its not all that rare for some guy to just want to get his car back on the road as cheaply as possible, and if your engines in real need of a total rebuild, due to wiping a cam lobe and bad bearings etc, you might want to consider a crate engine swap rather than a rebuild, yes a rebuild always looks like it will be cheaper, after all you have most of the parts required, yet machine shop costs and replacement parts add up surprisingly fast, so fast in many cases that if you took the time to list all the costs its a total no brainer to sell the current core engine for $50-$300 and buy a crate engine replacement! Id point out that a fairly high percentage of OEM engine blocks CAN NOT take a .040-.060 over bore without having seriously thin and weak cylinder walls that are subject to cracking if subjected to serious stress levels, so its rarely a good idea to think about building a 450 plus hp engine starting with a OEM stock engine block as a core, and invest the $400-$600--$1000 in required machine work on it, as its going to be significantly weaker that an aftermarket block
GUYS TEND TO JUST DIVE INTO THE REBUILD PROCESS WITHOUT THINKING THRU THE COST/VALUE AND RESULTS, STEP BACK TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS,THINK IT THRU AND LIST YOUR EXPECTED GOALS AND BUDGET
HERES ONE BASIC ROUTE OPTION
Ive installed about a dozen of these basic 350 long block engines over the last 20 plus years
http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance/80 ... 3/10002/-1
when you go pricing the cost of parts and machine work,to properly rebuild a basic transportation 350, engine it eventually looks like a true bargain
guys don,t realize that it all adds up rather fast, I really doubt you can do a QUALITY rebuild with almost all new parts for the price, if you need the block bored new pistons, rings, bearings, cam, lifters, valve job etc.
Rebuild kits for Chevy 350 engines range anywhere from $400 to $800 for basic setups, and should include most, if not every part you'll need to replace (bearings, plugs, seals, new pistons, rings, cam, etc.) These kits do not include things like water pumps, alternators, belts, manifolds, etc. If you are building for higher performance, expect to pay at least in the $1,500 - $3,000 range and up, depending on how much power you want to make.
Basic cleaning and machining by the machinist usually doesn't exceed $500 - $800, but if the machine shop finds other things wrong than the basics, expect to pay more.rebuilding cylinder heads alone can run $300 or more very easily, add aftermarket rocker studs, , and rebuilding cylinder heads with a valve job, new valve seats and valve guides can typically run you anywhere from $400 - $600, easily
you would normally expect to pay at least $1,500 - $2,000 for a decent sbc engine rebuild, if everything's carefully brought back to factory specs and the engine needs to be bored, re-ringed and new pistons, bearings and ARP rod bolts,installed in re-sized rods, new cam and lifters etc. and on the high end (as long as your talking only a basic, not a performance upgrade), expect around $2000-$3,000 and up. Keep in mind, again, this does not usually include parts like water pumps, belts, fluids, etc. And you'll also have to keep in mind extra expenses like removal and re-installation of the engine, and some places also charge for the dis-assembly cleaning and inspection of the engine as well.
Your best bet is to talk with SEVERAL local, reputable mechanics and/or machinists, and they could give you a better idea of the service they offer, the prices they charge (as a lot of that varies by region, etc.), and what s
now knowing this, that crate engine starts to look like a darn good bargain if your just looking for basic transportation.
If your looking to build a performance engine you want to step back, look at what your goal is and select the best components, and in most cases your not going to find your using much more than the stock engine block if your doing a serious performance build and once you start to exceed about 450hp even the basic stock engine block may not be a good investment, as the far stronger aftermarket blocks usually have much thicker castings, more precise machine work and a better stronger alloy , making them much more durable. almost all stock cylinder heads are a pathetic JOKE compared to the better after-market cylinder heads and only a few forged rotating assembly's have nearly the strength of the better aftermarket options
you can easily spend $7K-$15K on a real performance engine build-up, $15-$18 dollars a horsepower is the normal range you'll pay for a well built performance engine if your starting from scratch.
