Used, Reman, Crate, or LS???

[97SWBCHEVY]

‘97 Single & Short…
5.7 w an ole Powerdyne Supercharger…
Main Bearing issues…don’t want to spend stupid money but I ain’t parting her out either…so which route would give me the best bang for my buck???
Used…
I grew up in the used auto parts life, so that route will always be a consideration for me…but that would be my least or last choice…
Reman/Rebuilt…
Do I take it to a machine shop (that I trust) and get it rebuilt…if so do I have to be concerned with how much it needs to be bored out? It just seems odd to me to have an engine at a machine shop getting rebuilt and not make some changes or upgrading things a lil while it’s there…lol
Atleast a cam change, or something! But I know these Vortec’s are pretty limited on the changes you can make or you gotta make other changes/upgrades to go along with the changes made at the machine shop…
Crate…
Do I just go with a GM crate motor, if I can find one in stock…or get one from Summit or Jegs, do I go factory or performance package..?
LS…
Do I go the LS route and all that goes along with that???

I’m just looking for some of y'alls thoughts and opinions, I’m not trying to outrun everyone that pulls up beside me, or take it to the track…but I do like to go fast every once in awhile and I like an engine to sound like it will go fast…lol

 

[Nick_R_23]

First question here should be: What is your budget?

If you’re just looking to tool around in the truck and floor it once in a while, a crate engine is likely going to be your best bet. L31 crate engines used to be about $2200. They’ve probably gone up a bit now, but you’re going to be hard pressed to walk out of a machine shop with a completely new engine for that price.

Edit: Wow, L31 crates took a steep jump in price. For almost the same price (a little less, actually!), I would recommend this Blueprint 355. Aluminum heads, roller cam, 1 piece rear main, 390 HP / 410 FT LBS. 10.0:1 compression so you’ll likely still be safe on pump gas with your supercharger. Appears to support the Vortec intake pattern.

CHEVROLET BluePrint Engines BP35513CT1 BluePrint Engines GM 355 C.I.D. 390 HP Long Block Crate Engines | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - BluePrint Engines GM 355 C.I.D. 390 HP Long Block Crate Engines with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Crate Engines at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[Schurkey]

How skilled are you? How clean is your workspace? How much do you trust your local machine shop?

Folks tend to screw-up their first engine rebuild. They install more camshaft than they need, without putting a degree wheel on it to see if it's timed to the crankshaft properly. They leave dirt in the assembly, because they don't realize how surgically-clean the assembly needs to be. They don't ask for enough from the machine shop, because they don't know those processes exist, and the machine shop is so used to doing corner-cutting on walk-in customer work they don't bother to educate the customer. And so forth.

A GOOD used engine is probably your best, least-expensive route.

Good luck getting a GM crate engine. I've heard of folks trying to buy one, only to discover they're "out of stock", "back-ordered", etc. I don't know this from experience, just what I've read on the internet.

A non-GM crate engine has both reliability and warranty issues. READ THE WARRANTY CAREFULLY--are you allowed to install the engine? What else has to be done to keep the warranty valid--radiator? Injector cleaning or replacement? Other replacement parts? Who pays to remove and ship a defective crate engine back to the remanufacturer? What do they pay for shop rate? What is the actual shop rate where you are? Do they pay for oil, filter, coolant, gaskets, etc?

LS would be my LAST choice. A thousand headaches. Better to buy a truck with an LS already installed by GM. And if you don't install a 6.0 or larger, the 5.7 Vortec is likely to work harder--trailer towing, etc.

 

[letitsnow]

If your 5.7 already has a supercharger functioning on top of it, I'd buy a used motor. Spend a weekend and $5-600, be back in business.

 

[97SWBCHEVY]

First question here should be: What is your budget?

If you’re just looking to tool around in the truck and floor it once in a while, a crate engine is likely going to be your best bet. L31 crate engines used to be about $2200. They’ve probably gone up a bit now, but you’re going to be hard pressed to walk out of a machine shop with a completely new engine for that price.

Edit: Wow, L31 crates took a steep jump in price. For almost the same price (a little less, actually!), I would recommend this Blueprint 355. Aluminum heads, roller cam, 1 piece rear main, 390 HP / 410 FT LBS. 10.0:1 compression so you’ll likely still be safe on pump gas with your supercharger. Appears to support the Vortec intake pattern.

CHEVROLET BluePrint Engines BP35513CT1 BluePrint Engines GM 355 C.I.D. 390 HP Long Block Crate Engines | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - BluePrint Engines GM 355 C.I.D. 390 HP Long Block Crate Engines with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Crate Engines at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Thank Ya Sir…I agree that “Blueprint 355” would be more bang for the buck, I would think that I would have to spend just as much upgrading everything else, trans, stall, pcm, etc, etc, etc…

 

[97SWBCHEVY]

How skilled are you? How clean is your workspace? How much do you trust your local machine shop?

