[Amc-list] How much for a head rebuild?

["Swygert, Francis G MSgt 436 CES/CECM" <Francis.Swygert3@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Justin, did they have to replace any valves, springs, keepers, or
guides? All of those are getting difficult to find for a 196, and
therefore costly. If this had been a bridged rocker 232/258/4.0L, I'd
think you got overcharged. $200 or so for one of those should be about
right -- if the valves and such are reusable, especially the guides.
Replacing all the guides would be closer to the $350. 

I checked on Google for some machines shop prices. One in St. Charles,
MO, is probably about average for the US
(http://www.strokerkits.com/machine_shop.htm). Their labor rate is
$90/hr -- prices could be a little higher in your neck of the woods (New
England area, right?). 

They have a listing of $200 for a straight six valve job, $9 each for
new guides (includes guide and labor on most). 12x9=$108, so that's $308
for a plain old valve job with all new guides, nothing else. Replace a
couple valves and maybe springs too, and $350 would be easy. The valves
are more than $9 each just for the parts, if they can be found.
Magnaflux check for cracks is another $35, and I wouldn't rebuild an
unknown head without doing that first! If it needed milling to true up,
that's another $50. If any hardened seats were installed, they are
$17.50 each (includes seat though). You could have easily spent $500 to
have that head completely rebuilt with new parts! If they did a plain
old valve job without replacing any parts, you'd still be looking at
close to $300 after Magnaflux and milling, plus tax. 


----------------------------

Date: Thursday, February 22, 2007 12:55 PM
From: Justin Shelton <hydeparker@xxxxxxxxx>

Hi, Guys:

I picked up a 196 head from the machine shop at the NAPA in South Bend,
IN,
last weekend.  I'd dropped it off a few months ago and provided parts.

Anyway, it cost $350 for the rebuild!  I about sh*t my pants but paid
anyway. 
I mean, what's a guy to do? Now, I know these guys do great work because
they've done two other heads for me, and they won me over by identifying
my
Rambler head as such without me saying a thing about what engine it came
off
of.  The last heads this shop did for me were for an IHC 304 engine, and
it was 
about $250 if memory serves, with them providing parts.  Valves were
replaced,
not ground.

So, did I get screwed on price?  What have you paid to get a head
rebuilt in
recent years?  I don't really want to go elsewhere for machine work, but
can't
plunk down this kind of money too often.

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