[1st timer]

thinking on putting a World crate engine in a 67 coupe...anyone have pro's or con's on them, or other recommendations for a reliable- well built engine (450-500 hp range). World gives a 2 year warranty (but my Tasco rifle scope has a lifetime warranty and it has been at Tasco longer than with me....told them to keep it!). I think word of mouth and reputation are probably the best indicators

thanks

 

[70 SS LS-5]

Grant,
Before you think about using a World engine do yourself a HUUUUUUGGGGGGEEEEEE favor and search this website for World and Bill Mitchell products threads. You'll see how bad they are. We thought there was a glimmer of hope since one of their people came on here offering help but he immediately disappeared and hasn't been heard from since. Typical World/BM.
:sad:
Mike

 

[1st timer]

thanks

the threads speak for themselves (but good looking adds)

 

[hoffbug]

This shop does a lot of race engines in my area. He does all his own machining, assembly, and dyno break-in.

http://www.masperformance.com/default.htm

 

[BillyGman]

I haven't even fired up my World crate engine yet, so I'm still hoping for the best, but I can and will tell you that they have the worst customer service that I've ever had the displeasure to receive, and their sales and "tech" people are some of the most unknowledgeable people I've ever been in contact with. And I mean that they're unknowledgeable about their own product.

Don't even expect to get a straight nor an accurate answer to a tech question out of them about their engines, because you just won't. :noway: They will throw answers at you just to get you off of the phone. And the owner (Bill Mitchell) is an untouchable, and is impossible to reach. He seems to be completely removed from the operation, and I don't believe that his employees have any accountability. Maybe there are other crate engine companies that are like that too. I dunno.

 

[BillsCamino]

Do yourself a favor...
Establish a relationship with a reputable machine shop in your area (ask around) and have your engine built locally. You'll be better off in the long run.
And, if something isn't right later on, you've got a face to discuss the problem with instead of someone on the other end of a phone call.

 

[BillyGman]

Do yourself a favor...
Establish a relationship with a reputable machine shop in your area (ask around) and have your engine built locally. You'll be better off in the long run.
And, if something isn't right later on, you've got a face to discuss the problem with instead of someone on the other end of a phone call.

Those^ are some words of wisdom. :thumbsup:

 

[bracketchev1221]

I agree with Bill's statement. Although a crate engine is usually cheaper to initially buy, you never know for sure how much time was put into it. Are these motors just pumped out and "as long as it's close" will do. Whether my choices are right or wrong, I know what parts I have in my motor, and they are the best that I could afford to go with. Some head companies sell packages but they don't tell you the brands of any of the parts. I bought what I wanted to be in the heads. So it may cost more but you know it's right.

 

[BillyGman]

In addition to that, I paid 17K for my crate motor, so it wasn't exactly cheap either. I do know what pistons, crank, rods, and cam are in it, but until the day comes when I take some of it apart, I haven't any idea what bearings, pushrods, or lifters were used.

 

[70 SS LS-5]

In addition to that, I paid 17K for my crate motor, so it wasn't exactly cheap either. I do know what pistons, crank, rods, and cam are in it, but until the day comes when I take some of it apart, I haven't any idea what bearings, pushrods, or lifters were used.

Billy,
BTW, what was your resolution to the timing cover issue?
Mike

 

[BillyGman]

Billy,
BTW, what was your resolution to the timing cover issue?
Mike

Thanks for asking Mike....two different fellow enthusiasts told me that they're using stamped steel covers with roller cams on Chevy engines, and they haven't had any problems this time around, nor did they have in the past when they had the same thing. So I think that I'm okay with the cover that the engine came with. I guess it stands to reason, no? What I mean is, that there probably isn't a whole lot of horizontal force being placed on the camshaft. I would think that most of, if not all of the force being exerted on the camshaft is vertical and rotational.

 

[BillsCamino]

Thanks for asking Mike....two different fellow enthusiasts told me that they're using stamped steel covers with roller cams on Chevy engines, and they haven't had any problems this time around, nor did they have in the past when they had the same thing. So I think that I'm okay with the cover that the engine came with. I guess it stands to reason, no? What I mean is, that there probably isn't a whole lot of horizontal force being placed on the camshaft. I would think that most of, if not all of the force being exerted on the camshaft is vertical and rotational.

Must have missed the original post but I too am running a stock steel Chevy BB timing cover. The solid roller's been fine with a cam button for over three years...

 

[BillyGman]

Must have missed the original post but I too am running a stock steel Chevy BB timing cover. The solid roller's been fine with a cam button for over three years...

Thanks Bill. I had sent Mike a PM asking him about that, and both him and I were thinking that a heavy reinforced cast aluminum timing cover was required when running a roller camshaft. Since I never had a roller cam before, I wasn't sure about that. But a couple other guys told me the same thing that you just have. :thumbsup:

 

[GRN69CHV]

There's nothing better than the GenVI set up of a stepped nose cam and machined retainer plate.