Folks tend to screw-up their first engine rebuild. They install more camshaft than they need, without putting a degree wheel on it to see if it's timed to the crankshaft properly. They leave dirt in the assembly, because they don't realize how surgically-clean the assembly needs to be. They don't ask for enough from the machine shop, because they don't know those processes exist, and the machine shop is so used to doing corner-cutting on walk-in customer work they don't bother to educate the customer. And so forth.

A GOOD used engine is probably your best, least-expensive route.

Good luck getting a GM crate engine. I've heard of folks trying to buy one, only to discover they're "out of stock", "back-ordered", etc. I don't know this from experience, just what I've read on the internet.

A non-GM crate engine has both reliability and warranty issues. READ THE WARRANTY CAREFULLY--are you allowed to install the engine? What else has to be done to keep the warranty valid--radiator? Injector cleaning or replacement? Other replacement parts? Who pays to remove and ship a defective crate engine back to the remanufacturer? What do they pay for shop rate? What is the actual shop rate where you are? Do they pay for oil, filter, coolant, gaskets, etc?

LS would be my LAST choice. A thousand headaches. Better to buy a truck with an LS already installed by GM. And if you don't install a 6.0 or larger, the 5.7 Vortec is likely to work harder--trailer towing, etc.

Thank You Sir…as far as my skill level…I’ll be honest, I’m a lil out of my wheelhouse when it comes to dealing w those lil black boxes on the firewalls controlling everything! Lol I’m more of a dirt tracker, timing light, kinda guy…therefore why I made this post…and I don’t want to be the guy that goes too big with his cam etc…but yet I still don’t really go back with exactly what I had and not make any upgrades while I’m going through the process and spending the money…I’d rather spend a lil more money now than spending xx amount now, then spending xx amount again plus more money to make an upgrades in a year or two…if that makes sense, the whole, “well I’m here now, might as well do it now…”
As far as the machine shop, I’ve literally known the owners for 30 years, I used to tear down motors for the guy when I was in high school and I graduated in ‘91, he was just opening up his shop and going on his own then, and he’s still in business today…which in my opinion says quite a bit that he is still around…
As far as the crates, I agree I’ve heard about getting a crate from GM isn’t really a option right now…but I have heard some good things about crates from Summit & Jegs…but I’m sure there are plenty of negative experiences out there as well, and it can prolly be like rolling the dice…
As far as the LS option goes, I’m on the fence…just when I feel like there are those out there that have got a good handle on it and the set ups down pat, the next thing ya know there are just as many negative stories out there…and I don’t want to get myself in a trap and end up spending $10k and a whole bunch of headaches just so I can say I have an LS blah blah blah…if I had an ‘85 model or older short wheel base pick up truck and was gonna do a whole engine/tranny/wiring harness/computer pull out that would be one thing…but the whole combing 2 together just sounds like a headache waiting to happen…and I live in Texas, I’m a big fan of things like having a/c, I don’t understand anyone doing a build that is gonna be driven on the street and not having a/c, a an old street rod I can see…but I’d still rather have it! Lol
Going the used route does make the most sense and I’m about 60/40 on going that route, but these engines are getting hard to find, and you’re just basically not gonna find one without 125-150k on em and you’re gonna be lucky to find one that low…I found one with 175k on it at a salvage yard a friend of mine works at and my price is $1,250, $250 less than the asking price they have it listed for…
There are a few yards that have some listed for $750-$1,000 but I don’t know these yards and I can almost guarantee they miles they are claiming they have on em are a lot higher than what they actually have…and are prolly more like in the 250k range than the 100k they are claiming…
Once again thank you for taking your time to respond and give me your thoughts and input!

 

[97SWBCHEVY]

If your 5.7 already has a supercharger functioning on top of it, I'd buy a used motor. Spend a weekend and $5-600, be back in business.

Thank you Sir, if I could find one with less than 200k on it for $500-$600 I would go that route, so far the best miles I’ve found has 175k on it, and my price is $1,250…and that’s cause I know the yard, they have it listed for $1,500…

 

[Jesse_Wenting]

They leave dirt in the assembly

Where are you meaning? Cause I've opened up some 350s that are pretty full of gunk in the valley, so I know these engines are pretty forgiving. Do you mean people actually leave dirt and crap in the cylinders??

 

[letitsnow]

Thank you Sir, if I could find one with less than 200k on it for $500-$600 I would go that route, so far the best miles I’ve found has 175k on it, and my price is $1,250…and that’s cause I know the yard, they have it listed for $1,500…

Finding one with low miles might be tough. They are getting old...

 

[Encoreman]

Finding one with low miles might be tough.

Yep, I searched for almost 2 years for a 5.7 for my '93 Z-71 with tbi, I didn't want to go back to a carb or have to do all the computer stuff for a vortec. Found a guy pulling out a nice one with 134K on it for $500 plus it had aluminum pulley setup on it. But you got to hunt.