$$$$$
 

So my stock 37 21 stud is burning oil. Runs good decent compression. I call H&H to inquire about how much $ for a stock rebuild job...

Boy they are proud of their work. I understand they do good work but wow!

No wonder why so many people toss the flathead aside and put in a 350.


Is their anyone in the Southern California area that builds an economical flathead engine?

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So, tell us, what was the quoted price for the rebuild?








No excuse is good enough to replace a flathead with an SBC.

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Approx $7000

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Holy -mackaroll ! and they start with your engine ,,,, I guess I better knock on wood and be happy mine runs as good as it does .Time is money and they get paid well for what they do . 20 years from now that price will be a bargain

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In the old days it would get a set of rings in the chassis

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Check around with other machine shops in your area. If you are a V-8 Club member use the roster and call some of the members in the So Cal area and ask them for recommendations. I suspect a reasonable job would be between $4000 and $5000. Flathead rebuilds are not cheap.

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When i build an engine I tend to get carried away and so does the cost. I've been following your little adventure, and suggest the engine may not need a total overhaul; new pistons, rings, rebore, bearings crank grind etc, etc. It may need only a hone ,new rings, valve grind. It is only a flathead. Thing is, you won't know until you tear it down and measure everything up. I don't know how much work you can perform yourself, but if you can pull the engine, and strip it down, you'l certainly save some pennies. Don't rush into taking it to the likes of H&H, for sure, you'll end up with a nice engine, but ask yourself, how long are you going to be driving it? As an earlier poster said, in years gone by, it'd get a set of rings whilst still in the chassis. I'm not suggesting you get that crude, but there could well be further life in the old girl with not a lot of money spent.

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Don't know exactly you are in SoCal but i had BMS Machine Services in San Bernardino rebuild the 8ba in my '39 p/u. IMO Dave did an excellent job and the total cost of his services and the parts I supplied was around 4 grand IIRC. Worth a phone call or visit, again IMO

1904 Riverview Dr # 101, San Bernardino, CA 92408

(909) 799-7770

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Tj's got it. If not a V8 Club member be sure to join. Then shop around. No secret,
find a low overhead shop, overhead and inventory are costly.
Charlie ny

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Yes, that is a reasonable number if you supply no parts for a stock-type rebuild.


I will let you know what my hot rod motor's final bill is in a few weeks. I'm expecting in the neighborhood of $5K. I am supplying a fair number of the parts.

Ross pistons with metric rings were $700 shipped. 59 AB main bearings are around $250. ARP stud sets are around $500. It just keeps adding up from there. Only reason I mention it is to help give you an idea of where the money goes.

Not cheap, but you could spending it on a lot worse.

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There is a guy on EBAY and I think on the HAMB that is selling several rebuilt 21 stud and others engines, one for $2600.00.
They look like they were done right and he can help with shipping according to the ad.

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The 59Y block in my '34 P/U was about 8K but it was done by Ed Bingelli years ago.
The truck was sitiing until last fall when I got it running.

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Why are the main bearings so expensive? I get them for a lot less than that.

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Please tell me where. I’d love to know.

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I got mine from C&G $135 set of 3.NORS in orig boxes.Rod bearings $185 on EBAY.Motor is a 36 LB.

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Thank you. I appreciate it.

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they get so much because you are willing to pay it 4,000 for a simple flathead is to much .you can buy a creat eng at half the price & that,s brand new, pull the flathead put in a small block you can go any where sit in traffic with out worries. i saying this to guys that use there cars & drive them a lot if you have a show car that,s different. most places today have a lot of traffic & most flatheads don,t like it.you can always put the flathead back in

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Do what you want with your money and car, but putting a SBC in an old Ford is not the route I would take.

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I have rebuilt several flat head engines for under $3,000. I do my own tear down and assemble and pay to have the machine work done. V 12s are a $1000 more because of the extra cylinders and they are Lincolns.

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Speedway lists main bearings for $98.00.

