Cost to Rebuild

[threeimpalas]

I've currently got a '61 truck 348 sitting in the barn awaiting a rebuild. I'd like to keep the block due to the valve reliefs, but bump up the compression with new pistons and stroke it with 409 crank. Is it possible to get the 333 heads up to snuff for such a motor? I plan on converting it to electronic fuel injection as well.

What sort of average cost would I be looking at to get such a project machined and reassembled?

[Rockfish39]

That is a very, very difficult question to answer Mike.... Way too much detailed information is missing from your posting to tell you a close price tag.

It really all depends on what you want, what the intended purpose of it is, and how thorough you are in your engine building projects.

Typically, you get what you pay for when you are dealing with competent machine and speed shops. No more, No less...

A quick laundry list of things that I would do with what you have:

1. Hot Tank the block
2. Magna-Flux or Sonic check the block before sinking $$$ into it.
3. bore and hone the block (if taper exceeds .004) and if there is enough metal left to do so.
3. magnaflux the crank
4. turn the crank (If needed), chamfer and polish
5. magnaflux and re-size the connecting rods
6. mount up the new pistons on the rods and STATIC balance them with rings and rod bearings
7. DYNAMICALLY BALANCE THE ENTIRE RECIPROCATING ASSEMBLY !!!! Skip this part and you WILL regret it !!!

8. Clean and Magna-Flux the heads, mill them flat, machine the intake to match (if necessary) and a do a good 3-angle valve job using a 2.06 Intake Valve
9. MAKE A REASONABLE CAM SELECTION.... Bigger is not better!!!
10. Assemble it all....install, and lastly turn the key !

Total Cost??? I dont know for sure, but an educated guess is that You're looking at about $2000 in machine work PLUS what ever parts you have to buy to build your engine. Pistons, rings, bearings, gaskets, cam, timing gears, lifters, rockers and so on....
On the average??? $5,000 will get you a very good quality re-work!!!

Best of Luck with your project !!! Rockfish


;)

[348NUT]

Geez, I knew there was a reason I used a good running 348 for$300 in my 55. :D You just made me appreciate it even more!
NUT

[bobs409]

Ya gotta pay to play Nut! :D

Quality reply Rockfish! That took some thought. Sounds about right pricewise going by my own experiences...

[bbqcruising]

Mike, what kind of fuel injection do you plan on using? BBQ

[threeimpalas]

Rockfish,
Thanks for the rundown. I wasn't sure how rebuilding a stroked 348 would compare to something like a small block. There aren't any shops in my locale that do 348's, so I'd have to send it out somewhere else.


BBQ,
Right now I'm just thinking of adding injector bungs to a factory manifold and using an aftermarket 4 barrel throttle body. Haven't settled on which computer system I want yet, however.

I'm wanting a motor that gets decent mileage, runs reliably, and works well on the street. It'd be going in a semi-daily driven 4500 pound station wagon, so the extra power a stroked motor has would be a nice thing to have on tap.

[Impalaguru]

Mike,
I know there is a machine shop in Marshalltown (maybe Arnolds) that bakes all the blocks. I know that the Arnolds machine shop in my area of the state sends all thier blocks up to Marshalltown. I would definetly have your block baked before it gets machined, it will look like a new casting and it gets all the rust out of the water jackets. I could get you the name of a machine shop in Iowa that has experience with 348s and 409s. They might be able to give you a good idea at what you're going to spend.
Ross

[threeimpalas]

Yeah, we've had small blocks rebuilt by a friend who used to work at Arnold's. Unfortunately, he's not a W builder. I'd probably have them do everything up to the machining (clean block, magnaflux, etc) since they're local, and then send the rest off to someone that knows the ins/outs and tricks of the 348 for the rest. Like Tom mentioned in a different thread, I'd prefer to have an expect do the machining instead of having someone who hasn't done a W-motor scratch their head and try to figure out how exactly to do what needs to be done.