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Engine Installation Information
Shops in the United States charge an average of
$885 to install a longblock engine, which includes labor, break-in oil and filter, sealant, ten mile road test, computer scan, dial in and pressure testing. Shops in the East and
metro areas charge more than shops in the South and and rural areas. Boat engine installations
should run a little less in smaller boats with good accessibility, however
Yankee marina mechanics have a tendancy to try to get a years pay out of a
summer. Motorhome engine installations are priced much higher for a number of reasons, not the least of which is due to little or no guidance in the common labor manuals. While common sense would tell you that changing a 454 engine in a 1987 motorhome would take a similar time as a 1987 454 equipped GMC one ton truck, charges often run double for a motor home.
Ask potential shops if the mechanics are paid on
commission. The incentives bring out the worst in them.
New car dealerships
have programs that maximize profits by
charging more for labor and commonly stack on a ton of questionable
additional parts.
For what it's worth, there are many mechanics incapable of performing skill level three work (like modern engine installations) in good shops. Look for a mechanic with some gray hair and ASE patches.
Remember to talk to the mechanic, because he is the guy working on your car. The
Service Manager is just some smooth talking putz with a nice smile. Maybe the kid at K-Mart can change your watch battery but do you trust him to take your watch apart down to it's smallest component and put it back together perfectly and in a timely fashion?
A modern power train is just like a fine timepiece with hundreds of exactly manufactured parts.
How it should be done.
The old engine comes out…
It is then undressed it down to a long block.
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When the old engine is removed and is swinging in the air,
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The valve covers, timing cover, oil pan, intake manifold and brackets should be chemically stripped down to clean, bare metal in a sodium hydroxide jet stripper or oven baked and blasted.
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Everything is painted so the freshly remanufactured engine will look good and be corrosion resistant.
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Thee best sealant and gaskets should be used so there will be no leaks.
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the mechanic should then inspect under the hood and around the engine for parts that could adversely affect the operation of the engine for the next year. If he finds anything he should write it on the work order and bring it to the customer's attention.
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At that time he will quote a price for the part although the customer is not obligated to approve or purchase anything, the mechanic should just want to let you know what's going on under the hood. Most of the time there is no additional labor involved as the part is off already. After the fresh engine is installed the cooling system must be pressure tested
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and the computer computer should be scanned for trouble codes. The cause of the engine failure should ALWAYS be known so it doesn't fail again.
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