Engine rebuild cost

spinelll

spinelll

Senior Member
A buddy of mine is thinking of buying a AA truck and is curious about the price of an engine rebuild.

Assuming the existing engine block etc. is workable, what can he expect to spend on a "typical" short-block rebuild? By typical I mean babbitt not insert, standard cam, maybe a balanced crank.

Don't know if it's a factor but he lives in Northeast Jersey.

Thanks.
 
Schwalms does a great engine, it is what we have in the sedan. It has about 20,000 trouble free miles.
 
George King,here in Connecticut. He rebuilt mine last year and runs great.I had some issues with the block,crank and head. He used stainless valves and the one piece valve guides,new connecting rods,re- babbitt the mains and line bore,aluminum timing gears,reground my cam,balanced the flywheel and clutch plate together,shimed the clutch housing to be square to the block. He assembles the engine and runs it to break it in and paints the engine Ford green. I gave him the engine disassembled and I rebuilt my carb,oil pump,dist,water pump,starter,generator. He can do all this for you but it will cost you more.My cost was around $4,500.00. I dont have his number in front of me now,but if your interested I can get it for you. Dennis/CT
 
Rich at antique engine rebuilding will give you the best deal around. I think its like 2100 for an inserted short block. You cant really beat that price, especially with inserts. And Rich will stand behind his work.
 
Logan said:
Rich at antique engine rebuilding will give you the best deal around. I think its like 2100 for an inserted short block. You cant really beat that price, especially with inserts. And Rich will stand behind his work.
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Easy to do when you get the rods and inserts for rock bottom price, huh. Everybody else has to pay full price for their parts, makes it hard to compare.
 
msmaron said:
What does that mean James...Did not sound very good to the layman??:confused:
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Rich is the supplier of the rods and inserts. This means he gets them without paying the profit margin involved for everyone else. Makes it easier to charge less for his product. Suppose the people you make your living from decided to sell their product in the same market, could you make any money if they sold for a small profit which is well under yours? They would make all the money and the middle man would be out. He has this right but, it makes it hard for everyone else. At least now Snyders is marketing a less expensive rod and insert. This will go a long way towards leveling the playing field.
 
Rich took the risk in having them made in the beginning, he gives discounts when you buy in quantity, starting at 4-5 sets, I suspect a rebuilder buying 50 sets would get a better discount. His "kit" of everything is $1010 (no block, crankshaft,cam) to me means that there is a $1000 in the job for machine work, and with efficient modern production machinery set up to do 1 type of engine could have under 10 man hours in a model A shortblock.
There is a lot of competition in the low end shortblock, I would say the profit is in the Xtras --crack repair, fancy cams, larger valves, lightened flywheels, counterweighted cranks and the added value of a totally assembled sorted out complete engine.

Rich could have kept his bearings, and rods all to himself,just for his shop, not given any quanity discounts, but he will share them with anybody that wants to buy them , and a shop that buys many gets a better price than a person buying 1 ----this is better than many of the auto parts stores treat the trade.
 
I just finished up an engine last week, started as a $150 long block from a barn. I had it sandblasted, farmed out the machine work, painted it myself, and rebuilt the oil pump and distributor myself. I am fortunate we have a local Babbitt shop here in town so I just took the motor to them, and then as a club "garage night" we did the reassembly. I figure I have $2500 in it.
 
Just got an engine last week from Ora at Schwalms. Just finished its final stationary breakin run and road tested it today. Iit ran great and is fully balanced for around $3,400. And that's a long block fully painted to henrys specs. You can pick from alist of upgrades they can perform or go right back to original.
 
Kurt in NJ said:
Rich took the risk in having them made in the beginning, he gives discounts when you buy in quantity, starting at 4-5 sets, I suspect a rebuilder buying 50 sets would get a better discount. His "kit" of everything is $1010 (no block, crankshaft,cam) to me means that there is a $1000 in the job for machine work, and with efficient modern production machinery set up to do 1 type of engine could have under 10 man hours in a model A shortblock.
There is a lot of competition in the low end shortblock, I would say the profit is in the Xtras --crack repair, fancy cams, larger valves, lightened flywheels, counterweighted cranks and the added value of a totally assembled sorted out complete engine.

Rich could have kept his bearings, and rods all to himself,just for his shop, not given any quanity discounts, but he will share them with anybody that wants to buy them , and a shop that buys many gets a better price than a person buying 1 ----this is better than many of the auto parts stores treat the trade.
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I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. It justr makes it hard to compete. BTW, I do buy most of my parts from him including inserts and rods and valve sets. Sometimes 10 sets at a time, the discount is the same 5 or 500 sets.
 
I bought a fully rebuilt shortblock at a fea market/swap meet for $175. I haven't pulled it apart yet to check it out but even a good block is worth that so was pretty happy to get it. Supposedly was done many years ago.
 
eagle said:
I bought a fully rebuilt shortblock at a fea market/swap meet for $175. I haven't pulled it apart yet to check it out but even a good block is worth that so was pretty happy to get it. Supposedly was done many years ago.
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What you're saying here reminds me of a term used a while back,"grabbag".
 
I am VERY pleased with my Antique Engine Rebuilder's long block, purchased with Hi compression head, touring cam, inserts, balanced crank, lightened wheel engine which was less expensive than others, and has done 3000 great miles in the past year.
See their site for prices.

It goes like crazy and met my high expectations.
 
Dennis/CT said:
George King,here in Connecticut. He rebuilt mine last year and runs great.I had some issues with the block,crank and head. He used stainless valves and the one piece valve guides,new connecting rods,re- babbitt the mains and line bore,aluminum timing gears,reground my cam,balanced the flywheel and clutch plate together,shimed the clutch housing to be square to the block. He assembles the engine and runs it to break it in and paints the engine Ford green. I gave him the engine disassembled and I rebuilt my carb,oil pump,dist,water pump,starter,generator. He can do all this for you but it will cost you more.My cost was around $4,500.00. I dont have his number in front of me now,but if your interested I can get it for you. Dennis/CT
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OK Dennis, Thanks for warning. I have been there and after meeting George, I was scared off by his prices and primitive machine shop. I took my engine to Schwalm's Babbited Bearings in Penn. and had it rebuilt for half the price Connecticut Antique Engine Rebuilding wanted.
 
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