Crate Engines Looking for some advice
 

Hello Everyone!

I am starting to do my homework on crate motors and thought I would ask for any info/advice/opinions! I have been looking at alot of different motors. I am leaning toward two of the GM LS3's the 376/480 and 376/525. I am looking to keep cost in check so I can keep the project moving and get it on the road soon. Figure I can always mod the motor some winter after car is on the road. I am trying to balance wants/needs/ and what needs to be done during fab and paint vs what can be done bolt on after car is up and running.

So guys let me have it any ideas on where the best place to go to buy and which ones to look at? :willy:

The guy's @ Hendrick Chevrolet in K.C. Are great to deal with.PM me if want some contact info.

I have been waiting to get my head above water from SEMA. But I will let some of the cat out of the bag on this this crate motor deal I have been putting together with the Fairway Chevrolet dealer in Las Vegas. The Guys at Fair way are great to deal with and are highly motivated to grow there performance parts sales numbers. Plus these guys have various cars in the works at shops all across the country.

They have given me some rock bottom prices on these crate engine and are not trying to make up for a low price with a stout shipping cost. They just sell in Volume and make up their cost on the back end. They will ship almost all engines west of the Mississippi river for 150 bucks.

Here are the costs, I pay the exact same cost on all my crate engines.
LS3 - 430hp - $6,217.00
LS3 - 480hp - $6,625.00
LS3 - 525hp - $7,600.00
LSA - 556 hp - $11,200.00 This engine includes a twin disc clutch
LS9 - 638hp - $20,800.00

After a meeting with Gm Performance parts about a 2013 sponsorship I was informed that the best seller among LS crate engines is the 480hp 376 LS3 engine. It's barely 400 bucks more for 50 more horse power. What a great deal. Now the LS3-525hp engine has the same camshaft as the 515hp Circle track engine they sell for your Saturday night local oval track racers that run in usually the high end "Late Model racers" classes. So it is going to be a more high rpm camshaft, meaning it makes more power on the top end. But this dyno sheet shows that the engine makes quite a bit of bottom end torque for a high rpm circle track camshaft.

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...5dynosheet.jpg

Then the other option to continue with is the engine controller.

The LS3 430Hp unit will run you - $1065.00 PN 19258270
The LS3 480Hp unit will run you - $1065.00 PN 19258267
The LS3 525Hp unit will run you - $1125.00 PN 19259261
The LSA 556Hp unit will run you - $1201.00 PN 19259293


If you need more info don't hesitate to call Jason at the parts counter at Fairway Chevrolet in Las Vegas. 1-800-395-1440

Scoggin-Dickey Chevrolet (I think in Texas) sells an awful lot of crate engines and advertise all over the place. They may have what you're looking for at a fair price.

true story on the circle track cam on the 525. We put one in a 70 Chevelle and it wanted to keep making power north of 7K. It made it low in the curve and would not let up!

Thanks for all the info and replys so far guys!

http://www.gmperformancemotor.com/category/LS.html

Slightly cheaper and free shipping. They may be a bit higher on the controller, though.

This is a division of Gandrud Chevrolet in GreenBay, WI. Oddly enough I met them at the NHRA drags in Vegas a few years back.

If you get the GM controller, make sure you budget to get a tune done (somebody with a chassis dyno and HPTuners or EFILive software). I've tuned three of the LS3 crate setups, and the tune was pretty far off on all of them (rich to extremely rich). I think GM has set it up that way to account for less-than-optimal MAF installations.

Thats crazy that the LS7 is more expensive then the LSA, and the LSA is already a wet sump. If things turn around the LSA with some mods can see north of 780hp. Very interesting. Now all I need is money and a camaro now.:_paranoid

Blessings,
AMS

Don't discount using a local builder with a good rep. Thompson Automotive has built Stielow's last few engines. Billy Briggs use to be the engine builder at Wheel to Wheel and now has his own shop. Some of the fastest LS drag cars in the country are running his engines. Baker Engineering by Grand Haven also has a really good rep on LS1Tech.

I'm sure all the vendors mentioned would be fine, but sometimes it's nice to have the builder local to you. We finally put a friends 418 LS3 on the dyno and it has no oil pressure. The builder says they will fix the engine, but they are half way a cross the country. He is looking at $700-800 just to ship it back and forth.