Originally Posted by 40cpe (Post 1387390)

Most of us are afraid to know, we might talk in our sleep.

I'm out just under $4000 for my 276 '50 Mercury engine. That includes cleaning, mag test, pressure test, turn crank, bore (includes one sleeve), balanced, deck the block, surface the heads, new hi flow valves, new guides, new LZ springs, new seats, pistons, rings, resize rods, regrind cam, all new bearings, gaskets, 95% filter parts. I still have carburetion to go after it is broken in. I did the assembly myself with plenty of advice from the generous folks here on the 'Barn. Now add rebuilt clutch, transmission rebuild parts, electric fan, clean and add 2 outlets to radiator, rewire the engine compt and it turns into an expensive project.

Originally Posted by deuce_roadster (Post 1387470)

My stockers run about 4-5k, others about 10k. Upper amount includes extra machine work, valve bowl work, larger valves, port matched intake manifolds, proprietary cams, lifter/springs, Ross pistons, NOS rods, crank work if Merc or Scat crank as is, balance, run in on test stand re-torque everything 3 heat/cold cycles, hand made headers, cermachrome coatings on intake, headers, all ARP fasteners, new heads, chrome pan, ignition, new water pumps, system 1 remote oil filter or spin on. In this area, that is what it costs for premium machine work. Blower motors are 2-3 times as much.

Originally Posted by deuce_roadster (Post 1387470)

My stockers run about 4-5k, others about 10k. Upper amount includes extra machine work, valve bowl work, larger valves, port matched intake manifolds, proprietary cams, lifter/springs, Ross pistons, NOS rods, crank work if Merc or Scat crank as is, balance, run in on test stand re-torque everything 3 heat/cold cycles, hand made headers, cermachrome coatings on intake, headers, all ARP fasteners, new heads, chrome pan, ignition, new water pumps, system 1 remote oil filter or spin on. In this area, that is what it costs for premium machine work. Blower motors are 2-3 times as much.

Originally Posted by Midnightcaper (Post 1387369)

Curious as to how much money u all have into your flatheads. Whether it be stock or modified.

Originally Posted by Scott H in Wheaton (Post 1387486)

This may not qualify, but I bought a used 1940 engine for my truck.
Cleaned and painted everything in my garage. Like others, got pounds of crap out of the water jackets. All new gaskets. Got it running a couple years ago.
I have about $1000 in it including the water pumps and coil rebuild, but not including the Reds headers.
Attachment 295020
If I blow it up I'll probably do another used engine freshen-up.

Originally Posted by deuce_roadster (Post 1387514)

My figures were for my own NOS blocks and everything else new. I have one NOS 59 series block left for a spare for 3 cars I have with that series engine and a couple of used 21 stud LB engines for spares for my 33 in case I ever need them. Of course you can find a running engine for a few hundred bucks, hone and re ring and put new bearings in it and get a fair bit of life out of it, but for new and as good as you can get it--it is expensive. It all depends on what you want in the end. Also, I am talking about the present, not the past.

Originally Posted by richard crow (Post 1387570)

still wounder why you see lots of early fords with chevy engs.

Originally Posted by deuce_roadster (Post 1387470)

My stockers run about 4-5k, others about 10k. Blower motors are 2-3 times as much.

Originally Posted by richard crow (Post 1387570)

still wounder why you see lots of early fords with chevy engs.

Originally Posted by texas webb (Post 1387602)

Easy,cheap,less work and spare parts in most auto corner stores.But nothing beats the look and sound of a flathead.

Originally Posted by apba12m (Post 1387647)

I have 6K listed on the excel spread sheet, but that includes a couple of purchased engines that ended up being scrap and one good spare block. expensive lessons..

Originally Posted by flatjack9 (Post 1387693)

I don't see how you can rebuild any engine for half the price of a flathead build. Machine work is pretty much the same no matter what the engine. Sure parts are cheaper. But labor to build the engine should be similar. Now if you go buy fancy aftermarket parts, all bets are off. We're talking stock rebuild here.

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron (Post 1387509)

Moving the exhaust ports doesn't add much, if anything, save your money. I think some of you should read the " Practical flathead". When I see prices like this, I sometimes think I should go back ti building them. However, I help a few friends build them and I see the cost have gone up allot. Most of my 276 engines went fro around 3 grand, some less, some more. Depending what he buyer furnished. There was allot of used stuff around back then and tha brought the price down. I did my own boring for 100 bucks and had a shop fit the pistons. I did all the porting and valve work and assy for 500 dollars. That went up to 600 later. The dollar doesn't buy as much as it did back then and there were allot of machine shops. My crank grinder was 80 dollars and balancing for 125 to 150 depend ing on rods. I did allot of street balancing back then to save the costomer some cash. Give the balancer one piston, rod, rings and bearings and just spin the crank. Most engines had good rods back then ah Egge pistons are well balanced. Knurelling the stock guides and putting a few shims under the stock springs and the L-100 cam ( re grind the stock cam $80) PAW valves were $3 IN,$5 EX And I under cut them myself. The list goes on but, but there's always the Greed factor that you can't compinsate for.
May
PS Horsepower ran from 135 to 150.

Originally Posted by NSDWS (Post 1387960)

As far as I can tell the eng in my 39 has never be apart. It runs ok at the moment and I would like to rebuild it myself in the future but you guys are scaring me with those prices. Its been a good while sine I rebuilt a small block Chevy or Ford but I can remember the clean up and machine work on block and heads was only 200 bucks and when I was a machinist with the rail road I would take my blocks and heads to the shop and hot vat them myself on off days.