but from what I can tell, Chevy made the CanAm 430 from about 1968 to 1972.

The aluminum CanAm cast iron sleeve block used a large 4.440 in. bore siamese cyls design.
In 1968 it used a short stroke 3.47 in. crank to get 430 cu. in. and about 700hp on gas.

There was some info printed that the 430 Chevy was considered as a production engine for 1970 but was cancelled along with other 1970 engine options.

In 1969, it was available as a 430 cu in and also with 427 or 454 cranks to get a 465 or 495 cu in and over 750hp.

Chevy also built a Can Am block without the cast iron sleeves and they can go over 500 cu in.

Chevy engineering used the Can Am engine for research using the same siamese cyls design on the 400 cu in small block production engine.

The Alu engine block with no cast iron sleeves design was used in the Vega engine. They used a special cast iron coated piston to control wear.

The CanAm BB Chevy engine dominated CamAm racing late 60's to early 70's beating Ferrari, Porsche, and Ford, all who had more expensive exotic engines.

The 430 CamAm engine would rev like a 302 and was about the same weight installed.

Bill Grumpy Jenkins ran a CamAm engine in his 68 Camaro match racer and used that same 68 Camaro CanAm set-up to win the first ever Pro Stock race in 1970. Bill also ran the 430 in his 69 and 70 Camaro along with other engines.

A few other drag racers used the 430 Chevy.

here is a picture of Joe Frankel who ran one in a 69 Camaro back in the day and had "430 CanAm" painted on the door

Since it is a Big Block perhaps a better RPM/REV comparison would be to the L-88 right?

Joe, these deals got me thinking for many reasons:

1. Have a "052" ZL1 block, 074 and '198 intaked engine. I know that the "production" '69 ZL1's @ 427 inches with the way they left GM was around the 575Hp range. NOw my motor does surpass the 700Hp mark, but with the GM parts, it wasn't an easy job and did take some time to get there. I figure these 430 I know are smaller then mine, less compression and pretty sure heads DO NOT flow anywhere near as well as mine? They do have the injection and meth fuel I figure, just not sure that these 430 would go 700Hp?

2. I'm currently doing a aluminum 4.600 bore 3.75 stroke (GM L88 crank) motor for the street. I'm figuring that these old Can-Am motors were in the 12.5 to 1 range? So I'm thinking the compression being a point higher then mine is a 30Hp advantage for the CA motors over my 498. That should be taken care of by me running FULL rollerized valvetrain, better piston AND ring designs plus smaller better rings? I will guarantee that my 2019 designed heads, with raised ex ports, better chambers and intake runners, along with the Edelbrock RPM Air Gap intake, ported, will blow away the top end those CM motors had. And very doubtful that there running 730+ lift camshafts either?

With what we as a hobby know today. Formulas for weight/ET/MPH even Grumpys Pro Stock didn't make near 750Hp with the tunnelrams? I "almost" bought a Reynolds CA block block off a member here, IIRC it was 427King, and he talked me out of it due to the no steel bores.

One strange thing this has brought up. These old alum CA motors were ran hard in that era. Both blocks and heads were pushed. I find it perplexing that for there high-rev prolonged usage, there wasn't more carnage like the street guys seen? I'm sure there was some, but like you said, these motors were cleaning up in that series, so they must have lasted a full race, reving high and being pushed. Yet the street guys are pulling rocker studs with a couple 12 sec pulls???

Great information Joe. Thanks!!:biggthumpup:

From reading about the 430 Chevy , there were a few comments that it " would rev like a small block" or "rev like a 302".

I think they were taking about the short stroke or de-stroked dimensions , large bore to short stroke dimensions.

To get the SCCA legal 302 cubic inches, Chevrolet used 327 block and 283 crank so a 4.00" bore and a 3.00" stroke which was considered a short stoke for the 4 in bore size

similar to the 430 Chevy, that had a large 4.440 in. bore and 3.47 in. stroke vs the 427 L88 Bore and Stroke 4.251 in. x 3.760 in

I'm not an expert on the 1970 NHRA rules but read that 1970 Pro Stock was run on 7 HP per pound so the 430 Chevy could run in a 3010 lb Camaro.

by 1971 they were going into the mid 9s in NHRA Pro Stock so were making pretty good power on gas with tunnel ram 2x4bbs

the online ET-MPH-HP calculator says " Your HP is 693.88 computed from your vehicle weight of 3010 pounds and ET of 9.50 seconds"

The 430 CamAm engines were making good power also here is a youtube vid
Dyno Testing - 1973 McLaren Can-Am Big Block Chevy
where it pulls 750hp

They don't say if its a 430, 465, or 495 cu in engine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...ature=emb_logo

430 day...
 

I doubt any production ZL1 engine got near 575 hp. We worked with Bill Porterfield back in the '90s on a ZL1 dyno comparison. With a good tune up, open headers, no AIR pump, air cleaner or alternator it did 523 hp.

http://www.camaros.org/copo.shtml

Camaro High Performance has rebuilt several. With racing oil and modern rings, they see 550+hp.

I remember Bill Jenkins saying he switched to the CanAm Block because it was better than the ZL-1 Block. ZL-1 had bad core shift and blowby ring seal was bad. Jenkins just didnt like that Block period.

Very cool!!