What do you guys think? Wife says the 455 swap is a go, but she wants the piece of mind of a warranty that some of these engine suppliers offer. Will performance be ok with a reman. long block? I need a reliable daily driver with the hopes of modifing it at a later date. I dont need to get crazy with performance parts yet. Are there any engine builders here that have something for sale that could guarantee thier work? Lets get this thing back on the road! Thanks for your help--Troy
I'm afraid a run-of-the mill long block won't have the goodies you'll need for peace of mind, like grooved cam bearings or the usual oiling mods. I think you'll get some help here regarding the Buick engine builders...definitely the better way to go. Devon
^^^^^^^^^ Agreed. Also consider that VERY few "warranty" engines are ever truly warrentied. These guys get slippery and will claim you abused it, they need to take it apart for 3 years before giving you the $$$, your particular problem wasn't covered etc... Unless you baseline the egnine yourself and prove it's value you really never have a warranty...
Unless it is TA, AM&P, or TSP I wouldn't do it. THey'll missthings like quench distance, oiling mods, and other Buick-specific items as those mentioned above. Like Clint said, the warranty gives peace of mind when you leave with the engine, but it's almost always a court-case away from being fulfilled in the event of a problem.
I know some guys that have had good luck with Jasper and their warranty. They just send a new motor out. I don't know who pays for the labor.
...easy to do with a cehv 350...they have `em in stock usually. A Buick is a custom piece for most places, they see 1-2 per decade. That's where the fight comes in...the shop is all proud that "theyt can make any engine work" and when it doesn't they don't want to figure out what went wrong or try to get the customer thier engine. This is called Research & Development...when you TRULY don't know something you have to spend the money to learn it. Most places don't believe in this when they charge you for estimates, thier learning curve, thier mistakes, and thier slackoff time. I doubt you will find a successful warranty case of a Buick 455.
Don't forget the GSCA has Wildcat performance engines building crate motors. You can go through POSTON also. Not sure about the warranty stuff.
Hi Guys, Troy....give Mike Phillips at Automotive Machine & Performance (AM&P) a call, (888)624-3848 (the call is toll-free!). He has an excellent Stage 1 (and up, pump gas or more) crate engine program. Mike is a great guy with a vast knowledge of the Buick big blocks and their special needs in assembling one correctly for excellent power output and longevity.:TU: Hope this helps....
I think a remanufactuerd long block is a good Idea!With a set of headers ,B4B intake and keeping RPM @ 5000,You got yourself a hotrod! Good luck!