Avg engine machining costs?

[sixnine]

I want to swap my very tired and porous I6/3 speed for a V8/auto and I want to do it as cheaply as possible.

I currently have two 400 blocks, one 2 bolt and one 4 bolt. According to the guy I bought them from 2 years ago, neither have ever been bored. What could I reasonably expect to pay for a complete block clean up (decking,boring,honing)?

I'm hoping to keep the cost of the machining, rebuild parts, and heads (vortecs?) to $1750 if I assemble it myself. Is this even possible? HP really isn't a concern at this point, I just want a dead reliable, smooth running V8.

I've also looked at the 260hp GoodWrench 350 that Jeg's has for $1499. I could sell both 400 blocks and use that $ to buy the parts necessary for a turnkey engine.

Again, hp isn't a big goal at this point, I'm more concerned about costs. My total budget for engine, trans, brakes, front end rebuild,4/6 drop, and wheels and tires is about $5k.() Not much at all, I know, and I'm sure something will have to give but I'm damn sure gonna have fun trying!

[QKENUF4U]

ive had two of the 260hp crate motors and being they where for DD's i was PERFECTLY HAPPY WITH THEM BOTH ! they did the job and it was awesome to have that warrenty/peice of mind..... both straight forward swaps for me since i already had a v8 in the blazers... swap all parts over and install. DONE... look around im betting you can find the engine cheaper. i paid 1200$ for mine...
as for rebuilding your 400's i would use a MASTER REBUILD kit from PAW PERFORMANCE... have used a couple of those kits also and they are AWESOME kits...... very complete... they also sell nice long block kits etc...http://www.pawengineparts.com/

[smallstroke67]

I had a 350 block and crank done for $550 at Car Quest

[oldblue1968chevy]

car quest?!

they machine them 'in house' or send em somewhere? They balanced crank too?
Is that a standard price ya think?

[smallstroke67]

Originally Posted by oldblue1968chevy

car quest?!

they machine them 'in house' or send em somewhere? They balanced crank too?
Is that a standard price ya think?

We have a main distribution center in my area with a in house machine shop.

[culp7]

Keep the six!!!!!!

[sixnine]

Originally Posted by culp7

Keep the six!!!!!!

I would, but it needs a total rebuild too. I'm guessing it wouldn't cost much more to build one of the 400s or buy the GoodWrench engine.

I've also been searching craigslist like crazy to find a good deal on a pullout engine (6 or 8) but haven't had much luck the last few days.

[mr48chev]

I think that machine work prices tend to vary from one part of the country to another.

Also from one shop to another. I'd check with the shops that aren't part of an auto parts store.

PAW has good kits at a right price. Also Northern Auto Parts puts out some good kits at fair prices.
http://www.northernautoparts.com/ I've used several of their kits and been real happy with them.

If you run Vortec heads on the 400 you will have to dril steam ports in the heads to match the ones in the block to prevent overheating.

[kgt]

Just remember...the cheapest isnt always the best. I would say sell the ol engines and buy a crate motor with a warranty, I know the gm crates have a great warranty...jmo...

[70stroker]

I just got my bbc back from the machine shop.

line hone - 150.00
bore - 120.00
deck - 80.00 for both sides
clean and mag - 50.00
cam bearings and freeze plugs 30.00
balance rotating assembly 175.00

If you are not goin for power i think you would be money ahead on a crate motor, along with a awesome warranty.

[zzzjojozzz]

cost me 400 to drop a greasy block off at the engine biulders have him steam clean, bore, deck, line hone and magnafluxed for cracks. then it cost me 300 at the engine balancer to take a stock crank have it lightend and he assembles what ever rods and pistons i give him and makes them weigh the same. side note for the people that have to have 4 bolts mains my engine guy turns my 2 bolts into 4 bolts orders new caps and drills the block for 200

[Bpokey]

If you decide to build one of the 400's I would build the 2 bolt block if possible. The 2 bolt 400's are stronger because with the 4 bolt mains the outside bolts weaken the bottom of the block for some reason.

