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Best Value Crate Engine??

Umm.. One question. Is the shop that changed the oil the same ones telling you that you need all that work?

Seems kinda strange to me that they had to pull a head to diagnose your engine problems. Disableing your truck is one of the first things a disreputable shop will do to garentee you will use them to do all the work.
A compression test, leak down test and maybe pulling off a valve cover is all that is needed. Or at least thats all i need to diagnose a engine rebuild vs valve job. None of those involves any dissasembly of the engine other than a few bolts and pulling out the spark plugs.

Pretty odd that you have a good running truck. Take it in for an oil change. A few miles after the change everything is knocking and rattling? Hmmm Maybe the monkey in the oil change rack frogot to put in any oil? tighten the drain plug??/ Nahhh That just doesn't happen
 
Nah the shop its at now didnt do the oil change, took it to a shop that a forum member here has been using for 26 years, and he trusts them with all his vehicles.

As for the used engine versus credit card, yea, I really appreciate the advice from everyone here. Its going to be a pain in the ass in some respects to figure out what to do, ie get it towed from the shop to somewhere else (if I had a driveway Id already have had AAA tow it home and just park it for a long time until financial times were stable), and find a used engine and get it to wherever to get installed, etc...but I cant afford $4700 on a credit card..hell I was thinking I dont even have enough on it since Ive been putting doctors bills on it recently, and it is only a $5k limit. Over a decade ago I vowed never to use credit cards again, and cut them all up. Kept this one just for emergencies, and since getting medically retired and moving, my wonderful workers comp insurance company delayed getting doctors appointments I needed so I put them on the CC just so I wasnt sick and miserable...now in a dispute to get paid back by those pricks....so I wouldnt even have room on the CC to get this done, and I dont want to go take out another CC....

appreciate everyone on here putting in advice and thoughts to this, really do. Great bunch of people in this club.
 
Thunder said:
Umm.. One question. Is the shop that changed the oil the same ones telling you that you need all that work?

Seems kinda strange to me that they had to pull a head to diagnose your engine problems. Disableing your truck is one of the first things a disreputable shop will do to garentee you will use them to do all the work.
A compression test, leak down test and maybe pulling off a valve cover is all that is needed. Or at least thats all i need to diagnose a engine rebuild vs valve job. None of those involves any dissasembly of the engine other than a few bolts and pulling out the spark plugs.

Pretty odd that you have a good running truck. Take it in for an oil change. A few miles after the change everything is knocking and rattling? Hmmm Maybe the monkey in the oil change rack frogot to put in any oil? tighten the drain plug??/ Nahhh That just doesn't happen
Click to expand...

I was wondering the exact same thing. You should do some investigating of this shop that did the oil change. This is why I dont trust Jiffy Lube or any other shop like it.
 
hey Matt you got a lot of threads on this and your head is spinning now. slow down a minute. I dont trust most shops, especially if you talk to them the way you sound in here, cha ching! is what they hear. As you have seen about 4 or 5 of us in this area are willing to help out. I know I live the farthest from you, but Hoby did offer his trailer. Chris is north of you off the 5 and Im about 100 miles north off the 15. If your not in a huge rush, get the motor from Chris, gather some pieces like supersize75 said, all though under his name it does say "hard on parts". is that hard on parts or hard on parts. and then take it to mnstrburbns house and we can pitch in and get it done in a day. just my .02


ps if it is hard on parts I might need to pm you when Im 50. :doah:


edit
Wait a minute, it doesnt say hard on parts anymore
 
Have you thought of finding a friends house to park this at till you get some more money and just buying a beater off of craigslist to use for a daily driver till you get the money to fix the blazer? Just a thought.
 
I appreciate all the help and offers to help, I just might use it. Im not in a huge rush, I have another car I drove out here (thankfully didnt sell it yet!!), just a rush in the sense its at the shop and Im sure they will want it off the lot ASAP if Im not having them do the work, and I live in a city where there is street parking only (and every morning the side they street sweep changes so you gotta move it every other day no matter what). So my rush is to get it out of the shop and somewhere to store until I figure out what the hell to do....yea Im sure with my panic they could be singing " Make money money money make money money money" haha....I was so shell shocked was like "Do you take Discover? I cant even afford that with my entire bank account" haha...