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While it is getting harder to find flathead friendly machine shops in many locations, there are still plenty of them that can likely figure things out if you keep an eye on them or just have them do the bare essentials.

It would be hard for any machine shop that does turn key work to give a customer a solid price without looking at the assembly first. This is likely why they gave such a high guesstimate. They may have high overhead in their company for various reasons and you don't need the lack of savings passed on to you due to that.

It's a lot of work to just tear one down. Anyone that has ever done it knows it can be a real challenge. Studs have to come out to thoroughly check the deck and do any cylinder/valve work easily. I know they have to be out just to put a boring bar on it too. That also can be a challenge. Cleaning is another thing on an old flatty. All the crap has to cleared out of the passages. Crank grinding, rod reconditioning, and God Forbid, crack repair, can all take some pretty good investment in labor and machine costs. This hasn't even gotten to the parts purchase stage where things add up quickly. Final reassembly can take time too and especially if a person goes with non adjustable tappets. It takes some knowledge to do it correctly and a few special tools as well.

A person should figure that all the bases need to be touched so having someone else do the work is going to be expensive. This is why most of us likely do our own tear down work and at least preliminary cleaning ourselves. Inspection will require at least a pressure test apparatus for the block or have it and any necessary machining done at the machine shop. At this point a person should know what has to be done and what can be avoided. Only take what is necessary to be machined and leave the rest at home.

If you can't do it yourself, get the roster or members and services from the EFV8 club and look for someone as close as possible. Sending stuff too far away can make recovery difficult if something bad happens in the transaction. Make new friends in your local club and ask a lot of questions. Most are very willing to help.

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Great advice. Also, for a point of reference, just to remove the studs from a 99A block I was tearing down, it took me approx. 15 hours, plus the cost of refilling my Oxy/Acetylene bottles.

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I have an exelent engine shop in Whit river VT.they will not build any flathead anymore, just not cost efective. However they will do all the machine work at a very reasonable cost.
I have my blocks bake cleaned there, after I pressure test them. They bore then, fit pistons valve job and send them back at a cost close to a SBC. Price difference is due to the added bore size. The cost is based on shop time. Now if you approach a shop with that in mind you might be able to save allot of money. Shop time is very expensive, much nigher than your's.

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H & H quoted me $5k for my flathead SIX..

I took it to Adams Metallizing and Grinding in Lancaster, CA.. He is almost done and it cost me under $4k... The only reason it cost that much was my ring gear was shot.. I had to order a custom ring gear & rebuild the starter to match!

WALT

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Why not put a set of rings and rod bearings in? Easy and quick without removing engine.
Cost in hundreds. Every engine doesn't need boring and new pistons.

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may be to a lot of people 5-7 thousand dollars is not a lot of money . it,s a hell of a lot to me

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For whatever it's worth... And, my point of reference is 5 or 6 years old...
I disassembled a 59A myself, and took it to a very experienced local guy. I supplied the parts (at least most of them). The shop did the machining, and reassembly, and ran it on a stand. The OTD price was just a tick under 3. For that I got a Merc crank (from Walt Dupont), new pistons (Egge, I think), balanced, and a Cam from Jim Brierley. That also included new Edlebrock heads, which I got from Mike at H&H. I realize this was a few years ago, and would very likely be higher today. (My machine shop guy is now retired, so can't refer you there.)
At the same time that my engine was being built, another fellow was having a 'performance' 59A being built by the same guy. The OTD price for that engine I believe was over 7. All I'm saying, there can be quite a difference in price, for the same guy, just depending on what all is done.




By-the-way.... Just something to think about.... Many years ago I did another 59A for myself, which was an 'economy' job. I saved the labor cost of pulling the studs by finding a machine shop that could do the bore and hone, with the studs in place. At today's shop rates, that is possibly a savings??

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If it was mine I'd just rering it and lap the valves that is if everything else check out

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^^ Ditto above. I come from the keep 'em rolling school of motoring.