VE junkie

Ok this question is toward engine builders, if a customer was to bring you all the parts needed to have an engine built what do you charge?

Customer supplies all the following..... Sleeved block, ported head, cams, springs & retainers, valves, cam gears, lma's, pistons, rods, crank, rings, oil pump, water pump, timing belt, oil pan, all gasket and seals, etc...... Pretty much all parts without the bearings.

So you will need to do all machine work to engine, bore, hone, align hone, wrist pin fitment etc, etc.... What do you charge for all the machine work and assembly?

I was quoted $1750 plus bearings is that to much?

DelSolDon

yea, i say that is too much. my engine builder was only going to charge me $150 to assemble the short block, but i decided to do it myself. he did bore, hone, balance, line bore crank, grind/ polish crank, resurface flywheel, deck block and head, and got me bearings for a little over $800.

fknfast

i built a DART and took the block right out of a box to my machine guy. He charged me $550 for line boring, boring de-burring and decking. I charge 500 for an engine build. so anywhere from 1000-1300 is the goin rate with machine work. If hes good he can charge 1700 with no problem

VE junkie

But what about the head? Other then milling it? Did he do a valve job? Check seat pressure and shim to adjust?

I'm not complaining about his price due to the fact that he does things in the utmost professional matter. He told me that all things will be checked, every single detail of the engine. When we was talking about it he was tellin me some of his standard procedures that all of his engines get, like ring to ring groove clearance to check for possible ring flutter issues. It was just little things like this that make me want to go with somebody like him. I have talked to "shops" who build engines and when I asked them simple questions like what do you set your wrist pin/rod or wrist pin/piston clearance at? They have this stupid look on their face.

I would rather pay the extra money to know that somebody knows exactly what they are doing!

PocketRockets Racing

doesn't OBX charge $19.95 for an engine build?

fknfast

damn that much!

spoolingb20

Pro Engines this past Week did a rehone, and replaced my pistons from cp to araias pistons (much better piston design if you ask me, from the top ring of the piston on the arais to the top of the piston the space there is much thicker than that of the cp. On the Cp piston it is much thinner, Thats where all four of mine cracked out out on me.)
But like i was saying piston and ring install. He cleaned all my engine parts in the hot tank so they all looked new. Installed springs and retainers, and resurfaced my valves. Retapped my exhaust manifold bolt holes because four where stripped out.. All this was done for $310.
The guys name is ADAM that does all the work and he owns the shop, great place that does great work.

doublej

That is a good deal.

sleepencivic

where in va is the shop???

DelSolDon

i didn't have any head work done other than decking/ milling. if you have the money and he seems like he knows what he is doing, then by all means go for it.

mike1114

iTrader: (1)

I started a post about a year ago like this when I thought I was being overcharged, turns out its just expensive.
I had a GSR block with LS Eagles and Arias pistons going in.

Block cleaned--$50
Machine Work--$200
Plugged oil squirters
bore/hone
internal assy---$250
decked block to ensure flat--$35
installed new valve guides/seals---$125
pressure checked head---$35
R/R cam rockers---$20

All ended up totaling $750 in work. It adds up fast!!!

Buying the tools to do it right would cost just as much then theirs time in your own labor.