Rebuild vs buy rebuilt vs pay someone to do it

[BrandonB]

Just curious if anyone has any input on this. I planned on replacing my 4.6 engine with a re-manufactured one; but my tax return wasn't what I had planned.

So now i'm looking into my options -

option a.) rebuild the engine myself. I no longer have access to a surfacing machine, bore, hone, dip tank, etc. So i'll have to do as much as I can at home and farm the rest of it out. I'll hit a junk yard for the drivers side head that is damaged over buying new - $400+ for a reman is stupid!

Option b.) Pay someone else to do the whole thing.

Just curious what others have done and what average cost was either way?

My thought is since I don't have the big lump sum of cash I planned, that I can just buy the tools i'll need ( I don't have a cherry picker or engine stand ), and then just buy the parts as I need them. This isn't my primary driver so I don't have to rush it.

Also any tips/tricks anyone has would be great. I've rebuilt older engines but never a modular. And I always had access to a machine shop to do all my own work and never had to pay others to do it.

Thanks!

 

[BrandonB]

Also those that have rebuilt, the engine has 220-250k miles on it ( can't see the odometer... ), have you typically seen that the pistons were shot and the cylinders out of spec? I know every engine is different - just curious.

 

[01yellerCobra]

You might want to make a list of everything you need along with the engine parts to rebuild it. Plus the machine work that would be needed. You might find yourself not far off a remanufactured engine.

 

[BrandonB]

My problem then is getting the money together. If my tax return would have been better, no problem. But as it stands right now i'll be lucky to get an engine lift, a stand, and some air tools from harbor freight with my return - maybe a head from a junk yard too. Rebuilding myself allows me to put whatever I can into it whenever I can versus trying to save it to buy a reman engine. Savings never works out how I plan it, something big always breaks or something happens where that saved money is needed.

As far as parts, I don't know what all i'll need but I know most of it. Gasket set, rings, bearings, oil pump. The rest i'll have to check the status on before I buy them, no need to buy new pistons if not needed for example. I can get the full kit for around $600 with pistons, or piece it out for close to that if not a little less depending on brand.

 

[american steel]

Just curious if anyone has any input on this. I planned on replacing my 4.6 engine with a re-manufactured one; but my tax return wasn't what I had planned.

So now i'm looking into my options -

option a.) rebuild the engine myself. I no longer have access to a surfacing machine, bore, hone, dip tank, etc. So i'll have to do as much as I can at home and farm the rest of it out. I'll hit a junk yard for the drivers side head that is damaged over buying new - $400+ for a reman is stupid!

Option b.) Pay someone else to do the whole thing.

Just curious what others have done and what average cost was either way?

My thought is since I don't have the big lump sum of cash I planned, that I can just buy the tools i'll need ( I don't have a cherry picker or engine stand ), and then just buy the parts as I need them. This isn't my primary driver so I don't have to rush it.

Also any tips/tricks anyone has would be great. I've rebuilt older engines but never a modular. And I always had access to a machine shop to do all my own work and never had to pay others to do it.

Thanks!

atleast you have experience with engines.
if you have the know how to yank this engine out youre in good shape from then on. these engines aren't hard to put together. obviously youll have to make sure everything lines up correctly.
I charge $450 for machining surfaces. $700 for a build whether its a factory rebuild or even a performance engine build .
you pay some one to do this you're going to pay a lot. get the same motor from a donor and swap it. usually shops charge $1100 for engine replacement alone.
here's another idea fore you to consider. don't rebuild the short block! add new seals, new timing chains and tensioners, gaskets, clean the carbon build up on your pistons and heads. but to rebuild the 4.6l is not hard.

 

[BrandonB]

atleast you have experience with engines.
if you have the know how to yank this engine out youre in good shape from then on. these engines aren't hard to put together. obviously youll have to make sure everything lines up correctly.
I charge $450 for machining surfaces. $700 for a build whether its a factory rebuild or even a performance engine build .
you pay some one to do this you're going to pay a lot. get the same motor from a donor and swap it. usually shops charge $1100 for engine replacement alone.
here's another idea fore you to consider. don't rebuild the short block! add new seals, new timing chains and tensioners, gaskets, clean the carbon build up on your pistons and heads. but to rebuild the 4.6l is not hard.

