Typical engine rebuild price

[Element]

I want to get the 350 in my '87 rebuilt, because it's making some noises that don't sound good, and idle oil pressure is only about 5-7psi. I really have no experience with SBC stuff, so I don't know what a typical shop would charge to do a basic rebuild - springs, valves, pistons, rings, rods and rod bolts, or whatever is necessary? Also be going with new water and oil pump - the basic maintenance stuff that should be done with the engine apart.

Also, are there any "baby cams" out there that are good for little to no lope, but with a decent increase in low-end torque? I'm used to looking at specs for big cams for LSx engines, and they don't translate really well into looking at SBC cams.

 

[Element]

Any guesses?

Engine is making a sound under acceleration that sounds like a kid with a tin can full of marbles. No noises or anything when idling, just while accelerating.

 

[dyeager535]

First off, make sure everything is tight, pulleys, belts, etc. Surprising what noises loose pulleys will make.

If it's only under acceleration, check your flexplate for cracks around the crank.

 

[longbedder]

I've found that it varies widely, partly based on your geographic location. In my town, we have several machine shops that are in competition and I think the pricing's pretty decent. With nothing special being done, you're looking at somewhere around $1000, but there's a big +/- margin on there. Best thing to do is just call them up and ask them - there's nothing more common than a SBC rebuild, so they should be able to tell you real quickly.

You may be able to get a decent crate motor for around the same price.

Assuming you're carbureted, get an RV cam.

 

[Element]

It's a TBI engine, but I've had the RV cam recommended.

At this point, I'm so tired of trying to get the engine to run right - it's randomly cutting off when driving now, and at 55mph, that REALLY pisses me off - I might just take the damn thing to the shop a lot sooner than i had planned.

 

[dyeager535]

Don't get so worked up about it that you make rash decisions. It's easy to overlook simple stuff if it seems overwhelming.

Start out with a *good* visual inspection of everything. I pulled a motor thinking I had a rod knock, turned out the crank pulley had loosened up somehow. Couldn't see it moving because of belt tension, but it was JUST enough to make a knocking sound as the engine RPM's were increased. Of course, I was going to pull it anyway, had to install TPI, but it just sped that process up.

Your noise issue certainly sounds like a cracked flexplate. Address one issue at a time, see if you can't get it working right. I've never seen reference to it, but it's possible engine performance is less than you expect if there is knock of some sort, whether engine internal or external.