Ok, so my engine is still got a mind of it's own. Sometimes it burns oil (smoke coming out of the pipes) and sometimes not. Haven't figured out a pattern or rhyme or reason to when it does and doesn't burn oil.

The burning isn't excessive and it rarely needs any oil added between changes but then again I don't drive it more than one day a week, sometimes two and not very long trips when I do drive it.

I have a 289 that the previous owner bought from ATK back in the mid 90's and the paperwork I have seems to suggest it has about 45k give or take miles on it. Runs well for the most part, always starts right up, etc.

But I am a bit concerned about it burning oil from time to time.

I am debating between getting paint done or replacing the engine. Thinking about maybe rebuilding and beefing up or buying a crate engine that is more along the lines of a street performance type block.

I know what the paint would run....paint plus fixing a few small dents, etc.

Anyone know even a ballpark on what a crate engine is running these days and / or who makes a good one?

The little bit of looking I have done would seem to me that you can easily find a 302 that has more HP then your plain jane stock engine but seems hard to find a 289, unless you want to buy a 289 and have it rebuilt yourself.

Trying to figure out where to go next with my car and thinking it is a toss up between paint or engine.

 

I think everyone here knows I work for T and L engines. We build crate stroker engines. The engines on the website are 302 based 347's. The 302 and 289 are basiclly the same block the rotating assemble is the main difference. The prices on the website are basic builds without upgrades. If you really want a 289 block we can get them to.
http://tandlengines.com/

 

Engine first. A great paint job with a bad engine isn't much more than a lawn ornament. BTW, make sure the tranny, rear axle, and suspension are all up to par.

 

347, TEA ported TFS 185 TW's, cam, light weight internals + the bolt on crap(intake, headers yadda yadda). It'll run on pump gas and make an assload of power.

 

Engine first!

 

i agree with engine first as well. although planting a 347 stroker will probably bend up the rest of your car. will your transmission hold that? your rear axle etc ... ?

 

I don't honestly think the rest of my car could handle a 347. With my current suspension I am pretty certain I would not want to go that fast. I don't have any plans to race the car but having a little more HP then what I have now would not hurt my feelings. Currently, I have a pretty much stock 289 with 2bbl carb.

What I was considering was trying to find a 289 or a 302 that was built with performance in mind without going totally insane with it.

The engine I have now is "ok" for the most part and I was also wondering if a set of rings, etc would stop the oil burning. It only has 45k give or take miles but the flip side is I don't want to put a bunch of money into it with "band aid" fixes. I would prefer to deal with it once and get it right the first time.

I found one group that makes a couple of complete 302's....one has 300 hp and the slight upgrade from that has 340 hp. Those engines run just below $4,000.

My friend that runs a resto shop locally said he farms the engine rebuild work out, mainly to get the customer a warranty. He told me to have the 289 rebuilt would be between $1k and $1,500 but that is before any performance type upgrades. He said he has most of the tools if I wanted to tackle the rebuild myself but it has been years since I have done something like that. Also thinking that if you rebuild one every once in a blue moon you are subject to human error and it might be wise to have someone who does that all the time build it then give you a warranty.

One thing I did consider was finding a rebuildable 289 or 302 and then rebuilding it myself a little at a time with a decent cam, etc over the next couple of years. Something like get the block and have it machined now then start adding parts to it as time and money allow. Only catch is I have to make sure the engine I have will hold out for a year or two :-)

 

I spent $3000 to build my 289 without the bolt on parts. It is very fast and runs smooth. I have no doubt that the car will go faster than i am willing to drive it.

I would buy a good crate engine though! it is simple and if you get one from a reliable builder it will be set up to get the best performance for you $.

 

Every engine burns oil...with that said, if it's burning excessive, it will always burn it. Are you 100% it's not condensation ? that's would explain the off and on you might be experiencing... ? Google company names before buying a crate. Some have better reps than others.

 

One Saturday morning I was sitting for a while with it idling while I waited for my class to start. There is a group that sublets the dojo from us so I was waiting for them to clear out to get a better spot closer to the door.

When I sat at idle for a while it looked like the smoking section was behind me, it was producing a pretty good cloud of smoke. It seems to smoke the worst when you let it sit and idle for a while no matter the temperature, etc.

I change the oil every few months and check it pretty regular. On average it needs maybe half a quart at some point between oil changes but then usually when it is about due a change anyway.

The burning doesn't seem to be excessive and I can likely go with the present engine for a while but starting to think ahead about whether to tackle paint first or the engine / engine bay first. Either way I have to start saving up money :-)