Anyone here got a Golen Engine?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 8,950
Likes: 4
From: Lafayette LA
Anyone here got a Golen Engine?
Looking into these:
http://golenengineservice.com/specs/html/383.html
http://golenengineservice.com/specs/html/383comp.html
http://golenengineservice.com/specs/html/396comp.html
Anyone got one? Happy with it?
http://golenengineservice.com/specs/html/383.html
http://golenengineservice.com/specs/html/383comp.html
http://golenengineservice.com/specs/html/396comp.html
Anyone got one? Happy with it?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 858
Likes: 5
From: Fl,USA
I have been running a Golen 383 for almost 2 years. I purchased the short block from Chad and I am very happy with it. He is a class act and provides a very high quality product. He even shipped it to my front door in Florida from his shop in New Hampshire. I can't say enough good things about him or his work!
He takes the time discussing your engine needs/wants over the phone to make sure you will be happy.
You won't be disappointed with a Golen engine.
John
He takes the time discussing your engine needs/wants over the phone to make sure you will be happy.
You won't be disappointed with a Golen engine.
John
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 8,950
Likes: 4
From: Lafayette LA
I have been running a Golen 383 for almost 2 years. I purchased the short block from Chad and I am very happy with it. He is a class act and provides a very high quality product. He even shipped it to my front door in Florida from his shop in New Hampshire. I can't say enough good things about him or his work!
He takes the time discussing your engine needs/wants over the phone to make sure you will be happy.
You won't be disappointed with a Golen engine.
John
He takes the time discussing your engine needs/wants over the phone to make sure you will be happy.
You won't be disappointed with a Golen engine.
John
Anyone else got one?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 777
Likes: 1
From: Fort Worth Texas
I have been running a Golen 383 for almost 2 years. I purchased the short block from Chad and I am very happy with it. He is a class act and provides a very high quality product. He even shipped it to my front door in Florida from his shop in New Hampshire. I can't say enough good things about him or his work!
He takes the time discussing your engine needs/wants over the phone to make sure you will be happy.
You won't be disappointed with a Golen engine.
John
He takes the time discussing your engine needs/wants over the phone to make sure you will be happy.
You won't be disappointed with a Golen engine.
John
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 8,950
Likes: 4
From: Lafayette LA
Your stock flywheel is balanced to your motor. If you buy an internally balanced engine and want to reuse your stock flywheel, you will need to have your flywheel neutrally balanced before installing it on the new motor.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 777
Likes: 1
From: Fort Worth Texas
I just had my LT4 rebuilt and the Corvette shop here said I Had to use a SM Flywheel and clutch for the 383??
I had looked at the Golen web site and called and the Sales/Tech Support said I would have to use a SM?? I Really wanted the 383 and a quiet clutch. I wished they would have told me all I had to do was balance the FW
As I spent the same amount $$ and had my 350 completly Balanced.I had just spent almost $2,000.00 parts and labor on a New GM DM system( six months before my rebuild) and I did not want to here the Rocks in a Bucket sound that a SM system makes when in neutral and clutch out.
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Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,263
Likes: 86
From: O'Fallon Missouri
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 777
Likes: 1
From: Fort Worth Texas
I
Bad. I wanted a 383 and my new stock quiet clutch. And for the money I spent I feel Iwas bent over the table.
Last edited by Louis Bartay; Dec 17, 2006 at 04:33 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,263
Likes: 86
From: O'Fallon Missouri
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 8,950
Likes: 4
From: Lafayette LA
The stock dual mass flywheel that came on your LT1 from the factory is weighted to balance your specific engine. All LT1s are externally balanced at the rear.
My suggestion to everyone buying a new engine (short block or long block) is to have it internally balanced front and rear. You can then use any flywheel you want on it as long as it is neutrally balanced. You can run a stock dual mass that you have had neutrally balanced, or you can run a neutrally balanced single mass. Your choice. Changing flywheels later will then be much easier (and cheaper) since they won't need to be balanced to your engine.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 777
Likes: 1
From: Fort Worth Texas
I wanted to keep my block and heads and buy a Golen 383 long block and have Mid Cities Classic install it.
