I thought the discussion was rebuild OR crate? I am not considering the specifics of the OP, because if he cannot DIY it, then he cannot rebuild. If we look at average Joe, he can rebuild a motor. Its nothing more than following directions. The hardest part about rebuilding a motor is the plastigauge. MAYBE fitting pistons... but really, what is so hard? I really would like to hear what part of a motor (not machining it, but the assembly) is so difficult that it cannot be done on a Harbor Freight engine stand?
$1200 for machine shop work? If the motor needs $1200 in work then you need a new motor to start with. Decking heads and all that jazz is for t.v. shows who get it for free. In the real work if a head is warped, you get another head unless its a super rare part... and for stock 350s that's never the issue.
I JUST did a 235 and total was $1500. I cannot see a 350, a motor they give away for free if you ask nicely at junk yards (Well, $175 around here) costing significantly more than $2k for a long block rebuild.
What part of a 350 rebuild is gonna push the cost to the $4k they are charging?
The funny thing is, the '$4k crate motor', is less than $2k in ACTUAL cost... $2k is labor and a few bucks for shipping. Tell me I can't knock off $2k by DIY?
As for the warranty, every part you buy for DIY (unless used) will have a warranty. So I'm not sure what the big deal is on that.
I don's see the fuss about why its so hard to DIY, nor do I see any great benefit to a crate motor. Am I missing something that would tip the scale in favor of a crate motor and the expense????
