Customer Reviews

How to Rebuild the Small-Block Chevrolet (S-A Design Workbench Series)

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This book is full of typos and editorial errors. There are many instances where the text describes something happening in the picture, but there's no picture at all that's relevant to what's being described. Even more points where a the text describes something in a picture with a direction like (left) or (arrow), but there's absolutely nothing there. In addition, you might be given a page number to look up some tidbit of information, only to turn to that page and find there's something completely different there.

The first part of the book, disassembly, references Snap-On tool numbers repeatedly, while completely ignoring the other "professional" tool vendors, or even giving an alternative that the DIY-er might actually be able to find. There's even a page and a half devoted to Snap-On tools. I'm not sure if I've purchased a rebuild manual or a Snap-On brochure.

This book is also good for 1955-1985 engines. While the changes were mentioned, there's very little information on the changes and what to do about them, like roller lifters and the one-piece rear seal. There's more information on the 1955 & 1956 engines, which you'll likely never encounter anymore, than for the 1986-1995 engines, which are everywhere. It even goes so far as to say to "consider upgrading to a roller lifer and camshaft package".

All in all, if you've rebuilt engines and are just looking for general guidelines on a small-block Chevy rebuild, then this book might work for you. If you've never rebuilt engines, and this is your guiding hand, then you'll probably be disappointed by the misinformation.