What is the difference between an engine short block and a long block?
Engines are comprised of two halves. The bottom half of an engine, which houses the crankshaft, pistons, and other engine block parts, is commonly referred to as the short block. A long block includes the short block – or bottom half of the engine – plus the top half as well. The top half, commonly referred to as the cylinder head(s), contains the valves, sometimes the camshaft and other cylinder head parts.
