Block machining costs/time

Hi All,

I was wondering what people have been quoted to clean and prepare a good old 302 that’s been sat in a workshop for years?

I’ve had what I thought was a reasonable quote of $760 to prep and machine the block for everything for my 347 stroker. I then saw they wanted an additional $570 to machine for a one piece rear main seal. Does it really take that much time? (6 hours at $95 an hour charge).
 

Mike Pass

Supporter
UK prices from Real Steel here -

The last 302 1987 roller block I had done at EDA cost about £800 for tank clean, oil galleries cleaned out, mains line hone, Block decked at 90 degrees angle to each other and to bore alignment. rebore and hone with deck plate to +30thou, machine for one piece main seal, block notched for 347 crank, new cam bearings, new brass core plugs, screw in oil gallery plugs, final clean and paint.
Cheers
Mike
 
UK prices from Real Steel here -

The last 302 1987 roller block I had done at EDA cost about £800 for tank clean, oil galleries cleaned out, mains line hone, Block decked at 90 degrees angle to each other and to bore alignment. rebore and hone with deck plate to +30thou, machine for one piece main seal, block notched for 347 crank, new cam bearings, new brass core plugs, screw in oil gallery plugs, final clean and paint.
Cheers
Mike

The £100 from real steel for rear main seal is much more like I’d expect.
Maybe it’s a misprint on the invoice. Will speak to them and see!
 

Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
Good machine shops are getting harder to find as the old school machinists you trust with your block age and retire or close up shop. Prices are going to be greatly influenced by location and the amount of work the shop has. It is not uncommon for some shops to increase their hourly rate not only to cover their costs but the act as a hand-on-the-throttle of incoming business. Some will give repeat customers better pricing as well.
I recently had a stock 302 block done and it was just over $600 US.
Operations were -
* Hot Tank to clean it
* Magnaflux the main bearing webs and cylinders
* Sonic test the cylinders for thickness
* Align hone the crank bores
* Deck the block to ensure parallel to crank and at a perfect 90°
* Bore to .030” over size
* Hone to fit the forged pistons I chose after Temperature normalizing. Was done with deck plates.
* Chase all threads to clean
* Rod out all oil galleys
* Debur block edges and bores
* Hone lifter bores
* Hot tank again to remove machine swarf
* Install cam bearings
* Install brass frost plugs
* Oil down machined surfaces
* Bag & Tag
——
The $600 was a bargain and I gave him a nice tip as well

51E0EE1C-E004-4E71-B35E-E23D1A223126.jpeg
 
Good machine shops are getting harder to find as the old school machinists you trust with your block age and retire or close up shop. Prices are going to be greatly influenced by location and the amount of work the shop has. It is not uncommon for some shops to increase their hourly rate not only to cover their costs but the act as a hand-on-the-throttle of incoming business. Some will give repeat customers better pricing as well.
I recently had a stock 302 block done and it was just over $600 US.
Operations were -
* Hot Tank to clean it
* Magnaflux the main bearing webs and cylinders
* Sonic test the cylinders for thickness
* Align hone the crank bores
* Deck the block to ensure parallel to crank and at a perfect 90°
* Bore to .030” over size
* Hone to fit the forged pistons I chose after Temperature normalizing. Was done with deck plates.
* Chase all threads to clean
* Rod out all oil galleys
* Debur block edges and bores
* Hone lifter bores
* Hot tank again to remove machine swarf
* Install cam bearings
* Install brass frost plugs
* Oil down machined surfaces
* Bag & Tag
——
The $600 was a bargain and I gave him a nice tip as well

View attachment 112501

That’s a very good price indeed.
Where was that if you don’t mind me asking?
 
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