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FeaturedWhy Choose 350 Crate Engine: Let's Check Out it?
Why Choose 350 Crate Engine: Let's Check Out it?
A turnkey 350 crate engine for kit and other project cars have grown enormously in popularity. The reasons are obvious that building an engine yourself can be time-consuming and laborious. In contrast, a mail-order mill offers simplicity, time savings, a warranty and a minimum of parts scrounging.
On the other hand, installing a 350 crate engine may not be as easy as the name suggests. You can't simply drop a 350 crate engine in between the fenders of your Cobra replica and turn the key. Several preflight procedures should be followed before you head down the road, as recommended by the 350 crate engine suppliers we contacted. Looking at a 350 crate engine in general, these factory-built mills run the gamut from small- to large-displacement blocks and from mild to wild power levels. All major 350 crate engine brands are available in either carbureted or fuel-injected models, and in just about any size or type: a 350 Chevy, a Ford 302, a 426 Hemi, or even a Viper V-10. For the kit market, Ford and Chevy V-8s are the most popular.
The bottom line is this: You can save quite a few dollars by going with a good enough alternative.
Whatever the type of engine you choose, note whether it has been pre-run or not. High-performance engines are often dyno-tested, but that usually adds a few hundred dollars to the price. The advantage is that you probably don't have to do the break-in procedure, and this type normally includes a dyno sheet that verifies the claimed output of the 350 crate engine. Prices for a can be quite competitive if not lower than an engine you built yourself with new components. (You can, however, beat the price by using salvage-yard parts-unless, of course, you throw a rod and have to foot the repair bill.) When calculating costs, consider whether you plan to pick up your engine at a drop-off point or have it delivered to your driveway for an extra charge. Either way, you'll need an engine hoist to move it-that's one heavy box!
Note that while many will arrive as virtually complete turnkey packages, others are long-blocks that require adding accessories such as a carburetor, a starter, pulleys, a water pump, a distributor, plug wires, and so forth. (Tech tip: if you install a carburetor from a similar engine but with a smaller displacement, make sure to resize the jets so the air/fuel mixture is not too lean.) If the manufacturer recommends a particular carburetor or distributor, it's better to stick to that recommendation, which is usually based on dyno testing. Altering the combination may yield different horsepower and torque figures.
