Had a terrible weekend, need advice on a crate engine

Keep the 327. Regardless of what others are saying, a Rambler 327 ain't got much in common with a SBC. Fix what ya got.

 

Do you have a link to the law. I don't really understand mandating used parts. And if you crank an engine on a run in stand before you put it in the car, it's technically a used engine.
Larry T

 

I thought it was going the other way. I saw a program on the SEMA show where GM was providing crate engines to meet California emission specs.

 

That's pretty funny right there. In Missouri it is against the law to out an engine in a car that is older than the car. IE you got an off topic '80 Camaro and you use a '79 block to build your new engine. You just broke the law.

 

Those valve covers lil john stuff / rodware units?

 

Is your PCV valve installed backwards???

 

Do the tests. Check out the internal breather baffle issue and road tube which is early 327. Do you get vacumm out of the base of the carb?? maybe wrong base gasket. You should know all the details of this rebuild. There is rebuilds and then there is spray can rebuilds. Valve work?? Heads milled?? Block bored?? Old or new pistons?? Cam bearings??Small journal or large journal 327?? Worst case if this guy is a shade tree, rings put in upside down.I presume you paid good $$$. As it looks, the rebuilder has 2 strikes against him. Might want to go eleswhere for second opinoin!!! 327 guts can go in a 350 block. ( Crank,rods and pistons) if you do have a cracked block, which is doubtful.

 

Gave you wrong info earlier I referred to a mag doing a build using a new Chevy engine. It was Car Craft and engine came from Scoggins Dickey Chevrolet I said Nickey at least I had the rhyme right.

 

ZZ4 crate engine

355 HP



Way more HP than you have with your existing set-up, Warranty, and trouble free

 

OK, this is how the weird rumors start, like a plague. Please cite the law you're referring to as the medicine to prevent the plague. Please don't tell us you heard it somewhere.

Maybe I read a different law, but the law that I read didn't say that at all. What the law did say is that your car will be inspected for emissions based on the year of engine manufacture.

 

Last roadside check I was involved in included a rectal cavity search, claimed they were looking for a "cat". Lucky for me they only found a gerbil.

 

Do you have a problem with the crankcase/pan being overfilled with oil ? You may have a dipstick tube/dipstick problem. With the oil level too high in the crankcase, the crank and rods will pick it up and blow it everywhere. The best gaskets and PCV system in the world will not contain it. Drain the pan, put 4qts. of oil in, run the engine.......pay no attention to what the dipstick says.

 

I would do a leakdown test on the motor.

This will tell you if you have excessive blow by or a failed headgasket.
It will also tell you the condition of the motor rings and valves
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-900010/

hope this helps

 

Kind of late here, but i think you probably have a lot of blow-by due to rings not seated (yet, hopefully they will seat, although should be seated pretty quick). Check your PCV is actually sucking vacuum to get the crankcase vapors out.

A compression test and especially leakdown test will really help define what is going on.

 

350 Heads on a 327 ?
i know everything is supposed to swap (mostly) on small blocks, but I would take a very close look at the interchange matching. beginning to sound like you MAY have a mismatch. with everything as described it may have some passages not lined up correctly

JMO

 

hi you have the same setup as mee when i test drove my t-27 283 all new did rebuild myself. oil evrywhere not good .older chevy have brether on intake and this is where you put oil in and on back of block ther is a pvc where you can put a hose in.i did it like 1963 and it work no oil leakage what so ever sinse 1994.i rev 7000rpm.
ken
sweden

 

Thanks again everyone for helping!

A little more about the engine. The block is a 1968/69 Large Journal (which I believe is the same as a 350?) It is a 327 but not the early 327 block that has the road tube. Nor would this have venting through the back of the intake.
I spoke to the engine builder and he states this engine also does not have the baffle and breather in the vallley. The cylinders are bored 30 over. Has a Competition 268 Cam.

