how much would it cost to completely rebuild a small block? ballpark...

$200-$1000 or more depending on what parts you replace and how much machining you have to get done. A rering kit costs around $150-200 check Northern Auto Parts for the cheapest kit I have found

thank you.

It depends on what you want, and how much work you will do, I just got mine back from the machine shop, I had it honed decked and tanked, I had the heads magnafluxed and milled, and I got a complete rebuild kit for about $400. I did all the assembly and put on a few extras like bigger cam new intake and carb, new distributor, new water pump, alternator and starter, and a double roller timing chain, my total $$ spent was just over $1100

well here's the motor. i imagine it would need a complete rebuild. i've never done any engine building whatsoever so if i did have it done, it would all be done by a shop. might be better off just selling it...

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d22/dt5150/MyPictures0005-6.jpg

If your time and trouble are worth ANYTHING, you are better off picking up a crate motor that just requires you to install some pans, bolt it in, and hook up the hoses. If you want to learn/explore and don't mind spending twice as much money and five times as much time than you originally plan for, then by all means start pulling the motor apart and get friendly with your local motor machine shop! I HIGHLY recommend the book "How to rebuild your small-block Chevy (http://www.amazon.com/How-Rebuild-Your-Small-Block-Chevy/dp/1557880298/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205892655&sr=8-2)" written by David Vizard. It guided me through my first SBC rebuild many years ago and I found it very easy to follow.

If you are not looking high performance then build it, but if you want more than 300hp just buy a crate

I'm working on one right now for school and my Toyota. Here's a run down

$605 for an Eagle rotating assembly. My main journals were toast
$150 for gaskets along
$150 for GMPP HT383 cam
$100 for springs, retainers, keepers, and seals
$200 for misc. stuff like block plugs, special GM timing cover, oil pump, etc
$120 for block boring (wasn't needed, but I'm not messing around just in case)

$1325 so far. I don't forsee needing to spend much more on getting a running engine. This is also a bit of a special case in that it is a factory roller motor getting a cam swap and my gasket set was a bit more expensive due to the application (don't ask). There are other parts that are a bit expensive as well such as the GM plastic timing cover without a hole for the crank position sensor. The point is that I could have saved some money in a few places. On the other hand, I was able to do all my measuring in house with dial bore gages, small hole gages, a full set of Starrett mics, etc. I also was able to do my heads in house including the 3 angle valve job.

So what's the result going to be? Well...I will get credit for class, good experience on how to do things RIGHT, and when all is said and done I will essentially have a $5000 GMPP Ramjet 350 engine for under $1500. But I could have gotten a crate 350 with a "claimed" 300 horsepower from a local builder with a warranty for $1500 as well.

If your time and trouble are worth ANYTHING, you are better off picking up a crate motor that just requires you to install some pans, bolt it in, and hook up the hoses. If you want to learn/explore and don't mind spending twice as much money and five times as much time than you originally plan for, then by all means start pulling the motor apart and get friendly with your local motor machine shop! I HIGHLY recommend the book "How to rebuild your small-block Chevy (http://www.amazon.com/How-Rebuild-Your-Small-Block-Chevy/dp/1557880298/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205892655&sr=8-2)" written by David Vizard. It guided me through my first SBC rebuild many years ago and I found it very easy to follow.

heres the thing...

Time vs money.

if you want, you can spend your hard earned money for a generalized combination that most likely will not suit your needs.

or, you can build your own engine for less money, and smile when the "Crate Engine Owners" decide to pipe up with wisdom. Anyone can throw money at something and make it stick, if you throw enough money hard enough.

If you have half a brain, you can get those two books, buy a cheapo dyno program *(these programs are not accurate, but if you get one, you can figure out what you DONT want to buy by trying different combinations) and do some research before you get the combo figured out and you spend ANY money on parts. This will reduce the amount of frustration, and the amount of money.

In 1997, i put a 350 together with used parts that got 20 mpg and took me on a 120 mile round trip to college classes in a 1970 chevy pickup. It cost me about 500 bucks. that was then. i could probably pull it off now for about 800 or 900 bucks. (this includes bartering, fixing my own parts, and being cheaper than Ross Perot.)

just have to know what combinations you need. thats where the research comes in.

