BBF = Big Block Ford. Any abbreviation with the first two letters either being a SB or BB, that means "small block" and "big block," respectively. The third letter stands for the make of the motor whether it be Ford (F), Chevy (C), Mopar (M), etc.
Stay away from anything Big Block related until you understand how an engine works. Big Blocks often require very expensive parts, custom machining, and lots of experience.
I'll tell you the best thing to do, that I wish someone told me to do when I first wanted to "learn" about cars and motors. I'll assume you want to learn about Fords: Go to a junkyard and find a blown up, old, rusted, whatever 289 or 302, and take the whole motor home with you. Buy a nice engine stand and a come-along, and very slowly, carefully, and studiously, take everything apart. See how it works inside. Try to make sense of all the moving parts. Measure every single clearance between all objects (mainly objects moving in the cylinders), and through reading and asking questions, try to determine what shape the motor is in. I found this to be the biggest help for me to understanding how the insides of a motor work together.
Joe
