How much should a basic 340 rebuild cost?

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BlueSwinger

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Going to have a 340 built this winter, and I'm wondering about how much I should expect to pay for labor.

Just for a basic rebuild on both block and heads... will be somewhat mild, just a little better than stock. Not over 400hp once done... better airflow, headers, etc will go toward this end.

If I buy something like the RPM Master Engine Kit:

http://www.rpmmachine.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=116

(Yes, I will talk to the builder before ordering anything), and assuming nothing goes wrong unexpectedly, how much should it cost to be tanked and magnafluxed then built up... probably some porting done or whatever to make it all match and flow nice? It's a nice, clean-looking '69 block with '70 X heads.

Also, can anyone recommend someone in or near the Milwaukee area to do this?

Thanks.
 
Prices varies through out the county...and prices differ between machine shops in a city...

best bet is go there and see what work...they will do and how much....try to cover all bases...
 
are you doing the assembly or are they? theres a lot of variables in there, kinda depends on what you want to do to it. here's about what prices around me run for labor;
bore and hone: $180
deck block: $90
resize rods: $160
balance rotating assembly: $180
line hone block: $200
assemble shortblock: $400
hot tank block: $60
mag block: $50
turn crank: $90

dont know how spendy things are in your neighborhood or what your block will need.
 
They would do the assembly. I would give them the parts (or they order them, whichever), I'm NOT counting parts in this cost that I'm asking for... labor only.

And, I mean Milwaukee area/midwest. I know it can vary even in there, just looking for opinions/experience.

The answers so far help, so anyone else with anything else to add, please feel free.

Thanks.
 
70aarcuda said:
Prices varies through out the county...and prices differ between machine shops in a city...

best bet is go there and see what work...they will do and how much....try to cover all bases...
Click to expand...

Of course I will do that, I'm just asking here based on people's experience on what I should expect. If I go somewhere and they tell me $500, that could be reasonable, or they could tell me $5000 and that could be reasonable. I'm looking for a possibility going in so I know whether it seems "low" or "high" I guess.

I am aware that prices vary. I guess I'm looking for more like a midwest/Milwaukee-area opinion than someone's from California or wherever, because that would likely be irrelevant to me.

Thanks again.
 
I don't recommend a kit like that. Especially where the pistons are concerned. That kit says it fits "68-73" engines. You had two discinctly different compression ratios there. 10.1 for the early ans 8.5 for the late. i would recommend at least getting pistons seperately. That way you can at least taylor the compression a little more. Wish you were close by me. You could bring it by here and I would assemble it for you and show you how, too.
 
The gentleman that assembles my motors charges $900.00 to put them together a little high but well worth it for the peace-of-mind he gives me...
 
StrokerScamp said:
I don't recommend a kit like that. Especially where the pistons are concerned. That kit says it fits "68-73" engines. You had two discinctly different compression ratios there. 10.1 for the early ans 8.5 for the late. i would recommend at least getting pistons seperately. That way you can at least taylor the compression a little more. Wish you were close by me. You could bring it by here and I would assemble it for you and show you how, too.
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Thanks for the advice! I wasn't sure what to do about a kit or parts yet, and of course I'll certainly talk toi whatever builder ends up doing the work about what to order and even what to do. I don't pretend to know much about motors, just the basics. Also, I'll read more about engine building before talking with anyone at all (I've been reading and focusing on everything else so far). I'm sort of weighing my options here and trying to figure out what to do this winter to the car, whether that be having the 340 built now or just freshening up the 318 and using that for awhile. Just sort of looking for any general advice.

Thanks again.
 
best thing is to go talk to some machine shops in your area, get estimates and prices, keeping a note pad to write everything down will help, most important find a shop you feel you can trust, it may not be the cheapest and it doesnt have to be the most expensive
 
stroked 340 said:
The gentleman that assembles my motors charges $900.00 to put them together a little high but well worth it for the peace-of-mind he gives me...
Click to expand...

Wow, see, I can tell that there's quite a range of prices here.

Again, to anyone else, I'm strictly talking about labor. Of course the cost of the parts will vary wildly depending on what I choose.

Basically, I want to get a good price for decent quality (speed doesn't matter too much within reason), and since I have NO starting point to know what it should cost, that's all I'm looking for... just some general idea so I don't get shafted :)
 
now before making plans to build what is there, think about this

make a stroker out of it & use aluminum heads

By the time you rebuild the X heads you will be close to new aluminum ones. (harden seats, SS valves, new springs & guides) Run higher compression without detonation with the Aluminum

My 340 has J heads that have been modified to be close to the X heads (2.02/1.60 SS Valves). Stock compression pistons that are .040 over & cranks turned .010/.010

If you are wanting 400 hp today, will you be happy with it in a year?

