Been thinking about this recently. I want my car done right this time.

What option costs more, getting a crate engine (SDPC 360 Vortec TPI for example) and putting it in or rebuilding my current engine ('92 350 TPI) to about the same specs?

Lets assume I have to pay someone to do all the work. I figure with both options you have to get the engine out of the car and then put one back in. The difference then becomes the cost of someone rebuilding my current engine and the parts vs the $3300 or so for the crate engine.

What's better?

 

I was in this position over a year ago. I am the original owner of a 1989 GTA with a 5.0 litre TPI engine. The compression was getting down and the oil pressure dropped due to problems with the main bearings. So I sat down with my mechanic and discussed options. We talked about crate engines that put out huge horsepower; however, they were well beyond what I wanted to spend. We discussed having the engine rebuilt with cam, headers and other improvements installed and even boring it out to a 5.7 litre engine. Labour for this was very expensive and he could only give me a 1 year warranty. The third option was to get a new or remanufactured engine from General Motors. If I stayed with the same engine (a 5.0 litre long block) that came with the car I would get a three year warranty from GM. This option saved a lot of labour. I went with this third option plus installed a cam, headers and few other upgrades. Costs will vary considerably from city to city and what you install. I think these are at least some of your options. You will have to do an analysis of the costs and the benefits to you. Hope this helps.

 

Putting in a new motor always costs a lot of cash. plan on 4000 even with a crate. Usually, there is just alot of little stuff that adds up.

Below is the setup I will be putting in my car based off a crate engine. I going to try and run a fast burn head set which will add to the cost substainally. But you can take the same crate base I am using and do a cam swap and probably have a decent replacement 350 for around $2000.


1. 1992-93 Caprice 5.7L / 350 GM Crate Engine Part#12513151
Its a long block. Comes with Cast flat top pistons and a 2 bolt main. but is completely new and comes with new roller lifters, cam, oil pain, balancer, timing chain, and all tin ware and 65cc Irons. I plan changing the cam and heads to the below items.

Cost $ 1585.17

2. Fast Burn SB Chevrolet Aluminum Cylinder Head Part Number: 12464298

Cost $ $1,179.50

3. Head Gaskets Part Number: 12557236

Cost $27.00

4 . LT4 HOT Cam, 218 / 228 Duration@ 0.050, Hydraulic Roller Camshaft Part Number: 24502586

Cost $175.50

5 . GM Performance Parts 1.6 Ratio Bow Tie Roller Rocker Arms
Part Number: 12370839

Cost $279.95

6. TPIS Mini Ram for Fast burn heads and Fuel line kit

Cost $895 for intake, $355 for line kit and regulator

7. Ford Motorsport 24# injectors

Cost $220.00

8. Ed Wright Dyno tune $550.00

Total cost $ 5,267.12

Should put over 400 hp. TPIS did a simalar set and got 452 hp. Only difference was they were using there ZZ-9 cam.

I will also be converting my car to speed density set up at the same time. I figure the whole conversion with harness and misc. sensors will be about $700.00 additional.

I hate doing my own motor work and dealing with machine shops. So this appeared to be the most bang for my buck fuel injection set I could come up with that would have the least installation and over all setup problems.

Motor is going in an 88 IROC TPI 305 car.

 

This should have been a poll... I am fortunate enough to have my good friend build race motors for me. He and his Dad have been doing it for over 30 years. I think rebuild is better especially if you can get to know the machine shop guys. You can ask questions and they can answer them. Sometimes it's better that way. You can go crate, but you will get an engine built only a certain way. What exactly do you want to do with the car? Is it a daily driver, racer, or part time racer? Those things make a difference as to what you want in a motor. That's just my preference though.

 

I just finished redoing my motor in the GTA. I too went through all the options and I decided to rebuild the motor myself, along with the help of a very good mechanic! Anyway, having done it this way I have learned ALOT about engines that I did not know before. I now even feel confident enough to say that I could rebuild it on my own should something go wrong with my new 383. We had alot of fun doing it this way and it was definately a great learning experience, especially where I am such a gear head. It was like being in school again, except this time I actually liked what I was learning! LOL!

My vote would be to do it yourself. But if your not into it for the "knowledge" or "experience" then drop in a crate motor and turn the key. Anybody can do that.

 

Even with a stroker kit, this is impossible. If your "mechanic" suggested this...get a new mechanic.

 

A 305 absolutely cannot be 'bored out' to 350cid. Please tell me that was a typing error?

Edit:- Morley - didn't read the whole way down and see you had already commented on that! Sorry dude!

 

A few years ago I replaced the engine in my Jeep (a 2.8) with a 3.4. I talked to a mechanic about rebuilding the 2.8. He said that he couldn't do it for the price of a crate motor (about $1700 or $1800) and "do it right." So, I went with the crate motor and it even comes with a warranty (3 years IIRC).

Now, if you want to build one yourself, do you have all the tools? And I'm not talking about a nice set of Craftsman wrenches. Using plastigage is nice, but if you want to do it right you need an expensive assortment of tools.

 

I wouldn't do this myself, don't have tools nor knowledge.

I'm basically talking about the cost of a complete crate engine vs the cost of rebuilding my engine to about the same specs as the crate.

The SDPC 360 Vortec TPI is a good example (since that's about what I'd be interested in anyway). I think that goes for about $3200. Can a shop rebuild my engine to those specs for less?

The way I figure, all other incidentals (removal, install of engine, headers, update fuel system, etc, etc) will be the same for either option. The only variable is I don't have any idea how much a rebuild goes for.

 

I only inquired about boring out my 5.0 litre to a 5.7 litre. I also inqured about getting a 5.7 litre new or rebuilt engine from GM. In the end I decided to stay with the orginal equipment with a few high performance parts.

 

I've gone the crate route and was happy because I had no time at all when I did the swap it had to be completed in two days and go. It was the 350SP 300 horse. I bought the longblock and assembled the rest. I was swapping out from an existing engine so the "little parts" that add up were a simple swap.

As far as cost goes you can build an engine cheaper but you will have to put in all the legwork and source a lot of stuff out yourself and be involved in the entire process from machining to building or you will not know what you need and just get "sold" on whatever the people/businesses you deal with want to sell you to make their life easier/more pfofitable. Its tricky and time consuming and you have to shop around carefully but it can be done much cheaper if you do so.

The real advatage to a crate engine IMO is the ease of it all more so than the engine being any better. But with ease comes cost. Good luck whatever route you take.