Crate Engine help!!!!

[Reckless_ridin]

Hello guys i have a 1987 R1500 i am wondering what is the best crate motor to get. not looking to do a LS swap i want it to be a direct fit. I do want at least 300+ HP! I have no idea how to go about it like what engines will fit. I would like to know how to tell which block goes in it then maybe i can figure out the rest. but anyone that has done this that can offer up and info that would be great! Thanks

 

[yevgenievich]

do you have a budget in mind? fuel injection or carb?

 

[Reckless_ridin]

id like to stay around 5K and i think i will start out carb and do a EFI later. i looked a some elderbrock motors and they seem to be the only ones i can fine that have decent HP that at least fit but thats the thing i dont know what fits or what else comes with a swap.

 

[Reckless_ridin]

jegs and summit have a few GM performance motors kits but the ones they have for my year all say 290HP and i really want to be over 300

 

[rich weyand]

First, you are concentrating on the wrong thing. Worry about torque, not horsepower. Torque is what you feel when driving. 300 hp is fine, but 400+ ftlb of torque is fun.

The 350/290hp motor is a mish-mash, with the cam from a 1960s high-compression engine with low-compression heads. It has no stones off the line at all and only makes 290 hp when you wind it up. BTDT.

If you get the 350/260hp motor for 1500 bucks, substitute the cam with a Comp Cams 12-238-2, and put a dual-plane manifold and headers on it, you will be looking at 307 hp and 406 lbft of torque.

Best carb for that is probably to get a rebuilt Qjet from SMI Carbs. Mount it on the 2101 Edelbrock intake, and put Hooker 2452 headers on it. With that cam, I think you can even run a stock torque converter.

 

[MikeB]

290hp 350 crate engine TQ and HP chart. Absolutely terrible torque curve for a truck!

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I've got a few cams in mind with less intake duration than the one Rich suggested. But first, what is your transmission type and axle ratio? And at what RPM range does the engine spend most of its time? It could be the stock cam would work fine.

The base Goodwrench 350 is by no means a dog with the stock cam, small 4bbl carb, and 2-1/4" or 2-1/2" dual exhausts. I've installed four of them over the years, and the last three guys are still running the stock cam. The first guy was me! The vehicle was a 69 C10 with TH350 and 3.08 axle. I initially changed the cam to the very popular 204/214 Edelbrock Performer Plus #2102. Even with that cam, the engine lost a little snap right off idle, but revved around 500 RPM higher, and no doubt made more horsepower.

I moved to the Colorado mountains a couple years later, and on the advice of Crane, changed to a 194/204 Crane cam with a tight 104 LSA which closed the intake valve very early on the compression stroke (thus building cylinder pressure) . That cam worked very well at high altitude by adding a ton of torque at lower RPMs, but it gave up at around 4500. Perfect for mountain roads, though.

 

[87scotty]

I like there 383s 400hp 440tq all for 4000 hard to beat that can't build it for that price

 

[rich weyand]

I've got a few cams in mind with less intake duration than the one Rich suggested. But first, what is your transmission type and axle ratio? And at what RPM range does the engine spend most of its time? It could be the stock cam would work fine.

The stock cam isn't bad when you clean up the breathing with a decent intake and headers, as you say. I had that first. Replaced the (130,000 mile) stock engine with the 350/290, and it was a brick until you got it wound up. It was a terror in second between 50 and 90 on the two-lanes, though.

Then I put in the 12-300-4 Comp cam. only 275 hp, but 420+ lbft of torque at 2500 rpm. It pulls tremendous off the line, but runs out of breath about 4500, like you say. I modded the governor to drop the WOT shift points, and it drives great. And that cam is stock lift, so that is a consideration for valvetrain life.

I mentioned the 12-238-2 because he had a hard number of 300 hp in mind. Myself, I gave up some horsepower to get higher torque and reduced valve lift.

 

[MikeB]

Replaced the (130,000 mile) stock engine with the 350/290, and it was a brick until you got it wound up. It was a terror in second between 50 and 90 on the two-lanes, though.

Where did it start to pull with the stock 290hp cam -- around 3000 RPM? I could see that engine in a light car with a 3.55 or 3.73 axle, and maybe 2000 RPM stall with an auto trans. But there are much better choices, even for a light car. Heck, you could put a mild retro roller cam and valve springs in the base engine and the total price probably wouldn't be more than the 290hp engine!

 

[bucket]

Don't they still offer the 330 horse motor with the vortec heads?

 

[85c10owner]

Isnt a 1987 truck already TBI? The 290hp 350 wasnt bad in my 65 el camino with a 4spd but it doesnt belong in a heavy truck. It`s the same engine as the 260hp with just a L82 camshaft and a bigger pricetag. 300hp from a 350 is pretty easy to do these days but agree you want to focus on low end torque.

 

[MikeB]

Don't they still offer the 330 horse motor with the vortec heads?

Yeah, it makes 40 more hp than the 290 hp engine and does it with a smaller cam! It's also a one-piece main seal block, and (more than likely) is machined for a roller cam, lifters, and associated retainers.

Check out this chart for the 330hp engine. In addition to making more horsepower everywhere, it makes much more torque than the 290 hp engine, especially below 3000 RPM. At 2500 RPM, where engines spend lots of time, it makes a staggering 60-70 lb/ft more torque than the 290 hp engine!

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[85c10owner]

Yeah, it makes 40 more hp than the 290 hp engine and does it with a smaller cam! It's also a one-piece main seal block, and (more than likely) is machined for a roller cam, lifters, and associated retainers.

Check out this chart for the 330hp engine. In addition to making more horsepower everywhere, it makes much more torque than the 290 hp engine, especially below 3000 RPM. At 2500 RPM, where engines spend lots of time, it makes a staggering 60-70 lb/ft more torque than the 290 hp engine!

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It also has a much better head. I know that 290 HP number is a little mild so I'm willing to bet the 330hp engine is closer to 350hp. My 290 HP engine came in a car I got but the 4spd helped it and it really suprized me but it did beg for some gears.

 

[v2500burb]

My motor only has 60k miles
Just not happy with power
Build it with better aluminum heads, hydraulic roller lifters, push rods, cam?
Or look a crate?


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[rich weyand]

My motor only has 60k miles
Just not happy with power
Build it with better aluminum heads, hydraulic roller lifters, push rods, cam?
Or look a crate?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You could just re-cam it. Put something like a Comp 12-256-4 in it. New lifters and springs. You'll get 300 hp and about 410 lbft of torque if you have headers and a decent manifold on it.