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Im curious, how much did everyone pay for a rebuild?

K

K5thatShmobs

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Im just trying to get some numbers to stack up against... For those of you that have had a full rebuild done on your 350, how much did you pay to have someone do it for you? Just as a sidenote, mines an '89 TBI 350.
 
i just a motor for a guy, and it cost him over 7grand in parts and labor. but that is a 700+ hp super charged LT-4 with all new internals, and new heads and intake. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
If you don't screw around with buying different parts, etc., and just take your complete motor to them and say "rebuild it stock" then it should be around $1200.

Of course, you can kind of price shop, these guys are local to me http://www.chevy-gas-diesel-engines.com

Really depends on what you want to do with it, because if you want anything more than stock, you start to affect cost.
 
yikes... if any rebuild is gonna cost me over $5k, I'm just getting me a factory new rat 502. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif maybe not as "trick" as a wild 350... but I'd rather have a super-reliable stock torque monster anyway.

J
 
Plan on anywhere between 900-$2100. If it looks like it's going to be rather steep I'd look into a shortblock from GM.

If you do it yourself on a budget:
bore & hone: $115
cast pistons: $85
rings: $25
gaskets: $35
cam & lifters: $90
timing chain: $50
oil pump: $35
mains & rods: $35

You might end up having to put money into the heads too.

The nice thing about doing it yourself is that you know what went on. You don't have a shady-tree mechanic doing it. If they can cut corners they do.
 
You can get a stock replacement from Scoggin Dickey for $1900 I think...thats what I'm doing when this one goes out. This one has lasted this long, i haven't heard of many rebuilds lasting more than 100K or so, i figure ill pay a little more for one just as good as the one in there now
 
im payin $1500 to get mine completely done. that includes new parts everywhere. all head work and parts and labor is included in that price. this is from a guy that builds race car engines for n e thing from sprint cars to funny cars.

NITRO
 
Well I am not sure about the quality but here in sac you can get a rebuilt with a 24000 Mile warranty with a rebuildable core for 599.
And it goes up from there.
 
$2200 for a complete rebuild/exchange. That is what the previous owner paid back in '98-99 when he was in CA. Had a machine shop/garage do the whole thing. It was a '91 TBI motor.
 
I used to have an engine rebuilding shop, had to close it due to the large rebuilder we were in competition with...seems they could do a 350 Chev for $499, we just couldn't compete with that with "only" a ten man shop. What I am saying is that with a $499 (cheap) rebuild, there are going to be corners cut...and you won't find out just what those little problems are untill you're out of warrantee (if you ever got one to begin with). You get what you pay for!
 
What Dorian said...

My BBC is going to end up coting me about 2500 when all is said and done to rebuild...But that is for new Eagle ESP rods, new Flat Top pistons, new Truck torque grind cam, new lifters, new pushrods and guiids, new roller rockers, new Edelbrock aluminum waterpump, new timing chain, PLasma-Moly rings, ALL machine work (bore over .030", deck, aling hone, clean and install cam bearings, 3-angle valve job, port and polish, new valve guides) Pretty much the only old parts I am using are the crank (which was ground .010"/.010") the heads and the block....

So a built BBC it 2500, I couldv'e gotten away for $about 1800....and a SBC is significatly cheaper...

Chris
 
A shop down here in NC in the racecar capital of the world (kannapolis) that rebuilds racecar engines said they will do it for 775 with a 2 year warranty and all new parts. I asked them how it would compare to an autozone or similiar re-manufactured engine and the owner said "If you buy their engine and take it to my shop and tear down theirs and mine side by side and mine isnt built better, i'll give it to you." Sounded like a nice guy and a poor highschool kid like me doesnt have the money for a new one so I like to tell myself it will be good.
Harrison
 
a co-worker of mine, just had his 87 350 rebuilt at a shop in rancho(cali) had it stroked to a 383 and had special heads shiped all the way from new zeland...paid just under $3000.00....of course he had to install the heads and intake..but the main work was all done
 
70s 350. machine work and rebuild kit ran me $1500 or there abouts and engine building was well a case of beer /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. Got to love a mechanic that works cheap.
 
heres the deal, the only way to make money building motors is by cutting corners because if everything was done to nut it would take forever. to get a good motor id invest in some rebuilding books, all the service manuls you can get ahold of. people with good know how advice. an engine stand and cherry picker. and come out ahead than if youd a dropped a motor of at shop and said rebuild it. Ive seen motors put together so dang grungy that youd think the guy doing the work must have been smokn something way better than crack at the time he decided to just rinse that block through the parts washer ounce after getting the machine work done. the right after that slapping a crank in it. tossing the pistons n rods in. but not plastic gaugeing a singe bearing. oooooooops one of the tolerances was to great, but you wont know till another 5-10k when its spins the crank bearing or rod.

I know this because Im good freinds with a few mechanics, and recently rebuilt my motor and it took me forever. I watch these guys start build a motor on a tuesday and be dropn it in rig that wedsday.

its just a recipe for dissaster and wasted money. all it takes is for that bottle to land on you and your motors toast, shortly after hot rodding it around cause your excited ot have it done and in the truck.



yeah Im rambleing in,, I dont believe in paying people to work on my truck when I can do just as good a job or better. thats why I tend to ramble when subject like this pops up.

Evan
 
When it comes to rebuilding an engine, you will get what you pay for. I know guys that will do it for $500 and others that won't do it for under $1500. The best thing to do is go to different shops and find out what it will cost and find out what they will do for that price.

I paid $6,000 for mine, but I took the jimmy in and they pulled it and my tranny out. Rebuilt the tranny so it will handle up to 600 hp. I got a new block and they built it to an 383 and dyno'd it for me. I forgot the #'s, but I think around 440 hp and 513 ft lb. I also had some extras put on the engine, like headers, new manifold, heads, etc.
 
what I said above is just my opion for being around shops and doing work myself. there are better shops than others, but because thats a good shop doesnt mean you wont have 2-3 guys working on your engine cause one guy leaves on vacation gets sick or trys rebuilding your motor inbetween doing others stuff. blah I could start babbleing again. Ive seen good and bad come from shops, i still just see it as being a thing of odds with no good numbers either way.

do it yourself is the only way to go to save money and get what you want. in my opion that is.

Evan
 
A brand new GM crate can be done for less than $1500. I'd say that's your best bet if you have TBI. TBI doesn't support much performance upgrade anyway, so since you're limted by that, I'd just stick with a 9:1 or so motor with a cam/headers and be happy.
 
I bought a rebuilt 350 from a reputable machine shop (local racer who builds race engines) for $695 w/o rocker arms and push rods,then traded machine shop a set of used 350 heads for rocker arms/pushrods/and a complete gasket set,plus I needed a oil pan (mine was a LITTLE CRUNCHED)and he sold me one that is like new for $20!!!Sweet!!This motor has been GREAT!!!It is super TIGHT/POWERFUL and I just turned 10,000 miles!!!Oh yeah the price has since been raised to $795 but occasionally he runs a special for $695 stock $895 Performance. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
 
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