alex-z28

I got about 80K miles on my 93z and its burning little bit of oil. I know that my valve seals are worn out or cracked, I see a cloud of smoke when I first start it. I think that storing car outside for 5 months in -30c weather helps wear out and dry out my valve seals faster. I do believe that my piston rings are worn out as well, I will look into doing leak down test to check the comprssion first, just to make sure.

But anyway, my friend was telling me it would be cheaper/better if I just buy crate engine. I would like about 400 hp at the motor and I came upon this LT1 long block http://www.rebuiltcrateengines.com/c...ne-p-2103.html.

What do you guys think I should do? What do guys think about the engine above? Price, company etc?

BTW, my car right now is mostly stock few bolt ons, CAI, pulleys, chip.

shoebox

That's a lot of money for a stock engine. Why would you need a complete long block? If your cylinder bores are in pretty good shape (probably are with just 80k miles), you could rebuild for a fraction of that price.

96 Z 28

That's not a stock engine if they are claiming 370 HP... BUT...

I would LOVE to know how they get an extra 100+ HP out of that setup for THAT price...

They would have to use heads + Cam, and for the price either they are using cheap parts or are underselling themselves..

I'm more of a believer in the 'You get what you pay for' ideology, which puts them in the cheap parts realm, and when dealing with a long block that's just a recipe for disaster...

Here's another pretty well know shop in New England: Golen Engines and they are $1700 more for a similar HP long block

brad3579

X2 for Golan's, Chad is the best to work with.

koolaid_kid

Those heads have been reworked, and the cam is not stock, but that's still a lot of coinage for mostly stock parts (crank, probably rods, etc.).
If you are willing to do the work, you could get a lot of engine out of your stocker with $3k, and beef up the parts that matter, such as rods, pistons, etc. You'll need a competent machine shop to do the deck honing, head work, etc., but you can put it together yourself with a bit of patience.
Personally, I prefer to select my own parts, and assemble them myself so I know they are done right. Takes more time and effort, but has two bonuses: Your tool collection grows, and you know your engine inside and out by the time you are done.
I suggest doing a bit of reading first, this book is an excellent read and what I mainly used to build mine: How to Rebuild Small-Block Chevy Lt1/Lt4 Engines by Mike Mavrigian.
http://www.amazon.com/Rebuild-Small-.../dp/1557883939

alex-z28

I hear what you are saying and I would love to do it myself but I just don't know where to start, what are good parts to get and how much HP I can expect. My buddy is a mechanic and he has 89 mustang coupe and he took the easy way out and just bought 355 full roller long block of ebay for like $4000 and its got like 470 hp and 440 of torque. So was the one who said why not just do the same with my car instead of rebuilding it.

I will get that book you suggested and due more research.

koolaid_kid

Do that first. Knowledge is your friend, and you should be able to see if the task is over your head.
AFA the rated HP of any long block, take that with a grain of salt. Too much depends on what else is bolted on; go to a dyno to get the real data.
AFA what parts to buy, the old adage "How fast can you afford to go" applies here. The other adage, "Opinions are like sphincters, everyone has one" also applies.
I personally decided how much I wanted to spend in total, found out machine shop costs (they are not cheap for a real performance engine) and split the rest between various parts. Plan on going at least 10% over budget, it just happens that way. I also picked up some used parts to save costs, such as a lightly used 58mm throttle body, and NIB items that were purchased but never used.
IMHO, a crate motor is a quick, safe, expensive way to get a performance boost. A build it yourself motor is a slower, more tedious, but more satisfying way to get a performance boost at either a lower cost or higher performance (your labor is "free").

Wild Willy

If you haven't done similar work before, rebuilding is a pretty complex job- some aspects are pretty fussy- checking clearances, cam timing- even the rings have to be gapped and usually there is a top side that needs to be up- It would be really sad to spend the money and time and screw something up- of course, you will be gaining valuable experience and familiarity with the parts-

A rebuilt crate will cost more, but (if from a reputable builder) should be assembled under ideal conditions by skilled mechanics that are familiar with what they are working on- It should also have a warranty- something that is valuable, too. Your call, but do your research- especially on the company you are considering-

cody96ss

I vote for rebuild. It keeps the numbers matching, thus holding higher value later in life. I just rebuilt my LT1 to a 385 stroker...yes I mean 385. Full aluminum internals minus the crank, and balanced to zero. Ported and polished stock heads, Camshaft, and multi layered steel head gaskets. I paid $3100 out the door. That includes extra labor for having to dick with the procharger, so I'm sure you could get it done for 27-2800..?

koolaid_kid

The shop that does the machine work can also assemble the short block for you. From there it is pretty much bolting on parts, except for the head work, which you will also want done professionally.
And you can spring for ARP bolts, splayed mains, etc. for extra strength.

Injuneer

Including aluminum rods?

slomarao

rebuild with stock bottom end parts. Le1 or basic AI heads and cam package will provide more hp than you are looking for.

cody96ss

Yeah, Rods and pistons. I forgot the Brand name... I think they were like 100 a piece...