CRATE HATE. Crate engines are rubbish.50% failure rate is normal.

[ozkiwi]

The guy who installed my engine told me straight up that crate engines are a pile of crap.
The guy who re-gased the air con told me the blocks are full of sand and porous.
Infact since I installed my crate engine it is a non stop procession of doomsday experts saying it is only a mater of time before something lets go.
The story is they are assembled by guys who used to be farmers 2 days before they started at the crate engine factory using a hammer and a 8 inch adjustable wrench.Blocks are cast in hand dug sand molds and all nuts and bolts are tightened by hand to no particular torque setting including mains and big end caps .Oil pumps are always finger tight and many key components are just left in the sump because most of the workers are stoned on cheap weed or just can’t be bothered at the end of a 18 hour day……….Etc Etc
Many of the people who warn me of my stupidity are in the trade some make a living building motors.It has come as a bit of a shock to me that so many people and many whom should know better seemed convinced crate engines are only good 50% of the time.
How many here have had a trouble free crate motor ?
Has anyone who bought a crate engine actually had a major problem.(Not just heard about it or “a buddy told me” )

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Well lets see. When's the last time anybody's engine died due to dune? (Sand) or come loose? I'm sure most of these engines are either not broke in proper or are beat on (not race engines guys..) several trucks up here have high an low mileage gm crate 350s.

Also a lot of crate engines are reconditioned blocks. They stopped the sbc in 98. Now casting flash off a new engine is very likely a possibility and in fact the 85 iron engine I'm toying with right now has areas that you can knock off. Them coming loose? Well it's held since 85. The heads and cam valley are where this most prevalent. Even if it comes off the damage is done to the oil pump and then cought in the filter.

Can't say these are high precision engines. Even engine mags found the deck heights to be uneven causing compression lower than advertised in cylinders front to back. But that won't kill an engine.
Posted via Mobile Device

[andrewmp6]

It sounds like someones pulling your leg big time.I have had a world castings crate engine in my mustang 4 years of hard driving still runs prefect.My grandpa's 83 el camino got a gm 350 in 94 and ran tell 3 years ago when it was wrecked.

[ozkiwi]

Originally Posted by andrewmp6

It sounds like someones pulling your leg big time.I have had a world castings crate engine in my mustang 4 years of hard driving still runs prefect.My grandpa's 83 el camino got a gm 350 in 94 and ran tell 3 years ago when it was wrecked.

A lot of people in on that leg pull over here in Australia.That's the general opinion here these guy's really believe crate motors are rubbish and this is coming from mechanics and engine builders.

[motornut]

I'd bet they make more money rebuilding saying that
granted it may have happened a few times with 1000's of blocks
it sure an't 50%

[Tx Firefighter]

I put in many crate engines as a heavy line mechanic at a Chevy dealership. Then in my next job I maintained a fleet of 800 plus GM chassis mail trucks. We put crate engines in them, generally always had one truck in the shop getting an engine on any given day.

Over those 11 years, I either put in or witnessed putting in several hundred crate engines. There were less than 5 that had issues right out of the box. Three that I can remember for sure.
Posted via Mobile Device

[tucsonjwt]

If by crate engines you mean engines built in the same factory with the same people and to the same specifications as the new vehicle engines, then why would those engines perform any differently from new vehicle engines?

I am not a fan of rebuilt engines, especially those rebuilt by local mechanics. I have owned a few rebuilt engines that never performed as well as a new factory engine. Just my experience.

[hyatt]

I had a independant garage for 23 years Installed GM crate engines all that time and not one failure I think your facts are distorted

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by ozkiwi

The guy who installed my engine told me straight up that crate engines are a pile of crap.
The guy who re-gased the air con told me the blocks are full of sand and porous.
Infact since I installed my crate engine it is a non stop procession of doomsday experts saying it is only a mater of time before something lets go.
The story is they are assembled by guys who used to be farmers 2 days before they started at the crate engine factory using a hammer and a 8 inch adjustable wrench.Blocks are cast in hand dug sand molds and all nuts and bolts are tightened by hand to no particular torque setting including mains and big end caps .Oil pumps are always finger tight and many key components are just left in the sump because most of the workers are stoned on cheap weed or just can’t be bothered at the end of a 18 hour day……….Etc Etc
Many of the people who warn me of my stupidity are in the trade some make a living building motors.It has come as a bit of a shock to me that so many people and many whom should know better seemed convinced crate engines are only good 50% of the time.
How many here have had a trouble free crate motor ?
Has anyone who bought a crate engine actually had a major problem.(Not just heard about it or “a buddy told me” )

I have never heard of any of this.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

If by crate engines you mean engines built in the same factory with the same people and to the same specifications as the new vehicle engines, then why would those engines perform any differently from new vehicle engines?

This is absolutely true.

Ozkiwi - there is video footage of people building their own engines within the GM shops for thier own Corvette or high performance build. Rick Henderson did one, and I think Mark Ruess also.

Do a search so you can find this type of video; you will find that the GM crate engines are built using the same processes and to the same specifications (or tighter) than the regular production engines.

