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Over priced rebuild ?

Well it's only one price and you really need to list what will be done and what parts are used.
 
These days i feel like everything is ridiciously overpriced.
If you dont have the machines (very expensive). Or the knowledge on how to build Then engines are expensive. Same with everything else, trans, body and paint. Peoples time, experience/knowledge, and Facilties/tools sre all worth something. So 2 choices. Pay, or learn to do it yourself. And dont forget the tools, space/building, electric, heat you'll need.
Doug
 
To add salt to our wounds in the Mopar world, You can buy a NEW 350 Chebby engine complete starting at about $3000. No boring, hot tanking, installing cam bearings, mains and rods bearings, new rings, new cam, new valves, springs and the list goes on. Too bad we are so dedicated to Mopar, because it's in our DNA. I wouldn't have it any other way. Mopar engine or no engine!
And itll be a stone. 300hp at best.
Doug
 
[QUOTE="Michael_, post: 911794969, member
Then another $5K for all the trans adapters, mounts, pulleys, electronics, fuel system you need to run it.
Doug
 
Sounds on the money without other problems that could rear it's ugly head
 
That’s a decent price.
It doesn’t cost double to build a Mopar. That’s nonsense. I’ve had a lot of machine work done over the years.
Ford, Chevy and Mopar. it has to do with the quality of the parts you choose and the quality of the work.

Chrysler parts are a little more expensive than some, but no where near double.

The days of getting a quality mill assembled by a competent shop for 3000 bucks are over. They have been for a long, long time.
 
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I'm waiting for the hovercraft conversion.
Here you go.
 
I can tell you this, buying from one of my engine parts warehouses......
The last time I checked, a complete rebuild parts kit for a 350 Chevy was almost 2.5 times cheaper than the same kit for a 440.
Not everything is that way....... like an Olds or Pontiac isn’t the same price as a SBC either....... but some engines have parts that cost more than others.
And BB mopars aren’t really on the low buck end of the scale.

Here’s just a couple of items:
Rebuilder pistons- SBC $106/ 383 Mopar $314
Melling Oil pump- SBC $32/ 383 Mopar $95
Clevite passenger car rod/main/cam bearings-SBC $120/ 383 Mopar $253
Sealed Power replacement lifters- SBC $64/ 383 Mopar $96

It’s a little here, a little there....... but it all adds up.

For the price of the 383 pistons and oil pump, I can pretty much buy the complete 350 engine kit.
Pistons, rings, oil pump, oil screen, oil pump shaft, cam & lifters, timing set, cam/rod/main bearings, gaskets, freeze plugs.

The labor prices will be the same though.
 
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This equals to 1,140.76$ in todays money. :D
That said i already had a shop telling me it would be 10 grand if i should ever need my 440 rebuilt. Yeah sounds fair...
I just picked up my 383 block yesterday. Hot tanked, .030 bore/hone, line hone, cut to zero deck, decks squared to crank, new pistons pressed on rods, original rods reconned, (2 replaced), cam bearings, main and rod bearings, new freeze/threaded plugs. Had the crank turned separately for $350. Block work cost me $1700, and I think it was well worth it. I have to assemble it though, which is what I wanted anyway.
 
Around here, good performance machine shops are fairly expensive and have back logs of work.
I am curious what shops charge for assembling the engine, also stock vs Stroker/Aftermarket parts?
 
Around here, good performance machine shops are fairly expensive and have back logs of work.
I am curious what shops charge for assembling the engine, also stock vs Stroker/Aftermarket parts?
I believe mine was about $300 to build a short block. It was also in the machine shop for just over a year. Luckily I was not in a hurry at the time.
 
I just picked up my 383 block yesterday. Hot tanked, .030 bore/hone, line hone, cut to zero deck, decks squared to crank, new pistons pressed on rods, original rods reconned, (2 replaced), cam bearings, main and rod bearings, new freeze/threaded plugs. Had the crank turned separately for $350. Block work cost me $1700, and I think it was well worth it. I have to assemble it though, which is what I wanted anyway.

You’ve got $2050 so far, plus whatever you do for heads(and if you had brought them a complete motor there would be disassembly time on top of that).

Then if you wanted it back complete, more labor.
What would be a reasonable amount of time to assemble a complete 383?
Measure all the clearances, ring caps, degree the cam, etc, then add all the tin.
And of course, someone had to clean all the pieces that got reinstalled...... all billed at the shop hourly rate.

It adds up pretty quick when all the manual labor you’re doing is writing the check.
 
I am curious what shops charge for assembling the engine, also stock vs Stroker/Aftermarket parts?

Assembly is usually just time. so it doesn't matter "stock" or "stroker". HOWEVER, a stroker often needs things ground for clearance so while "assembly" time doesn't vary, trial fit and machining do.
 
When I was assembling a 505 stroker with the TF240 heads, and other aftermarket parts for a friend, he asked why it takes so long?
I tried to explain that on a stock rebuild with stock crank, rods, heads that those parts were already together once, but the aftermarket parts have never been together, and there is alot more checking/double-checking, and modifying, and waiting for special parts like custom length pushrods, tweeking the aftermarket oil pickup to fit the aftermarket oil pan, having file fit rings vs. replacement rings, verifying valve spring pressures and that they are correct for the cam, verifying the intake fits the aftermarket heads correctly after the block has been milled, port matching intake to heads, checking and grinding for pushrod clearance (and stroker crank / rod clearance) plus all the cleaning and assembly consumables. I'm just saying there is alot more labor cost into the assembly when using a bunch of aftermarket parts.
That doesn't get into the cost of the consumables used for cleaning, like shop towels and solvent, or the assembly stuff like assembly lube, loctite, gasket sealer, RTV, ARP lube, and such. I mean to really do it right is alot more than just bolting parts together, and it takes time and that is one of the differences between a quick lower cost build ant a more expensive slower build.
Much the same for the machine work part. The low cost option might not even have a torque plate for a Mopar, might be using cutters and stones that are more worn than the more expensive option. There are just too many variables to consider when comparing rebuild prices.
You need a shop with a good reputation for quality work, and the people there should be willing to work with you to determine what really needs to be done and with which parts for your application.
Remember the three trade offs; Quality, Time, and Cost. Then pick the two that are important to you.
 
It doesn't cost any different to machine a Chevy or a Mopar. All the stock rebuilder parts are in the same price as well.
Doug
100 % Agree on the machining part,but as parts go,I just did a quick search comparing the 440 pitons stock to the 396,427 chevy motor n the price was 200.00 plus for the mopar,it doesnt take long to add up
 
Local engine shop here quotes $200.00/hr. plus parts. Paint shop where I just got my '64 Polara done was also working on a 1928 Willys Whippet for another customer. They got the 30 hp. 4-banger flathead back from this rebuilder. $12000.00 ! This is basically the same motor that went in wartime Jeeps. They had to have new pistons and valves made, plus poured babbit bearings. This being Canada, our $1.00 is only 75 cents U.S. , but that is still a lot of DOH!
 
. They got the 30 hp. 4-banger flathead back from this rebuilder. $12000.00 ! This is basically the same motor that went in wartime Jeeps. They had to have new pistons and valves made, plus poured babbit bearings. This being Canada, our $1.00 is only 75 cents U.S. , but that is still a lot of DOH!

LOL, there used to be a guy in London, ON who cast up a shitload of those blocks. He also used to pour the babbit bearings and do the final machining. All out of a one-car garage (not the casting !!)

I don't know who your "local" shop is but there is an OUTSTANDING shop in Paris that's in the $90/hr. range.
 
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