Alright. A friend has a 88 corvette, and he ordered the GM goodwrench 260HP crate engine for it. He wants to keep the TPI. I know im going to have to get a flexplate for a 2 piece rear main seal and external balance. Now...With the intake, I beleave I have to oblong the 4 center holes for it to match up? Other then that, it should be a straight forward install. I think the corvette is old enough to still yank the motor from the top...thanks for the help guys!

 

u need to get an 85-86 1/2 intake base or switch heads .

 

The '88 Vette has aluminum heads, which have all 90 degree mount bolt angles.

The 260 is a pretty weak sister. The 290 horse version is a little better for not much more money. But, a cam is probably cheaper.

Neither has very good heads.

It's not external balance. Where did that come from?

Why is he doing this downgrade?

 

I guess he got a good deal on the engine. The engine is a external balance(the replacement engine). He wanted the cheapest most possible way to replace the engine. The engine he has is 245 HP so I guess he thought the 260 HP engine was close enough. He wanted to go the same horsepowerish range because he was worried about tuning.

So, the intake would bolt up to it?

 

See the comments that follow. I would disagree, even if it was free.
No, it is NOT!!!!! I don't know where you/he heard that, but that engine is in no way, no how, an externally balanced engine! Whoever told you/him that is either a liar, or misinformed (those are the good words that come to mind).
As usual, you get what you pay for.
Not even close. The 245 HP rating is a flywheel net rating - as the engine is installed in the car, with the exhaust, air cleaner, water pump, alternator, etc., on the engine as it would be in the car. It typically knocks power down 10-20% from the gross flywheel rating of crate engines, which uses headers, carb (and often different carb and/or intake to get max HP and torque measurements), velocity stack instead of air cleaner, no alternator/water pump/etc powered by the engine itself. So, that 260 HP engine would at best compare to about 200 HP as the 245 HP is measured, probably more like 180 with TPI, stock manifolds, etc. It is a serious downgrade from the factory 350. Heavier, too.
Well, the reasoning is flawed, but tuning won't be an issue. It will be a dog, though.
Yes. That's about the only "good" news.

Still haven't heard what's wrong with the original engine.

 

the engine has a couple of cracked pistons, and a cracked cylinder wall. So maybe ill tell him to sell the engine, and get the 290 HP one....

 

What he needs is a shortblock on which he can put his heads (after a refresh) and into which he can put his cam. Then he would be back in business.

Those replacement crate engines aren't for performance applications.

 

No can do...well we could, but he is giving me them as payment, as well as the rest of the engine. I will probally rebuild the thing and sell it. Hes got his money back for the old engine (the 260HP) one and is going to order the 290 HP. Hes really not into the performance, just likes to cruise.

I know its a downgrade, but at this point, he just wants to get the thing running.