Face it, it's up to us humans to make sure all the core shift, casting flaws, materials used, and the maching of these parts to be correct. But I'm sure if the manufactures could teach monkeys to do the same work and feed them bannana's instead of paying us currency they would do it, across the board and any brands. The truth is it's the bottom line that is the major factor in this business anymore. Guess what 90% of the public know how to do to there car? One thing: pump gas.
I thought this thread would be about that 26...? C.I.D. engine in the 78-80 malibu's. That was a true turd of a V.8.
you meant the 262, or 267 cid engine? So did I...talk about trying for v6 mileage but v8 "performance"...i would say you know its bad when it doesn't go into a Vette, but California did have a 305 in its vettes, and the 302 and 400 never got into vettes..
Chev engine quality started going down after 1967. They were never the best made engine but in the seventies they were terrible. Does anyone remember when every parts store had stacks and stacks of cam kits on the shelf? Ever had one apart and seen the rough castings covered in flashing, the cams that look like they are made of compressed tinfoil and worse everywhere you look? They found out people would keep buying them just because they said Chevrolet on the front and man did they take advantage of it. They got away with it too, for more than 20 years. Now they have milked the market so long, nobody will buy one of their heaps unless they get a special deal, deep discount price, rebate, or interest free financing. And they still can't sell them. At last count GM had 761,000 unsold vehicles backlogged and was being sued for "channel stuffing".
I dunno...I bought an astro van that had just received a targetmaster 350-260HP transplant with a 350 turbo and a 3.07 rear axle. I kept that van for 5 or 6 years, changing the iol at regular intervals---3000 miles and used havoline oil with napa filters. It always gave great service..in 100 degree summers and -25 degree winters. It was still running s trong 80,000 miles later when the body began to rot from underneath. I used it for a trade-in during the "clunker buy out" program so I actually made $2500 on the deal. The dealership was in charge of destroying the engine/transmissions before they sent the clunkers to the bone yard and the sales dude [close personal friend who I actually bought the astro from in the first place] said of all the engines they destroyed, my old targetmaster ran the longest before siezing up.. No, the worse chevy smallblock I ever had was a 72 nova 307..... It was a fair engine when I bought it with only a wiped cam. I didn't have enough $$$ [new family] to replace it so I bought a 350 HP cam and lifters, installed a Q-jet and dual exhaust with a new hotrod aftermarket clutch...this thing actually had a factory muncie 4 speed. It ran...er, kinda hard for awhile but I didn't beat it..made a few trips to the west coast and then it began leaking past the rings....smoked out the tail pipes on acceleration. I've had Y-block fords that were a LOT worse engines [and 223 ford 6 bangers] than any chevy I ever owned. Jus sayin.
I've never had a Target master apart, so I cant comment on the quality of the internal parts. Theres a good reason for that, I avoid them like the plague. Why in the hell would I buy a **** Mexican block casting with spotty cylinder wall thickness and very little tin or nickel in the iron, when I can still find '70s 4 bolt main 010 castings without too much trouble. It just doesnt make sense to not be selective when you are looking for a 350 block to spend $1500-$2000 in machine work on. WHY would you start with a **** block?
The Targetmaster program dates back to the eighties.the engines were made in Mexico, and the castings were done there. What he is saying is, the engine he was working on is an old Targetmaster cast in Mexico in the eighties/nineties, that has since been rebiult by Autozone. So GM "Huencho en Mexico" casting quality, combined with Autozone "attention to detail". Clear?
I run a 350 in our 1985 El Camino after replacing the 305. I now have over 120,00 on the 350 crate engine from GM built in Mexico. Only one problem leaking valve covers. Fix that at at 100,000 miles.
And I'd be willing to put money down that he DIDN'T start with an eighties era targetmaster block when he built it. One nice thing, at least they are nice and soft, saves wear/tear on machine tools.
no , not really....but thanks for the explanation i still feel a bunch of engine sources are being grouped together and painted with the same brush i;d like to see some pictures. does this motor actually say Autozone on it? for he record , i'm trying to discuss the motor the original poster was talking about
ummm, ok, lets try this again. GM cast the original parts, not Autozone. When you buy an engine from Autozone, they dont actually make the castings, they just install new bearings, rings, gaskets ect. The block, crank, heads, and rods are still GM. So Autozone didnt make the poorly cast block, crank, rods, heads ect, GM did. So, if he were *****ing about the quality of the bearings, rings, cam, ect., that would be Autozones baby. The casting quality of the block, heads, cranks, rods is GM's baby.
