Rebuild or Replace?
 

hey gang! my 78 has a pretty worn 350 in it, and it DEFINITELY needs at least a rebuild. my quesion was, would it be cheaper to just buy perhaps a 350 crate or maybe an LS1 or something. i would like to build my own but this is sort of my daily driver lol, i figured get a crate and drop it in while i build mine up in the garage. although if just the rebuild will be noticeably cheaper i'll just do that, i found a nice rebuild kit from Summit Racing that comes with a nice cam for around 1,600, and idk how much a machine shop is going to cost me to bore out and dip the block, then comes the heads and all that jazz, what do you guys think?

i found completely rebuilt engines that come with a warranty for rather cheap, i might go this rout and then rebuild my 350 whenever i have spare time and money, what do you guys think about these options, i dont want to go bigger than a 396, gas is still a factor for me lol http://www.rebuiltcrateengines.com/c...c-103_104.html

Most likely it will be less expensive to go with a crate engine...plus it will come with a warranty. Machine shop costs can easily hit $1,000-$1,500 for a stock rebuild. Add in your $1,600 in parts and you're already in GM crate engine prices.

I would stick with reputable name crate engine manufacturers though....do some research before buying.

Hold up a minute. What are you planning on doing with the car? If you have a numbers matching 78 and are restoring it then rebuild it. If you plan on using it for a show/weekend car and don't care about the resto then go with a crate.

I would say a crate Gen I is bar none your best bet- especially if you don't know too much about working on it (yet!).

Look into GM performance crate motors. Places like Jasper and Blueprint look good, but there are some real horror stories out there. And regarding the warranty, read the whole thing BEFORE you buy the motor. They are not all the same and some barely cover anything and are a bitch to collect on.

I would say go with a GM Target 350 crate motor. EVERYTHING is brand new and it comes with a warranty. If it is going to be your daily driver it will easily fit into your plan and if you want to, you could always build your old motor at your own pace. Plus if and when the time comes that you'll have your old motor built, you could always sell your crate motor and recover some of outlay.

yeah, im going with a crate lol, i forgot about jasper somehow, i bought a rebuilt tranny off them for my suburban and it was practically new lol, what do you guys think about an LS2 being in a 2nd gen? i dont know that much about new engines, could they be carbureted easily? i dont want any computers in my car lol

Adam,

If you are just getting started, don't start retrofitting stuff. Yes, it's cool, and yes, all the magazines are doing them but it's a lot easier to learn on a Gen I.

yeah i know =[ im just get a turn key crate and live with it and learn on the gen 1 im taking out of the car, this way when i want to start fooling around i will know what im doing lol

plus the incremental costs can grow fast.


when looking at crates make sure you know what you are looking at. A roller block would be nice but you face a few extra costs like a different flywheel. Also watch heads if you need to reuse your intake, etc.

well i just replaced my flywheel and from my experience most flywheels match up the engine just fine its the tranny spline that gave me the problem, and since i just changed them less than 100 miles ago i would try to just keep those, and if i can i'll try to re-use the water pump/alternator ect... that i already have to keep costs down

1-pc main seal blocks use different flywheels! that is the point I'm trying to make, check out the details before you buy.

oh lol i didnt know that, i'll be sure to check it all out, how do i tell what type i have? i believe it was an early 80's late 70's 350 made in mexico lol i forgot the casting number, or is there a way to look and check easily?

that is probably a 2 pc main seal block. get the casting# or even if you have the flywheel part number I bet we can back into it.

Now, a nice deal on a roller cam (1pc) block might be worth a new FW!

I would build my own but that's just me. I'm just waiting on some cash flow to start my 427 build. It really all depends on what you want to do with the car.

well i am building my own, but since this is my daily driver im throwing a crate in there that'll be fast but nothing too crazy while i build the worn 350 thats in it now into a monster

The cheapest way to do it is to drop a crate engine in. Unless you have parts laying around that will work for you.

Yup. Even though a lot of Gen I stuff is the same there are differences.

What makes you think it needs a rebuild anyway? Any chance it could just have a bad tune?

what is the budget?

im not too sure of the budget lol i just got a job, it pays crap but its not bad, and i have another job i'll work at the same time for 8/hr but that job gives me 60+ hours a week so its goodish money not to mention student loans for "college spending" lol. as for what makes me think it needs to be rebuilt is the fact that everything rattles lol the headers are nearly rusted through and cylinder 7 i believe it was is losing compression, not to mention it is burning oil, you can see and smell it in the exhaust, its not bad, but still, i would like to get it done lol

Try this:

1.) Leak down test or compression test
2.) Check the PCV system
3.) Check the timing, carb, and vacuum advance.

Then report back :D

PS- new headers are not that expensive for a gen I.

Don't jump the gun. Do some testing first.

Actually, if you are light on time call one of the sponsors to the right, like JS or SSP. This stuff should be very easy for them. Paying a trained eye/ear can be a lot cheaper than a rebuild you don't need.

WBT, I know where there is a set of 2nd gen headers. :)

LOL. Shame that they are rusty, dented, and the flanges are cut.

timing and carb are WAY out of sync lol i know that, my tach is broken and i dont have a timing light, and the carb itself has linkage issues and is just worn out from 33 years of use, i rebuilt it but alot of the inside looked kinda used lol and the dashpot has a hole in it and doesnt work anymore, plus the choke linkage to the back butterflies seems flakey and idk why, all vacuum lines were replaced and vacuum is working fine, it was running really bad and i found an open line in the carb and plugged it with a rubber nipple and it seems to run alot better now, the tach is an easy fix i just broke the wire that comes off of the distributor, once i get that fixed im gunna buy a timing light and try to set the timing, does anyone know what the timing is supposed to be on one of these things?

blast em paint em good as new


I doubt his are nearly rusted through. Me thinks he needs an intervention! :)