 

[Dave427]

I have a 427 Motown Small Block in my 71 Chevelle. I have had some aggreviation with mine but I have repaired most of their screw ups. The main issue I have with mine is , that the oil pressure is a little on the low side hot at idle. It has approximately 15 psi @ idle hot, but driving down the road @ 2500 rpm it has approximately 45 psi. The 10 psi per 1000 RPM rule it passes that but I hate to look at the guage when I stop at a light it reminds me of a wore out old Ford. The engine makes good power , I raced it in Street trim through the mufflers on Hoosier Quick Times and went [email protected] Bill is correct you get a different answer when you call their so called Tech Team. It seems like when you send in your money they couldn't give you their time of day. My engine was like 20 minutes old when I noticed the oil pressure was that low it hasn't got any worse . But the tech team you get two different answers one guy says thats normal the other guy says call the warranty company . Holy S**t this thing is only 20 minutes old you want me to send it in for warranty already , which is a seperate insurer.

Dave

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p87/Dave427/SAVE00802.jpg

 

[JOHN WILSON]

You could also do a search under user name "mikehartwell". His BM sbc had to be rebuilt as it was shipped from BM by my local shop that did my 427. Pretty ugly tolerances in the short block.

 

[Junkyard Dawg]

You'll see how bad they are. We thought there was a glimmer of hope since one of their people came on here offering help but he immediately disappeared and hasn't been heard from since. Typical World/BM.
:sad:
Mike

I can and will tell you that they have the worst customer service that I've ever had the displeasure to receive, and their sales and "tech" people are some of the most unknowledgeable people I've ever been in contact with. And I mean that they're unknowledgeable about their own product.

Don't even expect to get a straight nor an accurate answer to a tech question out of them about their engines, because you just won't. :noway: They will throw answers at you just to get you off of the phone. And the owner (Bill Mitchell) is an untouchable, and is impossible to reach. He seems to be completely removed from the operation, and I don't believe that his employees have any accountability.

I have a 427 Motown Small Block in my 71 Chevelle. I have had some aggreviation with mine but I have repaired most of their screw ups. The main issue I have with mine is , that the oil pressure is a little on the low side hot at idle. It has approximately 15 psi @ idle hot, but driving down the road @ 2500 rpm it has approximately 45 psi. The 10 psi per 1000 RPM rule it passes that but I hate to look at the guage when I stop at a light it reminds me of a wore out old Ford. The engine makes good power , I raced it in Street trim through the mufflers on Hoosier Quick Times and went [email protected] Bill is correct you get a different answer when you call their so called Tech Team. It seems like when you send in your money they couldn't give you their time of day. My engine was like 20 minutes old when I noticed the oil pressure was that low it hasn't got any worse . But the tech team you get two different answers one guy says thats normal the other guy says call the warranty company . Holy S**t this thing is only 20 minutes old you want me to send it in for warranty already , which is a seperate insurer.

Wow that bad eh? What a shame.....some of their engines look real nice.

 

[Tom Mobley]

it's a marketing juggernaut. they pull in new customers faster than they trash the old ones.

 

[rpoL98]

I bought a World Engines 540ci short block from my local speed shop a couple years ago. I wrongly assumed it was internally balanced and bought a 427 Fluidampr specifically for that (and 427 flexplate). after startup with lots! of vibration, I emailed the company, they weren't sure whether it was internal or external. damn thing shook like an out-of-balance wash machine at idle.

so on a guess, I installed a 454 Fluidampr and 454 flexplate instead, and it's fine. Their web-pages for this motor said internal balanced... I was lucky to have the 454 parts laying around.

The motor assembly quality and parts seem fine, no issues there, just their customer support wasn't very helpful, even when I provided them the serial number.

Other than that, I'm satisfied (i.e. I've gotten over it).

assembled with Edelbrock Performer RPM rect port heads, RPM Air Gap, Crane solid street roller cam.

I would buy another one.

 

[BillyGman]

it's a marketing juggernaut. they pull in new customers faster than they trash the old ones.

That is the overall impression that I get with that company also. They put more time and effort into their advertising than tyhey seem to with anything else. So their marketing hits a lot of people.

I was drawn by their appoach to their street engines. I like the cam and head configurations they choose, since they seem to be on the conservative side with the RPM ranges that they target. When I looked at the power levels and operating RPM ranges of some of the other so called "street" engines that are offered by some other crate engines companies, I noticed that World Products builds their engines to be lower reving, and that just happens to be what I was looking for in a engine that I planned on installing in a car that will see a lot of street time.

I didn't want to have to be driving around with a real extremely high stall speed, nor did I care to run a rear end gear ratio that was any more extreme than 3.73:1 so I wanted a high torque/Low reving engine, and the World Products street engines engines seem to be exactly that. I also didn't have the room in my garage to build my own engine, so a crate motor seemed to be the way for me to go, atleast this time around.

So I had my reasons for making the choice that I did, although until I run this engine for awhile, I cannot say whether or not I'd choose World again, and in light of the fact that I had to send the engine back to World already because of poor assembly practices on their part which damaged three rocker arms when they ran it on the dyno, chances are that I wouldn't ever recommend that anyone else go to World with their business.