http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=181449841164&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en
By all research I've done, this looks like a steal performance-to-$. What about the parts etc. Will this hold up?

Has anyone purchased an engine from them?

 

So, is it free shipping or around $200 as stated at the bottom of the add. It soulds like a fair deal to me, but I would perfer forged pistons instead of hyperetic. Just my 2 cents

 

Free shipping with Buy It Now, 200 shipping with Make Offer is the way I read it

 

So not bad for the price - but ask how much extra for forged pistons. I'll give them a shout tomorrow.

 

How hard are you going to run it?

It has a cast crank, stock rods, and cheap chinese everything.

Ya get what ya pay for. Sometimes.

 

Nice car!!! I plan on driving it as a weekend cruiser, and 2-3x a year taking her to the drag strip. 5k miles or so a year.

 

Fast, Durable, Cheap.
Pick two.

 

OK. And what happens should a trip to the drag strip gets you in a froth? It can be addictive believe me. This engine won't take much flogging, and probably won 't give the advertised HP for long if it ever could.

Add some $ and buy something that will take the gaff if you decide to hammer it.

 

I don't know. ON THE SURFACE it look like it has a bunch of stuff. But then you dig deeper...

The balance job may be good if you're running an automatic, but the balance job is worthless unless they balance it with YOUR flywheel or supply a NEW flywheel...and there is no flywheel listed in the 'new' parts.

What brand of head bolts? I'd only accept ARP.

What brand of timing set? I'd only accept Cloye's.

What brand of roller rockers? Do they have poly locks? Are they on 7/16" studs?

Others have pointed out the Hyper pistons. Forged is better.

I'd be hesitant about "reconditioned" GM rods...wouldn't even bother with that. I'd go straight to the Eagle Forged, preferably with 7/16" cap bolts.

I'd much prefer a forged crank at the stated horsepower level.

For reference, I paid $5,200 to have my engine rebuilt. In some ways, the build was very similar to this...new everything. I kept/reconditioned my forged crank and pistons and re-used my block almost un-touched. Other than that, the build is very comparable. I haven't had my car on a dyno, but I am 100% confident, based on other cars I have raced, that I'm in the 425 hp range in today's numbers.

The BIG difference is that I used top-shelf parts on every part of the build. And I'm 100% certain it was built by a VERY, VERY knowledgable engine BUILDER...not ASSEMBLER. There is a difference.

So yes, that is considerably more expensive. But if this $2,700 engine does not last for whatever reason, you're going to pass me very quickly.

Personally, I'd do it right. I'd start with a GM assembled engine or do a bunch of research and get a trusted local engine builder to do the work for you.

Point blank, the only way this guy would SELL an engine for this price is if he could BUILD an engine for this price. And you can't BUILD an engine like this for this price without cutting corners.

That's my opinion.

 

From my other post today:

My 78 C3 is a pretty much original L-82 4 speed with 3.70 gears and 66,000 miles when i decided to keep the OEM L-82 with all numbers matching. I had the bottom end professionally rebuilt (Bored .030-355 now) and assembled everything else myself using TOP notch parts such as a Howards retrofit roller cam(.525/.525 lift, 219/225 duration. LSA110), JE forged pistons/rings, Reconditioned L-82 pink rods. Resurfaced/polished Forged L-82 Crankshaft, all new bearings, ARP Bolts, AFR 180/64CC heads (total compression 10-10.2:1), felpro gaskets everywhere, melling oil pump, AC delco fuel pump, comp cams roller tipped rockers etc PLUS a new balancer, New Ram Clutch kit, new Motor mounts, new pushrods, resurface flywheel, balanced rotating assembly including flywheel and clutch etc-$6,000. Engine is FAST and easily a match for a crate 383 AND looks pretty much stock with the L-82 intake and air cleaner assembly. Reused L-82 aluminum intake (cleaned perfectly), Holley 4175 650 Carb, Shorty Headers. Easily in the 425 Gross HP range like a crate 383

If none of that matters, crate all the way.

 

This is always a very hard decision to make. The best advice on an engine I can give is that you have to figure out what you really want the car to do and that is always going to be budget driven as well. As 63Mako stated pick 2 Fast, Durable, Cheap. I was looking for that economy build that still put out power but have decided to delay it and save up for a little longer and get a better mill.

 

A rotating assembly is not balanced with the flywheel. The flywheel is always done separately. Otherwise, if you had to replace your flywheel for any reason, you would then need to disassemble the engine and rebalance everything.

 

On my build directly from the invoice:

1. Match weight pistons and balance rotating assembly

2. Balance Flywheel, clutch and pressure plate/balancer

Engine is smooth as glass at 5,000 RPM-all I have revved it so far. Eventually it will occasionally see 5,500-6,000 RPM after 450-500 miles

 

Hope nothing goes wrong with my flywheel, I guess.

I'll ask my engine builder...

 

The only time the flywheel (and harmonic balancer) are balanced with the rotating assembly is on an externally balanced engine. Some 383s are done that way, but its not really desirable.

 

Your flywheel & clutch assembly are balanced individually, not as part of the engine's rotating assembly.

 

Be careful when buying Crate engines from an unverified source. Do your research.

 

Talked to my engine builder about this thread.

Regarding the flywheel:

My engine WAS balanced with the flywheel, but it is a matter of COULD do it than NEEDED to do it. The engine was fully balanced without the flywheel...pistons, rods, crank, then assembled, then with the flywheel. He does it if he CAN do it just because there is that much more of a guarantee the COMPLETE SYSTEM is perfect. If he can't get his hands on the flywheel, he just has to trust that it is balanced (as it should be) and that its addition won't upset the overall engine balanced. Obviously this is more of a discussion in a stick car with a 40# flywheel than an automatic car.

Regarding a complete stroker motor for $2,800:

Quite clearly, these motors are ASSEMBLED and not BUILT. The machine shop gets a bunch of blocks and they are all decked without a torque plate and bored 0.040 over. Period. The cranks are assumed to be straight. The pistons are stuck in the holes without matching the rings to the intended use or hand filing them for fit. Non-premium gaskets are used. The heads are assembled, but they aren't hand-lapped or custom measured. The pushrods aren't custom fitted, nor is there any upgrade on simple items. As I said numerous times...there is a vast chasm between ASSEMBLING the parts and BUILDING/CONSTRUCTING a performance engine.

Point blank, no matter how you slice it, there's a big difference between a $2,800 engine and a $5,200 engine...not just in cost (obviously), but in quality and overall durability.

If all you need is a $2,800 engine, it may be absolutely perfect. For puttering around 2k miles a year and not running it over 4k RPM, it's probably an awesome little unit. It'd probably last 20+ years and never give you a day's problem.

But don't ever tease yourself into thinking there isn't a difference...the question is what that difference is worth to you. For me, it was worth it.

 

100% spot on! My new L-82 was meticulously researched by me, extensive conversations with the bottom end builder, discussions by those in the know on the forum, and finally put together with all top notch parts-mostly by me. There is a major difference between my hand built/custom assembled 355 and a crate 383-no comparison BUT if you want a decent engine for cheap money to cruise in….crate all the way.

 

OK, which is it, with or without?

What does this mean?