Goodwrench 350 engine?

[cowboycowboy91]

Does anyone know if those Goodwrench 350 crate engines are good? They are brand new replicas of the GM 350 from what I understand. They fit between 71-85 chevy pickups and suburbans I think....well, they fit anything, but that is what they warrenty the engine under. It has a 3 year or 100000 mile warrenty. It only costs 1500 for a longblock. It has valve covers and oil pan with it too for that price. I can't bother rebuilding one for that price...once my labor is considered. Anyways, does anyone know about them or have you tried one?

 

[Doofy]

I've had great luck with the Goodwrench 350. '90 CK2500 went 230K before blowing a head gasket. No time for a rebuild either. Took one day to get engine and one day to install it. Ran for 200K and was still running when I retired.

 

[cowboycowboy91]

Well, that is great to know. I wasn't too sure about them and they had decent reviews on the site selling them. My brother has a 78 chevy 1 ton 4x4 with a 454 in it that blew a head gasket. Rather than fix it, I figured I could just drop in this engine and he would be good to go. I have a intake and everything else to go on it. I appreciate your response and I am probably going to buy it then. Thanks.

 

[Doofy]

The 350 would be the cheapest route but I would prefer the 7.4 liter (454) one hell of an engine!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The 350 would be the cheapest route but I would prefer the 7.4 liter (454) one hell of an engine!

If it wasn't overheated or ran forever burning antifreeze the cheapest (and probably easiest) route would be a head gasket set.

 

[cowboycowboy91]

If it wasn't overheated or ran forever burning antifreeze the cheapest (and probably easiest) route would be a head gasket set.

I am not sure if it was overheated much, but I do know that it was using oil. Fixing the head gaskets would just be a bandaid and it might run for quite awhile, or it might quit him in a week. I figure if I had the heads off, them I would have them redid by machine shop and then rebuild the lower end too. I am sure it needs new rings and at least honed. It probably would just need a complete overhaul....It also gets like 4mpg and 5 to 6 on a good day with a strong back wind. lol I know the 350 will not have near the torque that the 454 does, but it would be enough for him I think. The truck is used to feed cattle and it has a deweze hay bed on back. It also is used to pull a gooseneck stock trailer and haul cattle around. I figure a 350 would be fine for that. I don't know if I would pull a big load of hay with it, but I figured I ain't building a hot rod, so I don't need to keep an engine that gets terrible milage and needs overhauled.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

Ive used many of them over the years. Break the cam in correctly. Use a good oil with lots of zinc. And they will run just about forever.

Only down side i will say is that they overate the power. 260 horse is with 4bbl intake. and headers.

But otherwise fantastic engine.

 

[cowboycowboy91]

Only down side i will say is that they overate the power. 260 horse is with 4bbl intake. and headers.

So, in your opinion, if I use a stock 4 barrel intake manifold with a 600 cfm carb and stock exhaust manifolds, what kind of hp would that produce? Would it have enough torque to put in a 1 ton that is going to be pulling a gooseneck 20 something ft long cattle trailer? The 1 ton has an SM465 4 speed transmision and 4:11 gear ratio I think. Also, what kind of gas milage would it get? I have a 327 in my half ton truck with the same trans and 3:73 gears that gets around 15 mpg, and I figured the 350 in a 1 ton would probably be 9 or 10 mpg. Is that about right?

 

[Doofy]

The 350 in my work truck with an automatic transmission and 4x4 was always around 10-15 mpg. It was a heavy truck with racks and plenty of tools. Also, had an 8' Western snowplow on it for most of each Winter. Drug around a trailer and a 10,000 pound John Deere tractor during the summers.

Always plenty of power.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

So, in your opinion, if I use a stock 4 barrel intake manifold with a 600 cfm carb and stock exhaust manifolds, what kind of hp would that produce? Would it have enough torque to put in a 1 ton that is going to be pulling a gooseneck 20 something ft long cattle trailer? The 1 ton has an SM465 4 speed transmision and 4:11 gear ratio I think. Also, what kind of gas milage would it get? I have a 327 in my half ton truck with the same trans and 3:73 gears that gets around 15 mpg, and I figured the 350 in a 1 ton would probably be 9 or 10 mpg. Is that about right?

Use a good 4bbl carb. A dual plane intake like the edwlbrock EPS will really help that 350. And stock manifolds. Expect 240-250 horsepower

Yes the 350 will pull that trailer just fine. But the engine requires a 20 minute break in period for the camshaft. Then around 500 miles of driving to break the engine in

Expect 10mpg. That's all 350s get. No better.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

We have a 350 in our '80 K20 service truck, it does fine for power. It would do a lot better of the boss would ditch the floodrajet but if you let it warm up before you get too bold and stay away from the secondaries it does fine.

Being a company truck he doesn't want the secondaries to work anyway...

Burlington Northern ordered it as a cab chassis and put the utility box on it.

 

[cowboycowboy91]

Ok, thanks everyone for your help and advise. I really appreciate it.