Shawn 97 Z28 M6

labor isn't taxable...

but that price.

Wow!

I guess they threw in a jar of vaseline for free eh?

stereomandan

Did they give you a quote before they started? Seems strange that they would just slap a $5226 charge on you.

Dan

NVetro

Nope, no quote before they started. I KEPT asking, and they said they dont know, i guess cus they didn't know if they were gonna run into any more clearence problems or issue where they would have to take the motor apart agian. I mean this is INSANE!!! Its not even a full blown race motor, jesus christ, posted break down on the page before on my earlier post....

93black-ta

alot of those prices look pretty normal to me. you did have alot of stuff done. i paid 1200 to my machine shop for my 383 and heres what was done

.30 overbore
clearancing for stroker
line bore
hot tank, magnaflux
drill and tap for for splayed 4 bolt
file fit rings
assemble shortblock


i bought my rotating assembly already balanced and only had the shop assemble the crank, rods and pistons. i also supplied all the 4 bolt caps, bearings, freeze plugs and such. on my shortblock it cost the most to file fit my rings and line bore it.

SStrokerAce

I'll highlight what I think is high and explain down the post

1. *Block Speical (Bore, Hown, square deck): $500 & *Torque plate and hone block .001: $165.00

Wow, normally I would say $400-$500 total for this would be sane if the job was done properly, but WTF they got you twice on this. I go in set the size of the bores and then set the cylinder wall finish to a certain spec for the rings... this takes an extra 2 hours and I don't charge this much total... and mine includes a $1500 profilometer to do the job.

2. *Machined and installed 4 bolt splayed main, line honed (6 hours): $800

Wow.... With caps that shouldn't be that much. I've even had a shop screw with me on the line bore because they are morons and I don't have a line bore I can get too and it wasn't this much.

3. *Machining the pan and cutting the dipstick tube to fit: 97.50

What kind of pan? Maybe with L19 bolts and a 3.75 or bigger stroke on a stock pan but my lord. If you are half way smart fixing the #4 main bearing cap for the dipstick takes about 15mins max on a mill.

4. *Messure and shim the springs (cut valves seats): $250

Should be closer to $100 for this unless they had to cut the **** out of the spring seats.

5. *Grind valve covers to fit over 1.6rr's (lips): $130

Yeah that's why you don't use stock VC's but still, I've had to fix those "billet" cast ebay deals as well.

6. *(8) Rod Berrings (H series): $114.16
*1 set of main rod berrings (H series): $152.73

Ok I could understand this if they order up 3 sets of bearings -.001, STD and X... to get the clearances right like I do but the price for rod bearings should be a total on the mains and rods.

7. *Changed position of dowl on block for more secure connection for timing cover: $65
*Setup machine inside cover for chain: $130
*Timing cover gaskets: $20.19
*Made a plug for top timing cover hole and machined cover for timing chain: $40

Hmm.... I turn a aluminum plug for the TC, press it in, sandblast, clearance the cover on the mill, install the new seals which come with the Felpro gasket set and powdercoat it for about 1/2 that.

8. *Notched block for crank,rods,pistons: $260

A Block Clearancing $260! Jesus did they deburr the whole thing of casting flash and do the lifter valley for oil drainback too? A block clearancing should be about half of that on a 383.

9. *File fit the rings for pistons: $80
*Degree camshaft: $75
*Check piston to valve clearence: $65
*Messure pushrods and Comp Cams Molly push rods (7.200"): $178.15
*Put Motor together and adjust valves $375
*Assemble pistons on rods w/ clips&rings: $50

Ok so lets take the $124 PR out of this.... that gives you $700 for a motor assembly... IMHO this should all be one price for these things because if you build a motor and don't do this it ain't gonna run or last long. That's a tad bit high but if it's all done right I don't think that's out of line.

10. *Ballanced the Assembaly (5 pieces of mallory added): $700

Ok What Pistons, Rods did you put on this? Was it done with a external balance or a internal balance? The Mallory makes this expensive here and I don't know how you get it that high, but I have heard that the Cola takes a lot of metal to do this so that's what happens, you make up for the cheap price in the cost of balancing..... If the counterweights were really big then the clearancing could be a bitch, but then you wouldn't need so much Mallory.

11. *2 srts cam berrings: $160

If they screwed up they need to eat the labor on the second set of bearings at least here and at $20-$30 a set that should knock this down to about $100 total.

Some of these things are odd and out of line but others are about right.

Bret

NVetro

Yea i guess I did have alot of stuff done, that i actually coulda done myself actually...sucks...wish i knew all this before I wouldn't trashed going to them and bought a short block.....Guess i gotta pay it.....

hallbilly

Here is what Combination Motorsports quoted me... although alot more than what i want to pay, they are supposed to be some of the best... and its not too outrageous for having someone build your stuff... imo

Eagle ESP cast crankshaft 3.75", SIR forged 6" rods, SRP forged 4.030" -5cc pistons, plasma-moly piston rings 1,134.90
cleveit rod bearings, performance tri-metal, 66.56
cleveit Main's H series 65.33
Bore, 100; Hone w/torque plates, 250; Set deck height in relation to main line, 250
clearence block for stroke 235
balance rotating assembly 295
clean block and allparts before mockup and final assembly 135
pin fitting of rods 34
mock up to set bearing clearances, and final assembly 600 bucks...
total.... 3,166.74 Shortblock

NVetro

Bret...the rotating assembaly is as follows:

Callies Dragon Slayer 3.75" Crank
Callies compstar 5.7" rods
JE Custom piston (-16cc dish) forged 2816 (i think is the alloy they used)

I'm abit confused with the ballancing. I did not give them a flywheel, i told them my spec billet flywheel is neutral ballanced so they ballanced the whole assembely to a neutral flywheel. I think thats internal? Sucks Bret, what should I do?

SStrokerAce

What was the weights on the rods, pistons and pins?

I still don't know how they did that too a DragonSlayer... just balanced one here with a light 1650g bobweight and had to take a ton of weight out of it to get it close and then balance it, and this was a 396 crank setup that was neutral balanced... I just think they don't know WTF they are doing on that balance job.

Bret

92rslt1

tell em to keep it!! I bet they lower there price. if not just go spend 3500 on a different one.

Shawn 97 Z28 M6

That's not a good idea for him.. He's already given them $1500.. and a roatating assembly that is worth around $2500 ...

SStrokerAce

I don't know what to tell you here... they didn't give you a round about price for what they knew they had to do, but at the same time some of this is crazy. Time is worth money but if that labor bill is at $65 an hour I would work it down to a lower hourly rate and come up with a price.

Bret

LT4orbust

this is probably the only reason labor is so high, it's still not right imo

Lee96Z28

They should have given you a quote. In California, if you're given a quote, they can only charge you 10% more than that without calling you and having it authorized. Don't know what the laws are where you live.

I saw this kind of thing alot during my 10 years as a machinist. The owner of the shop I worked at would either be vague about the cost or just not care that he was going way over his quote. One guy had to pay $7500 for a 383 that he had budgeted $4500 for. He could afford it since he was a high-paid Silicon Valley tech dude, but he was still pissed.

One of the guys I worked with had a great saying though:

"Skilled labor isn't cheap, cheap labor isn't skilled!"

Lee

SStrokerAce

Lee I might steal that!