amswak

Ok, my engine died this past weekend. It has been coming for a long time now....the engine just hit 195k with no internal work done and all the signs of a bad pistin ring.
Anyways, I have decided to go with buying a long block from somewhere. Where would you guys recommend I buy the engine from? I something with higher performance than stock. I am currently looking at a custom TPI engine from Scoggin Dickey. With aluminum heads they told me it would be about $3,400 for an engine with 357 hp and 416 torque.

96LT1

It would be a hard choice for me between the Scroggin Dickey crate and the GM performance ZZ4. The ZZ4 has steel roller camshaft, four bolt main block, undercut rolled fillet crankshaft, high silicon pistons and strong PM connecting rods. It makes its 355hp at 5250 rpm.

ConeKLR

"The ZZ4 is not intended for marine use, and should only be used in 1978 and earlier pre-emissions street vehicles or any year off road vehicle s."
http://www.gmpartsdepot.com/zz4crate_engine.html

How do you get away with using this engine in a 87?

96LT1

Stick it in and drop the OEM manifold on it. One of the guys in the NVCC just dropped one in his 84 last summer. Worked like a champ, even passes emissons.

HapAFcop

Do a search for ZZ4 on the forum. I think you'll find lots of people have dropped them in C4's without problems. I've even considered getting one myself when the time comes.

IMHO, the GM motor is the best choice.

Good luck

1MoorTym

The only difference between the ZZ4 and your trusty old L98 is the intake and some internals. The ZZ4 uses a better cam, crank and pistons but uses the vette D 113 port heads. It plugs right in and bolts right up.

I believe Scoggin has a deal that removes the stuff you can't use like the damper, intake, waterpump and intake.

JCAIRE2

:iagree:

The only thing to be aware of, is that with the stock TPI intake, you won't make anywhere near the claimed power numbers of either of the crates mentioned above. Their power ratings are with a carb and carb manifold.

amswak

I am pretty sure those numbers that I listed for the scoggin dickey engine are with fuel injection and TPI intake, but I can call to double check. I guess it is a toss up between the two if the hp and torque are for a carb and not for TPI.

JCAIRE2

Anything is possible. I do know for a fact that in their catalogs, the engines performance numbers are with a single-plane manifold and a carb. I worked in the shop that does all SD's machine/dyno work. :D

Just thought of something. Maybe they were referring to their vortec TPI? What kind of aluminum heads are included with that package, fastburns?


[Modified by JCAIRE2, 9:14 PM 4/12/2004]

96LT1

Well their web site says its a TPI motor


Notice the headers, injectors and 52mm TB and that is crank HP not rwhp. So do a search if the search engine has been fixed or post for someone who has HP numbers on a ZZ4 swap.

ZF Six

Jeg's has the ZZ4 for $3699, rated at 355hp and 405 ft-lbs of torque. It gets my vote.

Mrcorvette91

ZZ4 :thumbs: I have the ZZ4 in my motorcycle, and it is a terrific engine that I very highly reccommend!

amswak

It is the vortec heads engine. I also talked to them and they said they can put on the higher compression ratio aluminum vortec heads instead of the steel ones that normally come on the engine. The total comes to just under 4 grand for that.

JCAIRE2

Ok that makes a lot more sense for the power figures you listed. But in the original post you mentioned aluminum heads, that's why I didn't immediately think vortec TPI. With the aluminum vortecs and the vortec TPI, you'll have a nice strong engine. One of the guys I worked with at the shop had the original 1st casting vortec TPI on his motor, but with iron heads. I believe he's putting down about 290 to the pavement without a good tune. He's got 10.5-1 hyper pistons, and a very mild cam, no lope at all. His firebird pulls hard with a 3000 stall.

I can't make an unbiased recommendation though, since I know the shop that would be doing the install work for SD, but they are a very professional shop with good people working there.

Good luck in your decision. :cheers:

Jim Sitton

I was considering the SD TPI 350 also. I asked them to fax me the dyno sheet. Here it is in Excel form if anyone is interested. http://www.airfield.com/tpisdpc350.xls

TA

:shocked: :eek: Pictures please :cool:

mos90

i would go with the new zz383 gm crate motor. forged crank, rod, hypo pistons, fatburn heads, and i think 224/230 @.050 and .540 lift roller cam. it will make 500 fwhp with miniram 3 and only $4700.00 :thumbs: :thumbs:

amswak

I think due to budget (broke college student), I am going to use the zz4. I started thinking about it and I really need to try to cut costs where I can. I will worry later about getting a reprogrammed chip and a higher stall torque converter.


[Modified by amswak, 1:08 PM 4/14/2004]

trupp

I've had my ZZ4 in for almost two years and it is a great motor. I bought from a shop in Dallas, which was the cheapest place in the country. http://www.autocenter.com They will remove items for credit on the parts you don't want. Current price is 3550.00.

MrSpeedyBob

Here ya go if you've got the money. http://www.theengineshop.com/engine.shtml
You'll need a large runner manifold to feed it and a programable computer to fine tune it. http://store.summitracing.com/partde...art=EDL%2D3891 http://www.fasttrackperformance.com/

You'll probably need to beef up your fuel system as well.
:cheers: