The OFFICIAL motor building costs thread

[!^3]

We all know that there is more to building a bottom end than the cost of the rods/pistons. I would like to make a thread devoted to the costs one may encounter in the machining process as well as the assembly and balancing processes NOT as a formal catalog of prices, but a general idea for the avid DSM'er looking to enter the world of serious DSM performance. I am hoping this will be a nice aid to people using the search function to learn more about their motor building options. I just installed a built motor in my car and I would have greatly appreciated a resource like this before taking on such a task, although it was an experience I would do over again a million times.

So, I and many others would appreciate if a few people could post what kinds of prices they have encountered for things such as align honing, boring, balancing, assembly, etc. I will post prices tomorrow for what the services on my setup would have been (I'll be building another motor here soon so I can compare the two builds as well). Head work is good too!

Thanks everyone!

 

[autronicDSM]

What's the point? It depends on what hourly charge is and how good the machinist is (i.e. how long will he take). I usually pay north of $1100 for machining and assembly of bottom ends.

 

[TD05HTalon]

My personal experiences on price:

Magna flux, hot tank, bore block: $120
deck and O ring block: $120
line bore and clean threads for arp main studs: $170

The problem i ran into was the first shop i took the block to and had them start working on turned out that they couldn't cut the block for O rings or line bore so I had to take it all to a different shop. The whole process took several months. Do yourself a favor and make sure the shop you go to can do all of the work to save lots of time.

Other costs besides pistons and rods are the little ones that really add up - for me nearly $1000.

My whole engine has ended up costing a little over $3000 for a complete built longblock with all new components for my 6 bolt swap.

 

[bastarddsm]

I was quoted about $500 for hottank, .020 bore+hone, grind crank .010, rebuild the rods, ballance, deck the block. basically all the machine work needed to build a stockish bottom end. this was from pfiefers engine specialties in freeport, il

 

[bigjangin]

I paid ~300 for hot tanking, magnafluxing, polishing and checking the crank, decking the block, replacing freeze plugs, bore and hone.

Whats more important than the price of your machinist is the quality of his work. Talk to a lot of the local guys to see who is good. The machine work is very important and you have to be able to trust your machinist.

 

[TSIfreek]

Plan on spending a good 3000+ on a decent long block that will handle 400+ HP relably.
There is no cheep way to build a motor eather do it right or dont do it at all. If you do it half way thats your turn out and you wont be happy once its done. Get you money together then decide on what you want to do.

 

[NitrousBob]

I paid about 600 for the block machining, resize the rods, balance, machine the crank freeze plugs, hot tank block and heads, bore .020 over w tq plate, after that if I had 3000 to play with I would go for h beam rods and some trick pistons another 800. do a little cleanup on the ports in the head throw down a valve job and buy the biggest damn turbo I could get with the money left over.. probably end up with an EASY 400whp.

 

[autronicDSM]

I paid once $500 for a regular rebuild. Nothing special. Didn't last very long.

 

[1fast97gsx]

I paid $230 for bore .020, deck, hone, hot tank, freeze plugs, assemble pistons and rods, and put rings on pistons and set end gaps. Decking the head was another $50. Then the pistons, rods, all the seals and gaskets, and bearings cost me around $1500 with new valve seals as well.

 

[loreak]

i just got my block done and cost around 900 in labor from dropping it off to getting it back assembled ready to go, plus all the parts

if your going to be getting an engine done, plan on double whatever you think it will be, i ended up spending WAY more then i thought on the whole of everything including all the gaskets and sensors that i replaced

 

[Phat95Talon]

What's a general price to get the valve seals replaced?

 

[rjgeier]

Whew, this is going to be nice and long. Story is that a valve broke off destroying the head as well as my number 1 piston.

I did all the disassembly and reassembly myself.

Used head off trader = $150
Complete engine gasket kit = $120
Head @ machine shop (deck, valve stem seals, and guides) = $150
Eagle rods and Ross pistons combo = $815
Machine block .20 over as well as new oil squirters and BSE bearings installed, polished crank= $260
ARP headstuds = $100
MLS headgasket = $80
BSE kit from mitsu = $14
Timing belt/waterpump kit from prostreet = $210
HK$ 272 = $650 since I bought them high priced during the shortage period.
Copper gasket sprat = $6
White grease engine lube = $5
Grey RTV = $4
JB weld for BSE = $3
Oil, coolant, ps fluid = $25

Total, it was about $2500. And that price includes damn near everything. Of course I could have gotten parts from different places cheaper, etc. but I didn't feel like waiting and ordering from 500 different shops. I purchased most of my stuff through AMS since most was in stock and I like to bring my business there. Plus they helped me along the way even though I was doing the work on my own.

 

[gurrmanator]

just did my motor

bore block .040 over=$12.50 a hole
grind crank=$60
hot tank=$20
balance motor=$150
knife edge the crank=$60
port&polish the head =150
surface head=$25
valve job & new valves=$100
new clutch & flywheel=$600
beating the next-door neighbors c-4 corvette in the 1/4 mile = "PRICELESS"

 

[hose101772]

The last 2.0 and the 2.4 I have now,cost over 550 each in machine work alone.Thats just bottom end.

550 machine work-bore-balance-clean-polish crank
800 eagle/j&e combo-wiseco this time
100 toga bearings
100 studs
250 oil pump
280 valve springs\ret
85 for head machining-resurface
250 stainless valves
95 mitsu layered headgasket
60 gaskets\seal kit

so 2570 for a long block-provided you wana do all the puttin together.