The prices on the list you provided seem fair. I was charging more than that years ago but I live in a very expensive part of the country. If I read it correctly they already rough bored the block to .060 so finish honing isn't an option it needs to be completed. I agree with every ones opinion the crate motors are good these days. Back in the target master days it was a gamble. Not anymore. The engine building book is a must. And if you go with the 283 and there the original heads the exhaust seats need to be Replaced with hardened seats as other people have mentioned. Also if your going to run a flat tapper cam do you homework on proper brake in procedure and proper oil with sink or additives. Hope this helps and good luck. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
He did say it was his first...we all started there. You got to learn. My dad started me with some small engine repair books.
what has been done. I owe them $432.34 as of today.... PAY THEM and re-group .... start a LIST of what is next, and next, so on and so on.
I just(last year) had a 283 block tanked,bored and honed .060,decked .025,cam bearings,freeze plugs that I supplied installed.Total was a flat 500 bucks.I have used this guy for years and he does good work.I would agree that you need to go pay what you owe and pick up your parts.Comp products is an excellent source for 283 parts ,so is e gay.
A rebuild kit for a 283 is more than double the price of a 350. The prices for the machine work seen fair. You will need the pistons pressed off and on as well. I haven't seen prices for the heads yet. I am sure they added a good amount to the total.
Boring it to 060" was crazy. My machinist would have power honed it to .040" and been done. He has our racing Dart block we are moving to 4.165 from 4.155 and its all hone. I may have used a glaze breaker and carbon ball hone on your engine and went with the .030". A few thousandths taper is easily lived with, and put in a set of Total Seal rings with some stock replacement Pistons. I agree with Competition Products for a supplier also CNC in South Dakota. Some of you may think this is "on the cheap" but in reality it is not. Cleaning and checking out your parts by using a reputable shop is fine. But with a few basic tools and borrowed mics can tell you a lot especially if it was a running engine with no known problems. If the crank mics good polishing with some 800 followed by crocus cloth is all that's needed. Even without mics you can just buy the size of bearing after all its on the back of the bearing. In a stock engine I've never seen bad cam bearings ever. The best $$ will be spent on the heads with a good valve job, possible exhaust seat change and guides/seals. If more guys would just look what they have and use it, there is some pride in it. Yes I agree with some of these low HP GM crate engine but I would take it apart and clean it too. They leave a lot of shit in them too and they are Hecho in Mexico. Anyway good luck and remember to have fun. Oh yes I love the 283 and what's a 350? Nothing but a 283 bored an 1/8" and stroked .480".....
and do some good swap meet and CL shopping and raid your buddies garage and don't forget the local pic-a-part I paid $40 bucks for this intake (performer) at a swap and $45 for the 462s at a JY the alternator was a freebie + the $25 rebuild kit and 1 wire conv. pulleys were $10 JY items and the brackets were $70 internet items $15 pic-a-part carb and $30 kit the valve covers were CL scores that were free after selling the crap that came with them+ the wrinkle paint and HF polishing kit headers were $50 on CL + paint and some free wrap the short block was a trade for a little labor. so far, this thing runs just like you see it for less than $1300
THIS! It's not as much if the machine shop's quoted prices are in line, it is whether you need to have that work done at all. Do you really need the crank cut? Block decked? Heads magnafluxed? Don't get seduced by the 'you have to' brigade.
