I'm swapping a V8 into my V6. anybody know where to get good crate 350's for a good price? or where i can find a strong running 350?

 

it depends on how much money you really have. Let's be honest, you aren't doing this for under $2,000 unless you put some junk engine into your vehicle.

The Goodwrench 350's from any of the retailers such as Summit/Jegs, etc is a fine deal and one of the best deals out there.

With respect to getting a "strong" engine, be sure to look for all of the code words which translated means, I tossed in some parts, did a terrible job, should have paid to have it machined properly and now i'm dumping it.

OK, here come the words used on the sub $1,000 junk engines

fresh- that one is a classic
recently rebuilt- seller can't produse paperwork from machine shop which did the work
Strong- it only uses 2 quarts of oil per month
rebuilt- Seller shows receipts for a gasket kit, maybe rings but not machine shop
ran when removed- just run away from those

here is what you do to give yourself a wee bit of education and to understand the value of something

Call a local auto machine shop and ask how much for a stock rebuild on a roller cam 350 with 1 piece rear and also performa valve job on the heads

also ask how much for a stock rebuild but new cam and lifters on an older flat tappet 2 piece rear and also a valve job.

you want total cost and assume the engine needs to be bored.

that is what it costs to rebuild an engine to stock and you must first have a complete engine to do that. So you will need to add about $350-$500 for a COMPLETE engine to that rebuild cost.

Now ask yourself why the craigslist ads have fresh, strong and recently rebuilt engines at 1/3 that cost. Do you really trust those sellers with their junk?

tell your friends in HS that at least you have a car that you paid for yourself with your job while they play video games and mom and dad buy them everything. If you don't have @ $3,000 to do this project CORRECTLY then be happy that you have a car.

 

What price range are you looking in? If your looking for a reman or a custom build I can help you out. Shoot me a PM.

 

Used doesn't necessarily mean junk.
Salvage yard engines are the hot ticket. You just need to do your homework.
First, find a few 350s. Then look at the cars or pickups are in. Why are these vehicles there? Totalled is good, that means the engine was running when the crash happened.
Pull the valve covers. What do you see? Burnt oil caked all over everything? Pass.
Evidence of regular oil changes? Investigate further.
Grab the crank pulley with both hands. Can you turn it? No? Engine seized. Pass
Drop the oil pan, check the bearings. Check the bottom of the pan. Check the cross-hatch in the cylinders.
No sense in spending $1500 on a Goodwrench 350 when you can find a superior '87-up short block assembly with little wear for $200.

 

unless you tear it down and verify everything then it absolutely does mean that. You must have the correct mindset. If you are looking to slap in a junker engine and are ok with that then don't expect the reliability you get from a properly rebuilt engine.

It comes down to EXPECTATIONS. Personally, if I had a running vehicle, I'm not going to toss a junker into it just to try and gain performance. I would not even consider it without machine work.

Now, if i had a dead engine, and limited resources, then a junker might be what I tried if I could not fix what I had and I'd hope to get a year out of the car.

But, I would never ever ever ever base a performance or reliability build upon an unknown foundation, namely a junker. It's going to the machine shop before anything else.

So to the OP, I believe I've been crystal clear.

 

ive gotten great engines from craigslist
you would be surprised how cheap u can have a reliable engine
search craigslist, and yeah look it over good. so you know what your buying

 

here we go again

I would agree with you if and only if you prefaced it with


if you don't have a lot of money, and are willing to take a very big risk, then look for used engines on craigslist. The engine might not be pristine but you might get a few years of service from it. No, it's not a reliable platform from which to modify for performance but that is when you would need to tear it down and get it machined


you see, it's about expectations. Too many young'uns actually believe the majority of posts on these types of forums and that so and so got a great LS1, harness, ecm and tranny for $1k and it dyno'd at 400 RWHP.

Your post could also be misconstrued that there are high quality engines at cheap prices on craigslist.



If the op is willing to roll the dice then go for it. But, also understand that he might be buying junk. Nobody I've ever met will allow a potential buyer who is looking at their junker engine which is out of the vehicle to remove the heads.
If I'm looking at a $2,000 and up engine and the seller is making specific claims, then I expect the seller to be able to provide proof of such claims. If I'm looking at any of the "fresh" or "strong" engines on craigslist for under $1000 then I know it's gamesmanship time and chances are much greater that it's a piece of garbage.

And for engines which are running and still in trucks or RV's, a bottle of Motor Medic goes a long way to quieting down things and stopping oil burn for an hour or 2.

please look up caveat emptor