There's been a lot of discussion on the so called high nickle and or tin 010 block or any other block. And the casting numbers under the timing cover that go along with this. No one has ever presented any proof that any Chevy blocks have more nickle than others.One guy here who has knowledge of GM foundries says the numbers under the timing cover refer to casting cores and not the metal itself. The best statement is the heavy duty "Bowtie" racing blocks that were or are still available are the only real high nickle blocks. Are 010 blocks the same as a Bowtie"
yes , i get that...give me some credit. but did the rebuilt motor come from Autozone? the original poster said it was an O'Reilly/autozone/advance rebuild . i work part time at an O'reillys so i know we don't actually cast the parts or do the machine work which is it? who actually rebuilt it? that's my point
"I've had Y-block fords that were a LOT worse engines [and 223 ford 6 bangers] than any chevy I ever owned. Jus sayin." Oh geez don't go dragging the Fords into this. Aren't they both bad enough without starting any contests.
Ok, I see. I watch your posts, know you know which way is up, and was kind of confused by your comments. As far as I can see, the original post commented on the quality of the castings and didnt really get into the issue of the rebuild parts used.
If you think all production SBC blocks are made from the same iron, ask any competent machinist. They will straighten that illusion out in short order...
Years ago I had a friend in the towing business...one of his two trucks was a Ford F700 and his other truck was a Chevy C60....he had put a Targetmaster GM 350 into the Chevy and it lasted maybe three years/90,000 miles....so he removed the 350 and swapped in a Ford FE390...bolted it up to the Clark 5speed trans...he ran that C60 another 4 or 5 years and sold it to buy a brand new truck...that Ford 390 never let him down and ran like new long after he sold it...now all his trucks have diesel power....the small blocks just weren't up to staying together in heavy duty towing...
I didn't say they are all the same,I said the common tales of block codes may not be valid about nickle or tin content. I asked several shops that build many SBC's for circle track.This was last year after a discussion here. They said they never noticed any machining differences.
Agree with that, the codes under the timing cover do not relate to the material the blocks are cast from...
had a 2002 jeep wrangler last year that was all tricked out with off road goodies . i owned it for a few months when the prior owners neglect caught up with me and spit a bunch of parts out the side of the pan . so in my need to get a motor in it right away( it was my only daily driver ) ,i bought a surefire 4.0 crate motor from auto zone . it went in the jeep and immediately ran like *** . threw a bunch of misfire codes and because i denied there could be anything wrong with a fresh built motor i went to town replacing all of the plugs,wires,cleaning all of the injectors,etc etc .....only to find out after a manifold pressure and compression and leak down test that #1 cylinder had 98% leak down. it turned out to be a bent valve and f'd up seat . made in mexico on a tag on the motor !!! i know the OP was referring to chevy's but this thread turned toward mexican made POS motors before my post so i threw it on here.
",flashing everwhere, Very crude castings, rods that looked like you carved them with a dull knife, Poor original quality;" I'll believe this when I see pictures. Sam
On the other hand my buddy has a steel deck rollback with a 350 he beat hell out of for 3 or 4 years driving up to four hours to pick up one car and bring another back on a trailer behind that. It still runs, even after using it once to get a car and having it overheat due to a stuck thermostat and running without one to get the job done. He did retire it but more because of hydraulic problems than anything else. Up and down hills until the manifolds or the brakes were glowing, too, where he lives the town is six miles away - and it's all uphill going to his place.
Yes,because of sheer number produced...Like the Chevy V-8,make enough of them and some will survive. But survival often needs popularity support.55-57 Chevys are everywhere,same era Fords,not many it seems.Production numbers between Chevy and Ford were similar.Did all the Fords just rust to nubs or did the "hot rod" popularity of the Chevys save them just like the 30's Fords? Or maybe,was the Chevy just a better built car?
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