Where’s the very best place to get info on your favorite speed parts? From the folks who designed, tested, and built them, of course! Our buddies at The Block recently sat down with Chevrolet Performance Parts Engineer, Mr. Rocko Parker. He’s a hardcore drag racing enthusiast himself, and played a major role in designing many of the LSX performance parts. In fact, we had the chance to talk with Parker ourselves a while back to get the skinny on the entire LSX Cylinder Head line up.   

The Block will be doing a series of interviews with Parker on the components found in the most powerful crate engine that Chevy Performance offers – the beastly 454LSXR. This first installment is all about he the LSX Bowtie Block which serves as the foundation of the LSX454R. “This block is guaranteed up to 2,000hp, so if you’re trying to make a lot of power this is the block for you,” he says.  

Parker tells The Block that the Chevrolet Performance team started with the LS7’s block when they designed the LSX Bowtie block, but manufactured it with cast iron that offers almost twice as much tensile strength as any production block. This incredible increase in strength along with the extra cylinder head mounting bolts team up to handle the astronomical cylinder pressures that power-adders can create.

Parker adds that the LSX Bowtie Block uses 4.185-inch CNC machined Siamese bores to squeeze in those extra head bolts, but this does lead to a trade-off. The Siamese bores and cast iron need ample chances too cool down, meaning the LSX Bowtie block is really meant for use on the street or drag strip. Parker tells The Block, “It can definitely take hours of use, but not something like a boat, needing 300 hours at wide open throttle. You really need to allow the engine to cool down.”

Parker finishes up the interview by telling The Block that he’d personally put a 454LSXR in a ’69 Camaro and hit the drag strip. How would you use one of these 750 horsepower beasts?