Rookie question again from me

[Guest Anonymous]

hey guys, I just got back from Mexico. I got my books I was told to look at like my JTR manual, how to build horsepower, and how to build a Chevy V-8 engine. I read the last book mentioned already and a lot of the terms in the book I didn't understand. Plus the manual talked a lot about cleaning old engines and using large tools to do the job. Did I order the wrong manual? Do you guys have this kind of equipment?

Now to my real question. Are crate engines complete or do they still need more mods done to it besides things like a transmission?

Are the engines ready to go when you get them? Here are some of the kinds of stuff I was looking at. http://www.paceparts.com/

Click on either GM performance parts or Goodwrench Motors. Do these work?

[Guest Anonymous]

Plus, can anyone list places where I can look for a good deal? Please don't mention the local junkyard because I don't know exactly what I would be looking for yet. Lets see the good deals please.

[Guest Anonymous]

Yeah they work fine. They're at you local chevy dealer, but do price it out, they can very 100.00-300.00.

I've got a goodwrench motor in mine, only 250hp, but you'd never guess it by the cars performance. If you're looking at the more performance based crate motors, your local Chevy deal may have to order them, depends on which one.

If not, the shipping wasn't to bad from PACE I emailed them actually, sorry I can't recall the exact quote for shipping to Cal. where I'm at. Also another pretty well known dealer is Scoggins-Dickey who has pretty good prices on them. Just do a websearch on the name, I can't recall the URL, sorry.

 

Good luck with it,

 

Regards,

 

Lone

[Guest Anonymous]

So what costs 100-300? What kind of times can i expect? I am looking for something a lot quicker than my 2000 Nissan Maxima 5 spd. What other parts need to be bought to make it work?

[Guest Anonymous]

The 100-300 was a variation in price from dealer to dealer on crate motors. I got mine for right at 1300.00 bucks (long block, no waterpump, intake manifold, carb or distributor). Some chevy dealers in town were selling the goodwrench for almost 1500.00. Thats why I say shop around.

 

Times, I can't tell you, mines a driver, hasn't had the rear end replaced yet, and I can't afford to break it at this point finding out. I can say without question, that if its running right you should be solidly into the 13's probably low 13's once everything is sorted, more hp, even faster.

 

Faster than a maxima? Haha... Yeah, no problem (taking nothing away from the maxima, the hybridz is in another league acceleration wise though)

 

You also need to evaluate your mechanical skills, the swap is easy, but you do need at least decent mechanical skills to pull it off and work out the little issues that pop up. No offense meant in that, I (we) just don't have any idea what mechanical skills some people who ask about the swap have.

 

Get the JTR Datsun Z conversion manual (from www.jagsthatrun.com) to give you an idea whats involved.

 

 

Hope that helps,

 

Lone

[Guest Anonymous]

Hammer,

 

Crate motors should have all the machining done, and should be assembled, minus the intake, exhaust, carb, distributor, water pump, fuel pump, and accessories like alternator and power steering pump etc.

 

Check out the ads in an issue of Chevy High Performance magazine for a ton of crate motor options.

 

for Scogin-dickey try:

http://www.sdpc2000.com

[DavyZ]

The "large tools" they mention in the JTR book probably include an engine hoist, right? Well, you can rent them locally (usually) from a general equipment rental place. This can get very expensive if you take more than a few days to actually lower the engine in place--so, you can buy one at Harbor Freight Tools for about $200, or at Kragen for a bit more. Or you can look in the newspaper to see if there are any for sale. Or you can try to find one you can rent from someone.

 

You may also need an engine stand to keep and engine mounted on, while you are waiting and prepping the chassis for the engine swap. I have one I'll give you for free, if you are willing to come and pick it up. Email me if interested.

 

Davy

[Guest Anonymous]

It mainly was in the "how to build chevy V-8s" like things like boring with a deck plate, cylinder head porting, or a hand vacuum pump. Or maybe I am just retarded.

About the times, I am reading about how just under 7 seconds 0-60 is such a great achievement. I don't want anything that slow. My Maxima does that already!!

If you guys don't mind, how much would the total be of those parts that are not included?