HERES A FEW RATHER TYPICAL REBUILD KITS
http://speedomotive.com/ps-523-85-383ci ... r-kit.aspx
http://speedomotive.com/ps-715-113-dart ... heads.aspx
http://speedomotive.com/ps-654-113-spee ... heads.aspx
http://speedomotive.com/ps-80-7-489-496 ... r-kit.aspx
http://ohiocrank.com/rotatepage1.html
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FEM-CSMHP783-300/
http://www.jegs.com/i/Eagle/356/B13454L/10002/-1
HERES A QUOTE FROM A GUY REBUILDING A 409 CHEVY
Well....I did the terrible deed of tallying the price list for what I have into my 409 truck engine. This is every part I purchased for the engine including misc hardware. This does not include an oil pump, gasket set or bearings for the engine since I wanted Tony at Day Automotive to use what he felt was best for the engine. This also does not include labor for machining, assembly, balancing and run time on the dyno :coffee: :doh I thought some of you might want to see what it costs for parts for one of these motors. Now I did buy MOST items new since I wanted to do this motor right so I didn't skimp. BUT, toss in the cost of 690 heads, porting time, a stroker crank etc etc and the price gets crazy in a hurry!
Parts Prices:
814 casting truck 409 block and crank $900
333 casting heads $200
ARP screw-in studs $50
Scorpion roller rockers 1.75 ratio $235
2.195 intake and 1.725 exhaust valves $150
Comp dual valve springs $120
Retainers $75
Rotator delete spacers $50
Day Automotive guide plates $100
Showcars Repop oil pan $250
Professional Products SBC dampner $150
Edelbrock 2x4 small port intake $400
2 Edelbrock AVS carbs $700
carb spacers (2) $30
Edelbrock water pump $225
ARP head bolts $90
Eagle I-Beam 6.135 rods $240
Edelbrock valve covers $200
Comp solid camshaft $175
Isky solid lifters with EDM oil holes $175
Edelbrock fuel pump $90
ARP valve cover studs $20
Jardine Tri-Y headers $750
Oil pan hardware $12
Timing cover and hardware $7
Alternator and water pump pulleys $45
Alternator brackets $55
Edelbrock air cleaner $65
MSD ready to run dist $325
MSD Blaster 2 coil $40
MSD ignition wires $65
ARP intake hardware $22
misc hardware $11
Showcars bolt on timing tab $15
Transdapt Spin on oil filter adapter $23
Showcars carb linkage $59
Windage Tray $39
Totals: $6,158
GUYS TEND TO JUST DIVE INTO THE REBUILD PROCESS WITHOUT THINKING THRU THE COST/VALUE AND RESULTS, STEP BACK TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS,THINK IT THRU AND LIST YOUR EXPECTED GOALS AND BUDGET
HERES ONE BASIC ROUTE OPTION
Ive installed about a dozen of these basic 350 long block engines over the last 20 plus years
http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance/80 ... 3/10002/-1
when you go pricing the cost of parts and machine work,to properly rebuild a basic transportation 350, engine it eventually looks like a true bargain
guys don,t realize that it all adds up rather fast, I really doubt you can do a QUALITY rebuild with almost all new parts for the price, if you need the block bored new pistons, rings, bearings, cam, lifters, valve job etc.
Rebuild kits for Chevy 350 engines range anywhere from $400 to $800 for basic setups, and should include most, if not every part you'll need to replace (bearings, plugs, seals, new pistons, rings, cam, etc.) These kits do not include things like water pumps, alternators, belts, manifolds, etc. If you are building for higher performance, expect to pay at least in the $1,500 - $3,000 range and up, depending on how much power you want to make.
