Are crate motors really cheaper?

[Irishman999]

Or along with that crank and cam kit. Get custom made carb for 800 or 900 cfm with a 800 or 900 cfm high output intake to go with it.

Thats way more than I am looking to do.

 

[davbell22602]

Thats way more than I am looking to do.

Well if did go that route it least have the engine power for truck pull.

 

[HotRodPC]

But cant he come close though with using the right crankshaft and camshaft kit?

383 is a SBC 400 crank with the mains ground down to match 350 main journals, then use the SBC shorter 400 rods. So unless you are using a tall block which is aftermarket, then NO, you won't get close to a 454. 383 is at .030 over 350 bore, so maybe a 386 or 387 at .060 over and that's that.

 

[HotRodPC]

12k for this perfect small block 454 to put in my daily driver.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Garag...-454-Small-Block-Chevy-Crate-Engine,8736.html

Sorry, I was $2K off. And that's on sale with $500 off.

 

[GreaseDog]

I would not depend too much on the Summit or Jegs guys. They mean well, but most of their parts are made in china and sub par.

Becareful of their "engine Kits" They will advertise something like mahle pistons, but the rest of the components will be junk. Or it may be a scat crank, or comp cam, etc. They put 1 or 2 "good name" parts in the kit, then fill it with sub-par parts like eagle cranks, etc.

again, after buying several thousand dollars worth of Summit brand stuff, i have never had one that failed where a part that came in a box with a "bigger" name on it wouldn't have. cranks, heads, rods, pistons, gaskets, cams (i currently own 2 1102 Summit cams, no problems whatsover.) you name it, i've probably used it somewhere.

 

[GreaseDog]

I"ll disagree with that statement. Jasper motors are expensive, but their nationwide warranty is good. Also Jasper doesn't miss a step when they build a motor. They resize rods and all. They are also built in USA. Crate motors are new motors, assembled in Mexico. Some say the blocks are inferior steel and very very low nickel content. So, either way, I think you're probably getting what you pay for. Myself, I'm not afraid of a $1700 Heche en Mexico Crate motor with Nodular Iron Crank, Powder Metal Rods and 4 bolt main.

knowing people who have and do work in the Jasper facility in Jasper, IN, they do not completely rebuild the engine. they fix whats wrong, and send it out the door. i've seen several with a completely different bore in one cylinder, different piston, etc... and their warranty is great... BECAUSE THEY NEED IT. i have a friend that went through 9 different Jeep 4.0s before he finally said screw it, and traded his GC for a Lincoln LS.

 

[GreaseDog]

Or along with that crank and cam kit. Get custom made carb for 800 or 900 cfm with a 800 or 900 cfm high output intake to go with it.

sounds like someone needs to do less talking, and more paying attention in school.

 

[GreaseDog]

383 is a SBC 400 crank with the mains ground down to match 350 main journals, then use the SBC shorter 400 rods. So unless you are using a tall block which is aftermarket, then NO, you won't get close to a 454. 383 is at .030 over 350 bore, so maybe a 386 or 387 at .060 over and that's that.

aftermarket cranks are too cheap to turn down a 400 crank, and if you're buying pistons, buy them for the 3.75" crank, and 5.7" rods. it'll run alot better, and last longer.

 

[davbell22602]

sounds like someone needs to do less talking, and more paying attention in school.

I do pay attention in school.

 

[HotRodPC]

knowing people who have and do work in the Jasper facility in Jasper, IN, they do not completely rebuild the engine. they fix whats wrong, and send it out the door. i've seen several with a completely different bore in one cylinder, different piston, etc... and their warranty is great... BECAUSE THEY NEED IT. i have a friend that went through 9 different Jeep 4.0s before he finally said screw it, and traded his GC for a Lincoln LS.

For real??? I have never worked on a Jasper engine. I heard a Jasper price once and about **** all over myself. Then I was told by a guy they sold Jasper engines and SAID never had them come back, and they do a 100% rebuild, down to bore, recondition rods, crank, even decked the blocks and did a line hone on them and that is why so expensive. After that info, I was convinced they did a thorough job unlike most buiders do.

That is why I like building my own engines. Of course I have to depend alot on the machinsit and hope that he did what I told him and paid him to do. Of course you can usually tell when things are done and when they aren't. But, if I ask that a block be bored with a torrque plate, I can only assume he did. Many machine shops don't even have torque plates, so I'll ask to see their torrque plate. Chances are if they have it, they'll do it. I've never had a SBC done with a torque plate though. Usually have that done on Olds and Pontiac motor builds. One of my favorites, is asking someone if they plastiquaged their mtor that they built. And they ask, What's plastiguage? LMAO. I've use many strips of Green myself. It only takes 1 bearing or journal to be off and your whole build is junk. Its cheap insurance for the cost and time involved, so I do every last bearing, and will usually do the rods on 2 sides of the journal. Or you get the people that don't feeler guage their rings and said, they were fitted rings, no filing required. BS, I have filled many fitted rings before.

