Best 500 CID Engine Rebuilder, Denver Area

[mgbeda]

Hi All,

Bessie's engine is out, and stripped, and ready to cart off to the rebuilder.  Question is, what rebuilder?  I live about 20 miles due north of Denver.  Does anyone know an engine shop they'd recommend?  I'm not looking for any hot rod mods; I just want the engine to be like it was in 1976.

I did have one shop in mind that did redid a Toyota (sorry) cylinder head for me six years ago- at the time they had a couple 500's in their shop.  If I can find the name of the shop that is; I can't remember it anymore.

Thanks,

-mB

[TJ Hopland]

I dont know any builders in your area but I have been told that this place has got a pretty decent deal with a freight company to ship complete engines and all they do its 472 / 500.   I have bought parts from them and they are great to work with.  Even if you find a local builder I would recommend still getting the parts from these guys.  Check with your shop before you order anything though, some shops wont install parts they didnt order but usually for a less common engine they will make exceptions.

http://www.500cid.com/

Wherever the parts come from:

Make sure its a Cloyes brand timing chain set.  It can be their stock linkbelt type or either of their roller upgrades.  There is been quite a few cases with the non Cloyes brands where the crank sprocket shatters a few hundred miles after the rebuild.   Any vendor that deals with Cloyes can order these.  Cloyes is a very popular brand.

The new Melling oil pump needs to be taken apart and 'blueprinted'.  There is a know problem with a burr in the bypass passage and occasionally a few other tolerance issues.  They are all easily addressed by someone that knows what they are doing and then you got a good pump.  Melling is a big brand and the only one that makes a pump for this motor.  Basically its too small of a market for them to correct the problem.   MTS (500cid.com) will sell you a pump that has been fixed.  That is what I did the second time and have not had a problem.  I say second because the first one sized up at about 1000 miles causing a fair amount of damage to my new engine.

Supposedly the 'flowkooler' closed impeller water pumps move a little more coolant.  Napa used to have these but apparently no longer does.  MTS has them.

The MTS guys can take care of any need for one of these engines.  IF you want it converted to a non smog pump they can do it using factory pulleys from a non smog car.  It cleans things up a bit up front.  Does not really change the performance but does get rid of the exhaust pop on deceleration when the almost impossible to find anymore diverter valve quits.

I have the MTS #5 cam and have not really noticed any difference from stock.  It starts and idles nice.  It has plenty of power.   They also have a #3? cam which is supposed to more or less be the best stock cam the factory ever put in.  The #10 and up is where you start to get a mean idle and need other mods. 

A tip if you are going to do business with these guys try to do it very soon.  Horsepower TV is doing a Cadillac 500 'build' on one of their shows in the next month or so and they featured MTS as the experts and parts source so they are likely to get very busy after the show airs.  Im sure they will be able to take care of everyone but it may be a longer wait after the show airs.