If your time and trouble are worth ANYTHING, you are better off picking up a crate motor that just requires you to install some pans, bolt it in, and hook up the hoses. If you want to learn/explore and don't mind spending twice as much money and five times as much time than you originally plan for, then by all means start pulling the motor apart and get friendly with your local motor machine shop! I HIGHLY recommend the book "How to rebuild your small-block Chevy (http://www.amazon.com/How-Rebuild-Your-Small-Block-Chevy/dp/1557880298/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205892655&sr=8-2)" written by David Vizard. It guided me through my first SBC rebuild many years ago and I found it very easy to follow.

that's what i was thinking...

Get the version with the DVD included, its twice as much, however its worth it.

It depends on what you want, and how much work you will do, I just got mine back from the machine shop, I had it honed decked and tanked, I had the heads magnafluxed and milled, and I got a complete rebuild kit for about $400. I did all the assembly and put on a few extras like bigger cam new intake and carb, new distributor, new water pump, alternator and starter, and a double roller timing chain, my total $$ spent was just over $1100

Last motor I had rebuilt I didnt touch it other than to drop it off and it cost me 1175. My dad was building a motor at the exact same time and he is a cheap ass. He only had done what he needed to do. cost him almost 1300 when all was said and done. Two different shops though. The motor I had built is still running strong today. His runs like dog shit. This is about 7 years ago.

Just my experience though.

last motor I charged for I got paid 1750 bucks for labor.

7500 bucks went to parts.

thats not saying much, though, as I installed a complete exhaust system, replaced the ujoints, r&r'd the trans, replaced the radiator, installed an MSD system, fixed a broken frame, and did all the work to assemble the engine to include installation and tuning.

383 in a 81 vette.

Ill never do it again. what a royal pain in the ass. all kinds of power, though. might have something to do with the AFR heads.

last motor I charged for I got paid 1750 bucks for labor.

7500 bucks went to parts.

thats not saying much, though, as I installed a complete exhaust system, replaced the ujoints, r&r'd the trans, replaced the radiator, installed an MSD system, fixed a broken frame, and did all the work to assemble the engine to include installation and tuning.

383 in a 81 vette.

Ill never do it again. what a royal pain in the ass. all kinds of power, though. might have something to do with the AFR heads.
someone spent 9250 on a 383 for a vette? must have been a killer motor. Still, a vette????:shaking:I see that as such a waste. That is all

My last one was 1400$

Everything in block bored/decked/aligned, Crank turned, new cam, heads decked and rebuilt with quick port job, new truck avanger, aluminum intake. I assembled.

I figure if you start with a good block that just needs a fresh hone, bearing/piston kit, and home rebuild of the carb and heads you could do it for 6-700$ easly.

I have about 10K in my 383 built by a local engine guru but I wanted very bulletproof parts which was overkill but I only wanted to build one. :D

Normal rebuild around here is about 1500.00 a mild 355..

are you guys with high dollar 383's using names like callies and carillo in the bottom end? I'm not seeing 10K in a 383 unless we're talking unobtanium crank, pistons, and rods with 18 degree heads, shaft rockers, offset roller lifters and sheetmetal intakes. I've built several bad ass strokers that were full roller and aluminum 23 degree heads that were no where near that dollar figure. Please dont' take this as flaming or bashing, just can't picture where you can put 9-10K in a SBC .

1000$-1300$ for mine. I had a lacal proformance shop do the machine work on the cyl. and crank. .060 over bore and .010 on the crank journals. they also put the cam bearings in.

the rest I did myself. I knew nothing about engine rebuilding at the time. I baught a manual and a torque wrench and slowly worked through it.

