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Thread: Crate Motor

  1. #1
    Taylorman
    So im pricing parts to piece together a BBC and im realizing that crate motors a good value. Im now thinking about a Merlin 509 from Summit for $7500. Sounds like a really good deal and there is no way one could buy the parts and build it for that price. Whats everyones thoughts on a crate motor. This came off of HTP's web sight. Looks pretty trick.
    http://www.hi-techperformance.com/im...72_4243_cr.jpg
    http://www.hi-techperformance.com/im...72_4244_cr.jpg

  2. #2
    Aluminum Squirt
    In white water racing there is an entire class built around the ZZ4, and although I know you are considering a different motor, we run the snot out of the ZZ4's with good results. I don't think its uncommon for people to get nearly 200 hours out of them and that's almost entirely at WOT. My motor isn't quite ZZ4 specs and I smoked it at the worlds so I'll be picking up a new ZZ4 this winter. You may want to ask some people over on the Eagle Racing Forum, I think some of the A and Unlimited class have been tinkering with the GM ZZ572 and variations in an attemppt to lower the ever increasing cost of race motors running at over 6,000 RPM. I know there is at least one guy running a bone stock ZZ502 and getting over 90MPH out of it in an Eagle Tunnel. Good Luck-Aluminum Squirt

  3. #3
    Taylorman
    Interesting stuff. With all the talk about how marine engines being built different than car engines and most crate engines being advertised as not for marine use, these last two posts have me thinking twice. I was looking at the Merlin 509ci 540 hp crate that summit sells for $7500 and having it set up for marine use with looser clearances. Now im rethinking my ideas.

  4. #4
    GM Killer
    I ran a Ford Motorsport 460 shortblock, and ran the piss out of it. It was spinning 6400 until the cam broke, and the cam was a Crane. So I would say for the money you cant beat a crate motor.
    For the price of most crate motors you cant even buy the parts they are using in them. That 509 looks like a deal. Even if you go through it and change a few parts or some machineing, you will still spend less then if you built the same motor from scratch.

  5. #5
    Duane HTP
    Just a word of caution to everyone about the ZZ572 engines. We've used several of the crate engines. They are very good engines, BUT, YOU MUST BREAK THEM IN EASILY! If you take a new one out and have to see how fast your boat will go the first day, you are probably one that will lose a motor. But, if you break it in nice and easy like a good boy, (I know, it's damn hard to do), they will live forever, it seems. They are really strong running engines. The 620 hp version of the engine is the first engine I've ever seen that made MORE HP on the dyno than it was rated at. 662 HP to be exact.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    2,920
    What parts gave way on em Duane. Not that I'm looking to convert or anything...............just curious really.

  7. #7
    Duane HTP
    If you take them out and run them hard, thay can seize up the pistons and break. The motors are set up awfully tight. Just need to limber them up a little before you stand on them. But, MAN, they DO RUN!

  8. #8
    berk
    what are peoples thoughts on the new 383 crate small block?

  9. #9
    Aluminum Squirt
    Hey Taylorman, here's a link to a little discussion over on the Eagle Racing forum. www.eagleracing.ca/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=3792 Not a ton of useful information but there are a couple of people lurking on the ER forum that have some good info on running those motors extremely hard. Currently there are two classes of white water racing built around crate motors, the FXSB class which is mostly (all I think?) ZZ4 but does allow for the Ford/Chrysler equivalent, and the FXBB class which is new and is mostly ZZ502 but also allows for the Ford/Chrysler equivalent. The FXSB class occasionally sees speeds a little over 80 and the FXBB class has been showing speeds just over 90. The FX class is pretty well established here in the states and the motors have been very reliable. The FXBB class was brand new last season and there were only two boats. The Unlimited class has some incredible machinery but I think even the very wealthy, or very well sponsored, teams are getting tired of throwing down $50K+ motors and having the A class boats run away and hide from them. There are more than a couple of teams looking into the ZZ572 as an alternative because at around $13K, you can show up with a race trailer full of them compared to even two full race Unlimited motors. If they can make them run WOT for 30-60 minutes, I don't see why you couldn't get one to do quite nicely in a lake boat, but then again, I don't know all that much about motors-Aluminum Squirt

  10. #10
    OMEGA_BUBBLE_JET
    Taylorman if you are considering the zz572 this place has about the best price I have seen on them. After all what is another $4500. I think this one comes with a warrantee also??
    http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/results...umber=12498793
    Omega

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