Five Star Engines

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Dan Delasantos
3 years ago
I contacted Chris at Five Star and explained I had been ripped off by a previous mechanic at another shop 2 years prior and was now ready to purchase another new engine for my boat to take my kids out on Lake Havasu. it had been three years since we spent time together and Chris explained this to the shop staff. They had my rebuilt engine back to me in half the time so I could have it back on the water in time for the kids visit.The engine ran perfectly and continues to do so today. Thank you Five Star for caring about our family and for a job well done! I would recommend them to anyone looking for a good job at an affordable price.

  Ken Spaulding
5 months ago
Had a 429 built for my 73 mach 1 drove it 30 miles engine has a knock. Chris owner refuses any assistance unless I pay another shop to tear it down 1st take motor out and deliver it to them $3600 wasted + what I already paid to have install done. Sad part is id even offer them the $ to look at it instead of having two different places point fingers as to what's wrong but again no help offered

  Larry Mains
4 years ago
Five star Engines are awesome the motor they built for me arrived when they said it would and looks awesome!!! Chris was very helpful with the upgrades I wanted and very helpful when I had questions, great job guy's!!!! Haven't ran engine yet but I'll be letting y'all know how it goes, I want to apologize to Chris for the negative coment I made in another comment about him not being a man of his word, I was completely WRONG!!! It was a misunderstanding on my part on some heads he put on the engine he built for me, he ended up putting better performing heads on it for no extra cost, I've put 500 miles on the engine now and its flawless!!! Runs fantastic and no oil leaks anywhere!!! I couldn't be more satisfied as I am very particular, of you want a great motor I highly recommend five star!!!! Thanks Chris you played a big part of making my dream car even more awesome!!!

  Michael Anderson
7 years ago
Great prices, better service, great machine shop! They always greet me with a super welcome feeling.Any problem I have ever had has been fixed super fast, and some of them were my fault, but were explained to me in detail, so I don't make the same mistake in the future!! A+++++ five stars for five star!! They help keep me on the track winning!!

  Anthony Sanchez
8 months ago
I ordered a crate 302 engine from Five Star and I am very pleased with how it runs and the ordering process. During the process, Chris gave me a time frame for completion and met the timeframe. I've not had any issues and one minor complication. The oil pan installed on the engine drains from the side and was to close to a cross member on my f100 so I had to fix. Not a big deal though and would definitely recommend Five Star to others.

  J D
3 months ago
Bought a sbc 383 stroker engine from them. Complete from pan to air filter. This engine leaked from everything, valve covers, rear main seal, oil pan, water pump gasket. They use chrome oil pan and valve covers and they would not seal properly, had to scuff the sealing surface and use a little silicone to get them to stop leaking. On top of all that, they put a regular sbc oil pan on, not one designed for a 383 stroker kit, which has an indent, so the crankshaft doesn't make contact with the pan when rotating. All of the extra time and money came out of my pocket for things that shouldn't even be an issue on a freshly assembled engine

  steven bostrom
7 months ago
I purchase an engine from Five Star Engines over the last winter. I got late. They don't communicate with you. I bought a 454 from them. From the day I nothing but problems. I talked to them they said to ship to them AZ and i live in Minnesota. After getting it running I had a problems. Oil pan and rear seal leak. They told me that is not cover warranty Even the 30 day no leak. I had people listening on this. Pull the main seal bearing bad shape for 1200 miles. Ship it down to again. That cost, they would not pay.

  Samy Juma
a month ago
Best place to get your engine from will do business again with ..the guy to speak to is Chris very Good guy and always respectful ...