If you want to spend some real money try building a early Olds. You can buy a lot of sbc parts for the price of a Olds gasket set not to mention the fact you can go down to the drug store and buy sbc parts. Wastedchildhood
You need to decide if you want to get the 32 on the road, or build an engine for the experience. If getting iy on the road, buy a crate.....least expensive way to go. Then build the 283 as your bank account allows, then swap and sell the 350. (Sell while it is still in the car so buyer can see/feel it run). There is great satisfaction in doing as much as you can, but the economics of individual rebuild vs crate say do the crate. Been there several times and my son is a machinist doing work on vintage race cars, but the engine for my current build, 59 Corvette street mod, will be a crate....all a matter of time and dollars. Good luck, a hard decision. Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
My block was decked, I also omitted the balancing above in what I paid. Past a standard rebuild service, it adds up quickly. Most shops have a standard rebuild price, you disassemble, they clean, inspect, change the usual parts, cam bearings, freeze plugs. I find that their assembly prices are often a bargain, I went for it as I was pressed for time. Some will sell you the bearings and rings at their cost or close to it. I had one local shop that was great to work with when I was racing stock cars, tragically the owner died between me seeing him on a Friday night and him not waking up on Saturday morning.
Prices seem fair based on machine work here, NY Metro area. I'd have him finish hone the block, and put in the cam bearings. if the budgets real tight clean the block and install the freeze out plugs yourself. There's a lot of satisfaction in assembling your own engine. It's not usually going to be cheaper to build your own, but it's something you can say you did yourself
Lots of stuff to think about. When the shop did it's inspection, did they hot tank the block? I have heard that ruins the cam bearings. Maybe that isn't the case, but it's a question you'll need to ask. I am currently running an early 327 that came with my project, and it runs great... but it has different motor mounts and no bolt holes in the fronts of the cylinder heads. If I want to add power steering or AC to the engine later, it will require some expensive and funny looking brackets to make it happen. The cost of the brackets alone is probably more than the cost of a used 350. Look far ahead and figure out what your plans are. You may find that using the engine you already own is the more expensive option. Pic1 by Wallaby posted Mar 22, 2017 at 5:13 PM
Rebuild kit from Summit is around $350. Your basic kit 60 over cast flat top pistons. Stock oil pump, freeze plugs, gaskets, rings, cam bearings, crank and rods bearings. Heck, at the prices they quoted, I'd be willing to learn how to assemble one myself. Buy David Rizards book, Rebuilding The Small Block Chevy. After reading it, you may decide to build it yourself. At the very least you would know more about what goes into a rebuild. After reading his book some 25 plus yrs ago, I even hung my own pistons using a propane torch to heat the small end of the rods.
As an engine builder of 40 yrs experience & a Hot Rodder as well .. I'd like to comment on your additional items being considered. You've obviously chosen an early 283 Chevrolet as your choice of a Vintage engine to go with your '32 5W Coupe .... So disregard your crate engine options as it does not go with the period correctness of your Coupe . .... The cylinders have been ' rough bored ' so you need to have them final honed to size as per clearance to the new pistons . An extra option is to have it ' Torque plate' honed , this would be an additional cost . But not a necessity. The old Cam bearings ' must' be removed to clean the block correctly , as boring material from the cylinders gets into all the oil galleries ! Including getting behind the ' 58 yr old ' cam bearings. Once again 58 yr old Freeze plugs were not made of Brass and will be very prone to leaking . Causing problems at any time .... the Plugs in the rear of your block being the hardest to get too with your engine & trans installed . These items are a necessity & not an option !! And enjoy years of trouble free cruising with your club & buddies ..
When I had my 283 machined, a lot of the money for labor and parts was spent on the cylinder heads, but I just had to have "Power-Pack" heads !
Less than $275 on Amazon for either .040 or .060 283 kit including pistons, rings, bearings, timing set, oil pump and gasket set. You most likely just need a dependable decent running engine. The car is light, you aren't likely to put thousands of miles on it and you won't run a lot of rpm. The bore was .030 over so it has been rebuilt and how long ago was it?
http://www.northernautoparts.com/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductId=280 I used Northern in an off topic build 10 years ago. They offer camshaft options as well. I was very pleased with the parts.
What are your expectations from this motor? If you spread the cost out over time you can build it the way you want it without limitations imposed by a short time frame and limited funds. Throw a junker 350 in there for now if you need to get it on the road while you rebuild your motor.
The Jalopy Journal
