New Crate Motor Advise Needed.

[Field and Son]

I am going to start rebuilding my 69 suburban 1/2 ton 4x4. What is the best GM crate motor to buy and best place to buy one? Any tricks to getting the best deal on one?? Thanks for any advise...Jay

[Clyde65]

5.3 or 6.0.

Best swap out there and easy on the wallet too.

Crate motor, you can spend anywhere from $1500.00 and up and I mean way up.

A 6.0/4l80e or one like, your looking around $2500.00 but you will get better mileage and a HUGE cool factor out of it, also these motors will last for a long time.

[Davetopay]

Originally Posted by Clyde65

5.3 or 6.0.

Best swap out there and easy on the wallet too.

Crate motor, you can spend anywhere from $1500.00 and up and I mean way up.

A 6.0/4l80e or one like, your looking around $2500.00 but you will get better mileage and a HUGE cool factor out of it, also these motors will last for a long time.

Just what I was thinking. I'd go ahead and go for the carb swap kit as well...but that just because I abhor doing wiring work.

[Field and Son]

Is this $2500 price range for a complete new engine. I am not familiar with this motor. Where can you get one?

[cdowns]

not new junkyard takeouts

[Rodk65]

I just installed this crate motor last weekend. So far so good.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-12568758

[68Stepbed]

How much are you willing to spend and what kind of power do you want?

[pooz911]

Depends on your budget.

I bought a gm crate 383 motor about 9 years ago. I am very happy with it.

[cdowns]

i'd check a few magazines for GM crate deals as well as online choices for GM crates to get a feeling for prices // then i'd go to a local GM dealership to see if they will come close to the deals you've found

to me it is worth a bit extra buying local for the piece of mind in case of warrenty problems arising


['ve had a few GM crate engines never had a problem but have heard of a few scattered problems that r to b suspected with mass production units

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by Rodk65

I just installed this crate motor last weekend. So far so good.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-12568758

Thats a real good price. we can beat Summits prices on most parts but we can't on those. We sell crate motors of all brands even 636 CID Hemi's and OEM assembly line motors also when we can get them

[Field and Son]

Just looking for something close to stock. Nothing radical. Price range of $1500-$3000, and I am leaning toward a crate motot from summit at the moment.

[vectorit]

If I were in the market.
I'd be calling all of the local Chevy dealers, since if they have one in stock more than likely they'd be interested in selling at a discount. What with the slow sales these days.
Plus, you can pick it up yourself and save a shload on freight.
Like said above, if there is a problem - your go to is local.

[Field and Son]

I do agree that local would be the way to go if any of them are at all close in price. Will have to do some checking this week and see what I can come up with.

[sleepertruck72]

I agree, shop around. I looked online for the best deal I could find on a GM Performance 350HO, and when I found the best price I printed the page with price and took it to my local GMC dealer and they matched the price and had it shipped to their shop the next day ! Good luck with your search !

[67oneton]

Purchased a GMPP HT383 for my 3/4T 4x4. Wanted some torque in front of the 4sp tranny. Spent $5k with Pace Automotive (Texas) and another $2k with Summit on all the little things associated with a new engine (eg., mech fuel pump push rod, PVC grommets, flywheel & clutch, the list goes on ....).

Yup, $7k is a bunch - but I think it is worth the investment so far. Local machine shop quotes for a SB Chevy that runs pump gas and delivers 400 ft-lbs were in the $5+ range. They did not include 2 yr warranty or all the little items that add up to a $k here and a $k there.

Local Chevy dealers in Phoenix did not have this model in stock. They were MSRP for anything that was special order. Add tax and misc dealer fees - I got 3 quotes above $6k just for the long block. Hence my decision to buy from Pace.

I am still in process of prepping engine and drivetrain. No comment on the "road value" or "seat of the pants grin value". Mid-August for that feedback.

[1969stepside]

the dealer ship is the best place to get a crate and every dealer has a diff price too

[wwotr]

Originally Posted by Rodk65

I just installed this crate motor last weekend. So far so good.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-12568758

OK is it JUST ME?
I'm not seeing the HP/Torque ratings.

[wwotr]

Originally Posted by pooz911

Depends on your budget.

I bought a gm crate 383 motor about 9 years ago. I am very happy with it.

I paid $5600.00 for my GM Crate ZZ383/425 Motor back in 2004.

This time around I think I'm gonna go for a 350 with about 330HP.
There looking to be around $2900.00

[scottcorvette]

We've fitted a few GM ZZ4 motors into Corvettes and have been very impressed, we have also very recently fitted a GM 350/290 crate motor and because of the cam this didnt make enough vacuum to operate a brake booster satisfactorily.

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by Field and Son

Just looking for something close to stock. Nothing radical. Price range of $1500-$3000, and I am leaning toward a crate motot from summit at the moment.

Thats your best deal at Summit Good luck finding one for $1500.00 thats an old price. We are $1900.00. They used to be around 1300.00 but they have gone up. Warranty work can be a problem with some dealers when you install them yourselves. We have run into that at times. Think those motors are still made in Mexico maybe not. They are are a good bang for the buck for a replacement motor. Plus there shipping cost is good

[pooz911]

I think I paid $3500 or $3600. I paid to have it installed. Drove out of the shop at $6000.

I believe the paperwork said it had 330 hp and 415 lbs of torque at 5000 rpms.


There was a magazine article that was published just before I purchased my motor. The engine was ran for 50 hrs at a specific rpm. only turned off to change the oil at a certain time. After the test, they tore down the motor and spec'd it. Barely any wear and no stretching of the connecting rods.

[frednoah]

Might want to check out the Year One crate motors too. I have heard some decent reviews, and they have one 350 that is 330hp and 415tq. Before shipping, you are looking at 2900 or so after the "volume" discount pricing.

[djmachinist]

Originally Posted by Field and Son

I am going to start rebuilding my 69 suburban 1/2 ton 4x4. What is the best GM crate motor to buy and best place to buy one? Any tricks to getting the best deal on one?? Thanks for any advise...Jay

I just finished motor swap using a GM ZZ4 350 cu/in Turn Key Crate motor bought from
"crateenginedepot.com". This engine came with everything listed below:
HEI dist, holly 770 carb,alum intake manifold, serpetine belt & pully system,
the power steering pump, alternator, and AC compressor, even a set of plug wires and 14 in. chrome
air cleaner.

All I had to buy to finish out the engine build was to buy a set of headers.The toal price was $5260.00 shipped. I got the motor in four days from Ohio to Houston. Specs-355 HP, 405 ft/lbs torque. It runs pretty good and there is enough manifold vacuum to run all the power items just fine.

Dale

[POPO1984]

Originally Posted by Rodk65

I just installed this crate motor last weekend. So far so good.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-12568758

I was gonna get that before i decided to go 383. how do you like it.

[djmachinist]

Originally Posted by POPO1984

I was gonna get that before i decided to go 383. how do you like it.

Nice engine, lots of bottom and mid-range torque. I don't think the GM HP rating of 355HP is acurate, more like 330 HP. But all things considered, a very sweet engine!!! I'm getting about 12 mph which is about average for these trucks. I'm running a Turbo 350 with 308 rear end gears.

Dale