Which SB crate motor to buy?

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twister360

twister360

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I would like to buy a SB 360 magnum crate motor ( possibly a 408 stroker ) with 375-425 HP to be installed in a 75 Dart Sport. I have a built 904 transmission and built 8 1/4 rear with 4.11's. I know the 8 1/4 is a little weak, but I have plans on an 8 3/4 in the future. I am on a budget, so I want the best crate engine at a reasonable price. I would like your comments on the following vendors: Muscle Motors, Blueprint Engines/Summit, Indy Cyclinder Heads, and Carolina Machine.

Any experience good or bad, and if you know of other vendors, please include in your comments.

Thanks Gary
 
whatever you do stay away from blueprint. there are horror stories about them on almost every mopar board.
 
And Indy Cylinder Head crate motors, stay away from them too. Mopar Performance crate motors have a spotty record. Best bet is to have a good well known shop build one for you.
 
340sFastback said:
And Indy Cylinder Head crate motors, stay away from them too. Mopar Performance crate motors have a spotty record. Best bet is to have a good well known shop build one for you.
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OK, looks like Indy and BluePrint are out. Thanks for the info.
 
Brian at IMM or Mike at MRL...Would be my only choices. Mike sold me my heads and Brian ported them. Location wise Mike for you
 
I like dealing with the guys at Hensley Performance. Great guys and mopar is all they do. You can basically choose what you want and your budget and they will set you up.
 
crackedback said:
Shipping an engine is cheap. Pick who you are comfortable with.

I wouldn't buy a crate engine from anyone. Call a builder and have them put one together for you. You best have 5-7K in your budget.

IMM is very good.

Here are two builds Brian did that are good runners
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=158426

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=167893&page=3

Same basic build except for the intake manifolds.
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Would that 5-7K be for a 360 build or 408 stroker?
 
car craft magazine there is an excellent article on just this subject like cracked said
figgure 6k + or - depends on what you can put on your build, study and listen to these guys you"ll learn more by accident from them they do know what there talking about . if you have the time try to find that atricle in car craft mag, it will show you step by step what u need and can contribute to keep cost down 480-525hp was like 6250.00 when they got done with a nice build for us rookies and it is nice to have a machinest you can trust crackedback,70aar,oldmanrick,wildand crazyguy ,mrl,many more do know how to get you to the correct build dirrection many more left out sorry but thanks to FABO i am already ahead and havent started to much yet i got my $35.00 before i signed up if only they could teach me to type lmao
 
I like what I am hearing hear. These guys are giving vary good advise.I build engines that how I can tell good advise.The people you asked about Muscle Motors, Blueprint Engines/Summit, Indy Cylinder Heads, and Carolina Machine.

Carolina Machine-Heard good things about them but never used them for anything
Indy Cylinder Heads-Would not use(Bad rep)
Summit-buys and sells engines(would not use(never know who is building them
Blueprint Engines-Would not use(Don,t know who there are and what all they build
Muscle Motors-I see them at carlisle every year good people

People I would trust are people that primarily build mopar engines.The closer you get to that the better your engine will be.MRL did a lot of really good things on this site and earned respect.One other is Hughes Engines Great people to deal with.
 
We are a Mopar only engine building shop. Thats all we do. No Chevys, no Fords, Toyota, Nothing but Mopar. We are also a sponsor for this awesome tech site. Give us a call and we will see what we can do for you.

989-845-1547
 
Hi Gary. The term "crate" engine is misused many times. A true crate would be a engine that's produced multiple times to a set standard. I believe what you, and many others really mean is, you want a engine that can arrive at your door ready to install and go. All the pro builders here can give you just that with the benefit of a custom build tailored to your needs and budget. Dyno'ed, tuned and ready to go.

Your power numbers from the first post could easily be achieved with a 360, and if you decided to go stroker, that thing could idle like a old Imperial....lol....although you'd probably want a little less gear with the 408. Talk to these guys and let them give you your options, and if you go with one of them, you'll have the piece of mind of knowing exactly what you got for your investment from top to bottom.
 
winstoninwisc said:
car craft magazine there is an excellent article on just this subject like cracked said
figgure 6k + or - depends on what you can put on your build, study and listen to these guys you"ll learn more by accident from them they do know what there talking about . if you have the time try to find that atricle in car craft mag, it will show you step by step what u need and can contribute to keep cost down 480-525hp was like 6250.00 when they got done with a nice build for us rookies and it is nice to have a machinest you can trust crackedback,70aar,oldmanrick,wildand crazyguy ,mrl,many more do know how to get you to the correct build dirrection many more left out sorry but thanks to FABO i am already ahead and havent started to much yet i got my $35.00 before i signed up if only they could teach me to type lmao
Click to expand...

Thank you for your vote of confidence Winston. I'm just honored to be mentioned with the members of that group. Honestly though, while i don't consider myself a dummy, their shoes are way too big for me too wear...:D.
 
Which block is the best to rebuild? LA or the later Magnum? Is it the same money to rebuild either? I sent an email to MRL and he quoted me a LA block. I'm leaning toward them for my build, but undecided on the type of block. Thanks Gary
 
Another option is to buy an engine from someone who has what you want but is going to spend some moolah building themselves more. Might be able to get a good running 360/340 for around $2-3K that fits your needs. I am kinda in that boat but the 340 that is going to inherit the parts off my stroker as it gets better parts will stay around as a spare.

And yeah, I am getting most of the parts from Mike at MRL as well as a bunch of advice. Happy customer so far.
 
2 more questions.

Which type block would you select? LA or Magnum?

Does everyone offer warranty and do they honor them?

Thanks to all.
 
www.cmengines.com I know a few people taht have purchased SB mopar engines from CME and they are very pleased. Compare prices. Complete from Oil Pan to Intake for a 360 / 400 HP choppy idle is around $5200...
 
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