  dylan nelson
a year ago
Although I typically don't leave reviews, I implore you to read this before considering doing business with these individuals. This was, by far, the worst experience I have ever had. I highly recommend avoiding this company altogether. Although the engine I received was dropped in transit, which was beyond their control, the situation quickly turned sour. After consulting with Chris, he advised me to return the engine so that they could assess and fix any damages incurred during transit. However, upon receiving the engine back after their supposed repairs, I discovered that the coolant was going directly into the engine, causing me to reach out to Chris once more. It was only then that he revealed that Edle Brock had forgotten to include a plug in the shipment of intakes. While Chris agreed to cover the repair costs, it was a frustrating and time-consuming process that I had to juggle with a full-time job and he reassured me when they got the motor back after it had been dropped that they would go through everything and make sure the plugs that Edle Brock didn't include would be installed and that I didn't have to worry about it. Unfortunately, the issues persisted, with the engine eventually developing a rattling sound and losing oil pressure. Upon taking the engine to my local shop, they discovered numerous problems, including several rods that weren't feeding the rocker arms oil, a bent push rod, a cracked rocker arm, and metal shavings. After contacting Chris yet again, he suggested replacing the bent push rod and rocker arm, but the issue persisted. Frustratingly, Chris then advised me to have the engine taken apart to determine the cause of the problem, revealing that they had not fully inspected the engine after it had been damaged during transit and decided to replace the exterior parts of the engine that had been damaged. Despite my request for a refund, Chris refused and instead requested that I return the engine to them for further repairs. After three months of Radio Silence, I finally received the engine back, only to discover a major oil leak at the back of the engine where the intake meets the block. Chris agreed to cover the cost of a $30 gasket, but refused to assist with the repair of the new oil leak, despite it being caused by their recent installation. Now, I am left to pay for the repair costs myself after having already paid $4,000 for the engine. The bottom line is that if you are looking to do business with a dishonest company and enjoy redoing the same job several times over, then perhaps this company is for you. But for those seeking a reliable and honest business partner that wont leave you with a really expensive and heavy paperweight please take heed of my experience and avoid doing business with these individuals.

  David Sandberg
4 years ago
Tell me that's cut evenly and those heads will have the same depth front to back... sky is green today I guess.7/31 A day later, called to refuse and insist on replacement, they said they'd just junk the heads and if I didn't want to install crooked-cut heads on a client car "that's your (my) prerogative" and they wouldn't even consider the idea of replacing them, even used/scrap heads at my own labor time from a junkyard at cost.Didn't even bat an eye at the refusal almost like it was expected. I guess he deals with failure regularly.

  Richard Vida
a year ago
I ordered my engine and was told there was a 4 month wait.I kept in contact and always received positive replies.My beautiful engine came yesterday, 4 months right on time.I am still rebuilding car and won't use the engine for awhile.What I thought was a long wait ended up faster than I was ready for it. LOLAll I can say it was well worth the wait.Thank you,Richard Vida

  Charlie Rohrer
2 years ago
Do not ever buy from these guys. I bought an engine from them in December 2020. It arrived in March(a month late)and when I put it in my truck it had a bad coolant leak into one of the cylinders.It had a lot of water in the oil and it hyralocked when I tried to start it. I had a local shop remove and send it back to them for warranty work. It sat there for a month or more, and when they finally sent it back,and it was back in the truck, we found that it was doing the same thing.THEY DID NOT EVEN TOUCH IT.I finally got it fixed after spending twice the original cost of the engine. And they refuse to give me anything for it. DO NOT BUY FROM THESE GUYS!

  Ppg
6 years ago
I purchased a Chevy 383 stroker for my project from Chris. Being my first project car, I had reservations. Chris made the process easy and explained everything to me. From the start everything said he would do was done. Delivery was on time, the motor was great, they even offer a dyno package which I recommend. It was a fun experience.This is my first review ever, of anything. I felt compelled to leave a good review after the post sale service I received. The motor seemed to have an issue with it. After having the project sent to Chris, without hesitation he took care of the problem. THAT'S CUSTOMER SERVICE.They build great engines, have excellent post sale service, and the prices are fair. You get much more than you pay for at 5 Star.Great company, great product, most of all great service. I will buy the next engine from them and if you need a new engine Chris is your guy.Thank you Chris.

  Breanna C
a year ago
Their customer service is terrible !The price was ridiculous for just engine work .you won t get any answers in a timely manner or your engine for that matter . They re very slow with their process and they didn t even bother to clean all the metal shavings out of it before they bagged it . If you can take your business anywhere else I d strongly Recommend it .When you call you get the vibe that they clearly don t want the business so do them a favor and go somewhere else :) Chris seems nice but very unorganized and who ever answers the phone or helps you in the front is super rude .

