While wandering the rows at PRI we saw our pals at Mast Motorsports and dropped into to see what was new in their horsepower building lives. Spotting what looked to be an 8.1L Chevy big block, we asked the guys what parts they were making for the engine which has not been well supported by the aftermarket. As it turns out, we were not looking at an 8.1L engine at all but a scratch built, 8.8L piece that is poised to fill a void in the market right now because GM is no longer building any new gasoline burning big blocks. 

The dudes we mum on power numbers, but this baby is designed to be a torquer. The one vague piece of information we got out of them is that this engine is cranking more than 500 lb/ft before 2,000 RPM. Interestingly, the markets that are being targeted with this engine are not necessarily the typical high performance ones targerted by Mast with their other engines.

The display engine was actually intended to power a generator and had the mondo cast iron bell housing to prove it. After undergoing lots of government and emmissions testing, this engine will hopefully be certified for use as a service replacement engine for 8.1L gas big blocks in Chevy and GMC trucks.

We want to see one with a Whipple blower on it spinning a dyno at the first possible moment making bulldozer-like grunt.

It looks like an 8.1 but it ain’t an 8.1! Here are a few photos below.