 

[GreaseDog]

For real??? I have never worked on a Jasper engine. I heard a Jasper price once and about **** all over myself. Then I was told by a guy they sold Jasper engines and SAID never had them come back, and they do a 100% rebuild, down to bore, recondition rods, crank, even decked the blocks and did a line hone on them and that is why so expensive. After that info, I was convinced they did a thorough job unlike most buiders do.

would make sense to have the higher price, just to cover the warranty. i know when i was working for one of the country's top RV companies, with one of the best warranties, they built $40K into the price of the top line units just to cover warranty work.

That is why I like building my own engines. Of course I have to depend alot on the machinsit and hope that he did what I told him and paid him to do. Of course you can usually tell when things are done and when they aren't. But, if I ask that a block be bored with a torrque plate, I can only assume he did. Many machine shops don't even have torque plates, so I'll ask to see their torrque plate. Chances are if they have it, they'll do it. I've never had a SBC done with a torque plate though. Usually have that done on Olds and Pontiac motor builds. One of my favorites, is asking someone if they plastiquaged their mtor that they built. And they ask, What's plastiguage? LMAO. I've use many strips of Green myself. It only takes 1 bearing or journal to be off and your whole build is junk. Its cheap insurance for the cost and time involved, so I do every last bearing, and will usually do the rods on 2 sides of the journal. Or you get the people that don't feeler guage their rings and said, they were fitted rings, no filing required. BS, I have filled many fitted rings before.

i too rely on my machinists. i only have two that i trust, and they both work for the same machine shop, and have done 100% of my machine work over the last 20 years. (yes, i built my first small block at 11 under the supervision of my uncle and grandpa) after 20 years of excellent machine work, i still don't "trust" their work enough to just throw it together. inside and ouside mics, a dial bore gauge, and a straight edge are always used after i get my parts back. i love building engines, but what i don't love is having one come apart, and having to tear it down and redo it becaise i missed something.

 

[crazy4offroad]

That's true, when you buy a crate motor and it goes south, you really get mad at whatever company you bought from. But if you build it and something goes wrong you only got yourself to blame. Even if you had a machine shop do a lot of the work there are things you should still verify.

 

[GreaseDog]

another con of a crate... if it goes south, you get to crate it up, and ship it to god knows where for warranty work. if its done locally, pull it, throw it in the back of a truck, and drive over there. deal with them face to face.

 

[Irishman999]

That is why I like building my own engines. Of course I have to depend alot on the machinsit and hope that he did what I told him and paid him to do. Of course you can usually tell when things are done and when they aren't. But, if I ask that a block be bored with a torrque plate, I can only assume he did. Many machine shops don't even have torque plates, so I'll ask to see their torrque plate. Chances are if they have it, they'll do it. I've never had a SBC done with a torque plate though. Usually have that done on Olds and Pontiac motor builds. One of my favorites, is asking someone if they plastiquaged their mtor that they built. And they ask, What's plastiguage? LMAO. I've use many strips of Green myself. It only takes 1 bearing or journal to be off and your whole build is junk. Its cheap insurance for the cost and time involved, so I do every last bearing, and will usually do the rods on 2 sides of the journal. Or you get the people that don't feeler guage their rings and said, they were fitted rings, no filing required. BS, I have filled many fitted rings before.

I know you guys remember a while ago when I was looking at a rebuilt craigslist motor a kid was selling for 5 bucks.... He had another one he was building on a stand a few feet away and I kept noticing him out of the corner of my eye pulling the caps off and putting them in random order.

I couldn't hold back, the block looked like it was fresh from the machine shop and already had all the freeze plugs and **** in it. I asked if he was keeping the caps in order and he looked at me completely confused, I had to explain how paying to get everything line bored would have cost more than just starting over. The machine shop did mark them but he was getting ready to put that **** back together in random order. I doubt he knew what plastiguage was either.

That was one big reason I did not pursue the other engine he was selling.

 

[HotRodPC]

I kid you not, I walked into an auto parts/machine shop once to pick up a small journal 327 crank I had turned .010/.010 and had the oil holes chamfered on it. While there and walked into the back with the guy to get it from the machine shop, there 4 hispanics at 4 differant tables assembling short blocks. They torquing the main caps with air impact wrenches. I about lost it. I then asked the guy that was helping me with the crank, are they torquing those main caps with impact wrenches? He said yes, they set the air pressure on the guns so they put out the right torque. This place also sold short and long blocks. Noway in hell I'd ever buy or recommend anyone to buy one of those motors. And plastiguage was non existant at any of the 4 tables. That's when I knew I'd never buy a short block. Now on the GM Heche En Mexico motors, I don't know how they are they are built, but I've never heard of anyone having a problem. I have heard of them getting a bad wrap for cheap block metal, but I sometimes think someone is just talking crap cuz they don't like the idea they are made in Mexico. You can get one of those motors too Iman for about $1700.