Opinions on Parts Store Crankshafts?
- Thread starter MrSony
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To me it sounded like the new shortblock would stay assembled and everything from the current engine would be swapped over.
So no machine work would be done.
I understand that.
What i see is a blown up 350 that we still dont really know the root cause to failure. But suffered (by the OP's own account) "several overheating boilovers" and "oil starvation" but somehow also has a timing cover (oiling system) thats "fine" and heads that are still in their "redone" state.
So naturally you take those parts, and put them in place of a 350 thats already together an presumably working, right? I'm guessing, since he didnt mention whether the Apollo even runs, and instead of doing a compression test and oil pressure check, he's perfectly happy to just put culprit parts on it.
If he's going to replace just the topend, and timing cover but not check the shortblock, whats the point? Is it anymore reliable when you only check half the stuff? Maybe he'll get lucky, who knows.
My philosophy for a used $400 engine is to buy with some assurances (compression and oil pressure) and then to leave it alone. If it aint broke.....
All that aside, my only point was, if you're going to treat it like a core, pay core prices. $400 is a bit steap if youre just going to rip it apart anyway.
I should have been a bit more clear. The Apollo runs and drives great, according to the guy. They really know their Buicks and I trust them, but to be safe I'll try to talk them into letting me test drive the car. They being my dad's coworker and his father, each have high 11 second Buick 455 cars and know Buicks motors inside and out. I have determined the cause of my engine's failure to be oil starvation, but not in the traditional sense. I did all the right things to my original 350 in all the right way. But, it being my first engine, I forgot the two oil galley plugs on either side of the camshaft. I must've thought they were oil drain holes or something. Upon startup, the top end received little to no oil whatsoever. I had great flow, as checked with the dist removed and a socket and extension on the pump drive gear. Oil was gushing out of those two holes (again, being my first engine I had no idea) so I assumed I just had a faulty gauge. After the top end started ticking, I stopped driving it after accumulating maybe three miles on the motor. I looked at some pictures online indicating where the plugs should go, and I immediately installed the plugs, but unbeknownst to me, the damage was already done. It just took 5500 more miles of hard revving to finally start it's death knock. Destroyed the front cam bearing, sending chunks and shavings all throughout the motor, and wiping out every other beaing in the process, which also were no doubt screwed up by the initial no oil pressure break in. Live and learn. I'll be taking apart my oil pump and rechecking the clearances and cleaning out any metal shavings (it's just two gears in a cavity in the timing cover, no place for any metal bits to hide where I can't get them), and wiping the oil and metal (if any) off my good cylinder heads, and placing them along with my 4 barrel intake and qjet onto the new motor. If the motor is 100% stock and it looks so, what's the harm in opening it up, taking a peak, replacing 40 year old gaskets, and installing parts that I know are good that will help the engine along?
Since you are short on money then why take an engine that runs great apart to put parts on it from a blown engine?
I agree, if it runs good and everything checks out (compression, oil pressure etc.) then replace any leaking gaskets and throw it in, if the plan is to rebuild your engine anyways why waste more money on gaskets etc. swapping parts and then when yours is rebuilt it will need all its parts back.
You could then keep the $400 engine as a running back up or sell it as a running engine when yours is done.
You could then keep the $400 engine as a running back up or sell it as a running engine when yours is done.
How is installing different heads and a Q-jet "helping it along"?
Seems like you're hard on parts, based on all the stuff I've read over the last few months....carbs, rebuilt engines, transmissions....isn't a stock 350 that runs and lets you drive the car better than a "hot rod" that never moves?
I guess like most of us when we were younger, you're in a hurry to have a fast car. The guys I knew that actually had FAST cars usually drove something undesirable while they built their dream ride.
You have been offered excellent advice many times in this thread, your constant ignoring of it reminds me of another younger fella that recently had a similar experience.
Seems like you're hard on parts, based on all the stuff I've read over the last few months....carbs, rebuilt engines, transmissions....isn't a stock 350 that runs and lets you drive the car better than a "hot rod" that never moves?
I guess like most of us when we were younger, you're in a hurry to have a fast car. The guys I knew that actually had FAST cars usually drove something undesirable while they built their dream ride.
You have been offered excellent advice many times in this thread, your constant ignoring of it reminds me of another younger fella that recently had a similar experience.
You can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink !!
I know we are all trying to help him out but I think with his tight budget his plans or dreams as they might be keep changing. I think he should change priorities and put all his energy into getting a job. Then once he has some disposable income he can make plans he can stick to....If you look at the employment opportunities in his city there seems to be quite a few jobs in different fields
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