I am in the process of a engine rebuild(350). This motor has approximately 30k on it. I am trying to get a guesstimate on how much the average shop would/should charge for decking, honing, magnaflux? Would it be necessary to bore? I don't want to stroke the motor, i'd rather keep the cubes down. Can anyone reccomend a full bottom end rebuild kit (excluding crank) that is good up to around 500hp and under a grand. Thank you.

 

Complete block prep and machining in my part of the country is between $700.00 & $1000.00 up depending on what you are having done.This is for the most normal/routine things.

 

Same around here.

Rich Krause

 

I spent just under 1500 when I had mine done, but that included the headwork (surfaced and 5 angles), as well as machining the registers to fit billet main caps. Take those two away, and 700 to 1000 is what it was in Southern Indiana. I sure hope Ga prices arent any more!

Dave C.

 

Well if they want to rape you, send it over here and I will take care of it for you.
We have several excellant shops here that do beautiful work at a decent price.

 

Might just have to do that. I'm looking at a new build right now, as I havn't been able to wipe the grin off my face all day after dloading and playing with that Engine Analyzer proggy. I now KNOW which cam I'm stabbing in my current bullet Thanks again for that link last night. Now I just gotta remember to sleep sometime

Dave C.

 

Ain't this computer racing fun.Sort of like bench racing in my day except the shared BUD.
Got a small engine shop over here and if I can help you with anything on your build,let me know and we'll get it handled.

 

i paid 195 dollars to have a small block chevy bored .030 over, honed, magnufluxed, new freeze plugs and new cam bearings installed.

 

Wow, $195... that's cheap.

Machine work is the same where I'm at just depending on where you go. For options like splayed mains, you figure an additional $400 for the caps, studs and machining. Lifter bore correcting/bushing/honing, about $500 ±100. Mine were not good...... well, not good enough for my build.

There are some companies out there doing CNC machining on blocks. Haven't heard any prices though. May check into that with the engine we're gathering parts for right now....

-Mindgame

 

yeah, and that 195 includes the cost of parts.

if i remember correctly, it was 8 dollars a cylinder to bore, 4 dollars a cylinder to hone, 20 bucks to magnuflux (which i didn't ask them to do....but oh well) 10 bucks to hot tank, they actually hot tanked it twice, but only charged me once. and the rest would be cam bearing/freeze plugs. and taxes.

 

David,
I hope you got good work at a steal. But with this stuff, you usually get what you pay for.

What kind of work does this shop do? Performance/race/competition builds?? Any success stories???

Here's a list of machine work prices from a couple of reputable builders.

http://www.steveschmidtracing.com/ssr_060.htm

http://www.speedomotive.com/MACHINE%...%20SERVICE.htm

-Mindgame

 

man, that's a lot of money.

it's an very reputable shop in my town, called reliant machine. when i was looking for a place to have machine work done, everyone recommended this place.

i wouldn't call it a race shop. but they do just about any type of machining, or assembling, balancing. the only thing they don't do is port and polish heads.
everytime i go in there he's loaded with work. i've had them sandblast parts, press in suspension bushings, press new pistons onto rods. and it all turned out great.

there's only about 3 guys that work there, maybe the guy just doesn't realize how much money he COULD make.

i havn't fired up the engine that i had machined yet, but it's going to be a 355, trickflow 23* heads, weiand dual plane intake, comp cams 230/236 .518/.522 110lsa, 9.5:1 c/r, and a 650cfm demon carb.

it's the first engine i've ever built, and i'm pretty much doing it all by myself, just going by internet tutorials and such. i'll let you know how it runs....if something doesn't go right, it'd probably be my assembling, rather than the machine shop tho.....

it's going in a C3 corvette, btw.

 

That's great David. I'm here wishing you the best of luck with your 1st engine.

Make sure to pick up a book on small block chevy blueprinting (know of some but can't pull names out the ol head). That'll get you moving in the right direction. Of course, everyone here will be more than happy to help should you get yourself in a bind.

Good luck!

-Mindgame

 

actually, the engines completely assembled, put it together over the last week.

all that's left is to rent a cherry picker and hoist it in.

the only thing i don't know for sure how to do is adjust the rockers. i've read on here how to do it. but most of them you either have to have the engine running, or turn the engine over by hand, and adjust two cylinders at a time.

which brings me to another question...how hard should a fresh engine be to turn over by hand? i turned the crank over a few times after every piston/connecting rod was installed, and it got harder and harder each time, with only 7 it could still be turned over pretty easily....but then the 8th it completely locked it up. with the connecting rod bearing a little loose it would turn over fine. so i took it off, made sure there wasn't any debris on the crank, got a new connecting rod bearing and tried again....same result.

my dad, who's been "helping me" has built 6 or 7 engines, and he said it's hard as hell to turn over a fresh engine by hand. (he's just been giving me guidelines, he hasn't picked up a tool in months)

my idea, was once the engines in the car, install the starter, and just crank it over without any spark plugs or carb, and adjust the rockers that way. but i'd like the peace of mind that a fresh engine isn't supposed to turn freely.

(p.s. sorry for the thread hijack)

 

Well, I CAN tell you that if you the motor assembled, with no plugs in it, and it "locks up" when rotating by hand, then you need to seriously check your clearences. Did you double check the machine shops work with either a a good set of mic's, or at the very least some plastigauge? If not, then you definately need to. Especially (hate to say this) at the price you got the work done for. I would check that motor to death befor bolting it together...

A GOOD set of mic's is the best investment you will ever make IMHO..

Good luck man. Hope it turns out ok

Dave C.