I have a 402 to buy for $600. It needs a bore job, it has a turned crank and rods. It also comes with the stock intake, stock valve covers and a stock oil pan. It's already been cleaned and magnafluxed. It has a set of assembled 290's I can get for $400. Basicly I need pistons, rings, rod and main bearings, oil pump, cam, lifters, timing chain, harmonic balancer, distributor, rocker arms, push rods, water pump, fuel pump...I already have a carb for it. I'm going to reuse the starter and flex plate off the 350 on it. The guy I'm getting it from said it would cost between $2000 and $2500 to build it. I'm not going to go radical with it but does this sound about right? Or is this guy pulling my leg?

I think guys on here have done BBC for that amount. Maybe you could go even less? I'll let the others chime in and let you know for sure. Sounds like a good deal though.

It cost me $3500 for about the same thing, aligned bored and decked. Also trued the heads,assembled longblock. I painted it myself!!

I would be doing the assembly with an experienced engine builder and I would have to buy the parts. As mentioned the intake, oil pan, valve covers, block and fully assembled heads are provided. I have to buy everything else.

Mine was $2500

Originally posted by mr 4 speed:
Mine was $2500 :cool:
Mine is $12500 to date with the latest updates. :rolleyes:
Freakin' nuts...

Originally posted by BillsCamino:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by mr 4 speed:
Mine was $2500 :cool:
Mine is $12500 to date with the latest updates. :rolleyes: </font>[/QUOTE]Right there with ya'. Somehow I bet you didn't build up a really radical 396 for that money, huh Bill? ;)

I've got about $3800 to $4000 in my homemade about 550hp/496 motor and know now I can build it a good bit cheaper!!

pdq67

I'm a cheap azz at heart. Total on my 408 motor was about 1800.00 (before the roller of course) but then again I reused the .030 pistons that were already in it. That included the new 2.19 intake and a set of replacement 1.72 exhaust valves.

Yeah I was just wondering because in a way it seemed too good to be true. Everyone says big blocks are expensive and maybe they are but then again I have to wonder how much it would run just to build a 350 as equivelant to the 402.....

I'm at about $10K for my 496,not done and not counting the blower sitting in the corner.

junkyard I bet you will spend more than 2500 I have built two 468s one was 7000 the orther 5000 If you go ahead and do it, I have a New in box roller timeing chain, and a new set of comp cams push rods. Mark R 641 995 2384 Iowa.

Mine's going to be naturally aspirated. So far I'm looking at this much (all numbers rounded):

Block: $600
Heads (assembled) $400
Cam/lifters/timing chain: $420
Intake: $200
Engine rebuild kit (pistons/bearings/rings/oil pump) $500
HEI: $170
Fuel pump: $80
Rockers: $200
Push rods: $100
ARP main bolts: $30
ARP rod bolts: 60

Comes to a total of $2760....There's probably more....

Not sure what machine work will run.....I'm guessing I'm gonna be at or over $3k when all is said and done.

$10,000 sounds ridiculous :eek: I guess you're talking about a top of the line machined, top of the line parts, blown race engine with a few thousand H.P. ? I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but can you guys tell me what costs 10K+ :confused:

Originally posted by Texas70:
$10,000 sounds ridiculous :eek: I guess you're talking about a top of the line machined, top of the line parts, blown race engine with a few thousand H.P. ? I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but can you guys tell me what costs 10K+ :confused: =
ridiculous,,, not hardly, I have a set of heads, rockers & the intake sitting here for a small block that are damn near that much.

Here's just a quick partial example ;)
Block $2000+ without machining, AFR heads, about $2000 - $3000, Callies crank $900-2000+, Oliver rods, about $1500, pistons, about, $600, roller cam & lifters, about $1000,
Am I there yet ;)
And you still need a couple of other parts like timing, rockers, rings, bearings, push rods, intake, carb, dist, ft cover, valve covers, damper, pan & pump just for a start,,,
Oh yea, did I mention machine work, balancing, assembly time, dyno time,,,,,

All depends on what you are doing, the old adage "speed cost money" is still very valid.

