we are finally going to take my 390 out of the truck and drop a new one in, but i was wondering if anyone has ever gone with the auto zone 390.i can get it for $1,299 and it has a 3 year warranty. i was wondering if it was any good. thanks

 

If that's a three year, unlimited mileage warranty, buy one for me too!:-) Chances are it's only 15 or 20 thousand. My advice? Rebuild yours yourself. You'll spend more than $1299, but it'll last longer, if it's machined and assembled properly. If you're set on buying the autozone engine, buy the best additional warranty they offer. And study up on labor claims.
Reason why? Autozone buys these engines from a mass rebuilder. The rebuilder, like any other business minded company is looking for profit at the end of the quarter. How to acheive this? Buy the cheapest parts available. Do you really want the cheapest parts available in an engine under your hood?
Just my opinion, of course...

 

The Autozone engine is suppose to be blueprinted and built with top quality parts like Melling and FelPro gaskets. Without a good garage or big shed or a large amount of skill, the Autozone looks like a good pop in solution.

If you want to mail order an engine, Jasper is known for high quality engine and transmission rebuilds along with rear ends.

 

Someone here recently installed a reman engine from Auto Zone. I have not heard anything negative about that so far. I think for most of us a reman is a good and reasonable deal. I enjoy building my own stuff but if I wanted a quick inexpensive solution to a worn out engine problem I'd go with Auto Zone. IMHO.
Williamin Atlanta

 

I have one in my 1975 F100, with about 10,000 miles on it. I put it in about a year ago and the only problem I have had since I put it in is the Rear Main Seal leaks and the lifters have a little noise, but ever 360/390 I have seen I have heard the lifter noise. I think the engine is pretty good for the price and they said it only came with a 1 year warranty. I would buy from them again.

 

Ok guys, make me look like the bad guy. Seriously though, if you buy one, let me wish you the best of luck. For awhile those rebuilt engines had a bad rap.

 

The rear main seal can be a real PITA! I usually let them leak as long as it isn't real bad. The lifters should be really quiet? I like adjustables, little more money but I think they are worth it.
William in Atlanta

 

gotta get my .o2 in

They give you warrantys? ones that replace your motor if it breaks?
if so, better lay it into hard this november,and you'll be good to
go for next year! sounds like a deal to me.


warrantys came on every thing i'd be set for life

Dory

 

I bought a 302 long block engine from autozone, back in the early '90's. It went into a seldom driven pick-up truck. The truck ran hot after putting in the new motor. I contacted the manager at autozone and he said they would recommend a shop to take it to. They wanted to replace the radiator , change the thermostat, and do everything but fix the engine. The old engine was shot,but never ran hot. I took the radiator to the radiator shop and had it flow tested, it was fine. I had put a new thermostat in when I changed the radiator and it was ok. To keep it from overheating I had to buy a larger 3-core radiator.
The warranty was 2 years 0r 24,000 miles. At about 8000 miles the valves went bad ( seats were worn out). This was after two years. ( I was a steady customer of Autozones and talked to the manager, He said the warranty states two years and the two years are up,so I had no warranty. I did a valve job, and at about 10,000 miles the crankshaft broke. I had never seen such a thing, but it sounded like a shotgun blast, I was towing my small fishing boat at about 45 MPH when it broke. It actually broke into 2 pieces.
I went back to autozone and asked them why I should buy a crankshaft kit from them when the crank in their rebuilt engine broke? the manager told me their replacement parts were much better than their motors because the motors come from china and used whatever parts that were available, he said they had a lot of trouble with their rebuilt engines.
I wouldn't buy another rebuilt engine from autozone!

 

 

Dont get any engine from Autozone! Reccon (AZ/Advanced engines) "rebuilds" the engines for them and they suck!! They do not rebuild them unless they have alot of damage 99% chance you will get an engine that was overhauled instead. I pulled apart a Reccon 350 with less then 500 miles on it and was horrible, looked like a 10 year old built it.
Rebuild it yourself for alot less $700/800 should cover every thing or go plunk down the cash for a Jasper engine, www.jasperengines.com/ somthing like that.