Yes, these are the guys I purchased from, Radley Chevrolet on ebay. Competitive shipping and well priced compared to others. They packaged it well and even called me prior to shipping to confirm all details. They also sell higher HP combinations, but I'm glad I chose the 260HP as my buddy down in TX went top end and does have trouble sourcing decent gas on occasions so he tells me.
Bought my first crate motor in 73 while I was overseas in the military.. It was a ZLX 427. Cast iron version of the ZL1. It was less than $ 900.00 . Have purchased many of the 350-330 h.p. small blocks to put in police training vehicles. We beat the crap out of them with nothing more than routine oil changes. We used them in our old box style Caprice's. They were all still running strong when they went from high speed pursuit cars to skid cars to ram cars to salvage. Putting up with more abuse than you could pile on a motor in a life time. Different driver every 15 minutes . Wide open throttle all day long, no matter what the weather. Sometimes idling at 100 degrees for hours while being used as undercover training units with the A/C on. We never had to replace one in the 10 years I used them. Just because they say made in Mexico on the crate and the block does not mean they are not quality. I still build my own motors, but would not hesitate to run a crate motor. Even in a race car if I could afford to.
Lots of the locals who run bomber style stock cars use crate motors. I forget who most of them use, but they stand up to an astonishing amount of punishment. I did my 350 almost 2 years ago, I was trying to keep costs to like $2000 including aftermarket heads and a cam. Opened it up, pistons were dished and a 8.6 CR, the cost of new Scat rods was less than having my rods upgraded. I worked along with a local legendary engine builder to select the right parts and have the right things done for machining and assembly. Long story short, the only OG pieces are the re-cut crank and the block, and the front crank bolt. But I know each and every part that went into it. Cleaned, checked, bored, balanced, the cam degreed in I believe it came in under $1800 plus the price of parts that I supplied. Even balanced the clutch cover and flywheel. It took some time, maybe 3 months before I could pick up the short block and finish the assembly myself. I could have saved some $$ on a crate, but would have missed the fun.
Ok, 350 is easy, you mentioned 327 earlier - not many crate options. Decide how much power you want and choose appropriate cam and heads to get you there. Make sure it comes with warranty and actually read the warranty. If you have to swap cams to gwt what you want you have the wrong crate engine. Getting all the mounts and accessories rounded up can be expensive and tine consuming.
That was Radley Chevrolet, 15 min from my house, I even turned wrenches there in the 90's. I don't know why, but they were selling them for 1200 bucks. I bought one last year for my 51 after I blew the junk 307 in my 51 Chevy. It the second of those crate motors that I have used. and if you just want a stock motor, they are great. Its no different than walking into the Chevy dealer in 1960 and buying a new 283, you could do that then, and you can do it now with the 350.
bought one from jegs shipped to my house took intake fuel pump and water pump off blown up motor in my roadster put 6000 miles on it so far be sure to put zinc additive in during break in. I have a friend that lost a cam lobe at startup. the oil pan on my motor is set up for a dipstick on ether side so you cant run a cast pan..i did not need oil filter parts they said I needed. did end up needing a new balancer.
Take a good look at the specs on parts used in a crate engine, such as the cam, etc. and make sure they are compatible with the intended use you plan. Most of the GM crate engines from GM use the powdered metal rods, and I've never used them, although an OT Lincoln MK8 I beat hell out of for a lot of years as a DD that saw lots of drag strip use had them. But the guys that went beyond stock usually put aftermarket forged rods in them. Maybe somebody who's used a crate GM engine with these rods can comment. I'm agreeing that not everyone has the tools needed to build an engine the way it should be built. I built the one in my roadster (also a Brookville) but after wrenching on everything from oval track to DDs and street rods for about 65 years and 40+ years in the machinist trade I had the tools I needed already, plus a shop.
Pace Performance is a good source, but I'd hit up Chuck Fitch at Ohio Speed Shops before calling Pace. Chuck was a 37 year general manager at Pace before the new owners eliminated him. He opened Ohio Speed and is competing directly with them. Pretty sure they both ship truck freight free. Shawn Minor at Minor's Performance Machine is building my engine and he does all the dynoing for both Pace and Ohio crates. Pace sometimes has some really good clearance sales too...I got my Edelbrock vintage series tri-power kit for less than what they had in it and about $700 less than retail at Summit (it was the last one, brand new still in box). Ohio Speed Shops Pace Performance
My personal advise with respect to the GM Goodwrench engine, is leave the oil pan alone and don't make the mistake I did by removing the cork gasket and installing a fancy one piece gasket which has leaked since day one. Save your money and run with what it came with until you can determine otherwise...
I've used several of the 290 hp GM crate engines both for myself and for customers and have had no problems to date. While we Have Speedway and Friesen Chevrolet selling them I'd probably buy my next one from Jegs for the free shipping and no sales tax.
We just pulled a tired race 327 that was going to be too expensive to rebuild. We put in a Blueprint 383 that is backed up by Muncie 4-speed and then a gear vendors with 411's in the rear of my 41 Chevy that I've owned for 30 years. It was simple, quick shipping, good horsepower and torque curves and I have not been gentle on it. Loads of fun and almost immediate gratification. A great company to look at. Plus it came with a great warranty. Sent from my SM-G920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Just after I post no problem I have one of the 290 HP 350 crate engines in my new deuce 5 window with the problem of the left side of the motor heat gunning 180 and at the same time the right side gunning 230? Zips water pump riser with all the right by passes and a bleeder vent. It doesn't appear to have any air locks. We have bled an burped it several times. I have the same setup in my deuce pu with no problems????????