K

[ozkiwi]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I put in many crate engines as a heavy line mechanic at a Chevy dealership. Then in my next job I maintained a fleet of 800 plus GM chassis mail trucks. We put crate engines in them, generally always had one truck in the shop getting an engine on any given day.

Over those 11 years, I either put in or witnessed putting in several hundred crate engines. There were less than 5 that had issues right out of the box. Three that I can remember for sure.
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks for that input.I have no idea why the negative opinions here and was not aware of it until I put one in my truck and many people commenting in a negative way.Maybe it is a case of a small market here a couple of problems and a bit of shop gossip coupled with engine builders always backing there own work against anything else.
The motor I got has no issues and for the money is a very strong performer.Local rebuild was almost double the price.

[ozkiwi]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I have never heard of any of this.

K

The story is they are assembled by guys who used to be farmers 2 days before they started at the crate engine factory using a hammer and a 8 inch adjustable wrench.Blocks are cast in hand dug sand molds and all nuts and bolts are tightened by hand to no particular torque setting including mains and big end caps .Oil pumps are always finger tight and many key components are just left in the sump because most of the workers are stoned on cheap weed or just can’t be bothered at the end of a 18 hour day……….Etc Etc

This part is a just me summing up all the stupid **** I have heard from different people and putting it into a ridiculous scenario.

[old Rusty C10]

I have bought two Jegs crate motors and have yet to have any problems I have friends who have bought them and no one has had any trouble As long as you install them correctly and get oil pressure before you start em they are normally just fine

[rs74]

Don't buy into what you are told. Yes I am sure there has been some bad engines but that has to be a very low percent. Live by your own experience with your engine. If you seek the bad in it you will surely find it. If you buy into it then you will start nit picking all the little things that you think you hear in the engine and will more than likely be nothing but your imagination.

You might also second guess who works on your truck if they are being negative about it. Their negativity could bring on bad workmanship as well. JMO. Good Luck!

[Brockwaykid]

A good friend of my dad blew up his mud truck several years ago, and put a crate motor in the truck for cheap, and it lasted him quite a while. trust me, that guy knew how to beat a truck...
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[MalibuSSwagon]

Well, like motornut said the people telling you these stories are the guys losing business to crate engine sales, of course they are going to tell customers that crate engines are junk and they can build you a way better engine for the same money.

[hatzie]

You can't build an engine for the same price as a GM crate. I've never heard any problems with crates in my buddies rigs.
Rebuilds??? I have plenty of horror stories.

[Desert1957]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

I have bought two Jegs crate motors and have yet to have any problems I have friends who have bought them and no one has had any trouble As long as you install them correctly and get oil pressure before you start em they are normally just fine

^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^

Here is my Good-wrench 350 , runs great couldn't be happier!



Desert

[Restrorob]

My GM crate 502 was installed the day the truck rolled off the dealer's lot 16 years ago, It's got 68,000 trouble free miles on it now. I believe all the hate is because these other guys can't afford a crate engine......

[INSIDIOUS '86]

I wonder just wonder if ozkowi might be getting a half truth?

Seriously though. Does Australia have thier own division of gm that supply's crate motors? I can see them being built there instead of shipping them over
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[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by INSIDIOUS '86

I wonder just wonder if ozkowi might be getting a half truth?

Seriously though. Does Australia have thier own division of gm that supply's crate motors? I can see them being built there instead of shipping them over
Posted via Mobile Device

No - I believe they come from here in the US.

K

[wraprail]

Originally Posted by Desert1957

^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^

Here is my Good-wrench 350 , runs great couldn't be happier!

Attachment 1126250

Desert

Check the casting number on the block.
If its any of these,
10036033
10066036
10066038
And it says this

"Hecho en Mexico"

These are Goodwrench and Target Master crate engines sold by GM and are total garbage. They are all 2 piece RMS and were made as late as 1994 i think. They may last 100,000 miles. Mine did, but everything in it was junk..
These are throw away engines.

None of the parts including the block was worth reusing

[Jewbacca]

Like a few have said before. the people telling you this have it out for crate engines. They can't compete with the price. They also believe crate engines are putting a lot of mom and pop engines and machine shops out of business.

[86c20]

i have 2 crate 350 from a gm dealer. oneis in my c20 and i have beat the crap out of it for 6 striagt years and 65,000 miles and the only problem with it is a bad lifter after trying synthic oil. the other is in my 78 monte and was first in my wrecker. one of the best runners i have.

[ozkiwi]

Before I bought the motor I checked on here and another chevy truck site and decided on what I read to get a crate engine.Not a lot of negative feedback so was pretty confident they are a good deal.That's why I was so surprized at all the over the top horror stories here.
Reading the feed back in this thread I have decided it is a case of local engine builders losing work to imported crate engines especially lately with the Australian dollar being on par with USD the local importer is selling 100s of motors.
I am not mechanically paranoid just don't like people talking ****.
I paid $2900 for a brand new 330hp engine with a roller cam and vortec heads delivered to my door I was quoted $4500 to rebuild a second hand motor to around 350 hp.(My original motor was a 305)
I also bought ceramic headers a elderbrock performer inlet manifold a champion radiator with twin fans which including the motor came to $4200.