Best crate engines?

Haven't been on here for so long, my old account got purged. I was about to build a 400 stroker around 500ci for my 71 Roadrunner but my help is no longer there and I have no time to build. I'm trying to buy a crate big block for street/strip use. Strip will be limited to a few events a year and maybe the local track. Was going 400 like I said, but could do 440 I guess. Not interested in 426 or anything that will make this project financially unobtainable. Also not a fan of Indy as they are too difficult to deal with. Any suggestions?

I used Larry's Power to build my engine and they did a fantastic job! You cant go wrong with this shop!!

http://larryspower.com/


Stu

Another option is IMM. Brian screws together some nice motors with fair prices. Has a dyno to break in and tune before you get it, if requested.

http://www.immengines.com/custommachining.html

I guess I was hoping for maybe some big company that does a lot of them.

http://www.musclemotorsracing.com/bb-street-krate/

I thought MM closed up shop.

These guys have built over 50,000 engines....anything from OEM to full race is available http://www.cmengines.com/

I don't understand why this concept appeals to you, other than perhaps that company being big enough that you're more comfortable with them making good on their warranty. Personally, if the money is comparable, and the reputation is sound, I'd want less (more accountable) hands measuring, machining, assembling and torquing my motor than a hundred goons in an assembly line.

I had heard rumor that muscle motors closed too, but I just tried number and got recording as if still open for business.

I got a Killer Krate small block from them after researching a lot and finding they have good reputation, and the engine is very stout!

As far as warranty is concerned, unless company is right around the corner, the warranty is meaningless to me. You are going to have to go thru the trouble and expense of removing engine, crating and shipping back to builder, then they are going to inspect it and determine if it's their responsibility or your blame, and who knows what they'll come up with, and then you'll have to wait to have it shipped back, and reinstall. Even if they cover the repair, you're stuck with at least one way shipping, removal, hassle, and all the down time. I'd be repairing myself before I went thru a warranty claim, again, unless the builder is where I can get right in his face.

RE: Muscle Motors Somewhere on this site is a link to the notice from Muscle Motors that they are going out of business. It's time to take care of more important things was the general impression.

RE: Best crate engine? Blueprint Engines They are sold by Summit, Jegs, and Speedway Motors, none of which would tolerate a supplier with a lot of warranty hassles. They are built by hand in Kearney, Nebraska. You can call them up and talk to someone. They are part of a parent company that has rebuilt more than 200,000 engines. I have watched them from having complaints on all the boards in the beginning to having next to no problems griped about recently. I have not bought one, nor do I own stock in the company. But if I was going for a crate engine that's where I'd start.

R.

I know a friend of a friend who bought a 383 chevy thru Summit and it spun the crank bearing after only being a year old. They took it apart and most of the parts were at the end of their life expectancy and couldn't be re-machined. He kept the block and heads and replaced the rest of it and Blueprint sent him a check that no where near covered the rebuild coct, and that was after weeks of battling them. Summit eventually told the guy to talk to Blueprint directly rather than keep pestering them.

For what he spent after the dust settled he could have had one redone locally with a dyno'd break-in included. Hindsight is 20/20.

When I was researching thoroughly, I did go with Musclemotors, but my second choice would have been CME, Carolina Machine Engines. They had a good reputation as of a couple years ago.

Back in 2003 Muscle motors built my 493 short block and I couldn't be happier with how it performs and runs.

Well I guess what I meant was maybe something already made for when I am ready to pull the trigger. I was thinking that maybe somebody stocked a few already built.