There is the one slightly used crate motor in Hepet (sp) that is only $850, but he said he would deal with me if needed, and only $300 to install...and he even offered to tow it down there since he will be in the area picking up a transmission in the next few days. Said he put a brand new crate 350 into a 1991 Chevy 2x4 longbed, the customer paid partial on an IOU, then the customer found out the truck had $1k in back taxes/fees (whatever this state does to you), so didnt want to pay for the engine...so the shop got the truck back from the guy because he doesnt want to pay the backfees, nor for the engine....guy said if I came down I could see it running in the truck, drive it whatever. I could head down there Saturday, but wouldnt have a clue in hell what to look, listen, or feel for on an engine. Nor what to try to offer for it, and should I take a stab and let someone I dont know far away install it for me?

Or somehow check it out, and take the truck and the engine if its worth it to one of the SoCal guys houses to install? Or just go with Chris's $300 engine?
 
bluecollarjock said:
I appreciate all the help and offers to help, I just might use it. Im not in a huge rush, I have another car I drove out here (thankfully didnt sell it yet!!), just a rush in the sense its at the shop and Im sure they will want it off the lot ASAP if Im not having them do the work, and I live in a city where there is street parking only (and every morning the side they street sweep changes so you gotta move it every other day no matter what). So my rush is to get it out of the shop and somewhere to store until I figure out what the hell to do....yea Im sure with my panic they could be singing " Make money money money make money money money" haha....I was so shell shocked was like "Do you take Discover? I cant even afford that with my entire bank account" haha...

There is the one slightly used crate motor in Hepet (sp) that is only $850, but he said he would deal with me if needed, and only $300 to install...and he even offered to tow it down there since he will be in the area picking up a transmission in the next few days. Said he put a brand new crate 350 into a 1991 Chevy 2x4 longbed, the customer paid partial on an IOU, then the customer found out the truck had $1k in back taxes/fees (whatever this state does to you), so didnt want to pay for the engine...so the shop got the truck back from the guy because he doesnt want to pay the backfees, nor for the engine....guy said if I came down I could see it running in the truck, drive it whatever. I could head down there Saturday, but wouldnt have a clue in hell what to look, listen, or feel for on an engine. Nor what to try to offer for it, and should I take a stab and let someone I dont know far away install it for me?

Or somehow check it out, and take the truck and the engine if its worth it to one of the SoCal guys houses to install? Or just go with Chris's $300 engine?
Click to expand...


Hemet is about 2 hours East from us Matt. As far as looking at an engine in a running vehicle, without doing something like a compression check you can't actually know the condition of the motor. Since it's a motor with some miles on it it wont look new of course, but it should be basically in decent shape and fairly clean. Visually all you can look for is leaks, look at the valve covers, see if their four bolt on center new style or perifery old style covers, very much a dead give a way it's an old motor. Look for casting numbers on the block and heads. You might be able to down load casting number lists showing how to "read" casting numbers to tell you year manufactured, type of block 4 bolt or 2 bolt main, motor cubic inch, and what not.

Other then basic inspection thats about it. Listening to how it sounds, listen for ticks, knocks, hesitation, stuttering & stumbling while running, hesitation when driving it. If you go look at it feel the motor, see if it's warm like its been ran. You want to see it start from cold. Check the oil of course. more then likely they have changed the oil. Smell it, see if it smells burnt. It will probably be new oil. Feel it, if it feels think or thin. It should not be thick like there running 20-50 oil in it. 10-30 oil is what it should be. Feel for viscosity it should be kinda thin. Look at the radiator, should not have straight water in it, should be nice and green antifreeze in it.

Do a search on what items to look for on a vehicle, you should find some informative info on the subject. Look for fuel leaks arounf the manifold. Ask if there is any paper work on the motor. I would not just take their word for it. You want documentation of some kind on the crate motor.

Anyone else have any info on what to look for??? 4X4HIGH, Scott, you got anything? I'm not an expert, but I know some things to look for, I know I'm forgetting some things.
 
I would NOT buy a used engine from anyone. The thing could run for 10 minutes and blow up or it could run for 10 years then blow up. I would wait until you have the cash to buy the brand new crate engine and then get these local guys to help you swap it in an afternoon. There would be nothing worse than spending the cash on a used engine, then paying to have it installed just to have something happen to it in short order. :deal:
 
Yobtaf said:
hey Matt you got a lot of threads on this and your head is spinning now. slow down a minute. I dont trust most shops, especially if you talk to them the way you sound in here, cha ching! is what they hear. As you have seen about 4 or 5 of us in this area are willing to help out. I know I live the farthest from you, but Hoby did offer his trailer. Chris is north of you off the 5 and Im about 100 miles north off the 15. If your not in a huge rush, get the motor from Chris, gather some pieces like supersize75 said, all though under his name it does say "hard on parts". is that hard on parts or hard on parts. and then take it to mnstrburbns house and we can pitch in and get it done in a day. just my .02


ps if it is hard on parts I might need to pm you when Im 50. :doah:


edit
Wait a minute, it doesnt say hard on parts anymore
Click to expand...


