rebuild or remanufactured?

[HARDCORE pacer]

I agree with crazy jeepman no point in doing a whole rebuild when it may just be one rod.

[tgreese]

I picked the local shop, but you could do it yourself depending on how much you trust your work, how much time you have, and whether you like to do this sort of thing.

If it's one rod bearing, you could fix it up without a complete tear-down ... With a cast crank I think you may as well do a complete disassembly. I'd clean and inspect everything, unless I was really pressed for time (I enjoy engine work, so it would be no great hardship for me).

[drlocke]

I voted DIY. Maybe the spot repair as Crazy_Jeepman suggests. You won't know how bad the involved crank pin got chewed until you drop the pan and pull the bearing caps and look.

That's assuming it's a bearing a-tall. I'm not quite sold on that it is.

Did the engine lose power because of excessive drag on it? Is it unusually hard to turn withe a breaker bar with the sparkplugs removed?

Something tells me you should do a thorough examination, pull the other head and check all cylinder walls for signs of scoring, etc. A ring could've broken and made a lot of noise and then settled back in place. If it was an oil control ring that did it you would not necessarily lose compression.

Except possibly for the "bouncing" gauge I can't blame a bearing based strictly on the info provided.

[jeepsr4ever]

I say if you have the experience you can have machine shops do the tough stuff and you can put it together saving hundreds. If not then definately have a shop rebuild the motor.

[crispyboy]

When my truck engine needed rebuilding I opted for a local motor shop. I sought one out that had AMC experience. I probably would have done it myself but I know that there is a lot more to it than slamming some parts together. Maybe if I had someone to hold my hand through the experience but then again I was burned by a 2.8 litre engine in my Ford Ranger years ago. I opted for quick DIY rebuild. Thought I did a good job but I missed a major component. The bolts that hold that crankshaft bearings in place were stretch bolts - I did not know this and had a lot of oil pressure problems. The rebuild cost me at least as much if not more by the time I was completed.
Some jobs I am happy leaving to the pro's though with the right kind of help and tools I'm sure I could accomplish the job.

[JPSwapMohn]

So far it's 14/10/8. That is a pretty good mix. Thanks, and keep um coming.
I am bringing it to the house tomorrow. Hope to pull the engine over the new years holiday and get an idea of what I am looking at.

I do have the GM service manuals and a book on rebuilding the LT1.
As 13lftmfsj mentions, I do have some concern about getting something gapped wrong or set up incorrectly. But then again, I know an internal combustion engine is far simpler than some of the equipment I have worked on in the past..

I have read online reviews that rave about the Jasper or some other engine they bought, and then the exact opposite from others.

Warranty may not factor in. I checked with Jasper. Their warranty calls for an OEM application without "modifications". WELLL, Wrapping a FSJ around the engine/tranny, headers, free-flow exhaust, ECM reflash, cone filter intake, oh..and the whole 4x4 application for an engine made for a sedan..would pretty much void any implied warranty.
At least the machine shop knows what the engine is in and the guarantee would be the same.

Now, Golen (click here) makes a few nice options that I would not hesitate to use, if $$ was free flowing.. 8^)

[Rogue]

good point, with the amount of people who have a hard enough time just getting the thing to fire because they can't get the dizzy timed right.... makes it kinda hard to break it in

if you really need that warm fuzzy warranty feeling an option you didn't list in your poll, buy a shortblock swap your heads, intake etc etc makes it an easy one weekend job

[funwheeling]

If you feel comfort doing it yourself do it. It is a lot of fun and you'll have new respect for it as well. The plus side is that you will need to get new tools as well.

[JPSwapMohn]

It was worth a shot, but...

...the rebuild is out. I pulled the engine over new years weekend. Got it onto the engine stand and started disassembling. The 3 inner main bearings and 4 of the rod bearings are spun. There are actual grooves worn into the crank. a couple of the wrist pins are wobbly. metal shavings everywhere.

Machine shop looked it over and highly recommended I find another block. magnaflux ok, but there are grooves in the main saddles. They could do the line (or align) boring but both recommended that I get a different block to start with.

SO, I am starting a new poll on which remanufactured engine company to go with..

[nw_upstart]

Rebuilding it yourself is the only way to really know what's in there. Second choice is to have a machine shop do it, but watch them and stop in every day to see the progress, ask random questions and check the work.

I did the second on a Chrysler 360 I had build a few years ago and still got burned though. They didn't break in the cam, and when I went to take it back, the building they were in was up for lease.

Just my $0.02

Did it happen to be the machine shop on State St. in Marysville?

[Eugene 1]

Jasper is good..a buddy of mine runs a 351 from them and loves it ! no probs or leaks

[Am4wag]

Rebuilds are as only as good as the machine work and materials used.The big assembly type rebuilders will use anything to obtain clearances/tolerences...and the red tape involved if you must make a claim is a mile long.

[FSJ Thing]

Did it happen to be the machine shop on State St. in Marysville?

Naw, that was 4 or 5 years ago on the other side of the 'Sound. I saw that shop you were talking about though, the blueish grey building. I found a good machine shop at the CarQuest off Everett Ave though. Milled my stud bosses and jet washed a TH400 housing all for $80!

[gump]

I say Rebiuld it.

[Duke(Gwag)]

Worth the extra cash brand, new block with profomance kit. about 1,800 for block 650 for kit.