new motor pros/cons bae/nre/mbr

I am looking at getting a new motor. I like all 4 builders bae, mbr.nre.aj. Will be a screw blower set-up. Anybody have input on pros and cons vs each other? Not looking for negative input but, reliability, performance, technical support.

 

I think your serviceability is best with bae hands down. Worst would be nre according to some on here. Mbe has great things going but I would also add Frankenstein into that mix now. They are claiming great things, but looking at there heads I can’t believe so many companies are making heads now out of a chunk of billet?

 

I am leaning toward BAE, they have helped out in the past, Seems BAE is a front runner as well but I know its a tuners game to. Just a small deal here pay out of my own pocket so stretching the dollar as far as I can

 

AJPE or BAE would be my choices. Both awesome companies to deal with and can get you what you need quickly. We ran AJ stuff and wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

 

We run the Noonan stuff, switched over from the AJ 481x stuff. The Noonan stuff has a bunch of really cool features like the front drive oil pump and a 30* splay on the main caps to keep the block from racking. The block also has more of a register on the sleeve and it sticks out of the block a little bit more so when you start hammering on it and the sleeve sinks a little it still has enough sleeve sticking up out of the deck to still seal it properly preventing blown head gaskets. The valvetrain gear is also interchangeable with other makes and models of fatheads.

To comment on the complaints and the customer service, here is what I know from my personal dealings with them. They were based out of Australia, moved to Utah and then moved to South Carolina. They now have a permanent arrangement in South Carolina so they can concentrate on growing. With that said, some of their stuff is still imported from Australia and sometimes customs can be a royal pain. I’m not trying to defend anyone but if you dealt with them during a transitional time you may have been experienced some issue, some of which may have been out of control. In the big scheme of things they are a small company when compared to some of the others, but they are working hard to continually grow their business. They may not have exactly your part on the shelf when you call (pistons, cranks rods, pushrods, valves, etc) or possibly the price may be higher because they can’t currently buy in quantity like some of the others, but they are trying to get there. They also make lots of different engine blocks and heads, so being a small company the wait time may be a little bit longer. An example being on the 4.8 Hemi block alone there is 40 different variations depending on what you order, all having different machining operations.

I have been to their shop and taken the tour and have spoke to Jamie. He has been great to deal with and he is himself a racer. He is also very knowledgeable on engines and engine design. They also has a Spintron for valvetrain development and they are working on developing a dyno cell to even further engine design and development. We jumped in on the Noonan deal early and feel that as they grow the company and can focus on R&D that they have the ability to out run the rest. I’d rather have the performance advantage and order any parts I think I may need way in advanc; That’s how it always used to be a ways......Seems that now a days everyone wants everything in a hurry. If you blow your stuff up at the races this week and don’t want to carry spares and want if fixed for next weekend with all the parts on the shelf, may want to go with Brad mart or AJ. Both make nice parts and have good customer service.

Take a look around at the people running Noonan stuff and they are top runners. Joey Severance, The Whiteley’s, Al Billes (Tommy D’April), just to name a few. I can tell you that there is a line starting to form form for their 4.9 bore space promod. That engine is way more trick than the 4.8 stuff that we run.

 

You said BAE both helped you out in the past and are front runners. That's a pretty good start right there.
I've seen 8x heads ready to run, go for $4-5500. Take the savings and get some trick Manton or Reid rocker arms. That and a good used D screw (seen go for $10-12,000 ready to go) and your hot rod will run like a scalded banshee at any track. That's what I did. As soon as I did, felt real good about it. That's how I know it was a good decision. And I sleep good at night knowing BAE will always be there. Will always have my repairs done in a timely manner when needed and I can beat the tar out of my rocker arms and never look back. I try to stretch my dollar as well, but always try to get the best parts I can possibly afford.
I can't say who's got the fastest stuff out there or the latest double throw down badass car. But I've never heard anyone say the service from BAE is bad or was unsatisfactory. Never.
Good luck, Lance

 

Pros and cons as I see them:
MBR=by far the most easily serviced motor(can take heads off without even loosening blower belt),main brgs better,especially rear main.Cons are:can't run a long stroke without using a small base circle cam. New, they are a bit more expensive,and there are not as many used parts available.
BAE=Best support of any new or used.
AJ-TFX=Good support. Cons:uses not as popular pan design,and timing cover-gear drive.
Can't say any thing Noonan-never worked on them.
-Dale

 

Hey Rob, could you explain a bit what you mean by "racking"? Thanks.

 

If you take a look at the top fuel blocks today they have a pretty big, heavy plate that ties together the side bolts on the outside of the block together to keep things from moving around. When you move the side bolt to a 30* angle it triangulates everything and helps hold the crankshaft “up” in the block while we are trying so hard to blow them out of the bottom. The block that Jamie makes with the front mount oil pump comes with the splayed side bolts. If you order a traditional oil pump block it comes with regular side bolts because “that’s what everyone wanted.”


I am not knocking anyone either, I have also been to AJ’s shop and took the tour there. They make nice stuff, they do really nice repairs and the staff is very knowledgeable from the R&D department to the head shop to whoever you speak to on the phone. They also carry a good bit of inventory so you can get the parts you need ASAP. Like I said before we used to run the AJ stuff and we made the decision to switch to the Hemi we looked around and liked what we seen with the Noonan stuff, how it was running and how it was designed. We had the money to make the switch one time and after looking at everything that’s the route that WE chose. With all of that being said, the last time I spoke to the fine folks at AJ they told me about their new Hemi platform for the promod crowd where you can pull the head without messing with the intake and they have a super spread lifter. If you are in the market for a promod engine, that is a very different animal than the “regular” 4.8 bore space Hemi stuff us “Alcohol Guys” run. Shop around, see what’s out there and find what works for you and your budget.