Technical Engines

To rebuild what you have or opt for a crate engine, I know it's a personal preference & some engines are no longer available as a replacement engine.

I've built a lot of hot rods over the years and pulled & replaced a lot of engines, most have been rebuilt with good results and I have had only one crate engine, a 330 horse 350 which has been a great engine.

What do you guys prefer, rebuild or new replacement? HRP

 

Never had a crate engine! Always built what I could find used. Flatheads, 265, 283, 327 and 3 350's. Other than my first two 70's 350 having cracked blocks all has worked out real well and not all that expensive!

 

Never used a crate engine either yet. I wont say I never will, but till now it was always easier and more interesting to just rebuild what I already had.

 

never had the budget for a crate engine, im kinda into y blocks, olds, cad, flatheads etc anyway, i feel like a unique old engine adds character

 

Oliver has a good point...That's another reason I never used one yet: they don't make new 283s, 327s, 312s, 394s and 401s and if they did, I probably could not afford one...

 

I'm old, fat and lazy
Crate enging for me

 

Crate engines are for customers

 

I have installed a lot of crate engines but never bought one.
Can't afford one, I just look for the best used parts to build something.

 

I guess it depends on what you deem a crate motor. I've never bought a new motor from Summit, etc., but I used a commercially rebuilt engine from a regional shop that had a good reputation on the Mustang I built a few years back. I took the engine I removed from the Mustang and had the machine work done here in town and built it myself; that engine is now in my '51 sedan. When it was all said and done I spent real close to the same amount on each engine. Building it myself allowed me to choose the cam and valve train parts I wanted in it.

I'm planning on either a 283 or 327 in my next project so I'm figuring I will build it.

 

Crate is what I stand on; to lean over the fender ,while I'm trying to bring an old engine back to life.

 

Years ago, I needed a 350 for my O/T Suburban. My wife worked at the local Chevy dealer, so I got a great deal on a 10067353 crate 350. It’s been a great engine, after the warranty was up, I installed a Melling MTC-1 cam and lifters. Woke it right up. When the Burb finally died of rust, I pulled the 350 and 700R-4 out and they are both waiting on the next project.


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Well; I guess I'm the odd man out here.

For me it was entirely an economic decision. When the 283 in Clarence was pretty tired I went to see Elson, my local machinist. I asked him how much he would charge me to bore the bare block and provide/install pistons and rings. He told me he would not tell me. I asked why and his response was" you can call Summit or Jegs and get a crate motor cheaper than I can bore and provide/install pistons and rings. So I bought a brand new GM crate 350 and it was on the UPS dock 2 days later. Added bonus is warranty and more HP.

I realize that this only works for SBC engines, as they are about dirt cheap crate engines. For just about anything else the rebuild would cost less.

From a sentimental and traditional perspective I would have preferred to rebuild the 283. It came from a '66 Impala that my grandmother bought new right after my grandfather died. Unfortunately while Sherry and I are not destitute we still have to count the pennies. I've still got the 283 in the shop and hope to rebuild it and use it somewhere down the line. Maybe I can find oversize pistons at a swap meet and just have Elson do the boring on the block.

 

He is moving his shop to his house in Ashland.

 

I build all of mine. I then know exactly how it's put together, it's clearances and what parts are inside.

On the above, if you can buy a crate cheaper than he bores and piston and rings on a sbc he's charging entirely too much...

 

The only crate motor I ever bought was in 1973. I bought a ZLX 427 open chamber cast iron block version of the ZL1 aluminum engine that was available for the 69 Camaro . Paid $780.00 for it.
Went down to the local Chevrolet dealer and they had it in stock. It was during the gas shortage and high performance was taboo. They thought it would never come back and they were dumping everything they had. 350-370 hp long blocks were $ 575.00.
If I hadn't of had orders for Vietnam I would have spent my whole re-enlistment bonus on engines.

 

I have always built my own engines. I built the late 350 that will go in my daughters 42 Chevy cheaper than I could have bought a crate engine

 

Building a 283 is not like building a 350

 

As I'm currently out of the SBC business and back into Pontiacs. I wouldn't know where to buy a crate engine. The engine in my Bubbletop is a later model 389 thats .030 over, super performance cam and FI Tech induction.

 

A crate is for packing shit in.................

 

I have and rebuilt most of the engines that I used in my projects over the years but my present 32 Chevy has a new factory Chev 350 ZZ4 short block to which I added a number of performance mods including Fast burn heads and a GM performance cam that was as hot as I could go without fly cutting the pistons and reworking the valve spring seats to prevent coil bind. (Little known fact is that GM performance cams were manufactured by Crane Cams before they went out of business and were bought by S&S Cycle ) Even though all of the parts were new I still did all of the engine work myself and the reason I went with this setup was that I was managing a GM service,parts and body shop at the time so I was able to sell the parts to myself at cost so it made a hell of a lot of sense at the time. I must say that it is nice to start with everything new and not having to go through all of the checking and cleaning and machine wort that is often associated with reconditioning a used engine. Either way as long as everything is done correctly and you pay attention detail you should end up with something that gets the job done and gets the old heap headed down the road.

 

Years ago I bought a crate sbc for an old work truck, it was a great value, time and money wise. Recently I bought a crate 383 435HP for my 56 Belair, once again I feel it was a good value all things considered. I’ve got a bunch of sbc parts on hand so I plan on building the next mill for the 57 vette. I’ve built a bunch of motors in the past but with the crate motors getting so cost effective this may be my last one.

 

I do like the idea of a seasoned block to start with.

 

In the past I would go to one of 3 wrecking yards and buy a low mileage 327 and just clean, paint and dress it up. Maybe a cam. They all ran great. If I had to build one today I would look for a 265,283 or 327 and rebuild it. Right now I have two flatheads that have been rebuilt and they both run very good. Not a fan of the crate motors, just because they are new.

 

To my knowledge the vast majority of crate engines use a seasoned block.

 

I have always built my own engines! Until I bought a OT '86 Ply van with a miss in the engine (valve, cam?). I bought it into a engine rebuilder a couple doors down from us at work, because I was to busy with work, and making good money. I had them pull it, and totally go through it. I got it back, and gave it to the wife to drive. I was driving my '47 KB2. About 3 weeks later it was smoking, I don't mean puffing. I took it back to him, he re-rebuilt the head, it was good for a few more weeks, and then it was smoking again. He then pulled the engine, and went through it again, about 350 miles later, again it was smoking, and I was getting pissed. He pulled the head again, but didn't help, so he replaced the head, and brought it back, and asked if I would sign off on the warranty since it's been such a problem! I looked at him laughed, while closing the door! I am really not liking this van anymore! I told the wife if it doesn't smoke, it's going! And out the door it went! I have never, and will never have anyone assemble a engine for me again!

Pat

 

That’s definitely a thing of the past!

 

You are telling me. I use to pay $150. Thing of the past for sure.

 

don't forget I have a few 283's and a couple 327 in stock when your ready to dump those boat anchors.

 

30 years ago I bought the highest HP crate motor that Chevy ever had, 3965774, for $2700. Immediately took it all apart and turned it into a blower motor. I put a whole bunch of miles on it, and the short block is in my old truck now with a pair of oval port heads I got in 1980.

But that's the only crate motor I've ever bought for myself. I mostly like building stuff, and buying it already built would take some of the fun out of it for me.

 

Myself , I like to rebuild a seasoned block , rather than new stuff . I worked at 2 dealers years ago and new stuff wasn’t all that good that I saw . That was over 40 years ago . I’m sure quality controls have advanced way above where they were years ago also . Well let’s hope so anyway !