I have to run a mixture of Cam 2 & premium to keep it from knocking

View attachment 340right.jpg
 
caferacerx said:
best thing is to go talk to some machine shops in your area, get estimates and prices, keeping a note pad to write everything down will help, most important find a shop you feel you can trust, it may not be the cheapest and it doesnt have to be the most expensive
Click to expand...

I agree. I won't necessarily go with the cheapest, not at all.

I'm not even sure where to go yet, and I don't have any idea right now what would be a low or a high price, seriously. All the Mopars I had in the past had already done or serviceable motors, so this is all new to me.
 
WildCat said:
now before making plans to build what is there, think about this

make a stroker out of it & use aluminum heads

By the time you rebuild the X heads you will be close to new aluminum ones. (harden seats, SS valves, new springs & guides) Run higher compression without detonation with the Aluminum

My 340 has J heads that have been modified to be close to the X heads (2.02/1.60 SS Valves). Stock compression pistons that are .040 over & cranks turned .010/.010

If you are wanting 400 hp today, will you be happy with it in a year?

I have to run a mixture of Cam 2 & premium to keep it from knocking

View attachment 184183
Click to expand...

I've thought about this too. My plan right now is to build the 340 mild, because this is a car I plan to drive a LOT. I mean, daily to work (it's not a long drive at all) and around town. That's why I'm going for mild. I have a 360 that I will eventually have built much more radically and more spendy! (and stroked) :) Probably for a different car though.

Thanks for the advice on the heads, I'll look into it.

By the way, I say "my plan right now", because I'm still learning, and this is not a final plan necessarily. But I know what I want to do with the car when it's done, so that is guiding me a lot, but I'm sure open to hearing thoughts on the best way to get to my goal.
 
WildCat said:
now before making plans to build what is there, think about this

make a stroker out of it & use aluminum heads

By the time you rebuild the X heads you will be close to new aluminum ones. (harden seats, SS valves, new springs & guides) Run higher compression without detonation with the Aluminum

My 340 has J heads that have been modified to be close to the X heads (2.02/1.60 SS Valves). Stock compression pistons that are .040 over & cranks turned .010/.010

If you are wanting 400 hp today, will you be happy with it in a year?

I have to run a mixture of Cam 2 & premium to keep it from knocking

View attachment 184183
Click to expand...

Whoa what kind of compression are you running..my 416 had 11.9 to 1 and ran just fine on 93 pump gas..
 
How do the valve guides hold up? I already have a set of x-heads built (no port or polish) and wanted to know if I can swap it out.
 
yeah those are the ones I'm talking about, either get a complete or bare set (because I have x-heads rebuilt with Ferrea valves that haven't been bolted to the motor yet)
 
Are there any others out there before I put the trigger? I'm not wanting to get stupid crazy with cost here or anything either. (That being said I spent like 1500 to go to Roller Cam, Roller Lifters, and COMP Roller (shaft mounted) Rockers).
 
BlueSwinger said:
You think, for labor only, right? No parts... I'd buy whatever parts they need independent of labor cost.[/QUOTE
I spent around $3000 on my rebuild. New pistons,rings,bearings,gaskets, frost plugs,double roller timing set,tensioner,cam,lifters,pushrods,windage tray,oil pump,(did I forget anything?) I had it bored,honed with torque plate,crank turned,rods reconditioned with new rod bolts,balanced, heads milled,new valves,springs,seals,bronze guides,port matched,bowl blended,mild ported and intake machined. toolmanmike I forgot grinding the flywheel and a new clutch. I also had my 833 looked at and resealed with a new u joint. Then I blew the budget and bought a Accurate LTD exhaust for it. LOL OK I went over my $3000 estimate.
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toolmanmike said:
BlueSwinger said:
You think, for labor only, right? No parts... I'd buy whatever parts they need independent of labor cost.[/QUOTE
I spent around $3000 on my rebuild. New pistons,rings,bearings,gaskets, frost plugs,double roller timing set,tensioner,cam,lifters,pushrods,windage tray,oil pump,(did I forget anything?) I had it bored,honed with torque plate,crank turned,rods reconditioned with new rod bolts,balanced, heads milled,new valves,springs,seals,bronze guides,port matched,bowl blended,mild ported and intake machined. toolmanmike
Click to expand...

Great, well, that's about what I plan on my build being like so far as I know.

So I know for sure what you mean, do you mean it was about $3000 total, or just for the labor, and the parts were beyond that?
Click to expand...
 
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