It's a shame your not in tucson I have a 396 with trw forged pistons new 10-10 crank chrome pan, timing cover,balancer that I'd let go for $700 all you'd need to do is put a set of rings in it a cam and oil pump and you'd have a bullet proof bottom end, and if you can reuse piston rings you maybe able to get by with the ones on the pistons. Jim

I spent $100 on a block, $100 on heads about$2500 for the rest of the project only drive for 6 months. Block cracked inside cam tunnel.Now i'm going to spend $2500 on a block just to start! First time a cheap build went bad for me though.

Id say your average 454 BB with a few performance mods putting out around 500-700hp is around $5000-6000 but Ive seen many fall above $10,000 and small blocks such as 350's, 327's usually on average range around $350 .. Ive seen $1500 engines and Ive seen $15000 engines, its all what you put into it..and remember the more you put in, the more you put out...

-Brian

My budget "461" cost me about $3000, maybe would have been a tad more.. because I get alot of my stuff from work. Im not even finished yet! Could have done it cheaper, a 402 build would be fun, what kind of plans do you have for it?

I'm looking to make Big Red scream a low to mid 12 seconds. I have a TH350/4.10 posi I'm reusing and I've already sent in for a 3k converter. She will be a weekend street car with some track duty involved.

I was thinking using ARP rod and main bolts would be a good idea since I plan to spin this monster to 6000-6500 rpms. But then when I think of it would stock bolts be fine? I know APR would really give me piece of mind.

I plan on using a forged piston kit which will come in handy if I decide to bottle feed it.

I originally was going to port and polish the heads and install 2.19/1.88 valves but I've heard some mixed emotions on a 402.

If you don't have a BBC installed and are installing one, water pump, motor mounts, oil pan, valve covers, dip sticks, pulleys, etc.

It adds up :(

Won't the 350's motor mounts work?

I get valve covers and an oil pan with it. I might need to buy the brackets and pullies new unless I can get a used set from another Chevelle guy I know.

Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg:
Won't the 350's motor mounts work?
yes

Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg:
But then when I think of it, would stock bolts be fine?
...if I decide to bottle feed it. Use the ARP bolts! :eek:

To me 6000 to 6500 is really spinning a stock bottom end. And running the squeeze on top is asking alot for those parts to hold up.

I'm looking to make Big Red scream a low to mid 12 seconds. Wanting low to mid 12 seconds... And paying $600 for a 402 Shortblock core???

I'd definitely be looking for that 454 core. I know you have had some trouble, but I think the extra money you spend on a 454 core will be worth it in the long run...

402 shortblock needing machining... $600 sounds too high...

On a Nova the frame stands are different and will rotate the engine differently. Don't know about a Chevelle.

He, He!! And to think I threw my old junk 301 together for about $150 to $200 back in the early '70's!!

Talk about "shade-tree", but it did at least have new el-cheapo W/JCW cast pistons in the way wore out dingle-berry hone job cylinders!

He, He!! Still love that little old thumper!!

pdq67

have you ever seen or even heard of a problem with
Chevy main bolts? I don't mean somebodies uncle's friends' brother-in-law's buddy down the street, I mean you personally ever seen a bad Chevy main bolt? Or an engine that blew because a Chevy main bolt broke?

I fixed an engine awhile back, this engine was severely abused in an oval track racing deal. It detonated so hard it boogered six of the pistons and blew a keystone shaped hunk about 1.5" wide out of the center main cap. The crank wasn't very happy about the whole deal either. The chunk out of the main cap was not found, exited one of the big holes in the side of the pan. I think it would be reasonable to figure there was some he!!ish stress applied to the main bolts. They were still torqued properly, not bent, broken or stretched. They were plain old ordinary Chevy main bolts, it was a 4-bolt main small block. Right then I realized that probably every cent I ever spent on fancy main bolts or studs was a complete waste. I realized I had never heard of a problem with a Chevy engine that could be credibly blamed on the main bolts.

IMO, save your money, spend it on something that matters.

