Junk Yard Engine

[1-ton]

Well, I found out today that my 1991 V3500 Crew Cab 4X4 has a piece of crap 305 Cu. inch engine in it that was probably salvaged out of a junkyard (brackets, manifolds, and all). It originally came with a medium duty 4-bolt main 350 engine. I suspected for some time that the engine it was not the original. It ran too good to have 120,000 miles on it. I am the third owner of this truck, and I am pretty sure the people I bought from where not aware that it did not have the original engine in it.

Oh well, all I do is drive it around town, and the 305 will have to do until I have fixed all the other stuff it needs. It is a lot of work for a 305 to pull a nearly 8,000 pound truck around.

 

[sled_dog]

Been there, guy claimed my first K5 had a Target 350 motor in it... Too bad when I pulled it and bothered to look it was the factory 305 /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

 

[big83chevy4x4]

i gotten luck like that but the other way around. when i bought my first truck, the guy said it had the stock 305. i got to working on it and found it was a 4 bolt 350 /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

305s suck, my dad has one in his blazer.

 

[Corey 78K5]

I took a 4 bolt main 350 to a machine shop once to have it bored .30 over, lined bored and the heads reworked and assembled. A few weeks later the engine blew up so I tore it down. I was shocked when I found out I got back a 2 bolt main engine /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif with one cylinder .60 over 3 that were .30 over and the rest were standard bore /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif The real kicker was there was a 2" long chunk of the block between #3 and #5 cylinders that had been broken out and filled in with weld and gound back into shape with a die grinder /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif I was so fawking pissed, but I kept My cool and got ahold of the BBB and I got My money back plus extra for being hosed and losing out on My 4 bolt main 350.

 

[1-ton]

[ QUOTE ]
I took a 4 bolt main 350 to a machine shop once to have it bored .30 over, lined bored and the heads reworked and assembled. A few weeks later the engine blew up so I tore it down. I was shocked when I found out I got back a 2 bolt main engine with one cylinder .60 over 3 that were .30 over and the rest were standard bore The real kicker was there was a 2" long chunk of the block between #3 and #5 cylinders that had been broken out and filled in with weld and gound back into shape with a die grinder I was so fawking pissed, but I kept My cool and got ahold of the BBB and I got My money back plus extra for being hosed and losing out on My 4 bolt main 350.

[/ QUOTE ]

You gotta be real careful with some machine shops. I once took a factory steel crank into a machine shop, and they tried to give me back a cast iron one. Make sure you mark your stuff with a die grinder or punch before you take it in, and then tell them you have done this, so they will not get any bright ideas. Machine shops will usually only take advantage of people they think are not aware of what they have.

 

[diesel4me]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I took a 4 bolt main 350 to a machine shop once to have it bored .30 over, lined bored and the heads reworked and assembled. A few weeks later the engine blew up so I tore it down. I was shocked when I found out I got back a 2 bolt main engine with one cylinder .60 over 3 that were .30 over and the rest were standard bore The real kicker was there was a 2" long chunk of the block between #3 and #5 cylinders that had been broken out and filled in with weld and gound back into shape with a die grinder I was so fawking pissed, but I kept My cool and got ahold of the BBB and I got My money back plus extra for being hosed and losing out on My 4 bolt main 350.

[/ QUOTE ]

You gotta be real careful with some machine shops. I once took a factory steel crank into a machine shop, and they tried to give me back a cast iron one. Make sure you mark your stuff with a die grinder or punch before you take it in, and then tell them you have done this, so they will not get any bright ideas. Machine shops will usually only take advantage of people they think are not aware of what they have.

[/ QUOTE ]


READ THIS POST AGAIN AND AGAIN BEFORE YOU BRING ANY PARTS TO A MACHINE SHOP!!!

( I worked a few parts stores with machine shops--this guy is right!.I saw one guy bring in a 454 to one shop--he got back a 396 with a sleeve in the # 6 cylinder--the owner laughed as he counted the cash--seems he got the 396 for free when a garage swapped a targetmaster motor into a crew cab and the guy didnt want the core--he had the machine shop rebuild it,and they found a crack in the cylinder while boring it,so they stuffed it in a dark corner until the "right person" came along--I was quite amused when the 396 started steaming after its first long trip,and the owner of the truck sued them for damages over 5 grand to cover the loss of his 454 block and getting his truck back on the road with another motor! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Not to say they are all bad--but a lot of shop do look for people who might not know the difference between a steel crank or a cast one--or a 366 instead of a 454--seen that too!.It best to mark your parts,and record the engine codes before they get shaved off when they deck the block--and write the BIG casting # down on the bellhousing too.I've seen busy shops give a customer the wrong motor accidently when they are doing a lot of similar engines at the same time.
And when junkyard hunting,ALWAYS check the codes against the Hollander book--you dont want to buy a 366 out of a school bus with 300,000 miles on it,thinking its a 454 or other desireable motor!.Dont assume a motor was a "new" replacement motor just because it has "Mr.Goodwrench" or "Target Master" valve covers--the covers are cheap at the dealer and fit nearly all small blocks,I think the stickers are available too--and those motors are mexican made by the way--even if it is a "real" one,they arent that great of a motor. As they say--Let the buyer beware! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

I have not found any solid evidence with any backing to show that the engines made in mexico are any lesser in quality to any of the others.

 

[TWISTEDJACK]

My motor is a Mexico casting and the Machine shop actually preferred it since it has a little thicker casting.

 

[diesel4me]

I havent really seen any carnage from the "Hencho En Mexico" motors either,but I do see more of them in the junkyards than on the roads--they aren't much for power,even the 350's are kinda gutless--I have read in Hot Rod and other books to avoid theese motors for any high performance applications--especially nitrous!-They claim they castings arent as good as the ones made in detroit or canada.But I suppose anything will blow up if you stress it enough!.

(Hey Tim--I hope you arent mexican--No offense! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif)

 

[1979jimmy350]

i have heard the mexican castings are thinner and have seen mexican engines with warped cylinder walls at 80,000 miles

 

[lukebaby1]

As far as Goodwrench Mexico manufactured engines go, I have had pretty good luck with them. They have four bolt mains, and everything is brand new. The heads could use a little work but for the most part not a bad deal for under $1500. I usually put a high volume oil pump, a double roller timing chain (preferably Crane with thrust bearing and cam button), and a set of self aligning Competition Cam Magnum roller rockers and hardened push rods. This does void the warranty but I have never had one go bad yet. And the thing runs pretty damn good and puts out about 210-240 hp depending on what type of manifold and exhaust your using, where it would only put out about 180 bone stock out of the crate. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[1-ton]

[ QUOTE ]
I have not found any solid evidence with any backing to show that the engines made in mexico are any lesser in quality to any of the others.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have. Back when I had a Government job as a mechanic, I helped maintain a fleet of GM P30 chassis vehicles. The original engines where medium duty 4-bolt main Goodwrench engines assembled in Canada. These engines averaged about 150,000 to 180,000 miles (even after being totally whipped to within an inch of there lives by the route drivers) before they "gave up the ghost".

Since the County Government wanted to save a few bucks, they opted to purchase Target 350's assembled in Mexico to replace the original GM P30 engines. These engines only lasted an average of 50,000 to 80,000 miles before they usually cracked a cylinder wall.