new motor build or crate motor

[rboogie23]

Which will come out cheaper.... rebuilding 350 and bored .60 for a 383 stroker or buy a crate motor 383

 

[-83MONTESS-]

Are you going to be doing the work yourself? Do you have all the required tools like ring compressor, dial calipers, mics, spring compressor, dial indicator, etc...? It would also depend on how much new stuff you plan on buying like intake, oil pan, valve covers, carb, or anything else you could pick up cheap on craigslist. Im at the finishing stages of my 496 stroker build and im at just over $3000 total. Thats using reworked iron heads and a quadrajet. The heads as cores with machine work came out to be about $600+valves, springs, etc. The block(core) bored .060" line honed, 0 decked and cleaned was another $600. Thats at least $1200 just in buying useable core items and machine work. I did all of the labor and had to buy another couple hundred in tools but to me its worth it. For someone that wants it done quick and maybe not too educated on how to build one it wouldnt be worth it to do it yourself. Just my .02

 

[rboogie23]

Thanks for replying but I lm in the stage of learning how to do it my self.... and I don't have any of the spec tool required.... its something I'm trying to learn

 

[Fox80]

83Montes is right the tools alone can add up in a hurry, but I'm not a fan of crate motors, the ones that are appealing price wise are usually just mass produced junk. If you have a machine shop you trust they can spec out the entire motor and you could assemble it. Things like setting the oil clearances, comp. ratio, ring end gap, etc is what takes a lot of special tools. The actual assembly of the motor would require a torque wrench for sure, and a cam degree wheel if you chose to degree the cam, I hope you would. Long block assembly is $800-$1,200 alone depending on the builder

 

[rboogie23]

This is gonna be my first engine build... I'm just wanna make sure I'm going about It the right way

 

[Blake B]

The crate ZZ4 383 looks like a pretty good deal. I'm contemplating it.

 

[oldiejams]

if you have the resources (money, space, time etc) i would rebuild. speaking from my own situation i will have to buy a crate or a junkyard just because i dont have any where to build and engine, i would like to build one though especially for the learning experience.

 

[Mike P]

First off you realize that just boring a 350 .060 does not make it a 383, building a 383 requires a crankshaft change.

Chances are by the time that you pay a good machine shop for the work required and buy quality parts you would be money ahead buying a crate motor. Around here engine assembly by the machine shop runs $250-500 depending on the engine.

Then there is the warranty aspect. Warranty on a GM crate motor is 3 year 50,000 miles. A machine shop built engine will generally give you 12 months, 12,000 miles. If you assemble it yourself, your warranty will be ZERO.

An engine stand, decent set of hand tools, feeler gauges, ring compressor, gallery brushes, plasti-guage and torque wrench will be required to properly assemble your engine.

Building the engine is a learning curve, but a lot of people enjoy doing it.

Whichever way you go, good luck.

 

[seawolf18]

Does it really need to be bored .060? Thats usually the max for a run of the mill 350. At .060 over sonic testing is recommended to make sure the cylinder walls are thick enough. you may have overheating issues with it as well. if it needs a .030 to get back to spec, do that. Don't max overbore from the start. You will make way more power with a proper cam, head, intake, carb combination. Throwing parts in a box, hoping they will work doesn't end well. Since you are in the learning stage, i would buy a book on rebuilding chevy small blocks. i wish I would have in the beginning. I learned from the school of hard knocks. It was effective, but expensive.

 

[DRIVEN]

Previous 2 posts ^^^ good advice.