If you have the time to do it yourself do it. you'll learn a lot.

are you guys with high dollar 383's using names like callies and carillo in the bottom end? I'm not seeing 10K in a 383 unless we're talking unobtanium crank, pistons, and rods with 18 degree heads, shaft rockers, offset roller lifters and sheetmetal intakes. I've built several bad ass strokers that were full roller and aluminum 23 degree heads that were no where near that dollar figure. Please dont' take this as flaming or bashing, just can't picture where you can put 9-10K in a SBC .

well, i guess you dont spend money like I dont spend money.

this guy wanted to spend some money, and he got what he paid for

he didnt put that much into it.... he put 7500 into PARTS and machine work... engine was decked, balanced, bored .030, lifter bores indexed... it was a full roller effort, hydraulic roller cam, all the best stuff. And the owner bought a new block to start with, so that raises the cost a bit more. The only GM made part in the whole engine was the block. labor was extra.

imagine a corvette that can turn around inside its own wheelbase.

the owner is scared to death of it.


by the way, try pricing out what it would cost to build an engine starting from NOTHING. a clean slate, no bolts, even.

When you get into "performance builds" the prices are a higher. MERLIN, LUNATI, JE, COMP CAMS, ARP, AFR, DART, CARILLO...ect.

One thing I can tell you that every time I smash the pedal I just smile as I run up to 9000 rpm's as I grab another gear.....:eek::D

thanks for all the replies guys. wow, i didn't think it would be that much. shows how much i know...

any guesstimates as what that motor might be worth?

thanks for all the replies guys. wow, i didn't think it would be that much. shows how much i know...

any guesstimates as what that motor might be worth?

Run the casting numbers...if it's a 4 bolt main block them alone around here run 100.00-200.00 If it's a hi-nickle years maybe a little more.....

thanks for all the replies guys. wow, i didn't think it would be that much. shows how much i know...
its not a requirement to spend a kings ransom to build an engine. Keep it cheap. you can have just as much fun.



any guesstimates as what that motor might be worth?

dont sell it. build it, one piece at a time. Ebay will be your friend. you can find good deals cheap on there. just buy a couple pieces at a time.

for an example, Im building a 565. the rotating assembly is 2000 bucks for a cheap one. I got a deal on a block, 800 bucks. heads are going to be 2500 or so... and I dont have main studs, head studs, intake, carb, oilpan, oil pump, cam, or any of the go fast stuff you dont think about.

build it slowly, nickel and dime it together, and before you know it, you will be driving it.

Ebay is a good place to find some dealsIF you know what you are looking for. There are some parts though I would just NOT buy used from ebay. Some parts are hard to mess up. Others can be messed up and it can be nearly impossible to tell. I would not buy any kind of used aluminum roller rockers as an example. It takes about 2 seconds for some idiot who knows nothing about motors to fuck them up then sell them on ebay to someone who also doesnt know anything. I also wouldnt buy anyone else ported and polished heads or intakes. You have no way of knowing who did the work or if they had any clue as to what they were doing. Then there are the things that are hard to break or mess up and its easy to tell if they are good.

I agree with grumpy though. Build it one peice at a time. Parts are everywhere for SBC and there are a lot of good deals to be had.

Ebay is a good place to find some dealsIF you know what you are looking for. There are some parts though I would just NOT buy used from ebay. Some parts are hard to mess up. Others can be messed up and it can be nearly impossible to tell. I would not buy any kind of used aluminum roller rockers as an example. It takes about 2 seconds for some idiot who knows nothing about motors to fuck them up then sell them on ebay to someone who also doesnt know anything. I also wouldnt buy anyone else ported and polished heads or intakes. You have no way of knowing who did the work or if they had any clue as to what they were doing. Then there are the things that are hard to break or mess up and its easy to tell if they are good.

I agree with grumpy though. Build it one peice at a time. Parts are everywhere for SBC and there are a lot of good deals to be had.

X eleventy bazillion this is so true, if you don't know what youre looking at find someone that does to help you

Networking is your friend. I recently got one hell of a deal on a 454 throttle body and adapter (Thanks, Waller :D). Today I paid a VERY small amount of money to a coworker/car guy for a set of 062 casting Vortec heads (you still want 'em, Waller? I know you're reading this). Meeting people is a great way to get parts on trade or for cheap. After all, we're all in this together. Help out a guy with someone once and you'd be amazed how many times it comes back to you.

you damned right i want em... tell me what the shipping is gonna be and Ill get you some DOUGH!

I agree. I have too many small block parts sitting here that were just given to me. I could build 3 complete motors. And I've been getting rid of all my small block stuff.