Basic cleaning and machining by the machinist usually doesn't exceed $500 - $800, but if the machine shop finds other things wrong than the basics, expect to pay more.rebuilding cylinder heads alone can run $300 or more very easily, add aftermarket rocker studs, , and rebuilding cylinder heads with a valve job, new valve seats and valve guides can typically run you anywhere from $400 - $600, easily
you would normally expect to pay at least $1,500 - $2,000 for a decent sbc engine rebuild, if everything's carefully brought back to factory specs and the engine needs to be bored, re-ringed and new pistons, bearings and ARP rod bolts,installed in re-sized rods, new cam and lifters etc. and on the high end (as long as your talking only a basic, not a performance upgrade), expect around $2000-$3,000 and up. Keep in mind, again, this does not usually include parts like water pumps, belts, fluids, etc. And you'll also have to keep in mind extra expenses like removal and re-installation of the engine, and some places also charge for the dis-assembly cleaning and inspection of the engine as well.
Your best bet is to talk with SEVERAL local, reputable mechanics and/or machinists, and they could give you a better idea of the service they offer, the prices they charge (as a lot of that varies by region, etc.), and what s
now knowing this, that crate engine starts to look like a darn good bargain if your just looking for basic transportation.
If your looking to build a performance engine you want to step back, look at what your goal is and select the best components, and in most cases your not going to find your using much more than the stock engine block if your doing a serious performance build and once you start to exceed about 450hp even the basic stock engine block may not be a good investment, as the far stronger aftermarket blocks usually have much thicker castings, more precise machine work and a better stronger alloy , making them much more durable. almost all stock cylinder heads are a pathetic JOKE compared to the better after-market cylinder heads and only a few forged rotating assembly's have nearly the strength of the better aftermarket options
you can easily spend $7K-$15K on a real performance engine build-up, $15-$18 dollars a horsepower is the normal range you'll pay for a well built performance engine if your starting from scratch.
HERES A FEW RATHER TYPICAL REBUILD KITS
http://speedomotive.com/ps-523-85-383ci ... r-kit.aspx
http://speedomotive.com/ps-715-113-dart ... heads.aspx
http://speedomotive.com/ps-654-113-spee ... heads.aspx
http://speedomotive.com/ps-80-7-489-496 ... r-kit.aspx
http://ohiocrank.com/rotatepage1.html
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FEM-CSMHP783-300/
http://www.jegs.com/i/Eagle/356/B13454L/10002/-1
HERES A QUOTE FROM A GUY REBUILDING A 409 CHEVY
Well....I did the terrible deed of tallying the price list for what I have into my 409 truck engine. This is every part I purchased for the engine including misc hardware. This does not include an oil pump, gasket set or bearings for the engine since I wanted Tony at Day Automotive to use what he felt was best for the engine. This also does not include labor for machining, assembly, balancing and run time on the dyno :coffee: :doh I thought some of you might want to see what it costs for parts for one of these motors. Now I did buy MOST items new since I wanted to do this motor right so I didn't skimp. BUT, toss in the cost of 690 heads, porting time, a stroker crank etc etc and the price gets crazy in a hurry!
Parts Prices:
814 casting truck 409 block and crank $900
333 casting heads $200
ARP screw-in studs $50
Scorpion roller rockers 1.75 ratio $235
2.195 intake and 1.725 exhaust valves $150
Comp dual valve springs $120
Retainers $75
Rotator delete spacers $50
Day Automotive guide plates $100
Showcars Repop oil pan $250
Professional Products SBC dampner $150
Edelbrock 2x4 small port intake $400
2 Edelbrock AVS carbs $700
carb spacers (2) $30
Edelbrock water pump $225
ARP head bolts $90
Eagle I-Beam 6.135 rods $240
Edelbrock valve covers $200
Comp solid camshaft $175
Isky solid lifters with EDM oil holes $175
Edelbrock fuel pump $90
ARP valve cover studs $20
Jardine Tri-Y headers $750
Oil pan hardware $12
Timing cover and hardware $7
Alternator and water pump pulleys $45
Alternator brackets $55
Edelbrock air cleaner $65
MSD ready to run dist $325
MSD Blaster 2 coil $40
MSD ignition wires $65
ARP intake hardware $22
misc hardware $11
Showcars bolt on timing tab $15
Transdapt Spin on oil filter adapter $23
Showcars carb linkage $59
Windage Tray $39
Totals: $6,158