Motor Build

[illinin09]

where did i say that all that would be done in a few hours?

[MX3forlife3XM]

i admire the fact that you want this done pro style and are willing to spend the money to know the job is done right. the stage 2 upgrade for 6gs seems pretty good to my eyes too, this will also save you the time of running around to diffrent places to see the progress on each indavidual peice. ive been in the position where you have to drive all around town just to find out how far along your engine is.

[illinin09]

Here are the links...im looking at stage 2. Seems legit, what do you think?

http://www.paeco.com/Engine%20Stages.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.paeco.com/Engine%20Modifications.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.paeco.com/Engine%20Warranty.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I keep hearing that building a motor like this all forged and done well will be around 8000+ so this seems like a good idea. Also its all done at centralized location using parts that will work well together instead of just throwing together some hybrid of parts.

[wytbishop]

I also went through the Paeco phase when I was at about 28 posts. Then I did a lot of research and found out that they have never (at that time anyway) tested a KL engine on the dyno. Their numbers are all theoretical. Also they have absolutely no advice when it comes to engine management. I asked them engine management questions and they did not know the answers to my questions. Then I started looking for people who had done business with them from the boards that cater to KL people...this one, Probetalk, MX-6.com...zero positive feedback. One guy sent them his crankshaft to be made into a stroker and didn't get it back for something like 10 months. Another guy ordered heads I think and had a similar experience.

My impression in the end is that this business is probably very successful in the area of building high performance V8 engines and decided to make a list of all the other similar engines that they could build and estimate the power they would make at various common stages of modification. But they have no idea how our engines work in terms of the electronics. A Stage 2 engine is probably not so wild that the stock computer couldn't run it with MegaSuirt, but if you took that $6k (more actually, because you have to source an engine for them, ship it there, ship it back, etc...) and spent it in a more traditional way, you could build a 300hp turbo car which would be just as reliable.

Paeco sounds good, but it just doesn't make economical sense.

[illinin09]

I already will have MS...and there are a lot of people who have bought their cams and valve springs and said good things. Only complaints from people who have actually had their product were that it takes time. THats not a legit complaint to me....quality takes time. There are a lot of people who rip on it though who have never actually had their parts...

[wytbishop]

I'm not trying to talk you out of anything, just offering you the benefit of my point of view. Consider it this way. Once you buy that engine from them and pay someone to install it as you have said you're talking about a lot of money. Plus you will have to pay them to tune it, which, chances are will take a lot of trial and error...which is expensive. I'm betting that once you are finished, if you follow this path you'll have spent close to $10k...to make 256 crank hp. So about 210whp realistically.

Right now with my stock ZE I'm into my engine setup for about $4000 and I went overboard with a lot of new parts. I'm making about 175whp for that money, but others are making that much for far less. I will put a turbo on it eventually at a cost of another $3000ish and be making 250whp very reliable hp for thousands less than you will have spent to make 210, if their engine does in fact perform as they project...a point on which I am dubious at best. No one on any of the boards I've seen has ever popped for a complete engine from them.

Again, I'm not trying to talk you out of it. I just want to make sure you've considered it from every angle. I honestly do wish you the best with your project.

[illinin09]

http://www.paeco.com/Short%20Block%20Assemblys.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.paeco.com/Short%20Block%20Prices.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I do agree with you, that the price is a bit up there....so what about these short block kits? I can get a built bottom end for around 2500. And then I can figure out what I want to do with the Heads, cams, and valves?

[wytbishop]

I think that would be a much better option from a monetary perspective, but I bet there's a good engine shop in your area that can do all that for the same price. I just don't see the benefit in sending my engine away and paying a bunch of money to have someone in Alabama do the same stuff I can get locally for the same price.

If you agree that $6k makes no sense for 256 crank hp then you should plainly see that their short block is not going to be any different than any other quality machine shop's.

Now if you were going racing and wanted to make 400 - 500hp...then I think a place like Paeco would be worth investigating. Big power costs money, but 256hp should not cost that much. You could hit 256whp with a fresh rebuilt engine and conventional mods for much less.

[illinin09]

The reason I am thinking bout their short block is because they build it all, blueprint it, balance it. I probably will do that, along with Interprep valve train, do some head work locally, and Colt 218's, unless you guys can think of better cams?