Crate Engine

[blackknight1992]

im looking to replace my engine with a new crate engine. the truck is a 96 k1500 silverado with 6in lift and 35s all drivtrain is stock except air intake and blackbear tune. my question is how much power can these trucks handle stock and what are some good options. thanks for any help

 

[sewlow]

Depends on what you're driving style is.
How heavy is that right foot of yours?
I've broken drive line parts with a slightly modded V6.
With some 'real' horsepower & enough abuse, you will soon find the weak spots. Axles, diff. carriers, u-joints, transmissions, engine/tranny mounts, leaf springs, etc., are all subject to breakage.
For a 4X4, you really don't need a high-winding screamer. More like something that makes power in the lower to mid range of the rpm's. Think...TORQUE!
Check the specs closely of the engines you consider. See in what range that the power is made.
There's lots more guys here that know engines better than me, & I'm sure that there are just as many opinions. Just don't go too crazy, because one thing leads to another, &/or you'll have to build the rest of the drive-train up to be able to handle a balls-to-the-wall monster.
Personally, I wouldn't go much more than 400hp, especially if it's your DD. Your mpg. is gonna suffer!

 

[blackknight1992]

it is my dd and i dont have to heavy of a foot but i do take trips out of town often usually around 200-300 miles each way and i do like to run around 80

 

[RPMGraphics]

you may want to look into doing an LS swap.

 

[blackknight1992]

im open to any engines but bear in mind that i wont be doing the work myself so price will be somewhat of a factor although i have no problem paying for quality. rough price estimates are appreciated too

 

[scmsltn]

I think summit racing sells some longblocks that have warranties (blue print engines is the maker). Or you could just rebuild your stocker with some upgraded hardware/components and ported heads.

 

[blackknight1992]

im mainly looking to find out how much hp and tq the system can take but which would be cheaper rebuild or buying a crate engine i want the max power i can get without tearing things up

 

[nate3531]

Disclaimer : This statement is purely opinion and speculation, and is biased on my personal research into a similar situation.

A crate engine will run you anywhere from $2 grand to $6 grand for a long block replacement with warranty. The first link is a 350cu/290 hp base model crate from GMPP. The second is a 383 cu/340+hp crate engine.

The 383 would be close to a direct replacement. The cheaper engine being a Gen I would require modification to work (I think). The 383 makes stupid amounts of Torque throughout the band and gobs of horsepower, but good luck getting a tired 4l60e to live long hooked up to that. Either way a crate will cost more than a rebuild imo

Unless you have major crank or block issues, I would rebuild your 96 vortec with a stroker kit. Have it bored .030 over, deck the heads, and new cam. It will do close to that $6 engine in numbers and cost a 3rd of the price since you have the engine already. That would be more downtime for your truck though. With that scenario you have money to get your 4l60e beefed up to handle the extra power and you will be happier in the long run.

That is a long way to answer your question, but the long and short is, your Trans will be the weak spot unless you build it. Then with 35"s your Cv joint become the weak spot. Once you get over 350hp you will start to find them all.

 

[MOBS]

If you decide to go the rebuilt replacement route, there are some companies to stay away from. Check reviews on them, I know Mastercraft is the worst when it comes to staying within specs, I won't get into the nitty gritty details of a new mastercraft we pulled apart to upgrade for someone, but it wasn't pretty. I know advance auto's supplier had a 350hp-350ci premium longblock at one time(this was about 4-5years ago)listed for $1300 with a 10k mile/2yr warranty that covered ANYTHING that happened, no matter the usage. I imagine people were grabbing them to use as stocker engines I personally don't know the quality of their engines though, I've always built my own, and it's cost alot less in the long run.

 

[SubLo]

You're gonna spend top dollar on them, the efi long blocks in particular, but I think the Edelbrock options are top notch.