Guest Anonymous Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 ive been doing some searching about the topic of crate motors vs building motors. i noticed alot of persons who were building said they would consider the crate engines if doing it again. is this because of time involed, cost? im tring to make this decision now so i can start gathering what i need if im gonna build. ive rebuilt motors several times before, but never taken one to the hp levels i want now. due to my job i have access to several professional mechanics and machinists and could get dealer parts a discount (including crate motors. to give an idea of what im looking for.... i want over 400 hp and torque. i prefer fuel inj. and it has to bolt to t56, and be streetable as this car will be daily driver. other than that and 4to 5 grand budget limit, im wide open. ive searched the web for info on different crate combos, but some of these companies ive never heard of and would prefer some oppinions. i know this is a question that has been asked a thousand times before, but are there any new sugestions? also, i posted update on carbon fiber in high tech board for those interested. thanks in advance, nic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Things to consider: Doing it yourself: Price of machining Price of individual parts Time/hassle of putting everything together Availability of appropriate tools *sense of accomplishment of building yourself *knowing it's done right (as long as you know what you're doing) *Choosing the parts yourself Crate engine: usually ends up cheaper comes with warrantee quicker (drop in, set timing and go) built correctly with proper tolerances (if from a reputable builder) *may not have the parts/build type you want exactly (compression/cam etc) *be careful to include the price of parts not included (headers, water pump, carb, distributor etc) HTH Tim BTW...I have always built my own V8s, but with the price of crate engines dropping all the time (kinda like new technology does), the next one I do will be a GMPP crate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Dominic I am in the same boat as you. I have a Z and am considering candidates for engines. I already have the JTR book and am reading it for the 4th or 5th time. You might want to spend a few weeks (like I did) reading old posts in the Chevy section. There is a lot of good info that should answer what you are asking. I went round and round with Grumpyvette on the very issue of crate vs. home built. Here is the link: http://www.hybridz.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001937 Grumpy has a seemingly unlimited access to web links with excellent engine combos. He notes that a lot of crate engines are built toward heavy cars and thus give up some potential high end horsepower in favor of low to mid torque. Something else to confuse your mind. I am beginning to think the secret to a low cost home built is being able to recognize a deal when you see it AND knowing what parts will work well together. I have seen Grumpyvette lectures about wasting money buying "deals" only to end up with a combo that doesn't work. Thus if you are like me and don't have an extensive background with such parts, a crate engine might be the better way to go. Anyway the one comment I would like to make is your budget vs. dreams. 400 HP and under $5000 is probably asking a lot from a crate engine. (Of course as I write this someone will probably post a link for a 500 HP engine at $3000, but that is OK because I will just buy it!) This is before the cost of the transmission and conversion. With a 400 HP target you definitely need to budget for brake and chassis work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 ill probably have to sacrafice some hp if i go with a crate cause all the ones i see with the power i want start around 5k..... before i add efi. i already have the t56 trans so thats no included in the budget. i want the whole car to come in under 15- 16k (price of cheap new car). one route ive been considering hard is buying the zz4 crate short block and adding the heads and cam and stealth ram. this may be the way i go. my major prob with buying the built crate motor is my other half will see a 6k bill and have a heart attack. she never goes behind me to add things up.... she just notices packing slips with high bills on them:( and bitches. so if i only spent a little here and little there i could stay under the radar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Well I'm in a different boat... I had a crate motor that wasn't built properly, and is now torn apart... I have forged 6 inch Hbeam rods Rods W/cap screws, Wiseco Flat top Forged Pistons (.030 over) and a Scatt 400 Crank. I also have a external Small balancer and an external T56 153 ring flywheel.. I CAN't GET ANYONE in my area to balance the assembly because they are to busy... All these parts are like new except for the pistons/ rings and rods which are BRAND NEW... This combo will build a 383 stroker... Contact me if you are interested in the parts.. I'm gonna unload them and BUY A balanced assembly to stuff in my 4 bolt main block... I'll take $1200 for everything plus shipping.... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Mikelly , JUST AN IDEA!!!! theres lots of places around here that do ballanceing work, I use KEENER,S ENGINE MACHINE INC. PH#1-561-686-6134 SOME OF THE OTHER GUYS AROUND HERE USE MESA BALANCING PH# 1-305 884-5368 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Mike: Just a thought...why not bring the stuff with you to CA and have SCAT do the work for you. They are very close by to where you will be staying. Their work is excellent. Let me know if you need any help setting it up. Tim Others: Check out the latest issue of CarCraft. The cover story is a 500hp sbc for 4800 bucks (headers and othe misc. stuff not included). Might be worth a read. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 Dominic: You might try www.junkyarddog.com. YOu won't get 400 HP but you can find 300+ HP LT-1's & LS-1's that are fuel injected and you can get them, the T-56, and the entire wiring harness for the $5,000 ou want to spend. You just have to be carefull. Phantom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 but you can find 300+ HP LT-1's & LS-1's that are fuel injected and you can get them, the T-56, and the entire wiring harness for the $5,000 ou want to spend That is a good idea. I recently picked up a LT1 and T56 for 1400 bucks. There are a miriad of things you can do (fairly inexpensively) to get them up to 400hp.Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 that may be the best route for me..... ive seen lt1s in local classifieds on the cheap. i guess i could put stock engine in car, drive it awhile and upgrade as needed? who knows what ill do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 2, 2002 Share Posted May 2, 2002 one more ? has anyone nailed down a max torque figure that the stock r200 in good shape w/ cv conv. can handle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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