General Motors Performance Parts is a major player in the crate engine business which should be no surprise since GM has produced some of the most popular engines ever installed in a car. The small block Chevy is legendary in racing and hot rodding in general and the big blocks today put out horsepower numbers we could not have imagined just ten years ago.
Although crate engines are available from all of the major manufacturers and many aftermarket speed shops, GM has put together an impressive web site where you can choose from any of their engine families, go through an online configuration process and finally, put the engine on a virtual dyno to see what it will do. It even comes complete with sound effects. It’s hard to say how accurate the numbers are but they should give you a pretty good idea of what that particular combination will do or at least whether a particular cam or intake is an improvement over another. It’s a neat tool.
It really isn’t all that long ago that crate engines first appeared on the scene but once they did, hot rodders everywhere have been installing much better engines than, in many cases, they could have built themselves. The upgraded GM site just makes the whole process easier and quite a bit more fun, after all, most of us don’t have a dyno out in the garage. So, if you’re thinking about a GM crate engine, be sure to check it out.
Link: GM Performance Parts engine builder no longer available