Machine Shop Costs
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 42
Likes: 7
From: East Bay
Machine Shop Costs
Hey folks,
I am budgeting for a rebuild on the 79 L48, and am curious to hear what others are paying for machine shop work? I am based in the Bay Area of California, so I expect to pay a premium, but some preliminary quotes have been astounding.
I'd expect to do something like:
Clean and test block
Bore & hone .030
Replace cam bearings
Rebalance rotating assembly with new pistons
And depending on if I find some older vortec heads or buy something new:
Clean & test heads
Valve job
Also if you are in Northern California, I'll take any recommendations on shops
Thanks for any and all feedback
- Ian
I am budgeting for a rebuild on the 79 L48, and am curious to hear what others are paying for machine shop work? I am based in the Bay Area of California, so I expect to pay a premium, but some preliminary quotes have been astounding.
I'd expect to do something like:
Clean and test block
Bore & hone .030
Replace cam bearings
Rebalance rotating assembly with new pistons
And depending on if I find some older vortec heads or buy something new:
Clean & test heads
Valve job
Also if you are in Northern California, I'll take any recommendations on shops
Thanks for any and all feedback
- Ian
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 42
Likes: 7
From: East Bay
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
Just had my 79' L48 at the machine shop (low mileage car). He honed cylinders, installed new freeze plugs and cam bearings and cleaned and inspected the rods and pistons polished the crank. Also magnaflux the block. Total cost was $480. He has bored out a few SBC for me in the past, and cost for that is about $170. I live in Michigan so probably cheaper than Cali. I agree with others, toss the heads and just buy a set of aftermarket aluminum ones.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 14,476
Likes: 8,258
From: Napa Valley California
Hi Ian,
Call LJ's Speed and Machine in Napa, CA. 707-255-4611 and talk with the owner, John.
They have been in business for over 50 years, building everything from blown alcohol monsters to John Deere tractors for the local farmers.
They are very respected in the community and well known.
They just put together my 496 and I couldn't be happier.
Greg
Call LJ's Speed and Machine in Napa, CA. 707-255-4611 and talk with the owner, John.
They have been in business for over 50 years, building everything from blown alcohol monsters to John Deere tractors for the local farmers.
They are very respected in the community and well known.
They just put together my 496 and I couldn't be happier.
Greg
Last edited by OldCarBum; Jul 30, 2020 at 04:20 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Corvette & Porsche 911: How Two Icons Conquered the Last 25 Years
Joe Kucinski
2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 First Look: Everything You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
5 Best & 5 Worst Corvette Daily Drivers
Joe Kucinski
The Headlights of Every Corvette Generation Explained
Joe Kucinski
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!
Joe Kucinski
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Avg 800ish maybe more depending on what they do.
Assembling, balancing adds to it...prefer a good local shop over some crate place. Not that crates are bad but if you have an issue it leaves you in a bad spot...are they gonna honor it, shipping etc.
If you want vortecs you can buy brand new ones with screw in studs, all the good stuff. EQ may still make some, few others do also. My machinist retired which sux....reasonable did everything inc balancing himself. Hard to find places like that anymore
Mail order...vortecpro, Mike Lewis, tpi421vette here on the forum buiild incredibly durable/powerful mills. Quit doing it yrs ago no $ in it.
Assembling, balancing adds to it...prefer a good local shop over some crate place. Not that crates are bad but if you have an issue it leaves you in a bad spot...are they gonna honor it, shipping etc.
If you want vortecs you can buy brand new ones with screw in studs, all the good stuff. EQ may still make some, few others do also. My machinist retired which sux....reasonable did everything inc balancing himself. Hard to find places like that anymore
Mail order...vortecpro, Mike Lewis, tpi421vette here on the forum buiild incredibly durable/powerful mills. Quit doing it yrs ago no $ in it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,511
Likes: 1,519
From: Little Rock AR
While we are on the subject.....a 383 stroker will cost the same. LOTS more torque below the peak (where you drive).