Today I pulled the PCV valve and shook it. The valve rattles as it should. The engine is venting itself, it's just venting a lot. Like many have stated it's as if there is excessive blow by. Perhaps the rings did not seat yet (or there are other issues with the rings...not sure) Also, when the engine is warm I get white smoke out of the breather....like quite a bit of white smoke. The rings are Molly (not plamsa molly) just molly

The block was decked 2 years ago and the heads have been gone through so the valve seals should be good (should...yeah I know)

As far as the oil level at this time, it is down a quart. I am using a stock dipstick and I trust the reading it's giving me.

I will say this about the power of the engine. This engine screams!! It hauls ass! If you put your foot in it, it goes. After speaking with the engine builder again today he wants the engine back as he thinks I got a bumb deal. He is sending me a check and says I can have all the eccessories. He thinks the crankcase is venting...just too much pressure blowing out of the engine and he has no idea why.

Like I said, you guys and gals are great. It really means a lot to me that you are taking the time to post your ideas and are willing to help me out!!!!

Have any of you ever heard of ATK Engines?? Particullarly this engine??
http://high-performance-engines.com...?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ATK&Product_Code=HP29

When I do purchase a new engine, I REALLY need a good one this time and want to know I am purchasing something that I can have some faith in.

Thanks again HAMBers!!! You guys rock!

 

I had similar problems with a rebuilt sbc
idling no problem but when you put your
fot in it oil all over the windshield the breather
was blowing of when the engine hit 6500
one head was cracked in the valve spring
seat ???spent some time before i found that out

 

These guys have a ton of really good packages in whatever make you could want.
http://www.proformanceunlimited.com/chevy.html

They really stand behind their stuff too. I was and still am very seriously considering a few of their packages for an SBC.

 

The problem with the "195 hp" engine, pt# 10067353 is that i think that this rating is with stock exhaust manifolds. And the 290HP engine's rating, pt#12499529 is with headers.

With headers 10067353 supposedly produces 260hp according to gm and actually more torque than 12499529 at 350lbs vs. 326. And i think tq is more important than hp.

So is it really 100hp for $500 more?

2) The truck vortecs may return better mpg due to the roller cam/lifters and 1 pt. higher compression. And may have better overall power potential.

 

Cast pistons or forged?? Good old Hastings cast iron rings are the answer for streeters.

 

Yes you can buy a brand new crate engine from GM that meets all California Smog Laws. The new home built's now have to meet smog emissions.

 

I skimmed the post and didn't find it, so I'll ask. What is your oil pressure? If excessive, your bypass valve on the oil pump could be stuck open.

 

Don't know much about Chebbies, but if you want to put a Ford in that Ford the man to talk to is Keith Craft. I've had 8 years of trouble free driving...

http://www.keithcraft.com/

 

. the crankcase was being pressurized from the leaking (INTAKE) manifold. .

How exactly is that possible?

 

I would go with the GMPP crate engine for sure...you sound about as good as me with engine internals so why not get something with a warranty and the confidence of over a million other ones on the road?

 

Took the car out for a short drive yesterday. When I initially start the car and it's cold the oil pressure is around 60. Once the engine is warm it runs at 40. At times yesterday it would dip down into the mid 30's while cruising down the road at lower RPM's, but for the most part it's around 40, which is where I would expect it to run.


I did however see water seaping out the side of the block once again yesterday.

I am 99.9% sure at this point I will be ordering the GM 290HP engine on Monday morning. They said they can have it here in 3 days...which is great. We have worked our butts off building this car over the past 2 year. I thought we were ready to go for this hot rodding season but it looks like we have a little more work ahead of us. Hopefully I will be back on the road in May.

A cracked head can also expalin the symptoms I am experiencing. Not really sure what the problem is at this point. I guess it may not matter after Monday.

 

The water leak could be as simple as water wicking up around a head bolt. Could you pull the exhaust (gonna have to do it anyway) and pressure up the radiator to see exactly where it's coming from?

 

That's funny but with the Supreme Court ruling that strip and cavity searches are legal whenever police detain you, it might be true.

Back on topic, I think OP is making the right choice with the GM crate engine. You're never far from a dealer.

 

My understanding of the GMPP warranty is that it only applies if installed in a similiar vehicle to the ones that GM had that motor in, otherwise 90day warranty. Maybe that only applied to the Good Wrench motor?