Anybody know?

[dnsno]

I purchased a crate engine a couple of months ago for my pick up. It's my daily driver.
I have one small problem. The engine I'm taking out is a 1978 three fifty four bolt main. The crate engine is a later model 350 four bolt.
The fly wheel on the new engine is too small to fit my torqe converter on the TH400 auto transmission.
Does anyone know what part number I need to get the correct fly wheel to fit?
Thanks-a-bunch if anybody can help....

[RSB]

flywheel

I think you need a flywheel for a '89 and up chevy could be '86? I would call the local junkyard; they can tell you for sure.

[dnsno]

Thank you RSB. I wish the dealer that sold me the engine would have told me an older model flywheel would not fit the newer bolt pattern. I told them what I was doing with the engine, what year the truck was and what year the engine and transmission is.
Oh well, they got my four grand.

Another thing that has me wondering. The paper work that came with the engine says it takes four quarts of oil, but the pan has the same measurments as my old 350. I've been running five quarts in the old one for five years now. Seems kind of odd.
Thanks again.....

[RSB]

hmm

I wonder if that's without the filter? Wierd. I guess you could put four in, run it and check it.

[tccaz]

If this is a new motor I would prime the oil pump by turning it with a drill then check the oil I would imagine they mean 4 qts without the filter but I would'nt assume you had enough oil in it at 4 qts but its your 4 grand. You can turn the oil pump with an old distributor shaft hooked to a drill, you should do that to get oil in the motor anyway.

[dnsno]

It WAS my four grand.
The dealer dude said it has been dynoed at 397hp @ 5400 rpm. Should I assume it's already broke in? It did come with a new filter. It's a shorty. It wont hold a quart. The dip stick tube out of my old engine wont fit the hole for the new one. Other wise I would go by that.
Thanks for the advice.

[AJ14]

Use the bigest oil filter you can get . If you have room , use a remote mount with a 1 or 1 1/2 qt filter . Be careful about swapping dip sticks around , there are a lot of combinations of tube length ( damn , i probably got Edm all fizzed up again with this kind of talk ) and pan capacity . I know a total of 4 qts of oil isn't going to get the job done in any application .
The engine is very likely already broke in , but the dealer sounds like a dip stick so i'm not sure i'd take his word for anything . We found out long ago that synthetic oil is the only way to go . About 6% more power , about 7 degrees less temperature , and lasts twice or three times as long . Also , synthetic withstands far more heat than regular oil . Theres lots of good brands , Mobil 1 works good and is easy to find .

[dnsno]

I've been thinking of the Mobil 1 stuff but S O B!! Eight dollors plus a freekin quart. I know I just paid 4 grand for the engine but that's only cause my Dad left me and my two brothers a little bit of money when he passed away a little over a year ago.

Thanks Dad. I always wanted a crate engine.

[dd38]

Keep an eye out at Wal-Mart. A lot of time you can get a 5 qt. jug fir $22 to $26 a jug. Regular Mobil 1 is usually the $22. The special blended is the higher price Mobil 1 (High Mileage, Truck, ETC). That's all I run.

[flvideo]

Danny You talk about synthetic oil. My last truck was a ford 300 6cyl and it had synthetic oil from the day it was new. I gave it to my grandson and it had 227,000 miles on it and had never had the head off of the engine. Lord knows how many miles he put on it and it has never had the head off still. I bought my oil at walmart in gallons. That wasn't near as costly as my diesel. Autoway ford in bradenton charges $125 for a oil change. It holds 15 Qts. Bob..

[Ray C]

Here is a great site with the answer to your flywheel question. They have two you could use the 12554824 would fit the 400 turbo or you could use the 14088761 it has two bolt patterns that would fit the turbo 400 and the turbo 350 or other later model 4 speeds.

http://www.crateenginedepot.com/Pres...lates-C19.aspx


[http://www.crateenginedepot.com/Pressure-Plates---Flywheels---Flexplates-C19.aspx"]


Also if it was my motor I would put nothing but mobile 1 in it. We have run a create motor in our race car for three years with no problems. GM requires that you run Mobile 1 in many of their high end cars Cadillac, Corvette and on our racing create motor it is printed on the motor Mobile 1 oil only.

[dnsno]

Thanks a bunch for the web site. I scanned it for about two hours this mourning not relizeing how long I've been sitting here.

When I get mt S S check next month, I'll let yall know if I git er goin.
I did send my info to the crate engine people with the two part number's (thanks RayC) now I just hope they have what I need. This suxx not being able to go anywhere.

I will more than likely go for the mobil one stuff from wally world. I've used valvoline in every vehicle I've ever drove. Never had a problum, but never having heard nothing bad about the synthetic stuff, I'll go with that.
Thank you everybody!!