New crank is $250 so about the same as a regrind.
Special pistons are the same cost.
Rods should be replaced with 6" rather than reworked 5.7" so a wash cost wise.
Need to grind a bit for clearance here and there. No biggie.
Still need a balance.
This is EASY math here.
New crank is $250 so about the same as a regrind.
Special pistons are the same cost.
Rods should be replaced with 6" rather than reworked 5.7" so a wash cost wise.
Need to grind a bit for clearance here and there. No biggie.
Still need a balance.
This is EASY math here.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 881
Likes: 113
While we are on the subject.....a 383 stroker will cost the same. LOTS more torque below the peak (where you drive).
New crank is $250 so about the same as a regrind.
Special pistons are the same cost.
Rods should be replaced with 6" rather than reworked 5.7" so a wash cost wise.
Need to grind a bit for clearance here and there. No biggie.
Still need a balance.
This is EASY math here.
New crank is $250 so about the same as a regrind.
Special pistons are the same cost.
Rods should be replaced with 6" rather than reworked 5.7" so a wash cost wise.
Need to grind a bit for clearance here and there. No biggie.
Still need a balance.
This is EASY math here.
agree entirely on 383 route, but sometimes existing crank needs only a pro Polish by machine shop ~$20 and (instead of +10 or +20 bearing) some STDs / ONEs / TWOs bearing shells.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 331
From: Indy Indiana
anything above a light hone means a fitting of new pistons.. which escalate the cost. so the boring and the new pistons ( all the way from cheap to very expensive) and the piston fitting to proper clearance are what drives the price way up.
clean/mag/top deck check,line bore check, cam bearings for the block, and clean mag, deck, valve job and seals for the head are the minimum you would get away with.
escalate that with pistons, valve seats, cam, springs, rods, crank, lifters, oil pump.. doubles the price
clean/mag/top deck check,line bore check, cam bearings for the block, and clean mag, deck, valve job and seals for the head are the minimum you would get away with.
escalate that with pistons, valve seats, cam, springs, rods, crank, lifters, oil pump.. doubles the price
Racer
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 479
Likes: 93
From: Tennessee
Hey folks,
I am budgeting for a rebuild on the 79 L48, and am curious to hear what others are paying for machine shop work? I am based in the Bay Area of California, so I expect to pay a premium, but some preliminary quotes have been astounding.
I'd expect to do something like:
Clean and test block
Bore & hone .030
Replace cam bearings
Rebalance rotating assembly with new pistons
And depending on if I find some older vortec heads or buy something new:
Clean & test heads
Valve job
Also if you are in Northern California, I'll take any recommendations on shops
Thanks for any and all feedback
- Ian
I am budgeting for a rebuild on the 79 L48, and am curious to hear what others are paying for machine shop work? I am based in the Bay Area of California, so I expect to pay a premium, but some preliminary quotes have been astounding.
I'd expect to do something like:
Clean and test block
Bore & hone .030
Replace cam bearings
Rebalance rotating assembly with new pistons
And depending on if I find some older vortec heads or buy something new:
Clean & test heads
Valve job
Also if you are in Northern California, I'll take any recommendations on shops
Thanks for any and all feedback
- Ian
Old Pro Solo Guy
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 8,138
Likes: 4,505
From: Marlton NJ
I agree with the block work costs.
I spent: (Thru a friend)
How much machine work you want to do will depend on how far down the performance rabbit hole you want to go.
For instance do you need to or want to deck the block? or align bore the mains? Resize the rods? etc.
The heads on the other hand could easily go $600 alone for a standard valve job, more if valves or springs are needed.
My build costs in detail: (I went a little further...)
I spent: (Thru a friend)
- Clean and test block - 150
- Bore & hone .030 - 228
- Replace cam bearings -80
- Rebalance rotating assembly with new pistons -250
- Clean & test heads
- Valve job - 600 is std?
How much machine work you want to do will depend on how far down the performance rabbit hole you want to go.
For instance do you need to or want to deck the block? or align bore the mains? Resize the rods? etc.