  Chris Meneley
3 years ago
Run!!! This company "Guaranteed 8 to 10 week delivery" 4+ months later we finally got our engine after calling and calling. Blamed it on Covid but they never called us to tell us there would be a delay. Had to pay for the engine in full before they would get it in line to be built so they worked off of our money for months!!. We got the engine and it looked good but the written guarantee only guarantees the engine for oil leaks for 30 days! That was never divulged till the engine was delivered. Their "contract" you receive after delivery also states that they will " not pay for labor if the engine has to be repaired or replaced". Funny thing...that is not what their salesman on the phone said. When we questioned this we were hung up on! We will never do business with them again...

  Tom Gill
5 years ago
I have been doing business with Five Star for about 10 years. Chris and his team are true professionals. I have called and visited numerous times for technical advice, each time I have been greeted with professionalism, and helpful people. I have been more than pleased with their machine work, and could not be happier with my 383. Chris thank you to you and your team. Life long customer.

  Jim Giese
7 years ago
These guys are awesome. I'm rebuilding a 350 from my 88 Silverado. I was looking for a machine shop to have my engine block bored when I stumbled upon this shop. It was 4:50pm 10 mins from closing when I pulled in. They took the time at the end of the work day to help me finish removing parts that I had left on the block, at no extra charge. After it was finished I had noticed that my camshaft bearings had been removed as well as my freeze plugs. Once again at no extra charge. My block was old and tired and in rough shape. I was completely amazed by how great they did on my block, everything is perfect, my bore size, the alignment of the main bearings, and the deck had big pits in it. Now it's a new block again I looks beautiful. I am very pleased with the professional quality of work that Five Star Engine provided on my engine block. Once again thanks guys for an awesome job on my engine block...

  Mike Burris
3 years ago
Received the engine on time and it looks great. Added the fluids and tried to check the oil and the dipstick broke, leaving a piece in the oil pan. After talking to the shop, I received a replacement dipstick. Piece was recovered via dip stick port. Once I got the engine started, there was/is an oil drip from the oil pan and timing chain cover. I had to remove the water pump to tighten the hand tight timing chain cover bolts. The oil pan was cheap and the gasket was poorly installed. I had to replace both and now no leaks. NOT RECOMMENDED!!!

  Mike Hulen
3 years ago
I just wanna reach out to this company! I spoke with Chris to build me a 351 cleavland for my mustang, did an excellent job! Don't listen to all the bs stories on Google. They are fast with shipping and quality work! Thank you fivestar! Look forward to future business.

  Brandon Uhlig
5 years ago
I have been doing business with Five Star Engines and Ed Smiths speed shop for over 45 years. We have a auto restoration facility and we have used many rebuilt engines from five star. Normally we have just small problems. Leaks, adjustments and metal shavings. About a year ago we had them build a 1987 5.0 mustang engine that we were going to install in a 1964 ford falcon. We used the wiring harness and other components out of our donor 1987 mustang body. 6 months after we got the engine done we installed it. We went to start it and it did run, but very poorly. After many hours of diagnosis we decided to pull the top end of the motor off. To our surprise we noticed there was a regular tappet camshaft installed!! All 5.0 fuel injected engines must have roller camshafts. We researched it online and we found this has happened to other people and the fix all lead to the same conclusion pull the cam and replace it with a roller camshaft. We called Chris and he told us that it wasn't true and all that was needed was to change the wiring to make it run perfectly. Well, we decided to have Arizona Mustang Performance to a cam swap and now it runs perfectly. Chris told us that "I didn't charge you for a roller cam" I couldn't believe he told me this. This engine was fully dressed with air conditioning, power steering and all accessories. This was an expensive cam swap that we paid for out of pocket. Our feelings were hurt because we have been very loyal to 5 Star and have suggested Five Star to many other customers. A big letdown. In the following moth I stopped by Five Star with an automatic transmission in the bed of our truck a ford C4. Ed smith (Chris's father) asked me what we were doing with the transmission. I told him I was on my way to the transmission shop to get it rebuilt. Ed replied, I have an identical transmission that I personally rebuilt ready to install. Well, we put it in and it doesn't work! We pulled the pan off of the transmission to find a large amount of trash in the pan. We had to pull the transmission back out and send it to Dennys Transmission for a rebuild Shawn the owner called me and was laughing and said, "who in the hell did this transmission?" He said inside half of the clutches were used and some were new. The valve body was plugged up and it cost us $600. Ed smith charged me $300 and my old transmission. Well Ed, did you really need that $300 that bad? 40 years of friendship. And Chris shame on you. You must be a chip off the old block. Never again guys will I darken your door. I will make it a point for the rest of my life to inform everyone I come across about your petty-ness Sincerely yours, Brandy's Auto Body

