Crate engine ??

[idaho66stepside]

I found out the 350 I just put into the 66 stepside is F'ed. Bad crank, maybe block don't know the full extent of the problem. But I do know it's cheaper to get a crate short/long block. Have any of you guys have some experience with engine wharehouse in auburn WA, or ect engines in Houston TX. What about the good ol' GM performance engine. Budget is pretty tight 1500 maybe a little more. The local engine builder is mighty proud of his work and I'm not sure his work is any good. Any help would be great Thanks!!

[markeb01]

All I can offer is my own experience with replacement engines. Back in the mid 80's my daily driver was a 46 Ford sedan. I spent over $2,000 on a custom built 350 performance engine by a guy that "really knew his stuff". It soon became known as the demon engine. Problem after problem until the crank wiped out the block within a year.

At the time (and ever since) I've been on a tight budget, so I bought a Targetmaster 350 from GM, installed a Pete Jackson gear drive and put over 300,000 miles on the engine in 8 years. When I bought my 1960 GMC local shops wanted $2500+ to rebuilt the 305 V6, so I bought another Targetmaster (now Goodwrench) 350. It was the base long block bare engine, and the only modification was installing another Pete Jackson gear drive. It has somewhere around 165,000 on it now and is getting tired, but still fires right up and works fine.

I've looked in to the rebuilt engines from the national chain stores like Napa, and the name rebuilders mentioned on some of the hot rod tv shows, but researching far enough will turn up many horror stories and relatively few happy customers. There are a lot of expert skilled rebuilders out there, but unless you know one personally and trust their work I'd still go with a GM crate engine because of the dependability and warranty coverage. Don't know about the rebuilders you mention, but if you decide to go that way spend some time researching them. Look for feedback anywhere you can find it including the Better Business Bureau. Also ask for the specs of the exact engine you are going to be getting. Many times they will turn the cranks .030 under (.010 is preferred) and go .060 over (.010 - .030 preferred) on the bore, which can lead to overheating issues in some engines. Also many of the volume rebuilders will regrind the camshaft instead of replacing it. Just make sure to clarify exactly what you are getting for the price, and exactly what warranty coverage comes with it. When the new engine never works right or suffers a failure, the after sale warranty struggles can turn a bad investment into a nightmare, and seems to be the most common complaint.

It would be great to have a ZZ4 or Edelbrock crate engine, but they are way outside my spending limit. Good luck.

[Vernski]

ID66Step don't mean to hijack your thread I just wanted to ask markeb a question. Have you heard of Westberg engines in Spokane I was wondering what kind of rep they might have? "Oh" and was that gear drive a noisy or quite one?...Vernski

[markeb01]

Hi Vernski, I've been searching for confirmation but no luck yet. A coworker had 750+ HP stroker engine built for his 73 Road Runner and I'm pretty sure it was Westberg that built it. It was the only place in town he would recommend. I'm sending him an email to verify and will advise further when I get a response.

Both of my Pete Jackson gear drives have been the noisy version. Drives some people nuts enough to remove them. Personally, I love the sound. Combined with the 4 speed, open element carburetor and Flowtech mufflers it's a music machine, which is why I don't bother having a radio. It can play anything from a quiet whine to a howling blast. My one disappointment was installing a Richmond Super T10. It's a fantastic transmission that works perfectly, but if I had it to do over I would have bought a Muncie M22 instead, specifically for the outrageous sound they produce in first gear.

On recommendation of a race engine builder, my first gear drive (before the Pete Jackson's) was a Summers Brothers with the bolt on engine plate. It was a magnificent piece of engineering, but was somewhat of a pain because it required precise adjustment and moving all the belt driven accessories forward. When adjusted properly, it was also relatively quiet (too quiet for my tastes). Tightened down with zero clearance it would scream enough to hurt your ears, which obviously wasn't recommended.

[Captainfab]

Westberg has been around for a long time and as far as I know he has a good reputation, but he isn't cheap by any means. I believe he mainly does high performance and full on race engines.....focusing mainly on race engines I believe. Are you looking to build an engine Vern?

Originally Posted by Vernski

ID66Step don't mean to hijack your thread I just wanted to ask markeb a question. Have you heard of Westberg engines in Spokane I was wondering what kind of rep they might have? "Oh" and was that gear drive a noisy or quite one?...Vernski

[Vernski]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Westberg has been around for a long time and as far as I know he has a good reputation, but he isn't cheap by any means. I believe he mainly does high performance and full on race engines.....focusing mainly on race engines I believe. Are you looking to build an engine Vern?

Hi Cap well yes and no after I get done with the GMC with the I6 in it I have a 63 chev pickup I would like to have a healthy V8 to put in it, but it's not like I have a lot of $$ to spend on a race motor. I just heard that Westburg was "the" place to have an engine built from a few dude's around town. I think I would be happy with a street-able engine that made a little noise but runs good. And maybe a stock crate engine would fill my needs better....Vernski

[Sillyoldman]

Originally Posted by idaho66stepside

I found out the 350 I just put into the 66 stepside is F'ed. Bad crank, maybe block don't know the full extent of the problem. But I do know it's cheaper to get a crate short/long block. Have any of you guys have some experience with engine wharehouse in auburn WA, or ect engines in Houston TX. What about the good ol' GM performance engine. Budget is pretty tight 1500 maybe a little more. The local engine builder is mighty proud of his work and I'm not sure his work is any good. Any help would be great Thanks!!

I'm just a few minutes from the place. I could stop in and evaluate things for you. Pm me with your q's. I considered them for my buick but decided on a wrecking yard 455 It will bite me in the arse no doubt

[Captainfab]

Letme know when you're to that point and I'll check around and get some opinions for you on who around here builds a good reliable engine. I don't have any personal experience with that since I build my own engines.

I know Jones' in Spokane built good engines, but I'm not sure if they're still in business. Seems I heard they were not.

Originally Posted by Vernski

Hi Cap well yes and no after I get done with the GMC with the I6 in it I have a 63 chev pickup I would like to have a healthy V8 to put in it, but it's not like I have a lot of $$ to spend on a race motor. I just heard that Westburg was "the" place to have an engine built from a few dude's around town. I think I would be happy with a street-able engine that made a little noise but runs good. And maybe a stock crate engine would fill my needs better....Vernski

[HOGDADDY]

Originally Posted by idaho66stepside

I found out the 350 I just put into the 66 stepside is F'ed. Bad crank, maybe block don't know the full extent of the problem. But I do know it's cheaper to get a crate short/long block. Have any of you guys have some experience with engine wharehouse in auburn WA, or ect engines in Houston TX. What about the good ol' GM performance engine. Budget is pretty tight 1500 maybe a little more. The local engine builder is mighty proud of his work and I'm not sure his work is any good. Any help would be great Thanks!!

Get a G.M. Goodwrench 350 at your local Chevy dealer and tell em all ya got is $1400 to spend on it. I bet ya they will sell it to you at that price. It also comes with a warranty too and if you bring in a core 350 you get $100 back.

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

Another thought!
JEGS High Performance Blueprint Crate Engines:
Blueprint Engines are a great choice for drivable and reliable high performance engines.
All rotating assemblies are balanced within 2 grams on a computerized balancer.
Blueprint Engines are dyno tested and include dyno sheets.
Best of all they feature a 30 month/50,000 mile warranty.
Starting at $1,499.99:
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...atalogId=10002
Warranty Information
http://www.jegs.com/customerservice/...h_Warranty.pdf