freshening a 454
 

just so i dont get taken
i'm planning on pulling my engine out next month and sending the short block to someone to be freshened up
basic rebuild , rings bearings , clean up cyl walls etc etc

just the lower end , heads were just done last year
it runs great , just has 600+ hours on it and compression is down to 115 on all 8 , just tired , no noises or problems

how much should i expect a machine shop to charge me
will it cost more if i supply a rotating assy (4.25 stroke) and a different cam to put it back together ?
its a stock bottem end 454 330 , pretty sure its cast internals
gen 4 , 1988 , already upgraded the top end

thanks in advance

Just because it is a "marine" engine should not effect the price of the machine work. Most things like boring, honing, align honing, square decking, rod reconditioning/sizing, balancing, etc, etc, or any other machining process should not cost anymore than what is being done to any other V-8 engine block. Now, if you need more machining processes to make the engine more reliable, etc , then that is another thing.

yea , i figured that with my low horsepower engine that automotive tolerances on the rebuild will suffice
the question is , if a machine shop quotes me 1200 bucks labor , is that a reasonable deal or should i keep shopping (that was just a figure i have pulled out of my head)

Actually, automotive tolerances will NOT suffice. Marine engine specs are (or should be) different than automotive specs if you expect the engine to live. I am only saying it shouldn't really cost any more $$$ for machine work.

I am going to stop at a local performance machine shop and grab one of their labor sheets and post it on here. It will itemize each individual machining process. It just depends on what/how many machining processes the short block/long block will require.

Make sure whoever or whatever machine shop is doing the machining KNOWS the differences in specs/tolerances between an automotive engine vs a marine engine.

Perhaps someone else can chime in on pricing help.

I usually spec what I want to have done. Bore, polish, line hone, Install cam bearings, vat the block, sand blast etc, and get it assembled as a short block, ready to stick the cam, includes gaping rings, pressing pins in pistons etc. for around $500- 600. Now this sounds cheap, but remember that I supply every one of the parts, freeze plugs, bearings, rings, block plugs, etc and I drop it off to them totally torn down and ready to go into the oven and vat.

If they wanted to supply stroker assembly, this will take a new rod and piston. ( around 15-1900) they will need to clearance the block also and if they supply good bearings etc.

You will need to spend around 3K with them.

You will just need all of this stuff done to a marine tolerance.

Good luck with your project.

actually jeff , we talked last year about you doing some work for me , i ended up bolting my stuff together myself and it worked out good for me.
if you wanna shoot me a quote if i ship my lower end to you and you put it together for me , i'd be very interested
as i said , theres been no failure to my engine , just in need of freshening , truck frieght is only like 150 each wy from Texas to VA , so if your competetive i'll keep my money with OSO brothers

Like I said. My machine shop bolts the lowers together for me. I cna get them to give you a quote. But up that way, you might be able to get someone closer. Unless you want the whole thing done, I don't really do just short blocks.

thanks Jeff , i appriciate your honesty
what do you think about the Scat series 9000 cranks ?
i'v seen a couple of places that are selling the stroker kit with that crank , forged rods and forged flat tops , with cleavite 77 bearings for 1200-1300 bucks , but the crank is a cast crank , but even on this site they seem to have good reviews

Actualy the last 2 stroker kits I bought came from Bill Lawson at ATECO. You can get parts from OHIO crank, or Shafiroff, or Cobra, or Dyno Flo all for around the same price. Just call around. For a couple hundred more bucks you can get forged crank and still have forged rods, and SRP or similar pistons. All stuff that is more than good for what you are wanting to do.

Good Luck

I Guess Ateco's website kinda answered my question
there 530hp 496ci marine engine has the cast crank in it , the forged is an upgrade
even knowing this if its a question of 200 bucks , i'll go forged just in case i decide down the road to get more radical with the ponies then the 475 i'm looking for