I agree with exactly what Dean said. Except IF you can swing the 200hp crate motor then buy that and we will install it instead of a used motor if your concerned, which as Scott said he does not like buying a used motor. Can't disagree with him, but you can trust the members here offering to help.

Get it towed to mnstrburbons house, your AAA should cover that. Then get the crate motor ordered if you want to go that route. In the mean time we can get your old motor out and pull off necessary items and get the truck ready for the new motor to go right in. Two weekends and it should be done. Will take some time for the new motor to show up, Gives us time to get the old out and prep, ya know. Also with a new motor you get a warrenty, thats worth something too. Stick to one thread, easier that way too.
 
Id love to wait until I had the cash for a crate engine....but where to tow the truck and store it for now is an issue. I live in an apartment in a city where there are no driveways, I have a shared TINY garage that it wouldnt fit in with stock tires on ha, and the street parking switches sides every morning for street sweeping so you gotta be able to move...and the truck was running and driving, but now that they took off the head on one side or what not I dont think its running....and I have plenty of friends in the area and some family too, not one person has a driveway, thats just how it is in LA (unless you are one of the rich folks ha). So I already called the shop this morning crack of dawn out of courtesy that I cant afford the crate motor, so they are going to be looking for me to call to get it towed somewhere I imagine by end of business, or if they are really friendly Monday since they are closed on weekends.
 
And if the Mnstrburbn deal doesnt work out for you and you need to store it for longer time, I have plenty of room in my back yard. It wouldnt be in the way at all. Maybe get Hoby to trailer it up and park it there for a month or two until you get the money to do what you want to do.
 
Thanks guys, you all kick major ass. I very much appreciate it. Means a LOT, helping a dude out you just met.

Im going to see if Matt is home today at any point and I can get AAA to take it to his place, if not Monday as long as the shop isnt demanding its off their lot by the end of business. Then Im going to see if my insurance calls (which they promised they will), they owe me about double the cost of the crate motor from medical bills I paid out of pocket...so if they reimburse me soon or agree to, I can feel good Ill be able to pay off the credit card stuff I have on now from doctors, and order the crate motor from Summit or Jegs.
 
bluecollarjock said:
and order the crate motor from Summit or Jegs.
Click to expand...

Just a little FYI, you probably already thought of this but i will throw it out there just in case.

Jeg's and i assume Summit also have engines delivered via truck freight. In my case the Semi pulled up to my house and the guy used a pallet jack to move it into my driveway. After that it is all up to you to move it. So without a cherry picker, and or place to store it or truck to transport it in you might be in a bad spot.

Just something for you to think about if you havent aready. Maybe have the engine shipped to the same location as your truck.
 
Thanks Scott...yea after much panic in my head, and consulting with some of the guys here who live in my area, a local shop will pull and rebuild my current motor, and reinstall for $1600. Might not be as good as a crate motor, but will save me at least $500 (looks like about $2100 for engine and shipping), and the coordination of towing my truck somewhere else, and getting the engine shipped there, etc...

Oh well "when I hit the lotto" Ill get some juicy crate engine, HD tranny, and sweet axles...until then I gotta do it the poor man's way :-)
 
another option you might consider is to see if one of your local vocational h.s or community colleges has a auto mechanic class that would be interested in doing the work. my local vo. tech. does all the work, you just pay for parts. it's early enough in the school year. you might have a chance to get it in.
 
thats not a bad idea, back in Pittsburgh where i went to HS I remember being able to have that done...and in VA/DC where I just moved from, one of the Jeep club directors was a HS Vo Tech teacher, and they did everything-lifts, gears, etc....since he was a Jeep freak....just moved to this area, I wonder if the kids around here would know what vo-tech is to be honest ha.
 
bluecollarjock said:
if I end up spending $2k on a crate motor from GM that only has 200HP Im gonna be sour....but it looks like the only option unless I could bump it up to one of these fancy high fallootin engines...
Click to expand...
unfortuneatly that is what your going to get. I actually thought they were 220hp. Not anywhere near enough to hall around a 6k lbs beast. I would suggest rebuilding your 350 into a 383 and getting some extra power out of it.
 
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