The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 228 Rebuild, $2200 No way!

I called one of the better engine builders here in Colorado Springs. I talked to him about re-building my long block 228 for my 51' 1/2 ton gmc.

He said to bore it .30 over and do a good rebuild im looking at 2200 bucks to start. "Parts are hard to find, and I buy all new parts".

Any of you guys have any say in that? I thought it was ridiculous. Of course, what is a good deal?

I have a muddy, greasy, leakey 228. It ran when I started the project, but skipped, missed puttered, burned oil, and farted.

What have you guys done on this?

Bill Miles seems to have done exactley what I'd like to do.

But at what cost? I already gave an arm and a let to get my house. . .I dont want my nickname to be "Stump".

Ideas?

thnx,

-dallas

Whether you rebuild it or not you still need to do some work to this engine to make it run right. Even worn it should run decent. So, clean it up, rebuild the carb and replace gaskets etc. All that is cheap to do. Give it a full tune up and see what you get. Once it stops skipping and farting you could decide whether it needs a full rebuild, or a valve job, or maybe reringing it.

It also depends on if this is going to be a daily driver or an occasional ride. Sometimes you see rebuilt engine for sale cheap just because some dufus pulled it to put in a V8.

Whatever you do, DO NOT remove the valve cover.

If you remove it and see a tiny speck of green water, DO NOT pull the head.

If you pull the head, DO NOT inspect the cylinder walls.

If you touch those cylinder walls and find a suspicious groove on one, you're done. You must pull that piston and confirm the broken ring.
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My new engine started as a simple Saturday afternoon valve adjustment. But my engine guy's rebuilt Chevy 261 is "only" costing about $1700 but it is worth the price because it's my life-long daily-driver. If I didn't have my '48, I'd buy some used $8,000 truck of uncertain lineage.

(Wife says it's much, MUCH more than the $1700 check to the engine guy but she's thinking about the new di$tributor, pre$$ure plate rebuild, clutch, $hort-$haft water pump, rear Huck'$$ brake $hoe$, dual ma$ter cylinder and it'$ adapter ..........$)

Parts are expensive, check with NAPA, CarQuest, some others still have new parts available, and much cheaper than the specialty parts suppliers.

I had the head reworked, new cam bearings installed and the cylinders honed by the machine shop on my 228. I did not have to have any cylinders bored, no crankshaft turning, used the old pistons and I disassembled everything, cleaned everything and reassembled the engine myself and still had well over $1000 dollars in the rebuild. I'm guessing if you have the engine guy do a complete rebuild, his estimate is not too far off.

That's the going rate brother. $2200 is normal. You can do it yourself and spend $4500 in tools and machine shop services, or drop it off and get it over with.

This is why you see a number of GMCs with 235 Chevys installed. GMC rebuild parts are expensive, and not always easy to find. You might have your engine guy check with Stovebolt Engine Co or Patrick's, some parts may be a little cheaper, but I'd say you'll be lucky to get it done for $2200. For that kind of money you might as well start with a 270 and benefit from the added displacement.

There's Jack! Always trying to sneak some more horses into every hole!!

Dallas, this really is the cost of doing the work and I think $2200 is about right. You referenced Bill Miles truck. You don't even want to know what he spent and he did most of the work himself.

Take the $2200 job, make sure it's done right and thank the man.

wow. . .what a kick in the crotch.

Does Stovebolt Engine CO. Or patricks have a website? I think maybe if I can think up some of the parts it might not be too bad?.

Or at least a little cheaper. But then with boring .30 over, what size pistons? I have no idea what parts to buy, etc.

I guess I cant dial 10-10-220 and save a buck or two on this one!!!

As homer would say, DOH!

-dallas (no, im not from texas)

Rebuilding is expensive and I have heard that the GMC engine parts cost more. I have saved quite a bit of money by shopping on Ebay, but time is on my side!

I've got a low mileage 270 available to me here in CALIF.

Too bad, the freight would be a killer.....

I bet it's less that $2200.

I have over a grand in my 57 235 in 1990 and about 1700.00 in a 56 olds motor thats not done yet,its expensive to build the older motors and i done the assembly

He must have talked to my guy....$2300 for a long block, but it came with a two year warranty. Best shop in town. All new guts, one less big thing to ever worry about again. Carb to pan.

I Have a 261 Chevy, was quoted around $2,300 2yrs ago. Had NAPA Machine shop do boring .060 and get pistons ,ring,bearings etc. I assembled it and it actually runs. But,I have about $1,400 in it plus my time and it takes a lot of time.I say pay the man and enjoy it when it's finished.

I can't speak for GMC's, but I just had my '54 chevy 235 rebuilt - short block for $900 total and that included cleaning, grinding the crank, boring out to .060, new cam bearings installed, and assembly of the crank and pistons. The labor came to $420 and this was at the local CarQuest - the guy's been doing it for years, but they no longer do warranties. The parts came from Northern Auto parts (online)for a complete kit including all new parts - pistons, rings, new camshaft, oil pump, timing gears, lifters, all the gaskets and bearings was $449. I'm not trying to advertise here, but I can tell you I shopped alot and looked on Ebay as well and most places, NAPA, etc wanted $1000 or close to it for the '54 part kit. I found out about Northern on this site. One thing though, their kit doesn't have the right mains (dowelled) for a '53-55, but you can get them from Kanters for $40 and just have Northern credit you for their bearings.
I know this doesn't help for a 228, but it might help somebody else. (Saving $500 or so makes a wife happy or at least less mad )

Dallas,

the two sources I mentioned do have web sites,
Patrick\'s and Stovebolt.

Another possibility is Jim Carter - I paid Jim & Kelly a visit about a month ago, and he has a number of rebuilt short blocks shrink-wrapped and ready to ship, at very reasonable prices (like a 261 for under $1500). I saw at least one GMC core there but did not ask the condition or price. Carter's is in the Kansas City area so shipping shouldn't be too bad.

But I agree with Tony that some diagnosis of your original motor is a good idea. GMCs are very tough engines, and unless it has some major trauma, might just need a some carb and ignition work, maybe a valve job.