I am doing a complete body off frame rebuild on my 65 Corvette.
Body work in done and I am process of the primer stage.

The 327 engine has been with the machine shop for over a year now and I have no idea when I will get it back. My plan was to have them take the short block apart, do the normal checking, hone, balance the internal parts, balance the rotating assembly and put it all back together with an Edelbrock hydraulic roller cam, returning a rebuilt balanced short block.

I was going to purchase and install the Edelbrock heads, intake, electronic ignition and EFI. This is going to add up to a big chunk of change.

A few days ago a friend sent me info on the Chevy Performance hydraulic roller cam crate engine #19333158. It is rated at 385 HP. The cost at Summit is $6,250. I am thinking this may be a better way to go.

I do not know if Summit or Chevrolet Performance can answer my questions so I came here.

Does anyone know if:

1 – Will it simply drop in and have no interference from the rack and pinion steering I installed?

2 – I have a big block hood for the car. Will there be any problem with hood clearance?

3 – It looks like the crate engine comes with angle plug heads. What headers will work with these heads. I was originally going to get Hooker long tube headers for the Edelbrock straight plug heads. I do not know what will work well with angle plug heads. I plan on having a chambered exhaust system made.

Your advice and guidance will be greatly appreciated.

Mark

 

Any way is a better way to go than trust a machine shop "for anything" that has had your engine for a year ...with no idea when they will get it back to you!

I like GMPP crate engines..and there are several good choices...

 

Thanks for your response Stan. Actually the machine shop is a very good quality one. It is small and has been there for many decades. They have a lot of work because of their quality but only has 2 people. One had a very serious medical problem few months ago and does not know when he will be able to go back to work so there is only the owner left to carry the load. It would be worth the wait but I am thinking more now about the costs. Doing it myself will cost me around $8000, but the crate engine is $6,250.

Any thoughts on my questions? I would assume there will be no clearance problems with the rack and pinion if the engine has a standard size oil pan, and since I have a big block hood clearance should not be a problem. I dont want to spend $6,250 then find out that something does not fit though.

Mark

 

First, is the engine at the machine shop your original engine? If so, get it back. You say "doing it myself will cost me around $8000". How do you figure that? That is out of sight for a build you described. There must be another shop that has a good reputation, fair and reasonable prices. You have taken your time so far, so keep it up. Your hood is ideal for carb/manifold clearence. Your right about the rack clearence. Dennis

 

A 350 block is the same size as a 327 block. Only the externals that you put on will change its size.

RON

 

My 350 ZZ4 fits just fine in my '67!

 

Bluestripe67/rongold & tuxnharley, thank you for your response.

It is not the original engine, the original cracked over 30 years ago. The only work the machine shop is doing is to disassemble the short block, clean the block and hone cylinders (it only has 10K miles and no ridge at the top of the cylinders so I don’t think it will need any boring). I would like them to balance the rods and pistons and the rotating assembly. Then they put the short block back together along with the Edelbrock hydraulic roller cam. I have no idea what this is going to cost. Tomorrow I am going over to get an estimate assuming the block is ok and needs no other work.

The $8000 is just what the total cost will be from Summit for all the parts needed to complete the engine (I am doing all this work). This includes EVERYTHING:
Edelbrock Rollin' Thunder Hydraulic Roller Cam, Lifter, and Pushrod Kits 22015
Timing chain and gears
All the gaskets
Edelbrock Performer RPM Cylinder Heads 60895 (64cc-straight plugs - satin)
Roller Rockers, head bolts and gaskets
Performer RPM Intake and intake bolts
Edelbrock air cleaner
Tall valve covers, hold downtabs, new stud kits, valve cover breathers and PCV
Edelbrock fuel pump, bolt and pushrod ad all gaskets
Edelbrock EFI system with sump kit ($2,600)
Edelbrock electronic ignition distributor
March serpentine kit for c2 corvette ($1,900)
Melling oil pump
Cloyes timing chain cover, gasket and bolt kit
Oil pan

Other than the block , crank, rods and pistons I am not reusing any other parts.

The other day when I added it all up I thought that purchasing a hydraulic roller cam turn key crate engine with the serpentine kit would be less expensive. I am in the process of doing that search now. Somehow I do not think a crate engine (the way I would want it) will be much less expensive.

I did find out (Summit Racing) that the Chevy Performance 350/375 HP turn key engine will not fit my car. It is a small block which will fit, but the serpentine system if off of a chevy truck and goes too far above the valve covers and will have hood clearance issues. The distributor is also too big and will hit the firewall. I am looking into just getting the engine then installing the March serpentine kit and a different distributor. I am glad I called Summit tech support. The fellow I spoke to was a wealth of information.

Thanks again for your input.

Mark

 

It's interesting that you should post this question regarding the GM Crate engine...I have a '66 with a NOM 327/350 that I'm considering replacing with GM 19333157. My motor has 42 years (since my father purchased the car) and about 100k miles on it, along with a few oil leaks and a cylinder with 75 PSI...It was recently given a new lease on life, or at least a bridging strategy with an Edelbrock intake and new Holley 4160, but I think I may go for the crate motor.

GM # 19333157 has a roller cam and aluminum heads and 385/405, along with the GM warrranty. Same motor without the carb, wires and belt set up.

