When it comes to small-block Chevrolet blocks, the names “Motown” and “World Products” have always been at the top of everyone’s list when discussing iron aftermarket blocks. Once again, World Products has made improvements to its Motown line of engine blocks, resulting in the new Motown III block design. It might seem odd that revisions and improvements are still being made for an engine family that has been around for seven decades, but the Gen-I small-block Chevrolet engine design is still alive and kicking in the aftermarket.

Made from high-density cast-iron The Motown III has the standard 9.025-inch deck height of the SBC platform. However, one of the design improvements of the third generation is an additional .100-inch of deck thickness in the casting, allowing for increased strength as well as the ability to bring the deck height down to 8.800 inches. The Motown III also has the ability to accept both traditional SBC camshafts as well as step-nose-style cams.

Not all of the improvements are based on sheer performance, but also an increase in machinability, as evidenced by the cast-in hone reliefs at the bottom of the cylinders. This is designed to simplify the machining process, saving time and money. Like the previous generations of Motown blocks, the maximum bore is still 4.185 inches and the cylinders are notched to accept up to a 4.00-inch-stroke crankshaft.

The Motown III retains the priority-main oiling system of previous generations, and the crossfeed lines between the left and right lifter oil galleries. The block can be configured for both wet- and dry-sump oiling configurations, and comes with nodular iron main caps using 7/16-inch studs, with billet caps available. This new variant of the Motown block brings the small-block Chevy platform firmly into the 2020s.