[tim21391]

i did the maching work on an engine myself.. just bored it.. and was goin to have it professionally honed.. but then i found out the block was crap.. so we got a new block from an engine place for $100.. then they bored it and honed it.. and also decked the head mount.. all for $90.. so $190 i had a block ready to go

[neba]

i think if you add up what its going to cost to get one of your old blocks running you will find you cant beat the goodwrench crate engine.

[tonypaul]

I would watch your local craigslist for a 305 or 350 in good running condition. (I got a complete 350 rebuilt with less than 4000 miles out of a wrecked truck on it for $400.00) And then drop that 400 off at the machine shop, and start collecting the best parts you can. Build it over the next year or so, take care of the craigslist motor and sell it for what you paid for it when the 400 is done.... Or just get a used motor and start saving for a crate engine....

You can have a good driver while building the engine, once its finished you will have what your truck desearves, the best engine money can buy....

[bigsnookmaster]

I love the 400's, but in your case on a budget .I'd go with the crate engine. It costs a good penny to do up a 400 right. I always line hone them and bore with deck plates installed. The cheapest machine work is NOT always the best way to go. Good luck

[mrein3]

The last engine I put together was a 383 made out of a 350 block I already had, a 400 crank the machine shop guy had, and the connecting rods from my 350. It has been a while and I can't remember why any more but I had something come up and wanted it assembled in a hurry but I was real busy so I had my machine shop guy assemble the short block for me. He did that for $75. I re-used the heads I had because I had recently gone though them. A decent set of heads plus a job like below should get you right to your $1750 limit.
383 related parts & labor:
$200 Crankshaft
$30 400 Balancer (used)
$200 Balance job
$20 Cut con rods for cam clearance
$30 400 flywheel
$15 clearance block for con rod clearance
$39 ARP con rod bolts
$8 Oil pump drive
$9 Oil pump sump
$317 Performance engine Kit: Sealed power moly rings,
Fel pro gaskets, con rod bearings, main bearings,
cam bearings, block plugs, 383 pistons, three piece
timing set, oil pump
$10 R&R block plugs
$35 degrease block
$50 deck block
$80 bore & deck-plate hone cyl(s)
$10 deck-plate charge
$25 Remove, install, & fit cam bearings
$80 Recon con rods
$28 Pin fit new pistons
$75 Assemble short block
$26.13 Sales tax
$1286.13 <===Total

If you watched Horsepower TV this past weekend they pointed out that you can usually put together an engine for less than what a crate engine costs.

I once put together a 350 for right around $600. The bores were in spec so I basically went through the heads, had the connecting rods reconditioned, had the crank reconditioned, new bearings, rings, oil pump, timing set, and cam and done. That one that I did in 1989. It doesn't get run much any more but it is still together, still doesn't leak, or have any blow by.

[QKENUF4U]

that little motor they built on HP TV was freakin pumping some GREAT NUMBERS !!!!

[crakarjax]

Originally Posted by QKENUF4U

that little motor they built on HP TV was freakin pumping some GREAT NUMBERS !!!!

Is there a link to the specs on that engine?

[flashed]

I put a 290 hp crate motor in my 72 malibu convertible for less than what my local machine shop would rebuild the old original for and it came with a 2 yr warranty. If there is a GM dealer going out of business in your area you can probably get a deal on a crate motor as they are trying to move anything they have left. Good luck.

[67ss&99ss]

Build the 400. You will have a better platform for performance parts in the future. I think I had about 750 in machine work for my block, but I had it decked, bored with torque plates, honed, align bored, I had the lifter bores trued up and bronze sleeves inserted in them. I also went with a ford lifter because it is larger than a Chevrolet lifter thus meaning more contact area between the cam lobe and lifter face. My cam has a really aggressive ramp rate and the builder recommended this be done to significantly reduce the chance of it wiping cam lobes in the future.

[PanelDeland]

Check www.scogginsdickey.com They are in Lubbock and sometimes have great deals on crate engines.

[cdowns]

around here the cost for machining a block is around$600