 |  | | | Even though hardcore hot rodders have a reputation for building their own high-performance mills, in recent years turnkey crate engines have become enormously popular. The reasons are obvious—a DIY engine build can be time-consuming and laborious, while the mail-order approach offers simplicity, time savings, a warranty, and a minimum of parts scrounging. However, installing a crate engine may not be as easy as the name suggests. You can't simply drop it in between the fenders and turn the key. Several "preflight" procedures, which we'll cover here, need to be followed before you head down the road in your project car.
Choices
| Back To Top
Looking at crate engines in general, these factory-built mills run the gamut from small- to large-displacement blocks and from mild to wild power levels. All major brands are available in either carbureted or fuel-injected models, and in just about any size or type: 350 Chevy, a Ford big-block, a 426 Hemi, or even a Viper V-10. Stock replacement engines for domestic and import trucks and minivans can be mail-ordered as well, should the repair estimate for an existing engine run too high.
In some cases, crate engines are 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 you should receive a dyno sheet that verifies the claimed output of the engine). Prices for crate engines are often competitive if not lower than a DIY engine built with new components (but not one done with salvage yard parts—unless you throw a rod and have to foot the repair bill). Whether you pick up your crate engine at a drop-off point or have it delivered to your driveway for an extra charge, you'll need an engine hoist to move it—that's one heavy box!
Note that while many crate engines arrive as virtually complete, turnkey packages, others are long-blocks that require adding accessories such as a carburetor, starter, pulleys, water pump, 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.
Prep
| Back To Top
Before installation, clean off any paint from engine-mount bosses and other mounting surfaces. Some types of crate engines are known to occasionally come with a bit of debris in the oil pan, so if it's not difficult to replace the gasket, pull the pan and inspect for metal shavings. Whether you clean the pan beforehand or not, replace the oil and filter after the initial break-in (within the first 50 to 100 miles), especially if you plan to run the vehicle on a drag strip or other high-performance application.
Speaking of oil, in addition to filling the crankcase, pre-fill the filter and pressure-lube the internals prior to that first critical cranking by rotating the oil pump shaft with a drill motor (make sure it's turning in the same direction as the engine rotation). Do not turn the engine over with the starter motor for oil priming! For an extra measure of care, particularly on an expensive performance engine, you may want to pull the valve covers off to make sure oil is flowing out of the pushrods and onto the rocker arms. Some high-performance engine builders recommend using a synthetic oil, or at least a slightly thinner viscosity (5W-30) for the first 1,000 miles or so.
Although normally the engine should have been dialed in at the factory before shipping, it wouldn't hurt to check the static timing and the firing order on the spark plugs at the distributor cap. While you're at it, make sure your plug wires and other heat-sensitive components aren't too close to the exhaust headers, and that the ground wire has solid metal-to-metal contact with the frame. Don't forget to add coolant mix to the radiator as well.
Gentlemen! ...
| Back To Top
Before starting up the engine, if your car is on the ground, be sure the emergency brake is set, the wheels are chocked, and the transmission cannot fall into gear. Make sure your garage area is well ventilated, too. That done, when you turn the ignition key for the first time, it the engine doesn't fire up right away, don't keep cranking it. Shut it down and check the fuel-delivery system. If the engine does kick off okay, run it to 2,000 rpm right away to dissipate the oil on the camshaft. For proper break-in, vary the revs from 1,800 to 2,500 rpm for the next 20 minutes, and keep checking the oil pressure and water temperature gauges (an extra pair of eyes helps here). Before the engine temperature rises, remove the radiator cap and check the coolant flow and for possible leaks. Also, make sure the electrical system is charging the battery. After the engine has been running for 30 minutes, set the ignition timing and carburetor settings, if applicable.
Once you've finished running the engine at no load and checked everything out, you can head out on the road. Drive your vehicle at varying speeds and loads on the engine for the first 30 miles, making sure not to use a lot of throttle or high rpm (more than 5,000 rpm). After that, run five or six medium-throttle accelerations to about 5,000 rpm (55 to 60 mph), then let off the throttle in gear and coast back down to 20 mph. Drive the next 500 miles normally, without high rpm (again, staying below 5,000 rpm), hard use, or extended periods of high loading. Don't forget to change the oil and filter in the first 50 to 100 miles. After you've babied your crate engine during this break-in period, it'll be good and ready to head out on the highway for some long-range cruising.
|
© Copyright 2004 autoMedia.com Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
|
 |
|
|
