Stump Puller!

Procharged 489-inch Big-block Chevy is all

- By Steven Rupp. Photography by Steve Brule

Everyone knows Steve Brule from his co-hosting duties on MotorTrend’s Engine Masters show. While that always gets us thinking about cars, Brule’s other hobby is boats. Yep, Brule just loves a fast boat. That may be one reason a lot of very fast boat engines roll through Westech Performance’s dyno cell doors. We get that boat engines are built a bit different compared to the automotive versions, but they are far more alike than they are different. Most of those differences are designed to help the engine survive living in a marine environment. The overall principles of building them, and of making power, are the same. And while they aren’t built to be flung into the land of high rpm, they are built to deliver tons of torque. So with all that in mind, let’s check out a sweet Procharged 489 big-block boat mill that would be a great engine, even in a car.

01 Starting with a GM Gen-VI block, the bores were opened up and a stroker Lunati crank, Calles rods, and blower-friendly Race Tech pistons were added to the mix. The short-block was then topped with Brodix BB2-Plus 312 aluminum heads for a pump-gas-friendly compression ratio. The valvetrain is a solid roller deal from Comp, and the cam came in at 255/262 degrees duration with 0.651-inch lift and an idle-happy LSA of 114. Rockers are Comp Pro Magnums along with their Sportsman lifters.