Louis
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 13,911
Likes: 101
From: Manassas VA
NoVa Events Coordinator
St. Jude Donor '14
Why did the Salesman on the Tech/Sales phone at Golen advise me that I HAD to do away with the stock DM?? Maybe it was that a 383 made too much power for the stock system?? I am sick now as I just spent $4,100.00 just on the long block. New Forged Eagle Crank, rods, bored .020 and decked the block. New valves and springs. Balanced everything that rotated on the crank, new Cloyce Extree Duty timing chain and gears. Total was $7500.00 parts and labor. New water pump, opti spark, plug wires and plugs, new radiator, hoses, belt, motor mounts,all new vacuum lines, knock sensors and the oil pan sensor.
I Bad. I wanted a 383 and my new stock quiet clutch. And for the money I spent I feel Iwas bent over the table.
I
Bad. I wanted a 383 and my new stock quiet clutch. And for the money I spent I feel Iwas bent over the table.I know of a shop that can zero balance the GM DM flywheel for our cars. Let mek now if you want the contact info.
I'm thinking about removing the street twin for a zero balanced DM setup.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 652
Likes: 2
hello from Iraq,
I have ordered a 383 LT1 Stroker from Golen, and it will be shipped to Germany shortly. It will go into my 1993 LT1 A4 with a 2800 stall convertor. I had several conversations with Chad Golen when ordering it, and many emails, and he is very helpful and answered all my questions. I look forward to firing my 93 up with the Golen motor in March if that is possible with our schedule.
The only problem Chad mentioned was that a customer had a 396 built, and that the customer provided a Callies Crank that was supposedly internally balanced, which wasn't the case. here is a quote from an email from Chad Golen...
Yes they were using the wrong flex plates with these engines. All of our engines are internally balanced with the exapetion of that customer who had the custom Callies crank that was external.
So if you buy the engine from us it is recommended that you buy the internal flex plate for $120 that matches the engine or if you have a std trans you will need to bring it to a local machine shop to have it internally balanced.
This is a very common problem and we put tags on every engine that leaves here that they are internal balance and I tell each customer in person but still we find customers who mix it up. The one customer with the 396 that you read about was our fault because Callies sent the wrong crank and my machine shop never told me that they balanced it externally so I told the customer that it went internal and he ended up with a vibration. We are now balancing a flywheel to help him get the problem fixed and he is happy.
I too would like to hear from anyone else running a Golen Engine.
I also ordered their ported LT1 intake. I have a dynomax II exhaust but I am not going to install longtube headers as I like a quieter ride.
I also had a chip made to the engines spec's from PCM for Less.
When I return from Iraq next year Ill test her out and do some fine tuning of the chip if necessary and post a report.
Marc
I have ordered a 383 LT1 Stroker from Golen, and it will be shipped to Germany shortly. It will go into my 1993 LT1 A4 with a 2800 stall convertor. I had several conversations with Chad Golen when ordering it, and many emails, and he is very helpful and answered all my questions. I look forward to firing my 93 up with the Golen motor in March if that is possible with our schedule.
The only problem Chad mentioned was that a customer had a 396 built, and that the customer provided a Callies Crank that was supposedly internally balanced, which wasn't the case. here is a quote from an email from Chad Golen...
Yes they were using the wrong flex plates with these engines. All of our engines are internally balanced with the exapetion of that customer who had the custom Callies crank that was external.
So if you buy the engine from us it is recommended that you buy the internal flex plate for $120 that matches the engine or if you have a std trans you will need to bring it to a local machine shop to have it internally balanced.
This is a very common problem and we put tags on every engine that leaves here that they are internal balance and I tell each customer in person but still we find customers who mix it up. The one customer with the 396 that you read about was our fault because Callies sent the wrong crank and my machine shop never told me that they balanced it externally so I told the customer that it went internal and he ended up with a vibration. We are now balancing a flywheel to help him get the problem fixed and he is happy.
I too would like to hear from anyone else running a Golen Engine.
I also ordered their ported LT1 intake. I have a dynomax II exhaust but I am not going to install longtube headers as I like a quieter ride.
I also had a chip made to the engines spec's from PCM for Less.
When I return from Iraq next year Ill test her out and do some fine tuning of the chip if necessary and post a report.
Marc
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 777
Likes: 1
From: Fort Worth Texas
Thanks, but it is a little too late now. But I do have a very smooth running LT4 that is like New. Just Not a 383. I have had my 96 for 7 years so when I wear this one out I will buy a 383 or 396. And do more research before I throw money into it again.
What is the shop web site that can balance a DM flywheel for a 383?
Thanks and Happy Hoildays
Louis