I'm pretty sure I will be getting my engine built and going with forced induction in the summer and I had a quick question. How many hours am I looking at for to have my engine built? Assuming I would drop the car off with parts and have it done. I will be attempting installing the vortech kit myself after reading through everything, I feel confident in that. Below is what I want to have done to the engine.

Wiseco Pistons
Piston Ring set
Wrist pins
Eagle Rods with caps or optional Super A Carrillo Rods
Nissan OEM Gasket kit (Optional Cometic Head Gaskets)
ACL Engine Bearings (Rods, Mains, Thrust)
ARP Head And Main Stud Kits (L19 Head Studs Optional)
Z1 Viton Valve Seals

(Yes, it is the Z1MotorSports rebuild kit level 3.)

I tried searching but couldn't get a good answer. I know all shops are different and no one charges the same I'm just looking for a rough estimate of hours I'd be charged to have the following done.

Thanks in advance!

 

deepends on what they find when they tear the block down. Either way, you will probably pay more than you would if you just ordered a long or short block from Z1

 

Damn I thought I would have actually saved money doing the build at a respectable shop. But I could also understand why buying a block would be cheaper.

 

it cost around 7 grand if you wanna do rods and pistons with installation. however i would recommend turbos if your gonna build the block

 

it will almost never be cheaper paying a random shop to do your engine work. Buying a block from a source that specializes in them will be a better deal. The high majority of engine failures are due to backwoods shops trying to build these engines without having experience. It's not a domestic engine so you can't assemble them with a sledge hammer and a crowbar and expect it to work.

purchase a built block from a reliable VQ source. hundreds of engine build threads in the FI forums that will come up under a search.

 

Okay thanks I read through many builds just hasn't seen many prices listed for just install. If I did have the work done it would have been at Hills Garage.

 

That's because any machine shop can only give you an estimate and everything changes once they do the work. If they end up spending 12 hours instead of 10 your bill will reflect it. Therefore no shop will give you a set price of "drag your engine with all the parts you purchased to me and it costs XX every time". You get a discount on built blocks already assembled because they use parts that they get discounts on through their dealer license. When you bring them the parts they aren't making money with every part they install so they will charge you more for assembly. The truth of the matter is.....building cars IS a business. A lot of people forget that minor detail.

 

I have been looking into this lately. It turns out its cheaper for me to have it built here by my tuner at his shop, who i trust. For $3800 I drop off the parts and the car and come pick it up. Thats with the un-install and reinstall of 2 FI systems also. It includes headwork too. Ive gathered the parts will be $2500 and thats with cower springs and retainers. I can do it for cheaper if i find parts on the forum and such too.

 

wait, headwork?

The 3800$ sounds like a reasonable labor rate but you said headwork. Headwork that is that cheap would worry me. It is very easy to ruin heads by not doing it properly. If he is just opening up the ports to port match then that's one thing but full head work would cost a lot. Usually mid 2000's to 3000$ just for headwork alone.

 

By headwork I mean the installation of the BC springs, porting, 3 angle valve job, cleaning and redecking.

 

oic. That to me is just a refresh. I use the term "headwork" for porting and modifications to the heads.

In that case the labor hours seems about right for price.