Tom

I built my 427 for about 2500-3000. I bought that parts a while ago and had the machine work done at that time as well, but i got it all pretty cheap. I got a .030 over 454 block that needed to .060 over for 50 bucks. I got a 402 block with nodular iron crank, rods, and a set of complete original 215 heads for $400. That was my basis starting point. I used the 454 block and 402 crank to make my 427.

Daniel

I don't know why guys think that 6500 is some outrageous rpm for a short stroke rat. Its an easy rpm for a short stroke rat.

I've matured, and now only rev mine to 7000. 7500 is a bit hard on a short stroke rat. :D

Build it to handle 7K all day long. Use the good ARP bolts on the rods and defintely use a lightweight forged slug if you can swing the $. Keep the rod side clearances on the tight side, it'll help keep the oil on the bearings for those trips to 6800. Then I would use the oil bleed solid lifters to keep the cam happy.

Use a small solid cam, imho, its free revability and hp. Something like a 270S from Comp, or a small Crower. Hopefully Harold will have some solid grinds back out soon. Again, there's where I would spend $175 for a cam instead of an el cheapo $100 cam . That $75 spent WILL make a difference.

You're right it DOES add up, all the "little stuff" pushed me WAY over budget, and you start wanting last minute upgrades too. I only cut one corner and that was for aluminum serpentine pulleys, but i'll be ok without... for now smile.gif I did go with an electric fan which im really happy about. That was unplanned, it looks nice.

Originally posted by 1966_L78:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> I'm looking to make Big Red scream a low to mid 12 seconds. Wanting low to mid 12 seconds... And paying $600 for a 402 Shortblock core???

I'd definitely be looking for that 454 core. I know you have had some trouble, but I think the extra money you spend on a 454 core will be worth it in the long run...

402 shortblock needing machining... $600 sounds too high... </font>[/QUOTE]So how much would you give?

Originally posted by pnutkemist:
You're right it DOES add up, all the "little stuff" pushed me WAY over budget, and you start wanting last minute upgrades too. True story for me too.

My solid roller 454 with a ceramic coated intake, headers and a few dress up parts cost me $4300.
My 8-71 topped 540 bowtie block , canfield heads, Isky valvetrain, forged bottom end and twin 950 blower carbs is north of $12k and I still have a few small parts to get. The big thing about my motor is most parts were bought WAY under retail/mail order and they still cost me that much. My total machine shop bill was $1575. Hoping for a solid 850 HP :cool:

You guys are too paranoid on RPM. My 408 gets spun to 6200 regularly. (or at least it did prior to going with the new roller cam). Power probably peaks at 5800, but I need to run it to 6200 to get into the next gear and still feel like it is in the powerband. Bottum end consists of .010/.010 nodular crank, stock 3/8" rods w/ ARP bolts and TRW L2354 .030 forged pistons. Bottum end is balanced, I used the good bearings and the good barrel shaped rings (this motor had been rebuilt years ago and already had the forged pistons in it, cyclinder wear was good, so the choice was go another .010 to .040 or run it loose, I chose to just hone for new rings and run it loose, spec calls for .0025 piston/cyl, we are running .004 after rehone). I also run the 8" balancer from the 427 motors. A couple of things we did though, really help the bottum end. This is a 2 bolt block that was studded, then line honed, then decked square. This discussion on line hone got quite lenthy in another thread recently, but bottum line is taking the precautions to eliminate unnecessary stress on the crank make all the difference. Rod and crank clearances were checked and verified. In other words, other than dropping big bucks for an aftermarket crank, rods and big buck pistons, we built the performance potential into the shortblock by paying attention to the details. As most good engine builders will tell you, throwing $$ at parts won't cut it unless you pay attention to the even the little details.

I would not have any reserve to run a solid flat tappet in this shortblock and spin it 6800 and for all practical purposes, this is nothing more than a 396/325 shortblock with forged pistons instead of cast.

The adding up of all the small stuff plus the costs got me thinking I could build the current 350 into a 383 and push the same power.