Mouse Muscle: 10 Potent Hop-Up Packages for Your Small Block Chevy

The small block Chevy engine is now well-over 60 years old.

But you can keep your Mouse motor going thanks to an array of special performance packages. These packages include two or more items that have been custom matched by the performance experts at some of most-trusted brands. That means you get maximum small block power and performance for the money you spend.

Small block Chevys are affordable, accessible, and perform admirably. Same goes for some of the small block performance packages on the market. Here are 10 ways to hop up your Gen I small block:

Summit Racing Top End Engine Kits for Small Chevy

These kits are an affordable way to help your small block breathe easier. You get a set of aluminum cylinder heads with 170cc intake runners. The heads are matched with a Summit Racing aluminum intake manifold to generate a dyno-proven 409 peak horsepower at 3,800 rpm. The package comes with:

• Aluminum cylinder heads (170cc intake runners)
• Summit Racing aluminum intake manifold
• Summit Racing hydraulic camshaft and lifters
• True roller double timing chain
• Engine gaskets
• Engine fasteners and hardware
• Pushrod length checker

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Trick Flow 500HP Super 23 Top-End Engine Kits for Small Block Kit

If you’re worried less about affordability and more about big performance, the Trick Flow Super 23 kit is the next step up. Trick Flow did all the component matching, tweaking, and tuning, so the package delivers 500-plus dyno-proven horsepower the easy way! It’s built around Trick Flow’s high-flowing Super 23 small block heads with 195cc intake runners and includes:

• Hydraulic roller cam
• Roller rocker arms
• Timing set
• Engine gaskets
• Engine fasteners and hardware

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Summit Racing Triple 2-Barrel Combo

Summit Racing offers this special combo for street rods, open-hood applications, or anyone who wants a different look atop their small block. It combines a CNC-profiled dual-plane, medium-rise intake manifold with three 2-barrel Holley carburetors. The setup features 325 cfm carbs on the ends, with a 350 cfm carburetor in the middle. Fuel lines are also included.

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Summit Racing Horsepower TV Bang for the Buck Chevy Test

If you watch PowerNation on Saturday or Sunday mornings, you may have seen this nice little kit do its thing. On an episode of Horsepower TV, the kit powered the show’s 290-horsepower 350 Chevy test mule past the 300 horsepower threshold—304 horsepower to be exact. In fact, it netted an additional 19 ft.-lbs. of torque along with those 14 extra horses.

For a very reasonable price, you get:

• Summit Racing Stage 1 intake manifold
• Summit Racing remanufactured Quadrajet carburetor
• Summit Classic Camshaft and hydraulic lifters
• True roller timing set

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Summit Racing Engine Rotating Assembly Pro Pack

Need to rebuild the internals of your small block before adding power?

Lay the foundation for a mild street build with the Summit Racing Engine Assembly Pro Pack. It features a cast crankshaft, hypereutectic pistons, and forged connecting rods. It also includes piston rings, bearings, full gasket set, and oi pump. That’s everything you need to shore up your engine for future upgrades!

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Edelbrock Top End Power Packages

Edelbrock is the industry’s leading name in induction.

Now’s your chance to put the engineering expertise of Edelbrock to work for your engine. The company has custom-matched a set of cylinder heads with the optimum cam profile and intake manifold to create extra, usable power for your small block.

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Eagle Street Performance Rotating Assemblies

If you’re considering going the stroker route for your engine, Eagle Specialty Products can help you bypass some of the potential clearance pitfalls. Its rotating assemblies for stroker applications feature individual components that work in concert to deliver the displacement you want—from 355 cubic inches up to 413 CID. Eagle says the rotating kits are perfect for up to 500 horsepower.

The assemblies include:

• Cast steel crankshaft
• I-beam connecting rods
• Hypereutectic pistons and rings
• Engine bearings

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Dart SHP Special High Performance Aluminum Top-End Kits

Dart SHP packages are a slightly different take on the top-end kit. You get a set of aluminum heads, dual-plane intake, and set of chrome valve covers. Dart offers a couple of different options, including 64cc or 72cc combustion chamber choices, depending on how much compression you want to run. It comes complete with all valvetrain hardware and engine gaskets for an easy installation.

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FAST EZ-EFI Multi-Port Complete Fuel Injection Systems

Looking to swap out that traditional small block carb for fuel injection?

Companies like FAST have taken a lot of the heartache and hassle out of the process with complete EFI systems that use hand-held computers or software to complete the conversion. This FAST EZ-EFI system allows you to install a multi-port setup for maximum fuel economy, power, and performance. It includes the following components:

• Single-plane EFI manifold
• EZ-EFI multi-port kit
• 4-barrel throttle body
• Fuel pump kit
• Fuel rails
• Fuel injectors to support up to 1,000 horsepower (depending on the kit)
• All necessary sensors
• Hand-held tuning display

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PerTronix Complete Ignition System Packages

PerTronix makes complete ignition packages that’ll ensure your powerplant is getting the spark it needs. They include a plug-and-play billet distributor with Ignitor II ignition module and vacuum advance. The included Pertronix Second Strike ignition box produces a second spark throughout the entire rpm range to fosters better throttle response, improved overall performance, and better fuel economy.

The PerTronix Complete Ignition System Packages are rounded out with a 45-volt ignition coil and low-resistance spark plug wires.