I am considering purchasing a hemi crate from the local dealership. It looks like they can give me the same price as the mail order guys. Anybody have any experience here? Who's bought one before? Anything I need to look out for. I was told by the dealer to be ready to fire it within 30 days because that is all the warrenty you get. He sold one to a guy that waited 6 months for his car to be done and when he fired it , it swallowed the cam. Nobody wanted to stand behind it.
buying 426 Hemi crate
- Thread starter freshayr
- Start date
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GoodysGotaCuda
Mr. Goody
There are problems with them. pretty much a rebuild is needed and a run through of everything from what ive heard. i know a few moparts.com guys have done many precautionary things prior to firing. you may wanna ask there too.
GoodysGotaCuda
Mr. Goody
yep, you said the magic words. 'you'd hope', 15k for a mill and its not even ready to go. Thanks mopar performance....i've heard a few things on their crate short blocks too. Bah!
340mopar
Sorgermotorsports
I would not trust anybody on a already assembled engine. I would disassemble all of them before firing up. The cost of a gasket is cheap compared to the problems that could be encountered if not checked. Don't beat up on MP to badly. When I was a Honda auto mechanic I put a brand new, from Honda crate motor in a customers car and when I went to prelube the motor, my prelube tool I made fell all of the way to the pan. When I took off the pan do you know what I found?... Not an oil pump I can tell you that. That's right good old Honda left out the oil pump at the factory. So even as some people think that Honda is one of the highest quality cars on the planet they have problems too. So TRUST KNOW ONE do your own quality control just in case some else forgot to.
1969340dart
Well-Known Member
I have heard the same things,need to be disassembled and everything checked! Heard of numerous problems found!Mainly loose nuts and bolts!Or not torqued to specs! Valves not adjusted properly,also one of being timing marks out of alignment!
340john
Well-Known Member
I bought two crate hemis a 426 for my 67 Coronet R/T convertible and a 472 for my 71 Cuda. The 426 had an oil leak from the rear main seal from the first day I had it, which wiped out the clutch. It then developed a valve train noise, so I adjusted the valves and it seemed fine. I used the car for shows and for some cruising for about a year. I then sold that car and bought a 472 for my Cuda. That engine also had an oil leak and valve train noise...but this time two rocker studs broke. I replaced all the studs with ones from Crane and that solved the problem. I agree that spending all much money should buy you some reliability...not so with the hemi crate motors.
In 1992 I purchaced my 360/300 Commando (pre-magnum days) for my Duster. It too has always had a rear main seel leak and has over time developed a lifter noise. I complained to Mopar Perf (pre DC days) about one thing or another and did get some help, but was also told that I should be glad that Chrysler "is" offering these engines and support lines at all. O-L ... basically it drives okay, and if I hold onto the car I suppose one day I might put the 340 back in. It was rebuilt once - don't know if it has another left in it.
~Bill
~Bill
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