Crate Engines: Mail-Order Motors Made Easy
When it comes to project cars, using a crate engine means working smarter, not harder. Rather than scrounging around a swap meet or junkyard for an old engine that might require an extensive and possibly expensive rebuild, many hot rodders and resto types now opt for pre-assembled crate engines. Ordering a mill by mail-order means you can get a dyno-tested product with a full warranty, plus a proven performance package.
What sort of engines can you have dropped off at your driveway? All sizes, types and popular brands are available from stock four-bangers to high-performance big-block V8s. Usually the latter are dyno-tested to verify output levels, which adds a few hundred dollars to the price.
Not all crate engines arrive in complete form, and ready to go. Some come as long blocks that require adding the induction system (carburetor or electronic fuel injection), along with accessories such as the starter, pulleys, water pump, distributor, plug wires and so forth.
If the manufacturer recommends a particular carburetor or distributor, it’s generally wiser to stick to that setup, since it’s usually based on dyno testing. Altering the combination may yield different horsepower and torque figures. Some companies offer crate engines with pre-matched components that eliminate the guesswork of picking the right combination of carb, intake, heads and camshaft.
Keep in mind that a pre-assembled crate engine isn’t necessarily a plug-n-play deal, and some “preflight” procedures might be required prior to firing it up. For instance, clean off any paint from engine-mount bosses and other mounting surfaces. Usually there’s no oil in the crankcase, and the customer will need to decide on which side the dipstick will be installed (the side not used will require putting in a plug to seal the hole prior to start-up).
Speaking of oil, in addition to filling the crankcase, pre-fill the filter and pressure-lube the internals prior to that first critical cranking by rotating the oil pump shaft with a drill motor (making sure it’s turning in the same direction as the engine rotation). Do not turn the engine over with the starter motor for oil priming!
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: $8000.0 