[QWKDTSN]

The JTR book makes a big deal about V8 Zcars running less than 7 seconds 0 - 60 and quarter miles in the 13 second range. Whoopie. I think they're out of date or something because I believe even the most mild cars here can beat that

[Guest Anonymous]

Okay here is what i am reading in the JTR book on page 1-5. It is a 1971 V8 Z with either 200 hp or 270, I don't get what they are talking about with net HP. Either one is a lot in a light car and the big excitement is that it will do 0-60 in under 7 seconds and a quarter mile time of 14.5 @95 mph. What happened here? This would be very disappointing to me because My Maxima can do that.

[QWKDTSN]

Hmm, I could see it running 14s with 200 hp because that's really not much. That's about what a 200hp L6 Zcar would run, more or less. Plus, factor in the weight of the swap. I dunno, not very impressive, but I don't think there's anyone around here that's doing a 200 hp swap

[Guest Anonymous]

The numbers are deceiving. Firstly that car your talking about I think has all the smog on it, has a stock R180 and is a low compression smog motor. It also sounds as if it was a donor car motor, so who knows how many miles were on it.

 

What he was talking about was Net vs Gross horsepower. The reason he was talking about that, was that in the late 60's early 70's horsepower ratings were changed from Gross (like the muscle cars were rated at, crankshaft horsepower with no conversion for parasitic losses or actual horsepower), the ratings then went to Net horsepower which is a bit closer to what you might actually have.

 

Soooo, the engine had 270 Gross horsepower, or 200 Net hp. The Net hp ratings are what are still used today.

 

I honestly think the number was a tad low, but hey not everyone is John Force, and when it was written (the JTR manual) 14's was respectable.

 

Heres where the numbers get confusing. People toss around HP numbers like its the only important number. Not so, torque is what rocks you man.

 

Ain't no L-6 anywhere at 200hp that will have the torque of that Chevy even with that low HP number particularly at 1500 rpm's to say 4500. Its not uncommon to see over 300 ft/lbs of torque on even a motor with that low of a HP rating. Its what V8's carry in bucketloads and why we convert them into the Z.

 

Thats also why V8's get expensive to build if you want to rev the crap out of them. It wasn't in the original Chevy design to run 7+ grand, and even now, the more rev's, the shorter the lifespand on the engine. (at least in terms of a SBC)

 

Notice also (see front cover of JTR) the bellows of smoke from the tires. Obviously he's got like no traction to speak of. Hooked up, you better believe that car will get into the 13's. I think he was running fairly small tires as well.

 

Heck DavyZ has ridden in the JTR Mule, I think his words were something to the effect of nearly having a bodily function accident when Mike Knell got on it, and when he got to drive it.

 

Just for the record too, I don't see any of the guys that have done Ford conversions with 'only' 225 HP out of a stock 302 complaining about the car being slow. Torque man, thats where its at.

 

This is all my own opinion, take it or leave it, but its what I know to be true from my own experience with V8's.

 

Regards,

 

Lone

[Tim240z]

Yeah, like Lone mentioned, the example given in the JTR manual was a JY motor, with smog, low compression, low HP dog ass motor. Even with the lowest HP new crate motors, you'll be far better off. I would bet that JY motor was barely puting out 180 HP on the flywheel. I think that the 250 HP crates will give break neck acceleration. If you have the cash, you can get a crate motor which is completely complete....Carb to oil pan. Just add exhaust and tranny. Check out Summit, PAW and Scoggin Dickey Chevrolet. All have web sites.

Tim

[Guest Anonymous]

Hey Hammer,

If you need to borrow my engine hoist I got one in the garage. As for your question, if your planning on getting a crate engine and don't know much I would just get a complete one from carb to oil pan. Less work, just prep car and add headers and trans and drop that babe in. It depends on if you want to drive it now or later.

later,

[pparaska]

Definitely check out some of the magazines like Chevy High Performance, etc. They do crate motor comparos, and they are full of ads for crate motors. Speedomotive is a reputable crate motor place, and the prices are pretty darned low!

[Owen]

Also check locally for engine builders. Whether mail or order of local, you'll be asked how the car will be used, what your rear-endratio is, what kind of cam you want, etc.

 

What tranny do you plan to use? Mating a newer 6-speed to an older block requires a different rear seal, and not all the 6-speeds are the same (LT1 vs LS1). So I would try and think about that first. You don't want to receive your EG and then your tranny and find out they don't mate!

 

Owen