Is the right side properly bypassed thru a heater or thru a bypass hose? If thru heater, do you have a cutoff valve on the water to the heater that is closeable for warm times of year that is now closed off?
Crate motors, I have built my own motors for 45 yrs. So when I did a frame of on my 55 Nomad a 2 yrs ago I thought, I will take all issues out and by a Summit GM performance 290 hp crate. All went well till I fired it up. Idled like crap. I new warranty is a issue, but I pulled the valve covers and ran the valves. Most were lashed at 1.5 or more rotations and the vacuum was at 5 inches. So warranty in mind I tried to call GM engines about it. No such phone number. So I called Summit. They were very helpful and told me to take it to a Chevy house and have it looked at. Well, I did that. Some snot nosed kid service manager told me the 1.5 or more valve lash was ok. First sign he was a Mormon. Then told me the vacuum was fine also. My vacuum gauge is a high end gauge and he was way wrong. He then told me they don't know much about the old engines, NO SHIT. So they where no help. Then I called a Chevy dealer that handles performance crate engines. Sine I checked my own valves the warranty is dead. So I pulled the motor down and the cam was wiped and had a bent push rod. Summit gave me a discount on the parts to fix it. And it was built so tight that it took almost a 500 miles before it quit running hot. Now the motor is great. I have used crate motors on cars in our shop with only a few issues. So buying a crate motor insurers you nothing at all. It is still a crap shoot.
When I started building my coupe I was bound and determined to use a 327 and have it built up my local machine shop ( which btw are far and few between these days in Canada). I sourced a good looking 327 from a recycle joint around the corner for me for $700. I then went to my local machine shop and was told a complete rebuild would start at $4500 (note all $ are in Canadian). So now I am at a minimum of $5200. Hmmm... Stopped into my local GM dealer and asked about pricing and availability on a new (not rebuilt) L31 vortec long block. $3200 Canadian with tax and warranty for 50000 kms. I have had 260 and 290 hp GM crate motors in previous projects and while they ran fine ... they are very low compression and don't offer the greatest performance. The L31 has a roller cam and 9.5 compression sporting the best heads GM ever produced on a gen 1 sb. The only thing I had to give up was a mechanical fuel pump. Figured I could live with that. Asked the dealer when he could have one. He says tomorrow ... there are 4 sitting in the Vancouver w'house. Bought it. Money saved bought tranny and new center section for dif. Win win
I have a ZZ3 crate motor in my 47 coupe, rated at 345 hp, and has aluminum heads, 4-bolt mains, steel crank, pink rods, & hydraulic roller cam. I've got an Edelbrock carb on the stock aluminum manifold, w/ block hugger headers. It runs real nice, it will light up the tires on the 47, and will get it up to speed on fwy on-ramps just fine, but it does knock on regular gas, so I have to run 93 octane. The current version of this engine is the ZZ4: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/GM-P...hevy-ZZ4-350-Turn-Key-Crate-Engine,69884.html
This is an interesting option, 330hp 327, https://www.fivestarengines.com/shop/chevy-327-330-hp-high-performance-balanced-crate-engine/
Speaking of crate engines, would the WWII wartime flathead engines from Ford, GM and Dodge represent the first of the crate engine principle that we now know today. I believe that is probably the case, however there maybe a different or more knowledgeable point of view out there...
Recently looking for a BBC, checked out many crate engines and after doing my research, I decided to visit a well known machinist/engine builder, Ron Flood/Cedar Machine Service, located in North Branch, MN. We had a couple long conversations about what I can expect from his shop and what was on the market, decided to go with him, he posted videos of this engine build on his website, explaining every detail in the blueprinting process, was incredible and affordable. My 496" BBC is scheduled to dyno Tuesday, May 1st, excited. Update, had this all steel BBC engine dynoed by G & S Dyno & Chassis, Shafer, MN the results: 557 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 590 lbs torque @ 4,200 rpm. The carbs were set up by Pat Ott/The Carb Shop, Forest Lake, MN., they needed no modification, worked perfectly, fuel and air mixture were spot on!! this set is going in my OT 70 Camaro funny car, street driven, 2,200 lbs!
After my 327 pooped out I bought a GM performance 300hp 350 from Karl chevrolet in Des Moines Iowa. Yes it is made in Mexico but so far so good. Its in my 32 sedan and I drive like an old man so it should provide me with many years of service.
Radley chevrolet Fredericksburg, Va On ebay Got 250.00 rebate and free shipping 330hp 19210007 I installed it and runs great with 50,000 mile warranty
My 290 HP 350 crate engine is heading for the Chevy dealer in the morning for tear down. The car has a little over a 100 miles on it. We've upgraded the water pump, checked the Zips riser for obstruction, installed a 180 degree bypass thermostat, checked the carb and timing so many times it can be done in our sleep, thoroughly bled and burped the system so there's no air pockets, and it still runs 240 at the right side while the left runs 180-190. Dealer thinks it's either a gasket problem or an obstruction in the block or head? He's covering the fix whatever it is under the warranty that comes with the motor, even though it's in my deuce 5 window. Hope he finds the problem? He says he's fixed a lot of them. He's one of the largest Chevy crate motor distributors in the US.
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