My personal book collection contains about a dozen books on the topic of the Chevy small-block engine, a shamefully feeble amount compared to the mountains of books written over the years about Chevy's Mouse motor. Motorbooks alone offers twice that many small-block-related books in their current online catalog. One important book missing from my personal collection has been Chevrolet Small Block V-8 Interchange Manual by David Lewis. First published by Motorbooks 20 years ago, this is an exhaustive guide to building, rebuilding, or swapping the world's most popular engines. Lewis has written a lot more than a "how-to" book. Like the title says, this is a bona fide manual, packed more than 25,000 part numbers, specs, and applications, plus more than 300 diagrams, photos, charts, tables, and illustrations, covering every component from the manifold to the pan for small-blocks, specifically the later large-journal engines built between 1968 and 2001. Also included are chapters on ignition, lubrication and cooling, and emissions devices.
Of course, the Chevy small-block has seen a lot of additional changes since this book first came out in 1989 and Lewis has updated this 2nd Edition to include more recent technology and engines, including a chapter on the Vortec series cylinder heads and another chapter on LT1 and LT4 engines.
For $25, this is a great investment for anybody planning on working on one of the '68-'01 small-blocks, especially anyone facing the puzzle of interchangeable parts and uses. If that's you, Chevy Small-Block V-8 Interchange Manual 2nd Edition belongs in your shop alongside any factory manuals and guides you probably already own.
Chevy Small-Block V-8 Interchange Manual 2nd Edition
by David Lewis
Softcover 176 pages $24.99
www.motorbooks.com