New Engine or Rebuilt

[87k5]

I am considering puting a new engine (350) in my 87 k5 tbi and I need some info on where to get an engine from. Is it better and financially sound to go new, or will I get the same results getting a rebuilt one while saving $$$.

 

[Rich]

If I was gonna buy one and didn't want to go high-tech, I'd get the 250hp basic GM crate engine for ~1200.

 

[strange1]

If you pulled it yourself, you would probably have over $1000 in a quality rebuild, with no warranty. Makes that $1200 crate motor sound pretty good to me.

 

[Ron]

If you are going stock, hard to beat the GM one Rich mentioned. Call around that can be found for ~ $1000.

You can go cheaper on an advanced or autozone reman motor and get the same warranty.

In your case you have pans and tins, that will come on the GM engine. The reman engines are better than they were 10 years ago, and thee GM motors aren't even made in the same factory as thee ones they install in new cars. ALl that said, if money isnt an issue I would have the GM motor. but when you could get the same motor from AA for $650...its a tougher decision.

 

[Rich]

Just for giggles, I priced a replacement engine from Advance Auto for a '85 Chevy K5 w/350... $2200. No kidding.

 

[BIGWOODY]

Just for giggles, I priced a replacement engine from Advance Auto for a '85 Chevy K5 w/350... $2200. No kidding.

And they are junk.....several I've taken apart had an assortment of rod bearing sizes where they turn down one journal and use a bigger bearing. I've also seen them having different bore cylinders in them, some stock some .030 to .060 over. It's not that they don't work, they are just sorta thrown together as cheap as possible.

 

[Ron]

I picked up a 67(or whatever the bottom number is) -86 350 long block for a guy a few weekds back and it was $662 out the door, plus core of course. They do have some stupid core charges though, so maybe that explains the $2200.

And I have seen some crap there as well, (a heli-coiled crank for the balancer/pulley retainer for instance) but the last few I have seen were better. They switched companies ~ a year and a half ago.

Again I'm not advocating their use, just giving my experience

 

[Blkvoodoo]

You can go cheaper on an advanced or autozone reman motor and get the same warranty.

No, the warranty isn't even in the same league.

GM Goodwrench crate engine warranty is 3 yrs 100k miles, parts AND LABOR, your junk fails in that time and the DEALER REPLACES the engine. The ONLY caveat to this is that if there is an OWNER caused concern (improper install, racing, neglect) then it's on you.

I've done a dozen + of these, owner installs and it's knocking, or has a miss, what have you, if it knocks, has noise from the get go, it's replaced, no questions. broken valve spring, cracked head, blown headgasket, as long as it can't be proved neglect, no problems. I hated doing these as warranty repair, they don't pay techs worth a damn !

just for info GOODWRENCH crateengines are NEW, EVERYTHING,

the AC DELCO line is REMAN, and of varying quality.

Know what you are buying, I wouldn't think twice about buying/installing a Goodwrench engine.

 

[Cperry]

i can get you a rebuilt 350 from Interstate for $600 they went out of business and are selling off everything cheap. I just put a 350 in burban new from GM i think it was more around $1400 our price, oil pan, valve covers, timing cover, harmonic balancer. pretty decent deal if you ask me especially with the warranty. I have heard they are good about warranty never had to get one done.

 

[Ron]

No, the warranty isn't even in the same league.

GM Goodwrench crate engine warranty is 3 yrs 100k miles, parts AND LABOR, your junk fails in that time and the DEALER REPLACES the engine. The ONLY caveat to this is that if there is an OWNER caused concern (improper install, racing, neglect) then it's on you.

I've done a dozen + of these, owner installs and it's knocking, or has a miss, what have you, if it knocks, has noise from the get go, it's replaced, no questions. broken valve spring, cracked head, blown headgasket, as long as it can't be proved neglect, no problems. I hated doing these as warranty repair, they don't pay techs worth a damn !

just for info GOODWRENCH crateengines are NEW, EVERYTHING,

the AC DELCO line is REMAN, and of varying quality.

Know what you are buying, I wouldn't think twice about buying/installing a Goodwrench engine.

Fair point. I was not considering the labor side for the folks who would pay to have it installed.

And AA/AZ are 24 months unlimited miles, but that varies by location and circus leader (regional manager)

One question Kevin, since you seem to be intimateely familiar with their "policy". I was told several years ago, that the GM warranty only covered engines that were installed in GM vehicles.

Is this a true policy, or a local dealer not wanting to screw with it? BTW thiss was the last time I bought/installed a GM motor, and it went in a CJ8 for a friends kid. Motor went bad after like 18 months (I don't doubt it was kid's fault, but not sure either) My buddy took the Jeep to their local dealer (he had since moved out of the area) and was told, when we installed the GM engine in a non-GM vehicle we threw the warranty out the window.

 

[Blkvoodoo]

Fair point. I was not considering the labor side for the folks who would pay to have it installed.

Makes no differance who the original installer was, the warranty work is dealer issue.

One question Kevin, since you seem to be intimateely familiar with their "policy". I was told several years ago, that the GM warranty only covered engines that were installed in GM vehicles.
Is this a true policy, or a local dealer not wanting to screw with it? BTW thiss was the last time I bought/installed a GM motor, and it went in a CJ8 for a friends kid. Motor went bad after like 18 months (I don't doubt it was kid's fault, but not sure either) My buddy took the Jeep to their local dealer (he had since moved out of the area) and was told, when we installed the GM engine in a non-GM vehicle we threw the warranty out the window.

Technically AMC never installed a GM engine for market, so it would be considered a "custom" install, there for requiring "special" services, yadda yadda yadda...... That being said, GM also never installed a ZZ3-4 whatever in a '36 Chevrolet Sedan, but I've seen one warrantied ( to be a mouse in the room when that conversation took place with the GM Warranty Rep, I hear it was pretty colorful).

Warranty is subject to GM approval, first and formost who and what gets warrantied is up to the Servcie Manager of whatever establishment, as the $$$ comes out of his bottom line ( somewhat of a descretionary fund) if GM decides not to pay. When vehicle is brought to dealership for warranty service, ALL vehicle info has to be entered into the GM service data base. If the engine in the CJ8 failed right after it was installed, odds are, you may have had a case.

Read the fine print, if it doesn't specifically state, ASK, then get it in writing, don't assume it's covered.

NO manufacturer wants to pay warranty, and will look for any loophole to get out of it.

Yes, I was a GM Med duty truck tech, got screwed by warranty labor rates/times more than once, got the hell out.
I now work for a Toyota Industrial Equipment dealer, GM has NOTHING on Toyota as far as warranty is concerend.

 

[cj777]

According to the summit catalog, warranty info for the GM Goodwrench 350 is: "GM warranties this engine for 3 years or 50,000 miles in any GM car or half ton pickup truck from 1970-1985 originally equipped with a 350 -- all other applications recieve a limited warranty for 12 months or 12,000 miles" Might be worth checking out what the "limited" warranty covers