Thanks for the reply. I don't want to rebuild it unless I have to. I already replaced the timing chains, guides, and tensioners. But I fear the ticking sound i'm hearing is the chains not fully tensioned. I think possibly the oil gally is blocked or obstructed causing the tensioners to not function properly.

I got a quote from a local machine shop my dad ( who recently retired from machining ) recommended. He quoted 900 for the machining. That's grinding the crank, rods, surfacing the block, heads, doing a valve job, etc - with no parts.

At this point I think my plan is to pull it out and see what I have first. I'll check the crank and cylinders for spec. If in spec i'll just replace the rings, bearings and oil pump in the lower end. Then get a donor head to replace the drivers side, get a valve job done on both and have them surfaced and call it good. Cleaning the engine, grinding the crank, bore and hone the cylinders is the bulk of the expense. So i'm hoping I won't have to go that route.

If I had done this 8 months ago I would have had access to a jet washer ( dip tank for iron ), surfacing machine, valve grinder, etc to do it all myself.

 

[american steel]

Thanks for the reply. I don't want to rebuild it unless I have to. I already replaced the timing chains, guides, and tensioners. But I fear the ticking sound i'm hearing is the chains not fully tensioned. I think possibly the oil gally is blocked or obstructed causing the tensioners to not function properly.

I got a quote from a local machine shop my dad ( who recently retired from machining ) recommended. He quoted 900 for the machining. That's grinding the crank, rods, surfacing the block, heads, doing a valve job, etc - with no parts.

At this point I think my plan is to pull it out and see what I have first. I'll check the crank and cylinders for spec. If in spec i'll just replace the rings, bearings and oil pump in the lower end. Then get a donor head to replace the drivers side, get a valve job done on both and have them surfaced and call it good. Cleaning the engine, grinding the crank, bore and hone the cylinders is the bulk of the expense. So i'm hoping I won't have to go that route.

If I had done this 8 months ago I would have had access to a jet washer ( dip tank for iron ), surfacing machine, valve grinder, etc to do it all myself.

I under charge other shops but you were quoted what most other shops charge.
if you want to machine you surfaces and crank/rods then youll have to rebuild it.
the ticking maybe coming your lifters/lash adjusters. they have springs in them that act like a pump up valve to push/bounce the rocker arm you might have a bad adjuster. tensioners rarely go bad even when newly installed but its possible.

 

[BrandonB]

The sound was loudest from the timing cover, I used the ol' metallic object as a stethescope method to probe around.

My dad said he was charging $12 a hole before he retired, but he too was under charging. He also would spend entirely too much time on a project making sure it was perfect and not charge near what he had in it. A family curse, I did the same thing when I was doing web development.

I plan on taking the block out to him and having him check the bore and crank for me to see if they are in spec. I have done it, but only a few times 15 years ago or so. He suspects they won't be, i'm really hoping they are. I'd rather not have to spend $200 on pistons unless I absolutely have to.

My plan is to make it as cheap, but good as possible buying the pieces in chunks over time. Which i'm terrible at, i'm impulsive and inpatient. My bank account normally reflects that.

 

[tonydiv]

If I ever need to do the motor, I'm probably just going to call these guys:

Ford 8 Cylinder Engines

And then just swap the motors myself. I just don't think that, when it's all said and done, that I'll save any significant money doing it all myself. Plus there's the warranty.

 

[american steel]

The sound was loudest from the timing cover, I used the ol' metallic object as a stethescope method to probe around.

My dad said he was charging $12 a hole before he retired, but he too was under charging. He also would spend entirely too much time on a project making sure it was perfect and not charge near what he had in it. A family curse, I did the same thing when I was doing web development.

I plan on taking the block out to him and having him check the bore and crank for me to see if they are in spec. I have done it, but only a few times 15 years ago or so. He suspects they won't be, i'm really hoping they are. I'd rather not have to spend $200 on pistons unless I absolutely have to.

My plan is to make it as cheap, but good as possible buying the pieces in chunks over time. Which i'm terrible at, i'm impulsive and inpatient. My bank account normally reflects that.

might be the timing chain or tensioners never heard that before though.
I get away with undercharging because I own almost everything I have and 1 employee under my shop and I pay a painter to paint vehicles for me, so I don't have near the expenses as another shop owner would have. this undercharging also allows me to generate more income at my prices so im doing quite fine on that part.
very low bills as well