Whoa up there... One point in favor is that you know the work was done well and your shop there will stand behind it. If you want another nightmare just go and buy some "rebuilt" engine or part from someone you don't know... By the time you are done chasing down the culprit and raising a big stink and likely not getting any satisfaction for your time and money you could be sitting there holding up the heavy end of a losing situation. $150 plus for the valves and springs that you got special for your cyl head probably won't be found in a cheap job. Usually these items are furnished by the parts and machine shop, if necessary, and then they know what they are working with. There probably are ways to minimize your costs all right and usually is by making things most expedient for your machinist but not by making impositions on him with other than his standard parts or stuff that he may have to spend extra time with in order to make sure to get things "right". Maybe that isn't the case here but it is possible... Just try a view from the other perspective. A little extra money is better than a lot of extra time and hassle. Even for us poor folks stuck with doing Ramblers. etc... ______________________________________________________________ Ralph Ausmann - Hillsboro, OR - > <ralph.ausmann@xxxxxxxxx> http://mysite.verizon.net/res79g4m/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Justin Shelton" <hydeparker@xxxxxxxxx> To: <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 9:46 AM Subject: [Amc-list] Head rebuild cost > Hi, Guys: > I complained last week about the cost of having a head rebuilt for my 196 > engine. This is for a '62 Cross Country wagon. Here's the breakdown of > costs that I got from the Napa machine shop that did the work: > Replace Valve Seat $60 > Replace Valve Guides $72 > Resurface Cyl Head $60 > Valve Job $100. > Shop Supplies $12. > Total: $304. > > When you add the $150-odd $ that I spent on valves and springs, the cost > of just redoing the head starts to push $500! Yikes! At that price, I > could just lay low and wait for a low-mileage, totally rebuilt engine come > up on Ebay. > > Guess I'll be in the market for another machine shop . . . those guys do > good work, but I just can't afford them any longer, I don't think. > > If you have a good shop to recommend in the Chicago area, give me a > holler. > - Justin _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list