rebuild or buy?

[burdell]

Originally Posted by texdav

I have a friend who buys alot of engines for rods. He says it is cheaper to buy a crate engine built by the big three than rebuilding and the out come is better.

Cheaper I can believe but for what reason does he say the outcomes better?

I would bet the farm that engines produced by people I know are at least as good as anything coming out of a crate.

[GregW]

Probably because the rebuilds are done on the same machinery as the originals.

[JFRRACING]

I think it's better to rebuild your self. at least that way you know what you've got. i have seen alot of remanufactured engines that were pretty crappy. i like to rebuild. so it's not a problem for me.

[burdell]

Originally Posted by GregW

Probably because the rebuilds are done on the same machinery as the originals.

I don't believe it's the machinery that makes the difference, it's the operator(s).

And as many times as I've watched the same engine assembled/disassembled before final assembly I have my doubts that's being done on what are semi-production engines.

[Deez Nuttz]

If you have the tools, time, knowledge and facilities to build your own engine, yes it is cheaper.

If you are trying to build your first engine, and are starting with nothing, you will have to buy the books and tools to do the job (unless you can rent/borrow from someone). That alone costs money.

Crate engines are good for when you need an engine and don't know how to build one but you can manage to rent a cherry picker and do the job in the drive way.

Building it yourself gives you pride plus you know what's in the engine. The only draw back is if you don't get all the dirt out of the engine when getting the block back from the machine shop or don't keep it covered when not working on it....it will cause you to have to redo it in short order.

[M3 Mitch]

If you know what you are doing, and/or you want something specific that's not available across the counter, build it yourself. If you see a crate engine that meets your needs and wants, it's likely to be a good deal, particularly if you are not well equipped, experienced, or motivated - or if you are just in a hurry to get done for whatever reason.

Same could be said about cooking, handloading ammunition, tying flies, uphostering furniture or a car interior. The analogy to ammo is probably the best. 20 years ago, both crate engines and rifle/pistol ammo came pretty much "plain vanilla" only. Now you can buy really high-output crate engines, and you can buy some pretty damn good hunting ammo, although in both cases you will have to be willing to pay more to get more.

My 2 cents worth. I think the *desire* to build your own engine is key. If you really want to do it, want to learn to do it right, you will. If you just want to undo a blown engine and get on with things, a crate engine or an engine complete from a boneyard is probably what you want.

Deez Nutts is dead right about keeping it clean. Anybody who does not have a clean place to work is better off with the crate engine IMHO.

[burdell]

Another consideration if it's an iron block engine is the casting. Iron moves around and changes structure for a considerable period after it's cast. Years ago I worked with an old timer who had worked near a Chrysler foundry, he said they used to leave blocks out in the yard for months before they'd be machined. Given my choice I'd rather start with a 'seasoned' block.

[JFRRACING]

I just have to ask. why would one with no tools and no books and no place to build an engine, need an engine to begin with ? that person would not be doing anything but watching someone else anyway. so it wouldn't matter if it was out of a crate or any where else right ?

[GregW]

I have rebuilt a fair number of engines in the garage and they came out just fine. If I needed an engine today I would go to a high volume rebuild shop because I do not have a clean place to rebuild an engine.