Quoted 2,500 for a full engine rebuild!

[Rerun]

Is this a total rip off, or is this the going price for rebuilds these days? I've never done this before and I would hate to get ripped off. He said I probably need a valve job so he'd charge me 1,500 for that, and if he had to break into the lower he'd do a full engine rebuild (upper & lower) for 2,500. Please help, if this ****er is ripping me off i'm going to go get my car and take it somewhere else.

P.S. Anyone know of any reliable shops in SoCal?

 

[331 cobra]

Run away!

For $2500, you should get a 331 kit put in your block, ballenced and blueprinted.

Try speedomotive or coast high performance. They are down south. If their prices are too high for you, I'm sure they could point you in the right direction for a stock style rebuild.

 

[Sicarius428]

you can buy a fresh motor for that price!!!
kevin

 

[strtracer442]

Shop around, this guy seems overpriced, it depends on what exactly he's gonna do and replace. He should be willing to give you a detailed written estimate(which is required in most states) that lists all parts, machine labor, and installation labor. Most engine rebuilders(not hi-po shops) will charge that amount for a rebuilt engine,plus installation, plus 3 year warrenty.
$1500 for a valve job and installation is way overpriced even if he replaces the valves, springs, retainers, guides, and does a decent valve job. You can buy new HIperf heads for less the $1000 and have them installed for less than what he wants to put your stock junk flowing heads back on. Shop around, get detailed estimates, and ask for recommendations from previous customers.

 

[IndyBlk5.0]

my lord, that is way overpriced.

 

[bmo37]

i had my 347 built for $2000 with low compression forged probe pistons, forged i beam rods, a cast crank, a brand new 302 block bored .030 over and blanced and blueprinted and clearanced for the installed main support.

 

[5.0 Fiend]

What has your mechanic been smokin? My friend recently bought a brand new 383 stroker, with a supercharger for his gta edition trans am, and I think the cost was around $2500-$2700, you should seriously shop around for a much better price. Hell, in the jc whitney catalog, for crankshaft bearings,pistons/rings,rod bearings, and all gaskets, it's like $182.00, and a new crankshaft is about $173.00, and that comes with main bearings too. You could get after market valves and heads too, and you should still save a good bit. Shop around, it's like the old saying, "Measure twice, cut once".

 

[ninety15.0]

Yikes....thats really high! like everyone said you could buy a whole new engine for less than that. Shop around u can find some really good deals.

 

[retro50]

If the guy is doing the pulling of the engine,and then rebuilding it, and then doing the install I think it is pretty cheap. You guys have to figure the price of a new crate engine,and then the price of the install.What would that cost you? What is the average price of a crate engine? I know up here in the Northeast people pay up to $70.00 per hour for labor. So your looking at a days labor just to R&R the engine. Then to rebuild it would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $1800.00-$2000.00. Then figure in all of the fluids,filters,hoses and misc stuff. It can all add up quickly. It is also not uncommon up here to do a R&R job of cylinder heads plus a valvejob for $1500.00.

 

[Andy00018]

Yea I have a reputable guy doing a full rebuild for me for 1300. That includes magnaflux, hottank, bore and hone 0.030 with torque platets, Align hone, grind crank. recondition rods,ARP rod bolts, new pistons, oil pump, yada yada yada, freshen heads(Stockers, previously lightly ported). The works.

 

[Andy00018]

double post, sorry

 

[Rerun]

Thanks for the reply's fellas, before anyone replied I went and picked up my car. Took it to a guy in Manhattan beach that's doing Bruce Willis's cars. Said the engine doesn't need a rebuild, he's starting from the bottom up trying to figure out why the engine is ticking, thinks it's a broken lifter. I'll keep you guys posted, thanks for helping me not get ripped off.

 

[CPB00GT]

Hopefully it is just a lifter, big difference in price!