The heads on the other hand could easily go $600 alone for a standard valve job, more if valves or springs are needed.
My build costs in detail: (I went a little further...)
Last edited by leigh1322; Aug 2, 2020 at 09:47 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,385
Likes: 6,414
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
I am budgeting for a rebuild on the 79 L48, and am curious to hear what others are paying for machine shop work?
I'd expect to do something like:
Clean and test block
Bore & hone .030
Replace cam bearings
Rebalance rotating assembly with new pistons
Clean & test heads
Valve job
I'd expect to do something like:
Clean and test block
Bore & hone .030
Replace cam bearings
Rebalance rotating assembly with new pistons
Clean & test heads
Valve job
Clean and test block: $120
Bore & hone with torque plates & replace cam brgs: $245
Balance rotating assembly: $190
Clean heads & Valve job (if no parts needed and no guides needed) $200
Total minimum for just the items you asked about: $755
But you have additional costs:
If crankshaft does not need to be ground, you still need to clean, straighten and polish it: $100
Re-sized & hone rods: $64
Press fit & align pistons: $104
Total base machining costs: Just over $1,000.
Plus parts, such as the pistons themselves, gaskets, bearings, cam, lifters, timing chain, oil pump, oil filter, oil, and any parts needed for the heads, such as valves and springs. Most likely, the heads will need guides, so just keep throwing money at it... I don't think you're getting away with anything less than $2,000 for a "basic" rebuild.
Lars
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 14,476
Likes: 8,258
From: Napa Valley California
The basic machine work on my block was $1,240.00
Add in the cleaning, hot tank, mag check for cracks, bore and deck check to insure the block was even useable, $800.00
Plus the machine work to the new aluminum heads to swap the springs, clean up the castings in the runners, install the upgraded studs and surface $350.00.
You can do the minimum and get a long lasting rebuild.
But, as mentioned above, once you start down the performance rabbit hole you can easily get in to a stroker and drop $18,000.00 into it.
Decide your budget and stick to it, but leave room the all the little unexpected stuff like gaskets and seals, $200.00.
Add in the cleaning, hot tank, mag check for cracks, bore and deck check to insure the block was even useable, $800.00
Plus the machine work to the new aluminum heads to swap the springs, clean up the castings in the runners, install the upgraded studs and surface $350.00.
You can do the minimum and get a long lasting rebuild.
But, as mentioned above, once you start down the performance rabbit hole you can easily get in to a stroker and drop $18,000.00 into it.
Decide your budget and stick to it, but leave room the all the little unexpected stuff like gaskets and seals, $200.00.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 312
Likes: 64
From: Henry county ohio
My LMS charged me about 1150 for clean/ check block, align bore, decked, .030 over bore, torque plate hone, clearance the block for the stroker crank, cam bearings, freeze plugs and bottom end ***'y.
He also re-balanced the stroker kit that I bought from summit.
I found a set of blueprint 195 heads for 500 on fleabay. They were on a Dyno mule. I checked the springs and put new valve seals in, and I super happy with them.
So, in flyover country, you can have a long block for about 2600.
I spent some more money on a retro roller cam from Erson, a set of retro lifters, full roller rockers, headers and a Weiand intake.
All told, somewhere around 5k. Including gaskets.
If you have the coin, go roller cam. Best decision I made on this build. Other than stroking it. Heh, heh,he said stroking it.
Good luck
Jeff
He also re-balanced the stroker kit that I bought from summit.
I found a set of blueprint 195 heads for 500 on fleabay. They were on a Dyno mule. I checked the springs and put new valve seals in, and I super happy with them.
So, in flyover country, you can have a long block for about 2600.
I spent some more money on a retro roller cam from Erson, a set of retro lifters, full roller rockers, headers and a Weiand intake.
All told, somewhere around 5k. Including gaskets.
If you have the coin, go roller cam. Best decision I made on this build. Other than stroking it. Heh, heh,he said stroking it.
Good luck
Jeff