5 replies to this topic

[sam138]

What sort of price would I be looking at to have my engine rebuilt a short one . I would supply new pistons and a duplex timing kit . But would like : rebore +20 , new main bearing and thrust washers, cam regroud and followers , crank reground and block surface skimmed and pistons fitted, And all timed in . Would this be cheape than a build short block at around 650.

[cal844]

that wont be cheap, i dont know prices mate but i know its very expensive for machining costs

[MrBounce]

It depends if you want it done, or want it done properly.

I had my 1275 Metro lump rebored +20", crank reground, block skimmed, pistons fitted to rods (I supplied the pistons), and had the whole lot balanced. I also had new valves & hardened seats for the head. Cost more than £800. And I need to build it.

However I know it has been done to a very high standard. You get what you pay for. Do it cheap, and there's likely to be corners cut or cheap parts used. No sense in having a powerful engine that only lasts 500 miles.

[dklawson]

I think this sort of question is not easily answered. It is like the question "how deep is half a hole".

Having a cam reground may not be as cost effective as buying a new one. You will want new tappets and quality ones will add to your budget. Some people have tappets reground, personally I think that is false economy. While there, it would also be false economy to NOT replace the cam bearings IF the machine shop decides you would benefit from it.

While your engine may need that +0.020" re-bore, don't assume so until the machine shop checks. Do not have them bore the block until you can supply them the pistons. They will bore the block for exactly the right clearance for what you supply. Pistons are not cheap though and there is quite a range in price. Depending on what you select and need, buying the pistons and having the block bored to suite will consume as much as 1/4 of your 650 GBP estimate.

Decking the block may not be necessary. Certainly have the machine shop check this for you to make sure the top of the block is flat and true. (Also have them check that the crank journals are inline and true while they are checking the deck). However, if the block is flat, I would not touch its top surface unless you need to correct other damage and/or unless you are building a high-performance engine. Based on your estimate or inquiring about 650 GBP, I don't anticipate you are building a high-performance engine.

Until your crank is checked by the machine shop you will not really know how much (if any) it needs to be ground and/or if it is usable. You may see damage on the journals and assume it requires a regrind. However, some damage may only be cosmetic... or going the other extreme the crank may be bent or cracked. You just don't know until you have it checked.

However, you are also talking about having the machine shop handle part of the reassembly. That is where real money starts adding up. Machining cost is one thing, careful assembly is another and a knowledgeable engine builder will not work for cheap. If you are paying someone to do this for you and you want quality work you must anticipate reaching deeper into your pocket. I have typically limited my use of the machine shop's re-assembly services to tasks like pressing the gudgeon pins back into piston/rod assemblies where I did not have the tooling. I have also had them fit rings to pistons when I was younger and afraid of cracking rings. I mentioned earlier that the cam bearings may need replacing. I never install my own cam bearings. The machine shop has the tools to both install and size cam bearings and can do the job with much less effort than I can. In short, limit your use of the machine shop's services if you are doing this rebuild on a budget.

[cliche]

my rebuild of the block cost £700 - I supplied pistons (p21253) and timing gear etc. So another £200-£250 for that lot. Plus £370 ish for head work - if you wanted it.

edit: about another £200 quid for the SW5 camshaft kit

Edited by cliche, 05 November 2012 - 04:45 PM.

[Cooperman]

It is at least 20 hours labour to do an engine build, and that's excluding any machining or cylinder head gas-flowing. At £30 per hour you have £600 labour before buying any parts or doing any machining. Bear in mind that a professional builder will do a full 'trial build' before final machining and final assembly, including 'gapping' all the piston rings and measuring everything, etc. So if you add the cost of re-boring, crank grinding, block and head skimming, valve seat facing, at about another £300, then add all the necessary new parts it all adds up to 'not inexpensive', but it'll be done properly and will last a long time.