rebuilt engines

[punkmechanic]

Would anyone be interested in buying a rebuilt engine? Im thinking that since I have a couple that need rebuilt I may just build them and sell some to cover the cost (i.e. reinvest in my money pit).

Ford wants 4500 for a reman engine. I can get the same parts and have it machined and (hopefully) do the same for less.

Shipping would be an issue on the final cost (I havent the slightest idea what it would cost to ship an 1100+lb complete engine to _________)

I have a local pump rebuilder, access to injectors, complete rebuild kits from ford, and the know how to completly measure the engine before and after machining for records purposes.

Just putting out a "feeler" to gauge what the interest would be and what a reasonable cost would be. Im not looking to make a ton, but I am going to have considerable labor involved in them. I would be the mechanic from tear down to reassembly doing everything but machining and pump rebuilding (I will leave that to the professionals (at least until I figure out how to do it myself, lol))

Punk

 

[dyoung14]

Well do you have an idea on cost before shipping?

 

[typ4]

I would recommend balancing also. I think the price may be the same or higher but it will be a much better quality engine. Proper machine work is NOT cheap. And I would offer 2 prices one with a warranty and one without, I have done this in my career and it seems to work out.

 

[gonecrazyi]

Id be interested but would like a price range before hand.

Would this be a stock rebuild or a performance one?

 

[SparkandFire]

I agree completely on balancing, the rebuilt engine in my truck was not balanced, and it vibrates like you wouldn't believe above 2500 rpm. Only 160k miles on it and it could blow apart at any time...


Hey punk, when my engine gets tired (or self destructs), I might head on up your direction and pick up a rebuild from you... Seems like you know your stuff!

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

Why do you guys have to rebalance rotating assemblies that should have been reassembled with the original parts? I have always weighed each piston (if I need to replace them because of damage or overbore) and replaced them with a piston within a couple grams of the original and have never had a problem. Now if we're talking about replacing rods or installing pistons with milled tops then yea you're gonna need a rebalance. I have all of my high winding hot rod motors balanced but with these slugs not turning hardly over 3200 keeping stuff within a couple grams of original has never given me a motor that was unbalanced to the point of noticing it.

Punk what you're talking about sounds like a cool idea! We have 5 idi motors sitting that need a rebuild right now, 3 of those are factory turbo motors. We need to get around to building a few of them but money talks. Good luck with your endevor!

 

[typ4]

If you ever have one balanced, even all used parts you will be amazed at the difference.

 

[icanfixall]

I did the piston balancing on my motor myself... They all weigh the same amount and the tiny differance is less than 1/2 gram from the heavyest to the lightest piston... You can hear my motor running but you can't feel it running... Kinda wierd feeling too... I had the rods and crank done by a shop that knew what they were doing. The guy had to add 54 grams to the crank mid plain and both ends it was so far out... The first shop really crapped it up I'm thinking... This is worth every penny of what you spend if... You find someone that knows what they are doing... I didn't my first rebuild but did on my second...

 

[Diesile]

I'm listening also. I can fill in the blank on shipping. Let us know what the basic rebuild would be and then with balancing. Any performance options would be whatever it came to.

 

[yotee]

i would really like a ballpark figure on a rebuilt motor with all the balancing and a decent matched set of injectors.

 

[punkmechanic]

Well the big question as far as cost is machine work and time. I can get the complete kit from ford for aprox 1100, I would have the pump rebuilt, replace the injectors with new ones (matched psi's), The cam would be an upgraded unit, and I would balance everything to within 1/2 gram (the crank would need to be done by a professional, I dont have the equipment or knowledge to do that). I would like to get it at or under fords price of 4500 but with more components (gp's, fresh pump, new injectors, upgraded cam etc.) and a much closer attention to detail.

The problem is sourcing the outside work, intial capital to get the kits (1100 is rich for my blood, although not impossible), and again shipping. If shipping is 500 then Im gonna have a real hard time keeping under fords 4500.

I have thought about a warranty but that presents other issues. I stand behind my work, but that said I want to see what I did (or didnt do) that went wrong. If I build a motor and someone redlines it with a cider block and lets it run out of coolant, Im not refunding a nickel. If i missed a knick in a rod cap and spun a bearing, I would fix it at my expence and do everything to make it right. Problem is determining what happened and not pointing fingers.

As I said originally this is just a feeler. I have been gathering the info to build one for myself, and the thought occurred to me that not everyone has the time, knowledge, space, tools, whatever to do this. I figure if enough are interested to justify it then I will see about going ahead, If not then I will just build mine and maybe another in case someone wants/needs one.

Keep the replies and ideas coming. The more feedback I get the better I can move forward in the right direction.

Thanks,
Punk

 

[RLDSL]

For shipping, check out Forward Air THey only ship from their terminal to their terminal so someone would have to drive a way to pick it up, but you can get one of their cargo containers makes packing easy and check out their rates, it'll blow your mind. shipping an engine in one of their small containers from Portland to Arkansas would only run $363

 

[punkmechanic]

Now that is some useful info. Im pretty sure thats who shipped my zf5 swap components when I bought them from a guy in cali, and I lived in orlando.

Now I could start to get "ballpark" figures.

I would have to get quotes from all the shops that do the outside work but if shipping was under 500 then I could at least do it at fords cost and offer a better quality and more complete package.

punk

 

[typ4]

It will be hard to do it at fords cost. Machine work is the killer, although I might know a guy with a head machine.