bence13_33

....I came home after class today to see "Rupert's Automotive" on the caller ID :yesnod:. I called them *with my fingers crossed* hoping that everything went ok and the magnafluxing didn't reveal any cracks. Everything must have went A-OK because he said my stuff is ready for pickup! :cool: Now the uncool part, I asked him what the damage was....$700 :( I have the money, but man that's a hefty chunk of change. What do you guys think, here is everything that I told them to do:

Magnaflux: Block, Crank & Heads
Hot Tank: Block, Crank & Heads
Bore The 454 +.060"
Balance The Engine (No Assembly)
Knock Out The Old Cam Bearings & Install New Ones (I Provided The Bearings)
Clean Up & Resurface The Flywheel
Check Crank For Straightness/Straighten Crank If Need Be

Now that I think about $700 isn't all that expensive for what I had done. It doesn't really bother me as long as it is quality machine work. I went to this shop because they are well-known for quality work. From the sounds of things they got the job done promptly too!

I still have a 1:00-2:00PM class to go to and then I have a delivery to make from around 2:30-3:30PM and then I get to go pick up my engine :cheers:. I am so excited....words can not describe just how anxious I am. I can't wait to finally start building this beast.

I'll post later on tonight whenever I get my parts back and check out the invoice to see what everything actually cost.


[Modified by bence13_33, 10:09 AM 1/18/2002]

James

That sounds like a very reasonable cost for the work you had done.
Good luck.
Keep us posted.
:cheers:

Stingy74

Bence, you need a digital camera to document this build up! Pick the block up first and deliver the washer and dryer later :lol:

ddn

That sounds about right.
My quote was $650 for
Bore & Hone
Grind Crank
Deck
Cam Bearings
Balance
Resize Rods

Too bad I've since added:
2.19/1.88 valves
Bronze valve guides machined for PC type seals and dual-springs
Align hone

It's gonna hurt!


[Modified by ddn, 10:48 AM 1/18/2002]

SmokedTires

Bence you must be having a hard time sleeping at night ;) . $700 doesn't sound too bad for the work you had done, remember quality cost $$$ :) .

bence13_33

Stingy:
I do have a digital camera but the picture quality is shady at best. None-the-less I have been taking pictures, I just haven't gotten around to putting them on a server and posting them.

Once I get the block up on the stand I'm going to call my uncle to see when he can come over and help me assemble the engine. I just need him to help me hone the cylinders and get the clearances correct. After that I can assemble the rest on my own. Either way this is going to be a blast!

Mike:
You have NO idea just how hard it is to sleep at night with the thoughts of big block rumbling and tire smoke dancing through my head :D. That's the way I look at it too, I'm paying for quality machine work. As long as it is quality work I have no problem with them making a few extra bucks on me.


[Modified by bence13_33, 10:58 AM 1/18/2002]

mrvette

As long as the bearings are miked/specd to the crank and the crank is clean...smooth...hey, that a decent deal...no troubles with that....

GENE

Stingy74

So Bence, when do you plan to have the engine together? Couple of weeks? You need do get this thing on a dyno.

Bob Turner

Sounds like they completed the work in a timely manner!!! I didn't think they would.....

Are you assembling it yourself? :confused: If so, I am impressed!! I wouldn't try that on my BB. I wouldn't mind putting together a 350 just in case I messed it up.

Bob:cheers:

Jester69Stingray

Im glad one of us is happy :cheers:
I paid about 800 for almost the same machine work on my engine which was supposed to be ready today also. I talked to them this morning to find out that it wont be ready till next week. I had this whole three day weekend set aside to work on it and now i cant do anything. :mad :mad :mad

bence13_33

Stingy:
I haven't decided yet. I want to get this thing assembled and dropped in the car soon though (so I can fire it up) :). I'm going to talk to my uncle this weekend to see when he can assist me in the rebuild (he has rebuilt some 454s before). Hooking this thing up to a dyno is a little too much money for me....there isn't one near my area and it is pretty expensive. Desktop dyno is telling me around 550HP at the flywheel....however accurate that is I don't know :confused:.

Bob:
Yes! I am building it myself :yesnod:. My uncle is going to help me put the rotating assembly together (make sure I get all the clearances correct and hone it correctly). Other than that I can build the rest myself. This is to be a learning experience for me, I have a great deal of respect for ANYONE who builds their own engine. I would just like to be able to say I built it :).

Bob Turner

Cool!! Good luck with it. Make sure to take your time with it..... I am still waiting to hear from the machine shop on the cc'ing of my heads!! I can't buy pistons until then.

Keep us updated.:cheers:

Bob

Matt Gruber

Bence
the most important job for your machine shop is to final-hone it using an accurate automatic power hone, like the Sunnen Hone Master or a similar machine....with a deck plate of course.
My shop had the right machine, but put the wrong finish on the cyl. walls :mad I refused the job; they removed the cam bearings, re-honed it, and hot tanked it again, put in new cam bearings all at their expense.

Now, the guy that ground the crank, well, he got fired for what he did, but that's another story.


[Modified by drives61, 12:48 PM 1/18/2002]

JCL

bence13_33. Sounds like you'll be ready for the " baffles" soon. Let me know. JCL :cool: :cool: :chevy

Flareside

Bence, while reading through this, I was thinking the same thing as drives61. With all the effort you're putting into this, why leave one of the most important parts (piston fit) to home garage tools? A professional automatic hone is much more precise than a hand drill and some cutting stones. I would have them fit the pistons while it's still as the shop. I've rebuilt tons of engines (though only one Chevy car engine, I race motorcycles), and getting a cylinder perfectly square with hand tools is tough!

Your prices sound very similar to the going rates around here.

Good luck!

-Joe

Flareside

Hey JCL, do you have any pictures of C3's with your pipes and the heat shields? I love the pipes, but hate the burns!

-Joe

charlie78

You really 'done' good. :yesnod:

73Ken73

I was wondering the same thing about the honing. What tool are you going to use. I heard the buble honers work good. I am surprised the machine shop didn't hone the cylinders.

Flareside

hBubble hone? As in a glaze breaker? Definitely not the tool to fit your pistons with ;) You use them when you want to restore the crosshatch without altering the bore dimensions.

JCL

Flareside. The only pics i've got are on my car. Massvette has a set, but not on yet. Will e-mail you a picture. One of these days i'm going to figure out how to post a picture. They are on my bizz web site. Thanks, JCL :cool: :cool: :chevy