Crate Motors

I can sympathize with both 340s' points. If I had no local shop I could trust, and/or no access to usable cores, the crate engine would be a viable alternative. That would be an option. Not one I consider very good, for the reasons stated above. Crate engnies are assembled by factory line personnel. They do it for a paycheck, and maybe 'cause they like engines. They are not trained very well in measuring everything, or given enough time to truely carefully assemble a performance engine. They take part a, mount to part b, install in block. Move on. They dont file fit rings, they dont check rod big ends for size or shape. They take a rod from a box, and stick a piston on it. So, you can get decent ones, you can get poor ones, and you can get really good ones all mixed together. I dont want to gamble. In using a local or refered shop, you can "inspect" your machinist. If he passes, you can trust him. If not. move on. I dont like blowhards, and I dont like guys that can tell me what without tellign me why. If they cant defend their choices with anything more than "'cause I done it a bunch of times" then I'll look elsewhere. Interestingly enough, I am in process of changing shops due to circumstances beyond my/our control. It's not easy, and I've been to the place I'll be using twice just to talk and look things over. It's a two hour round trip not including talking time. But it's the only way to really know who you are placing your money and trust in. It is impossible to interveiw or "check out" the guys building crate engines. The only results you have are what experiences are. 360 crates tend to be ok. Hemis are a mess, and I wouldnt trust the small block 440s until there is some feedback. I have heard good things of the guy building them, they should be killer. But last time MP had a good builder for the Hemis, they tossed them for one who wont return so many iffy components. Instead, they go into the product...yuck. So time will tell.