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Re: engine rebuild

To: "joe maher" <jmaher0343@bresnan.net>, " Triumph list" <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: engine rebuild
From: "Jack W. Drews" <vinttr4@geneseo.net>
Date: Sun, 04 Apr 2004 19:47:13 -0600
References: <NOEDJDCNFBCNELMBFNFEAEIGGIAA.Ryoung@navcomtech.com> <005101c41a8e$d9794c60$f12a9145@bresnan.net>
I'll tell you my experience so far, based on building about twenty engines 
(plus about six rebuilds on my own street and race cars), ranging from 
totally stock, warmed up stock, race, to really really race. But first, the 
weasel words.

It makes a big difference what condition the engine is in.  I've done some 
where the head was cracked, block was cracked, crank was cracked, liners 
worn out, and a chunk of tire tread stuffed into the timing cover in place 
of the chain tensioner. It may take a lot of time to find good pieces. At 
the other extreme, if all these pieces are good and things like chains and 
lesser parts don't have to be replaced, the cost is much lower.

For a street engine based on a 60,000 mile engine where nothing is cracked, 
figure $3500 for parts.  It takes me 45 hours to do a street engine 
including a few hours to run it on a test stand to make sure everything is 
right and that all the fluids stay in the right cavities. I charge $30 per 
hour, so that means labor is about $1300, making the average cost out of my 
door around $5000.  For that you end up with an engine that will last as 
long or longer than the original and will burn unleaded gas, guaranteed to 
perform properly or I'll fix it. All the above does not include work on 
carburetors. You can expect labor hours to be all over the map, depending 
on locale, overhead for the shop, etc. Expect commercial shops to charge 
$50 to $60 per hour in the Midwest. They are not necessarily gouging you. 
Their costs are that high.

The least expensive one I've done cost $800 labor and $1200 parts. The most 
expensive I've done cost $10,000 total and included a $1600 crankshaft and 
$1000 set of rods, plus a maximized head which is over $1600.

At 03:50 PM 4/4/2004, joe maher wrote:
>Just out of curiosity, about what does it run to have a quality rebuild done
>on a TR3 engine by knowledgeable Triumph people?  In the US that is.
>thanks,
>Joe
>59 TR3, a driving restoration that now needs a tach cable and is still
>waiting for a part from TRF so the front suspension can be rebuilt.


uncle jack





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