[RMTZ67]

Agree with Jim, tough for us to say. There are not many pontiac builders around, the guy that has your engine may or may not be one.
No matter what, your at someone's mercy, especially if your not well versed in engine building. You should have done some homework before hand. Get your engine back if they have not taken it apart and tell them you have to think about it. Then ask all the questions you need.

 

[Baaad65]

Everyone is on your side and just don't want you disappointed because it's a shit ton of money, I never heard of a contract for a motor either, you put a deposit down and if you don't pay in the end he keeps it like PJ said. I also never heard of a quote on hours, they know how long it takes for each operation and unless they run into a big problem or you ask for a special porting job then maybe an hourly rate comes into play. My build sheet from Butler says x amount for disassembly and x amount for assembly and even a price for a certain porting job and x amount for dyno, no hours that it took. As said before this ain't no Chevy motor so I would ask how many ponchos has he built, and 140 miles is nothing to have a real Pontiac builder do it. Not trying to scare you or be rude just opinions that are trying to help you in this big decision 👍

 

[Baaad65]

Here's the labor costs for example on mine and I know this was in 2014 I get prices are way up but this is also Butler...not your average machine shop.

 

[geeteeohguy]

I do my own assembly work but am not a machinist. In 2019, I freshened up the '68 383 SBC that was in my Corvette that had been built up about 40 years earlier using a 400 SBC crank and rods, with forged pistons, Crane cam, etc. It had been raced and oval tracked in the dirt and had wiped out rings but ran well. Just had 30% leakdown in every hole.
I tore it down and had the following done: cylinders torque plate-honed, crankshaft polished, oil and freeze plugs replaced, rods checked and sized, new piston rings, heads lightly milled and full valve job, balance assembly, and turn the billet steel flywheel. New bearings, complete Fel-Pro gasket set.
My total cost was $700 and my man-hours were about 20. the machinist spent less than that. Caveat: small block Chevy parts are MUCH cheaper than Pontiac parts. But the cost of the machine work should be about the same.

 

[geeteeohguy]

I'll add: see all the red silicone on the oil pan gasket on the teardown pic? I must have pulled a teaspoon of that crap out of the oil pick-up. None was used on the re-assembly. Just Gaskasinch / Indian Head gasket shellac and Toyota black form-a-gasket sealer. Ultra gray is great as well (permatex)

 

[chrisn]

I'll add: see all the red silicone on the oil pan gasket on the teardown pic? I must have pulled a teaspoon of that crap out of the oil pick-up. None was used on the re-assembly. Just Gaskasinch / Indian Head gasket shellac and Toyota black form-a-gasket sealer. Ultra gray is great as well (permatex)

i quit using cork gaskets on small block chevys 20 yrs ago switched to gm single piece silicone with steel liniter made in use 4 spots of weather strip glue to hold in place never had one leak out of 20 plus engines . the make them for gen 1 and 2 small chev

 

[chrisn]

11 grand for a rebuild seems a little high , custom forged pistons not needed for a stock rebuild maybe if you were going to buzz the motor or were shooting for big horsepower my machine work was 2500 for all rods shouldnt need to be resized unless youve spun a bearing