Rebuild or long block?

[Ride The Snake!]

Hello all you helpful folks here. May I annoy you people with another mundane question?

I'm the guy who a year ago was posting about his suspected worn cam, thread here:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=676696&page=2

Turns out, cam lobe for exhaust on #6 was in fact ground down to nada. Also turns out, I have a set of those godawful 624 heads, which I keep reading I should not consider putting one penny into.

So what I seem to be left with is the option to rebuild the motor with a disassembly/hot tank/seals/rings etc for the bottom end, along with selection of some better heads and matching intake, carb, cam, timing kit--OR just go ahead and buy a pre-built long-block.

If I go the rebuild route, I just want a mild street truck with some bark, something in the 350 hp range. Would it be more cost-effective to buy a long block? It would certainly be quicker and less fun.

I apologize for the fact that this is probably an oft-asked question by other newbs faced with the same conundrum.

[Ride The Snake!]

I should mention that my budget is probably a maximum of about 2k, which I know is pretty low. Unless I were to sell my '96 Legacy daily driver, but that seems stupid.

[Gromit]

In my area I got bids from three different Auto Machine shops to do the basic machine work on a 350 small block.

I found that most shops want to do everything or not at all. They don't trust normal folks to "do the rest" of the assembly.. (probably rightly so in many cases, but not all of course..).

The high bid was $5K to prep my old 1970 block (align bore cam, bore and machine the cylinders, fit the crank bearings, machine the head deck, etc.

But I learned that I could order a brand new complete factory GM long block with all new parts for $1,600 from Jegs or Summit - so in other words I could get three brand new complete engines for the cost of machining a single old 1970 motor and have a couple hundred left over for fun money.

My two cents..

[Gromit]

So my advice is to get three bids for what it would cost from your local machinists to give you back a machined and balanced rotating assembly (block, crankshaft, cam, rods and pistons)... Shipping costs and sheer weight keep things local..

Pretty sure your local guys will say at least north of $3,200 in labor (and rightly so, actually - they are insanely skilled, in general)..I found it would take me about a decade of dedication to reach their technical level if ever...

So then order two GM long blocks from Jegs or Summit - put one in the truck and on a $129 engine stand from harbor freight in the basement; you will be 100% ahead - Two motors for the price of one!

[Ride The Snake!]

It saddens me that it might cost more to machine a short block and prep it for a top end rebuild than it would be to buy a generic long block from Jegs or whomever.

I don't understand why that's the case. I do get that expert machinists are deserve their $$$.

Let me ask, would it be excessively imprudent to just disassemble and hot tank the short block without having it machined? I have to admit a lot of ignorance here.

Nevermind, I already know this is a stupid question. Without properly machined surfaces, I'm going to suffer leaks and prematurely, rapidly wearing parts.

[cypressbog]

I'd say either option isn't for you yet. Save up more money to either have it rebuilt, or save up more money for the long block and purchasing intake, carb, headers/exhaust, distributor, oil pan, valve covers, etc.

[Mike C]

I'd buy the GM crate motor. Jegs has them on eBay regularly for $1400. Leaves you $600 for odds and ends.

[GRX]

Like others above, I'd suggest a crate engine in your situation.

Pre-built engines from Jegs or whomever are cheaper because they are often slapped together by automated machines on an assembly line. Plus they buy parts by the thousands, thus get bulk discounts.

Speaking as a machinist, Gromit hit the nail on the head about shops wanting to do it all. Customers always blame the shop when something goes wrong. It's called the "cover your own ass policy".

Here is a story ... years back I machined a 454 engine for a customer. He wanted to save ca$h by assembling it himself because "I am an engineer". Fast forward a few weeks - guy brought it back after it spun crank bearings & threw a few rods out the side. The guy put so much RTV sealer on the oil pan rails it came off & clogged up the oil pump pick up screen. Insisted I ground the crank wrong and refused to accept it was his fault. Kept saying "I am an engineer". Went all the way to court but was thrown out when pictures were presented.

[Ride The Snake!]

I have no credit card debt these days, so I might consider taking some on, thus bumping up my budget a bit a good bit.

What about a short block from somewhere like eBay? Like this, for example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevy-350-35...-/261517655004

I'm guessing I'm better off buying from a site like summit or jegs for warranty sake.

[Ride The Snake!]

Originally Posted by GRX

Like others above, I'd suggest a crate engine in your situation.

Pre-built engines from Jegs or whomever are cheaper because they are often slapped together by automated machines on an assembly line. Plus they buy parts by the thousands, thus get bulk discounts.

Speaking as a machinist, Gromit hit the nail on the head about shops wanting to do it all. Customers always blame the shop when something goes wrong.

Here is a story ... years back I machined a 454 engine for a customer. He wanted to save ca$h by assembling it himself because he was an engineer. Fast forward a few weeks - guy brought it back after it spun crank bearings & threw a few rods out the side. The guy put so much RTV sealer on the oil pan rails it came off & clogged up the oil pump pick up screen. Insisted I ground the crank wrong and refused to accept it was his fault. Kept saying he was an engineer. Went all the way to court but was thrown out when pictures were presented.

Interesting, good points. Engineers can't build anything in real life, they're all theory and design. They should know that by now. I'm neither an engineer or mechanic, but this is what I've heard for years.

Would a crate engine be a cheaper option than buying a short block and building the rest myself?

[PanelDeland]

The advantage to a crate is that you can buy a complete turn key engine and install it. The tune is usually pretty good out of the box, you don't have to chase down any odds or ends(that can take as long as installing an engine or hold it up as long as installing one, and you get a warranty. It's a lot of fun to fire up that first engine build and that thrill never goes away, it'll be there on your first and on your twentieth. In your shoes, I would go with a crate and be done with it, you can always build an engine for the experience and drop it in another ride just for the thrill.

[Gromit]

If you get the crate - word to the wise - tell the neighbors ahead of time that "there might be some smoke" (as you break in the rings) - otherwise you risk your entire local fire department crew in full gear and several trucks showing up to witness your engine break in..

A lot of oil leaks past the new rings until they are bedded in and it makes smoke...(20 minutes or so)...

[SoCoC10]

Oh man if I was in the Bay Area still it would be a no brainer... GO TO S&S AUTO MACHINE! They were world record holders for fastest small block Chevy. They took care of me years ago when I brought a 327ci long block in for a rebuild and found I had a bad cyl head. They let me look thru dozens of finished long blocks they had in stock and I ended up with a 72 block with late camel hump heads(accessory holes) and picked a cam, they installed it, degreed the cam and I was set. Way under the cost of a crate engine.