Summit has the price listed at $5250 (MSRP $6500), as it does not include the serpentine belt system, etc. I will need to replace the distributor and water pump that come with it (dizzy won't fit under ignition shielding, tach needs a gear driven unit, and the water pump is too long), but will use the same Holley, but will otherwise fit. I'll also need a different starter and a flywheel to bolt it up to my M20.

I'll be in it for much less than $8k but don't have a serpentine set up to deal with, as my car has power nothing and no a/c. Simple

I wish you the best of luck in your decision and look fwd to reading about it...

Feel free to PM me and we can discuss further.

 

That whole set up with a Vintage Air compressor (Sanden) works great with a C1 stock body on a Corvette Correction Chassis....including the distributor.

Can't speak for a mid year...and a stock chassis.

The CC chassis does drop the engine down 2 inches...but I always thought that was for carburetor/air cleaner clearance...using taller intake manifolds or fuel injection systems.

That's too bad if the GMPP belt system won't work for you ...it is much less expensive and everything can be very easily accessed when the hood is mounted.

I always wondered why everyone spent so much $$ on serpentine belt brackets that can barely be seen in the car and the hood on, especially when the GMPP system looked great and worked so perfectly for me.

 

To me it's a no brainer. Your 327 isn't the numbers matching unit that came in the car so it's just an old motor. Get the GM crate, get the warranty too. And save money. Perfect.

Paint it chevy orange and dress it like an original and it's win win. Edelbrock manifold will fit under your hood unless it's an airgap which won't. Get the normal Performer and your choice of carb. And enjoy it without worrying about anything going wrong.

 

I have the SP350 crate engine in one of my 56's Put a lower profile dual quad intake on with dual carbs. Engine runs great and fits very well. The orig. intake and carb would not clear the 56 hood.

 

Whatever engine you get make sure it has a warranty and make sure you crank it up before the warranty expires. I have had two GM crate engines that had problems. The first one was a Ram Jet 350 that had a dead (no compression) cylinder, engine was replaced under warranty. The second was a GM 572/620 which had an incorrect length pushrod installed. Pushrod was from a 572/720 which was about 0.5" longer than it should have been. Luckily I noticed this when I removed the valve covers when pre-oiling.

Charles

 

I put a Blueprint small block 383 stroker in my 1962 with a 700R4 from Bowtie Overdrives and painted it Chevy orange. It was under $3,900 from Summit, delivered. Comes with a hydraulic roller, one piece rear main seal and no intake. I've had it in around one year and zero problems and no leaks. Came with dyno sheets as well. Solid option.

 

I have been following this discussion because I am planning on installing a GM crate engine as well as a Tremec 5 speed in my 1964 this winter.

I have considered several crate engines and have narrowed it down to one from GM. I was told by a tech at Summit that should any problems occur with a GM crate engine, the car can be taken to any GM dealer for repairs under warranty.

Karl Chevrolet (www.karlperformanceparts.com) is offering $200 off plus a $50 gift card on any engine over $1800. Their price for a SP350 is $5250. With the discounts, the final price would be $5000 with free shipping. I would imagine that some of the other vendors would price match.

My question is: would the SP350 with the intake manifold that comes with it fit under my stock hood? I have also considered the ZZ6 and the SP383, but I am fairly sure those engines with the taller intake manifold won’t fit.

 

The question of the intake is the same one I have as I'm about ready to plunk down the cash for that new motor. It would suck to buy it and have to change out so many parts (dizzy, water pump, intake.

Zips sells a distributor that fits under the shielding and clears the firewall, etc. thats not a big deal.

Thanks for the lead on the $5k price. Summit and Jegs both list the SP350 at $5250 and free shipping, so maybe the extra $250 would buy an intake...

 

As I posted previously, my ZZ4 (with a Tremec 5 spd installed later too!) fits under the stock small block hood of my '67 just fine.

To clarify further,that's with using the intake manifold it came with, a Holley 650 DP, and the stock open element air cleaner.

I did have to change out the distributor, water pump, and flex plate.

 

Tux,
Thanks for the scoop. Just got back from the shop and we figured out the same thing. I just added an Edelbrock 2701 and a Holley to my current set up two weeks ago. That intake is actually slightly taller in the rear than the one that comes on the crate motor for the Vortec heads.
Got all my part numbers for flywheel, starter, alum water pump, distributor, another Holley (770), etc. It's only money!



Now I just have to rub the wife's feet a bit for her to release the funds!

 

absolutely !

 

Thank you all very much for your input. Looks like there are a few others who have or are thinking about going the crate engine route.

At this point I am going to proceed with rebuilding my current engine. I have purchased over $2,000 in new parts for it over the past year (roller cam kit, harmonic balancer, oil pan, all gaskets, timing cam and gear and a several other things). I have had them for over a year so Summit will probably not take them back so I would have to take a loss selling them.

I went to the machine shop last week to discuss the engine with them. I was told that he is still the only one there so getting things done is slow and the cue is long. He said that he should be able to get to it in a week or so. If getting the engine done there is going to go on forever then at some point I am going to have to get a crate engine.

As it stands now do not need the engine since I am still working on the body. I do want to install the engine and Tremic 5 speed and exhaust system before I put the body back on the frame and paint it. I wanted to get it back on the road before my 70th birthday which is next summer. If I don’t have the engine back by February I guess I will have to bite the bullet and get a crate engine and take my losses on parts already purchased.

Thank you all again for your input.

Mark

 

GMPP uses a number of different of different configurations with their serpentine for fitment issues fwiw. March mid mount kit looks nice no idea on fitment