I once worked with a guy who had a Stealth. He always bragged about how it was a fast car and he had the engine blueprinted for some crazy about of money (like $4,000), but when he popped his hood, the engine looked normal and dirty. Is "blueprinting" really that expensive? What does it do?

 

Blueprinting is simply rebuilding the engine to exact production specs, not much if any more expensive than a simple remanufactured engine and performance of a "blueprinted" engine should be right in stock production range.

 

Thanks. If it puts it back to production spec...why do it? What's the benefit? Your engine shouldn't deviate from those specs when built right?

 

I guess it makes up for lost horsepower over time?

 

most guys that blueprint their engines have crazy engines. like engines (no offence to Mustang guys) that makes a GT500 cry. a lot depends on how you build the engine. when it goes to rebuild shop.
if you put some wicked cams,Forged pistons, high compression pistons(if your running no forced induction), custom intake manifold, heads have been ported and polished, titanium valve springs, hyd. roller cams, big bore (like .050 over or .060 over) , or running an old school set up with carb with a 6 pack carb or a big ass 4 barrel carb. yeah i'd recommend a blueprint.
my buddy has a World Products aluminum small block Chevy engine it started it's life as 350 but it's bored to a 427 he has 550 hp before he even opens up the valve on his Nitrous.if he sprays both of Nitrous he's at 700 hp. his motor blueprinted. but he has over 10 grand in his motor.

but if your going back to stock or at the most .010-.020 over on the bore to get out the "scuffs" on the piston walls you'll be fine.
a lot depends on
#1. the kind of money you wanna drop
#2. if you like the old engine set up

 

time consuming, thus expensive. Piston weight is X +/- X grams of weight. You go through a bunch of pistons or modify each piston so they weigh EXACTLY the same. Volume of combustion chamber is X CCs, you grind/weld and check volume so they are EXACTLY the same. Connecting rods, all EXACTLY the same weight. Speed cost $$$, how fast do you want to go?

 

Actually, "production spec" necessarily permits a range of variations in weight, size, etc. of each engine component. "Balancing and blueprinting" is actually tearing down the engine and rebuilding it to optimum specs (reducing and minimizing variations and tolerances) for a "stock" engine, as Dan says ^^.

When one gets to the balancing and blueprinting stage, one is also at a point where non-stock engine mods-- boring out, changing cam profiles, changing pistons & valves, etc.-- are tempting and much more easily completed.

 

As other responders have said, blueprinting an engine refers to bringing all of the various components of an engine, including the block and heads, into exact manufacturers specifications. Balancing is the process by which reciprocating/turning/moving parts are balanced as close to one another and as perfectly as is possible. Does all of this produce more power? Yes, some, but not as much as you might think. However it does go a long way in preparing the engine for further modifications which do allow it to produce more power. And the only way for an engine to maximize its power production is to burn as much fuel/air mix as possible in each cylinder per engine cycle (an engine cycle = 720 degrees).

 

It sounds like your friend was playing way too much Gran Turismo.

 

Yeah I call bullshit on that. Well either that or he's a colossal idiot.

 

Oops-- I forgot to answer the question...

The only reasons to balance and blueprint are: 1) because the car is being used in competition in a "stock" class (i.e. SCCA) where engine mods aren't permitted, 2) as part of a restoration of a collectible in which the engine cannot be modified or 3) to prep for mods, in which case only certain engine components would be balanced and blueprinted; other parts would be replaced by aftermarket ones.

Balancing and blueprinting by itself might not generate as much added horsepower as an aftermarket exhaust system, esp. where the stock engine is already well-put together or is the proverbial "factory freak."