So I'm sick of being that guy who go's to work on his car and ends up breaking shit, and calling on my friends to help put it all back together. (thanks scotty and chris) Iv been into old cars way to long to suck this bad. Anyway i'm doing something about it, Iv decided to find a tired old engine and rebuild it. I'm thinking of going the SBC route (i know ya'll don't like them) but I'm thinking the "cooler" harder to find, way more expensive to build engines are out of my league. My question is, is there any one in the Austin area that has a rebuildable SBC? Any advice on what to look for and what to stay away from when purchasing a used engine would be greatly appreciated. thanks for taking the time to read and maybe respond to this.
dont get sucked into the whole 4 bolt vs 2 bolt main argument.... Unless you are going to get crazy, a 2 bolt main will do just fine!
Go to the local salvage yard and pick one up there . Those place do guarantee their engine . You can always buy one from a running car or look on Craigs/l . Just NEVER buy an engine where they say " Ray when it was pulled" ! That means it needs rebuilt . Just a few questions , What are you going to put the engine in ? Is it a daily driver or a toy to play with ? Is there a preference on what engine brand you want ? Do you want a V8 or 6 cyl or 4 cyl ? Do you have a running engine or anything to start with ? Last the big question , How much is your budget for the build ? RetroJim
thanks. is a salvage yard a good place to get a motor? oh and allengator, the difference in 2 to 4 bolt is how many are holding the crank shaft in place right? or am i way off?
get a running engine, take it apart, see what it needs, figure out how much you can afford to do to it, and do it. Read up first, there are several good "how to rebuild your engine" books on the market now. I had to figure this stuff out on my own when I was a kid. First one ran pretty good.
thanks jim. im just gonna build one to learn on. my olds has a 324 so i would make sense to build an other one for a back up, but the master kit is 1800$ and im not wanting to learn on somthing so hard to find and expensive to build. thats why im leaning toward an SBC
Find an older Craigslist car with a bad transmission, collision damage, etc but a good running motor. Some smaller RVs have 350s - they are typically low mile but older (carb'ed) and complete.
Check Craigslist. You might want to look into a inline 6 to rebuilt. Fewer holes, fewer things to mess up. Just a thought. My first was a mopar 273 and I did learn a lot, but I had people that gave great advise. A bunch was from this site.
Try to find a shop that will let you hang out a little and watch. A small shop might be more inclined to let you do this than a larger one but it really just depends on the people involved. Chevys are more common and cheaper but not necessarily easier since the same basic principals apply to most everything.
Dude, just because a "master kit" is $1800 doesn't mean it's an expensive motor to rebuild...I don't know about anyone else, but I have NEVER bought any "kit" to rebuild a motor, like squirrel said, buy a running motor (a 324 Olds in your case), figure out what it needs and what your budget can afford and replace those parts...for instance, you get a running 324 Olds, and it needs pistons, rings, main and rod bearings and gaskets...go to Egge.com or any other parts supplier, buy those parts and have the block cleaned and honed by a local machine shop and put it back together with some help from a friend that has done it...oh, and always replace rod, main and head bolts during a rebuild...use your noggin and some ingenuity and not some stupid master rebuild kit and you can probably have a rebuilt or warmed up 324 Olds for under the $1800 of the stupid master kit...
Do you have a use for this rebuild project? That alone is a great motivator and beats just building an engine for the heck of it, but it can be a good experience. I agree with finding a running specimen with all the parts intact. if you have plans on dropping it into something, get one with all the brackets, starter, flywheel, pulleys, etc. It'll save you a ton of mix and match woes later. I used to build all my Chevy engines out of the Chevy parts catalog or with over the counter items from a decent auto parts store. Get the engine, strip it down, clean, bag & tag all the hardware. Take pictures if you want to. Then take the details, crank, rods, block, heads to a auto machine shop and have them inspected and cleaned. From there you can decide on boring and replacing worn parts and so on. Even if you get the block cleaned up and made ready for new parts, you can keep it under wraps and buy parts a little at a time and assemble it at your leisure. Bob
I would highly recommend enrolling in a local community college engine rebuilding class. That's what I did, and it was awesome. It wasn't all that expensive, and you have access to TONS of great tools that only jay leno can afford.... Lifts, Blasting Cabinets, Micrometers, Valve Grinders, Parts Washers, DYNO's etc..... My teacher was really knowledgable (used to be in a funny car pit crew) and always willing to help. The reason I recommend a community college or junior college, is because they commonly have "continuing education" classes (basically fun classes that aren't meant for people who are going for professional certifications. And they usually have night classes. Great way to learn stuff. Most just ask you to bring your own engine..... that way you have something to show for yourself at the end of the class. I know it probably wasn't the advice you were looking for, but it's the best advice I could give.
If you get one from a wreck, LOL, it was running when it was done in. I got mine as a freeby to have it hauled away. Cleaned it up, new seals and gaskets and its a runner. Had a 5sp bolted to the back of it (bonus)
I'd go along with reading up on engine rebuilding for the type of engine that you intend to run. What ever engine I wanted to swap in I'd be hunting for a running and at least somewhat drivable doner car. As for 350 Chevs there are still plenty of those Big square 70's and early 80's Impalas and Caprice four doors floating around in most areas. Also the same era Chev and GMC pickups and vans. Another option for the Olds might be a 350 R out of an Olds about the same years. I'd say 81 and earlier to stay away from the computer controlled rigs on any of them. You can check Craigslist an the little nickle papers but guys usually want too much for the ones they advertise there. Just keep an eye out for ones with for sale signs on them that look like likely candidates. Bad paint, cracked windshield and or so so tires are what you are usually hunting for. The reasons a lot of us say to get a runner are: you can make sure that there no internal water leaks like cracked heads. Check the coolant for discoloration like a stop leak would make. You get all the extra pieces that you end up having to pay extra for when you buy most engines out of a wrecking yard. That is alternator, starter, manifolds, trans and various other things you will have to run out and buy if you start with a somewhat bare engine hauled home in the back of the pickup. Then you can sell off the left overs one way or another. Read up on rebuilding engines especially the type you intend to rebuild. There are a ton of books at any of the book stores like Hastings, Borders or Barnes and Noble that aren't that expensive or you can find them online. Make sure that you have a clean work area when you go to put the engine back together. I've seen way too many guys try to work on engines with way too much dirt and grime too close to the clean parts. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You can even pm some of us if you don't want to ask the question for everyone to see. It doesn't take long to figure out which of us give guys the straight no nonsense answers to help them and who usually gives bs answers that are no help in the least. And if you don't feel like keeping the engine that comes out of the Olds I imagine that there are guys in the Austin area who are hunting for an Olds Rocket about that year that will be tickled to buy it and maybe trade a good 350 Chev for it.
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