Engine Machine Work Prices

[joesregalproject]

I'd lose the cereal bowls.

TA performance sells the 10:1 pistons in a standard bore size, so that may be a possibility if this other shop is reasonable enough. I don't know how itd do on pump gas after that, but I really don't care if I have to run it on VP, I can get VP and Turbo Blue locally no problem.

 

[DRIVEN]

Dude, just run it. Still plenty of machine marks on the walls.

 

[joesregalproject]

Dude, just run it. Still plenty of machine marks on the walls.

I can do that and save money by reusing pistons and rings. I would just need to have the cam bearings r&r'd, and bolt the heads back on. It would save considerable $$$, which can be spent on other sh*t I need like a crossmember, driveshaft, exhaust, tires, door panels, etc.

 

[MrSony]

Might sound crazy... but, why not find a lightly used Buick 350 with the mods you want already done? Let someone else eat the labour and the 50 cents on the dollar for parts.

Few and far inbetween, and I'm sure out of his budget.

 

[MrSony]

No reason to do any of the above on your '72. For those of you who don't remember, this is what a backyard refreshed engine can do:
bone stock with a cam. Honed, rings, bearings, gaskets, home valve job, and comp springs.

 

[MrSony]

Run your '72 as is, save up for machine work for the '76.
Building an engine isn't a special skill only people at machine shops can do. Short of actual metal removal, you can do everything else at home. I have a printout from when I had my '76 "Blue Motor" bored without the cam bearings installed, was $140 to bore, $60 to clean, $12 for "shop supplies" (sandwiches?), and 6% Iowa sales tax. $224.72 on April 24th, 2015. Everything else you can do at home. I built both my engines with a 239 piece craftsman tool set with about 20 pieces missing, and a torque wrench. I can do it, you can do it. My local shop charged $45 to install cam bearings, unless you can get ahold of a tool. then it's free. I paid $400 for a three angle valve job, replace any worn guides, two new valves (two were pitted and had lil knurls on them), and removal of 10 broken bolts.
The ONLY "machine work" I paid for on my '70 SP engine, was to clean the block and install cam bearings. I did literally everything else.
People gotta realize, SBB aren't like any other engines, or even like it's big brother the 455 or little brother the 231. There are no "good heads" or rods or intakes or manifolds or anything. No swap meet finds, no hidden speed parts, nothing. No one even makes oil pans for christ's sake. Two of the big 3 when it comes to Buick speed parts have been out of buisiness for over a decade (Kenne Bell and Poston), and TA is the only player left in the game. I'd avoid the ATK/reman engines. They list two, 68-71 and 72-80. Their 72-80 I can tell you right now will be well under 8:1 compression and gutless. The 68-71 scares me, because as some of you know the 68-69 oil through the rocker shafts, and the 70 and newer do not. I'm sure you could call them and specifically ask for a '70 coded engine, but it still will probably have low compression.Plus, I just don't trust reman engines. I'd take it apart and take a look, measure the clearances, probably remove all the casting flash they left in the lifter valley, and then it would need cleaned again. I'd buy a chevy or olds from them, but not a Buick. And they're expensive for what they are. I have just under 2k invested in my running engine.

 

[MrSony]

Re-reading my previous post, it does sound like the SBB is kind of crappy, but they're awesome little engines. And TA is coming out with a set of heads next year, and they will pretty much fill in that last little performance parts gap for the SBB, the lack of heads.

 

[joesregalproject]

Like I said, I'm gonna head over to this machine shop on Monday and see what they say. Right now I'm thinking too much about it, I just gotta see what they say on Monday and then take it from there.

 

[MrSony]

I'll say this:
There's 100% no reason to do any machine work to your '72 engine, just new gaskets, hone if you want (will require new rings), inspect the main and rod bearings and if everything looks good, run it. My engine was in worse shape than yours, and sat for 30 years in a basement. It was full of corn, bad hone job, etc. With the TA bearings, a cam and related components, and a properly setup oil pump (that you can do yourself, sounds like you have all the parts already, gears, adjustable regulator, springs, wear plate, shims), and if the bearing clearances are good, send it dude.

 

[MrSony]

Oh I know I'm thinking too much, it's driving me mad trying to figure out where to stop. Everytime I get to a point that I say "okay enough" someone or something says "well since you're there, might as well... blah blah blah". That's why I went and tried to get some machine shop prices. I thought having the prices might help make the decision easier.

Here is the things that I know I want to do-

TA Cam Bearings (have them)
TA Oil Pump Mods (have them)
TA 212 Camshaft (don't have)
TA Stage One Valve Springs (don't have)

Should I replace the pistons with 10:1 pistons? It'll cost more.
Should I reuse the crank main and rod bearings?
Should I have a valve job done?
Do I really need to mess with the rods?


I want to try and keep things to a minimum, because I'd like to be able to save some of my money for things like a crossmember, tires, exhaust, etc. I also don't want it to run like sh*t either. This machinist seems to me to be really particular (almost OCD) and wants everything done the way he wants it, not necessarily the way I want it, and I'm confused by him as to what I actually need, and what he wants done.

Get new bearings if the old ones show any signs of scoring, or copper color coming through. If you get pistons, might as well bore it. Do a home valve job, piece of hose and a bolt chucked in a drill with hose clamps on either end. Lube valve stem with oil or some pb plaster or other lubricant. Don't need to touch the rods at all. When putting the caps on, just seat the bolts, but don't torque them. Put the biggest feeler gauge you can between the rods, and squeeze them together. Then torque. This sets your rod clearance. buick 350 rods don't have alignment pins so they can get off center. Rod caps go tang to tang, both tang slots (hee hee) are on the same side of the rod.