  Leo Poole
5 years ago
I have some amazing experiences with this company. I have bought two motors from them now and the first one has 26k miles on it and still runs strong! The second one I helped my buddy install in his truck. When I planned the trip to install the motor for my buddy I ordered the motor a week before I left and they were able to fully assemble the motor with aftermarket parts and were able to work out a way for me to come pick the motor up since I dont live in Phoenix. They helped me through the whole process and really made it alot easier. My friend was so excuted to get the motor and better yet have it running in the truck! I highly recomend!

  Nicolas Stroker
2 years ago
Took me forever to get the motor delivered. Once I got it installed. The timing of the engine was so far off had to reset everything. The edlebrock carburetor that came with it was such junk had to use a different carb and finally got it to run. Once I got the motor to actually run the rear main seal started to leak. When I emailed this company about the rear main seal leaked they would not deal with it. So I have to spend extra money to have a shop go in and replace it. Huge negative review.

  Joe seitzer
7 years ago
I pulled the motor out of my 2002 Chevy trailblazer ( after I bent a rod) dropped it off at 5 Star on a Monday afternoon by Friday it was completely rebuilt and ready for pick up, I put it back in that weekend, it fired right up and runs smooth & quiet. just did my first oil change.thank you 5 Star!!!

  Tristan PICARD
4 years ago
Really great staff and great work. Bought an engine on their ebay account for my classic car. They had the one i needed and build a really nice piece of an engine. Everything as described and shipping on time. Always answering questions in short delay. Highly recommend. Thank you Chris.

  Steve poort
10 years ago
I wanted to wait until I had some miles on this engine before I wrote a review on it. I bought a 5.7l 350 310hp from five star engines to replace the factory motor in my suburban that had been losing oil pressure. Chris was very knowlegable and helped me decide on which motor to go with based on my budget. The motor showed up looking great. everything was to specs and professionally assembled with care. I went over everything in detail before I put it in my truck. I called five star a few times with technical questions and they helped me immediately and thouroghly with timing issues and suggestions. I can say that I am very impressed with the performance and look of the motor. I would absolutely buy another engine from them. Great job Five Star Engines.

  Dave Greenstein
2 years ago
Highly recommend Five Star, I had used them for 2 different engines, a 258 about 6 years ago and most recently to rebuild my 400 from my Bronco. Excellent work both times at a very fair price.

  Tizio 4kids
a year ago
Got boat motor, had a problem. Took the motor back to Chris, the warrenty was worth it's weight in gold. Would recommend 5 star for rebuilt motors.

  Angela Hoikka
5 years ago
Excellent staff, wide range of services, professional, efficient, good prices. Fixed our Chevy truck were ebb three other shops couldn't. They fixed it quickly and explained the problem well. This is our go to shop.

  Thomas Kroner
3 years ago
Building an engine myself and ran into a problem I couldn't figure out. These guys were willing to let me bring it by and tell me what was wrong with it no money involved. That's customer service you just don't see these days. Definitely know where I'll be bringing my engine for future endeavors.Edit 4/22/2020Needed some help and on switching some gears over for a camshaft. They were able to help at beyond a fair price. Love this place.

  Zach Cicchetti
6 years ago
I called three separate times to see the pricing on rebuilding the head for my chevy 250 and all three times got a different price. First was 179. Then I got 300 and lastly it went to 250. The 2nd and 3rd time the guy in the phone was very rude after I told him a couple days ago I was told 179 I was calling to make an appointment but that won't be happening anytime soon. I feel like I'm being ripped off and won't use 5 star again.